Estate Planning is about more than just what you pass on after you pass away. It is also extremely important while you are still alive. The documents I help you prepare will help you live your life without the worry of the "what will happen if" thoughts. Estate planning starts with understanding what you wish to protect in your golden years and what you wish to pass down to loved ones. 

Every estate plan is strategically designed to meet your asset protection needs and healthcare wishes. A New York estate planning attorney can help you prepare the best legal documents needed to achieve your estate planning goals. 

This question is common for many New Yorkers creating an estate plan. There are many options available to you and I am available to discuss them with you. 

Your estate plan may include a mix of different legal documents, such as:

· A Last Will and Testament

· A Trust - Revocable or Irrevocable

· A Living Will 

· A Durable Power of Attorney 

· A NYS Health Care Proxy

Your estate does not just include your home and assets, it also includes the clothes on your back. If you have a bank account, retirement fund, own a car, home, or other property—you have an estate. If you own property and assets or have loved ones that depend on you to provide for their income or care, you need an estate plan.

Your specific estate plan and the documents included depends on many factors, including the size and structure of your New York estate and your unique wishes for your assets. Working with a trusted estate planning attorney, like the Law Office of Robert A. Torres, PLLC, can help you select and prepare the necessary documents for your estate plan.

Both wills and trusts are essential documents to consider, but it is important to understand the difference depending on your goals. Wills and trusts have specific yet differentiating benefits for estate planning. Each state has specific laws and regulations governing these legal documents. You can have both a will and a trust; however, the information in each should complement the other. 

The most significant difference between a will and a trust is probate court. A will must go through probate court, while a trust avoids probate court.

The term probate most literally means “to prove” a will. Today it covers the entire legal process necessary to settle a person’s estate after they die. New York probate court can be expensive, time-consuming, and public. Many New Yorkers want to keep their family and financial affairs private after their death just as they have done during their lifetime. 

Creating a New York estate plan is the best way to avoid probate. A trusted attorney can work with you to draft the proper legal documents and carefully time asset transfers to avoid probate in New York.

My firm can help you safeguard your estate for every shift in life. Your estate plan is made up of legal documents that will help you today and tomorrow. As your children grow up, you marry, divorce, or sell or purchase new property; your asset protection needs will change. My firm can help you update your estate plan to secure your assets and correctly pass on your legacy to your loved ones.

At the Law Office of Robert A. Torres, PLLC, I’m here to help you and your family understand estate planning. I'm prepared to serve your needs by maintaining offices on Long Island in Shoreham as well as in the Catskills Region based out of Margaretville.

I welcome you to contact me by calling or texting or visit my contact page to send me an email today. I never charge for conversations or consultations.