Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Living and Dying With No Estate Plan
It is easy to procrastinate working on your estate plan, because death happens to those who are diligent about estate planning and those who are not. What is the worst that can happen if you do not make any written plans for your end-of-life care, the final disposition of your remains, or the distribution… Read More »
Are Inherited Real Estate Properties a Trojan Horse?
With the price of everything increasing, wages stagnating, and an increasing number of employers keeping workers at arm’s length by labeling them independent contractors, it takes more and more money to be considered wealthy, or even middle class. You have to admit, though, that you are more privileged than most if you own a… Read More »
A Second Act Career Is Looking Pretty Good Right Now
Tiny houses in Florida cost a lot less than similarly sized apartments in New York, but are they any match for hurricanes force winds? Besides, the alligators and iguanas come right up to your window. Your Social Security check will go farther in Costa Rica than it will in New York, but do you… Read More »
Decluttering Is No Substitute for Estate Planning
In estate law, anything that is not money or real estate is considered personal property; it includes furniture, jewelry, books, clothing, and all of the other miscellaneous items in your house. For good reason, it is not usually one of the first things that people think about in their estate plans. Therefore, lots of… Read More »
How Seniors Can Stay Safe in the Winter
Autumn is the most pleasant season in New York. Even if the view from your window has more skyscrapers than autumn leaves, the crisp smell in the air is unmistakable. Soon, the cozy autumn will give way to a bitterly cold New York winter, though. While children may find the snow days exhilarating and… Read More »
Show Your Pets Some Love in Your Estate Plan
If there is no human being to whom you want to leave your property, you are not alone. You may not have any family members who would use the money responsibly or any friends who need the money. If you are old enough to write a will, then you are old enough to know… Read More »
Which Kind of Trust Will Benefit Your Young Family Members the Most?
How can you make your estate plan benefit your youngest relatives when minors cannot directly inherit money? The parents of minor children confront this question when they are trying to build an estate plan to ensure the children’s financial security in the event that the parents die while the children are minors. Grandparents may… Read More »
How to Challenge a Will
New York law gives you the right to decide who will become the beneficiaries of your estate. If you die without a will, the probate court will distribute your property to your closest surviving relatives, and only if the court reasonably determines that you do not have any surviving relatives who can be located… Read More »
New Report Identifies the Bronx as an Alzheimer’s Disease Hot Spot
Deciding who will inherit your stuff after you die is only one aspect, as are the daydreams about traveling the world and spoiling your grandchildren. An important task in estate planning is making plans that will reduce the financial and emotional strain on your family in the event that you suffer a chronic illness… Read More »
Insolvent Estates: Facing the Reality While You Are Alive
Your life is nothing like the pictures that you see on estate planning brochures. Those moonlit walks on the beach require health and wealth that you have not possessed in many years and have little hope of possessing in the future. You worked for as long as your body could tolerate it and have… Read More »