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For New Yorkers receiving benefits under the long-term care Medicaid program, a life estate is a strategic estate planning tool. Maintaining a life estate can ensure that your home passes to your intended loved ones after your death.

Whether your trust requires its own EIN depends on the type of trust that you have. An EIN, also known as a federal tax ID number, is a nine-digit number that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) assigns to identify an entity for tax reporting purposes. An EIN functions like a social security number.

The Automated City Register Information System, more commonly referred to as “ACRIS”, is New York City Department of Finance’s online portal. The portal allows one to view property records (such as deed filings), calculate property taxes, apply for exemptions, and prepare transfer tax forms.

If you have been named as a trustee of someone’s trust, you may be wondering what you are supposed to do. It is important that the trustee understand their duties and responsibilities.  The most important thing to remember as trustee is that the trust assets are not your assets.

Whether a Trustee can sell property in a trust depends on the terms of the trust. “Maybe” may seem like a common attorney refrain to frustrate clients, but the powers of a Trustee depend either on the terms of the trust, the purpose of the trust and New York’s Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (“EPTL”).

Have you put an Estate Plan in place or have questions on the responsibilities of agents, trustees or executors? Britt Burner discusses these important roles in Estate Planning.

A marital trust is a type of irrevocable trust that allows one spouse to transfer assets to a surviving spouse tax free, using the unlimited marital deduction, while providing benefits not available if transferred outright. When drafting Wills for married couples, we usually include a Marital Trust to provide estate tax planning, spousal care, and Medicaid protection.

Britt Burner discusses trust administration, including how to open a trust account, keep records, and make distributions.

Question: My mother owns her home and is considering putting it into an irrevocable trust. She is concerned that if in the future she wanted to take a Reverse Mortgage on the property, she would not be able because the house is owned by a trust, is that correct?

In general, when a person dies in New York, that person’s Last Will & Testament must be probated in Surrogate’s Court so that an Executor can be appointed to legally distribute assets. If there is no Will, an administration proceeding will be required and an administrator will be appointed to distribute the decedent’s assets according to New York State intestacy law.