Wills

You probably have a lot on your plate already. Between work, family and the day-to-day demands of life, thinking about a will may not be high on your list. Many people put it off, assuming it only matters later in life or once they have significant assets. The truth is that a will is one ...

Your will allows you to name someone to serve as a guardian and take care of your children. It also allows you to control who receives specific property from your estate. Many people are overzealous in their desire to name beneficiaries for assets when planning their estate. They will include property that does not belong ...

Sometime in your life, you’re going to consider making a will. This legal document can help detail what you want your beneficiaries to inherit, who your power of attorney is and how you want your funeral conducted. The sooner you make a will the better it is for you and your family. People typically have ...

A will is a fundamental part of an estate plan. This legal document outlines how your assets should be distributed upon your death. Perhaps you want your children or grandchildren to inherit most of your assets? Maybe you want to leave a little bit to your favorite charity? Whatever your final wishes are, they can ...

During your life, you realize that you won’t be able to take everything you own with you when you die. This can be a scary thought when your estate includes precious memories, family heirlooms and keepsakes. To help ensure that your assets go to the people you want to have them, the best place to ...

Putting together an estate plan is an important step. It helps us to get a better understanding of our finances because it forces us to review all of our assets. Once we have gotten everything in order and finalized our estate plan, the next question is often what do we do now? Do we tell ...

As you make your estate plan, you may have received conflicting advice about whether or not to write a will. Wills have fallen out of favor to a certain extent because they have to go through probate. Nevertheless, a will can perform important functions in your estate plan that other documents may not be able ...

On behalf of Al Polizzotto It is common for beneficiaries to dislike the way in which an estate is distributed. Maybe the person who created the will promised assets he or she did not really have, which isn’t discovered until the will is read. Maybe the testator orally promised multiple people the same asset. More ...

Even if you don’t think you have enough money to warrant drawing up an estate plan, if you own a house in Brooklyn, you’ve likely got an asset that’s worth a lot. If you intend to leave your home to one or more of your children, it’s essential that you do it correctly. Otherwise, they ...

If a person dies without an estate plan (at least a will), state probate laws determine which relatives inherit their estate, what portion of it and under what circumstances. These people are called “heirs-at-law.” These are also the people who would have “standing” to contest a will if there is one. That doesn’t mean that ...