More than ever, families are concerned with protecting and preserving assets and ensuring orderly administration of their affairs in the event of their death or incapacity. Garfunkel Wild’s Trusts, Estates and Private Client Services Practice Group helps clients develop and implement effective estate planning strategies that preserve family wealth and legacies. We advise on all matters related to estate planning, gift planning, estate and trust administration, and related tax matters. From the simple to the complex, we draft wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, advance directives, family agreements, and business succession plans, and have assisted countless families with estate tax planning and maximizing the wealth passing to the next generation by minimizing estate and gift taxes. In estate and trust administration, we provide executors, trustees, and beneficiaries with tailored guidance for navigating their rights, responsibilities, and family dynamics.
We assist our clients with the following:
Preparation of wills and advance directives such as powers of attorney, health care proxies, living wills, and directives concerning disposition of remains
Preparation of revocable and irrevocable trusts, including but not limited to Insurance Trusts, Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, Qualified Personal Residence Trusts, Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts, Asset Protection Trusts, and Medicaid Qualifying Trusts
Probate, Estate Administration, Trust Administration, and Trust and Estate Accountings
Representation in Surrogate’s Court proceedings
Proper asset structuring to take advantage of tax saving opportunities
Retirement plans, distribution calculations, and beneficiary designations
Preservation of family assets through generational planning (“generation-skipping”)
Gift planning techniques, estate tax and gift tax issues
Practice and business succession issues
Family limited partnerships/limited liability companies
Charitable giving techniques, including charitable trusts and creation of private foundations
Garfunkel Wild’s Trusts, Estates and Private Client Services team customizes each estate plan to fit clients’ needs based on their own finances, family situation, and personal circumstances. We pride ourselves on staying current with the latest developments in estate, trust, and tax laws, and addressing each client’s personal needs and objectives with sensitivity and expertise.
Here is an overview of certain estate and gift tax rules currently in effect, the changes on the horizon, and ways you can save estate taxes for your family.
As the summer draws to a close, that fall back-to-school feeling comes back for many of us and it’s an excellent time to put your estate planning in order and see if any updates should be made.
Garfunkel Wild's Kristen Walsh will present the "Inventory and Appraisement" portion at the National Business Institute (NBI) online seminar "New York Probate Process from Start to Finish" on Friday, June 14, 2024.
Planning for end-of-life medical care and estate planning can be daunting, but failing to put your affairs in order can leave your family with difficult decisions, increased expenses, and outcomes you didn’t intend. Join our webinar as Garfunkel Wild attorneys explain the legal documents every person should have
On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) promulgated a final rule banning most non-compete agreements, in any industry, and is set to become effective 120 days after its publication in the Federal Register (the “Final Rule”).
Now is a great time to review your estate plan to make sure it reflects your current wishes and takes advantage of wealth transfer opportunities. Our webinar will walk you through the latest tax issues and new developments, and provide guidance on how to best prepare for the months ahead.
Estate planning has been challenging in recent years. Drastic changes were proposed, but not enacted, and a major reduction to the Federal estate tax exemption is scheduled for 2026. What we do know is that the sooner you act, the more options you have to save estate taxes for your family.
This alert discusses Advance Directives, including the Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Designation, and Living Will, which are essential components of every estate plan.
In honor of National Estate Planning Awareness Month, Garfunkel Wild, P.C. wants to remind you of the importance of creating and maintaining an estate plan. Below we provide an overview of the Revocable Trust, an essential part of any estate plan.
In this article published in the New York State Bar Associations Health Law Journal (2023 - Vol. 56 - No. 2), Kristen Walsh discusses the Section 529 College Savings Account: A Gift and Estate Tax Planning Perspective.
In light of market unpredictability and incoming changes to the gift and estate tax regime, now is a great time to review your estate plan to make sure it reflects your current wishes and takes advantage of wealth transfer opportunities.
Now is a great time to review your estate plan and make sure it correctly reflects your wishes and allows you to capitalize on wealth transfer opportunities. Consider these recommendations:
Due to impending estate and economic changes on the horizon, now is the time to review your estate plan to make sure it is in order. Several tax proposals have been introduced that if enacted will significantly increase income, gift, and estate taxes.
Kristen Walsh, co-authored the article “Estate Planning for the Young Professional,” published in the Spring 2021 New York State Bar Association Perspective.
Garfunkel Wild’s Eve Green Koopersmith and Doris L. Martin will present the webinar “Personal Advance Care Planning in a Pandemic: How can I get my health care proxy, living will and estate planning documents in order” on April 23, 2020.
Eve Green Koopersmith will present at the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) 17th Annual Sophisticated Trusts & Estates Law Institute on November 8, 2019.
Madelin Zwerling, Associate in the Personal Services and Estate Planning Practice Group, had her article “Dear Doctors: Are you Sending Your College-Age Children Off With The Proper Legal Documentation in Place?” published in the March 2019 issue of The Medical Society of the State of New York’s News of New York.
