The New York estate tax cliff is a quirk in state law that can cost a family hundreds of thousands of dollars over a difference of just a few dollars in the size of an estate. In plain terms: New York gives every estate a “basic exclusion amount” — $7,350,000 for deaths on or after January 1, 2026 through December
As a general rule, you should review your New York estate plan every three to five years, and you should update it immediately after any major life event — a marriage, a divorce, a birth, a death, a move, a large change in your assets, or a change in New York or federal law. An estate plan is not a
Short answer: A Health Care Proxy and a Power of Attorney are two separate New York documents that do two different jobs. A Health Care Proxy (governed by New York Public Health Law Article 29-C) appoints an agent to make medical decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself. A Power of Attorney (governed by General Obligations Law §5-1513)
If you are a young New York family, the most important reason to create an estate plan is this: it is the only legal way to name a guardian for your minor children and to control who manages money on their behalf if both parents are gone. A complete plan — a will, one or more trusts, a durable power
If you are part of a blended family in New York — a second marriage, stepchildren, children from a prior relationship — the single most important thing to understand is this: without a deliberate, coordinated estate plan, New York law will not honor the way you actually want your assets distributed. A blended family needs a plan that simultaneously protects
A complete New York estate plan for 2026 comes down to four coordinated documents working together: a valid Will, the right Trust(s), a durable Power of Attorney, and a Health Care Proxy — plus an honest look at whether your estate is approaching the 2026 New York estate tax cliff. If you have all four documents, they name the people