Estate Planning

Digital Assets in Estate Planning

In 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Senate Bill 7426A into law. I wrote an article at the time of its passage expressing the importance of planning with digital assets. This area of the law has only become more important as more people begin to invest in areas like cryptocurrency and Bitcoin that is labeled as digital. What are Digital Assets and their…

Daniel S. Williford

New York State Power of Attorney Law Change

On December 15, 2020, Governor Cuomo signed a long awaited new law into place resulting in a change to the New York State Power of Attorney (“POA”). The effective date of the law is June 13, 2021…

Almost 40: Millennials Need a Plan

Planning and Children I know how you feel. Having three young children under the age of five years old, time for yourself and time to address your planning is at a premium. In what seems like a…

Updates to Estate Planning During COVID-19

Dear Valued Clients, Family and Friends, This is an update to our prior message providing you with updates on how estate planning practice has changed even in the last few weeks. We hope that you…

Today’s Normal: Estate Planning During COVID-19

The week starting March 16, 2020 is a week that we will all remember. It is the week that our personal and professional lives changed significantly and we are trying to adjust to a new normal. I…

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017 and New York State

By Daniel S. Williford Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017 The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (2017 Act) is viewed by many as the most sweeping change to the U.S. Tax Code in decades. Although the main impact…

Combating Financial Exploitation Of The Elderly

Financial exploitation of the elderly continues to be one of the fastest growing forms of elder abuse. As population dynamics shift to a higher percentage of U.S. citizens over 65, the trend is…

Diamond Rings, Stamp Collections & Hummels: Estate Considerations for Tangible Personal Property

During an estate or trust administration, financial assets (i.e. bank accounts, brokerage accounts) are easy to divide and distribute in certain percentages based upon a person’s testamentary…

Do I Have the Capacity? Execution and Agency for Powers of Attorney

Execution of a NYS Power of Attorney A Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal document that allows an agent to make financial and legal decisions for another person. Depending upon the different…

Do You Have Digital Assets?

This month, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law an amendment to the New York Estates Powers and Trust Law, creating a new section that specifically addresses the administration of digital assets in…