Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Should Inter Vivos Gifts Be Part of Your Estate Plan?
An inter vivos gift is any gift you make while living. Few people think of gifts as a helpful component of an estate plan, but there are many reasons to consider making them. At Cavallo & Cavallo, our Westchester estate planning lawyers make all estate planning tools available for clients. We can advise on… Read More »
Key Questions with Passing Down a Family Business
You have worked hard to create a successful business and an enviable life for your family. Now is the time to ensure you have created the right business succession plan. At Cavallo & Cavallo, we have worked with clients throughout Westchester County who have built companies in a variety of industries. Marrying our legal… Read More »
Where Should You Store Your Estate Plan?
So you created an estate plan. Congratulations! You are now ahead of the curve. According to a Gallup poll, fewer than 50% of Americans even have a simple will in place, and we imagine even fewer have critical documents like a health care proxy. By creating an estate plan, you can now breathe a… Read More »
When to Seek Legal Help as the Personal Representative
Serving as a personal representative in probate can feel intimidating. Many people agree to serve only to help their family or out of a sense of duty to a beloved relative. They quickly find themselves overwhelmed with questions and cannot find solid answers online. Even worse, other family members are badgering them about why… Read More »
What Are the Trustee’s Fiduciary Duties?
Trusts are popular estate planning tools, but your choice of trustee matters considerably. The beneficiaries will have to deal with the trustee, and those creating a trust need someone who is reliable and trustworthy. New York law also imposes certain duties on trustees. These fiduciary duties are designed to ensure the trustee acts in… Read More »
Top 5 Mistakes with Do-It-Yourself Wills
The internet is overflowing with websites and software programs which promise to create a legal, airtight will. All you need to do is enter some basic information and the program will spit out a ready-to-use will that stands up in court. Sounds easy, right? Actually, there are major risks with any DIY will writing… Read More »
Five Wishes Can Simplify Your Estate Plan
The websites of estate planning lawyers and financial planners often encourage you to start your estate plan by making wishes. They tell you to envision yourself watching Broadway shows with your friends during the summer and walking on the beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida with your spouse in the winter. Once you… Read More »
Is High-Risk Borrowing a Sign of Elder Financial Abuse?
The stereotypical image of financial abuse of the elderly is when an opportunistic person ingratiates himself or herself to a lonely but financially secure elderly person and takes advantage of the elderly person’s generosity and physical and emotional vulnerability. The abuser might be a paid caregiver who builds a friendly rapport with the elderly… Read More »
Choosing a Nursing Home
Which nursing home do you want to move to in the future? That is easy. None of them! No one wants to entertain the possibility that they will one day be ill enough that they will require around-the-clock care. If you only need help sometimes, then you have the option of relying on relatives… Read More »
Estate Planning Asset Protection Basics
When you build an estate plan, you have two goals. The first is to provide for your care in your old age, and the second is to plan for the distribution of your assets to your family, or any other chosen beneficiaries, after you die. The less attached you are to wealth and the… Read More »