Author Archives: Jay Butchko
The Role of the Public Administrator in New York Probate Cases
The signs of our society’s loneliness epidemic. People look to Chat GPT for advice and even companionship, when they used to call their mothers for the former and text their friends for the latter. For every person who goes out on a limb to let small talk turn into big talk and to delight… Read More »
A Family Trust Can Prevent Conflict and Keep Order, but Only If You Let It
You often feel that you are the only thing that keeps your whole family from descending into chaos, even though it is not possible to test your hypothesis while you are alive. You bankroll your entire family, and to show their gratitude, they attend family gatherings only when they feel like it and occasionally… Read More »
New York Estate Law Changes for 2026
Can you believe that 2025 is more than five sixths of the way finished? Perhaps it is time to take a page from Generation Z and “lock in” to accomplish your goals before 2025 ends, instead of waiting until 2026 to make resolutions for the year. Even if you are inclined to make resolutions… Read More »
How Acting as the Personal Representative of a Deceased Person’s Estate Is a Lot Like Running a Business
If you believe the myriad YouTube channels devoted to the subject, entrepreneurship resembles a hero’s quest, and the key to success is personal charisma. By contrast, no one would describe acting as the personal representative of a deceased person’s estate that way. In entrepreneurship, the goal is to go big, to sell your company… Read More »
How to Protect Your Family Home with a Living Trust in New York
Estate planning lawyers often advise clients to establish a trust and transfer property to it, because trusts are non-probate assets. This means that, after you die, the property in the trust will not become part of your estate as administered by the probate court. During probate, the estate must pay income taxes, and the… Read More »
Why Young Families in NYC Need an Estate Plan Now
Estate planning is not just about your estate. This means that you need an estate plan, even if you have no estate to speak of. In the context of probate law, an estate is the property that a person leaves behind after he or she dies. It is what the probate court distributes to… Read More »
Digital Assets in Your Will: Protecting Your Online Accounts in NY
Estate planning lawyers sometimes tell their clients that the probate court thinks of a deceased person’s property in only three categories, namely real estate, money, and personal property. Personal property is everything that is not money or real estate; it is your stuff. Your personal property might include clothing, furniture, musical instruments, books, or… Read More »
Estate Planning Resolutions for the New Year: A New York Perspective
You know you are old if you can remember when George H. Bush said that it was his right, as President of the United States, to decide whether he ever wanted to eat broccoli again. You may never have been elected to public office, but you can identify with the sentiment that, once you… Read More »
How Life Changes Affect Your Estate Plan: Marriage, Divorce, New Children
Getting started on your estate plan when you have retired or are about to retire can make you feel like you are late to the party. Your friends who truly have their act together started working on their estate plans when they were in their 40s or even younger, and now they just have… Read More »
A History Nerd’s Toast to Trusts
If you are old enough that you have ever thought about your estate plan, then you are old enough to know that times change quickly. Just try explaining to your children what it was like only being able to reach people by phone when they were home, or only being able to watch your… Read More »