Proper estate planning will allow you to ensure you are able to control what happens to your assets now and after you’re gone. It is the best way to ensure your specific wishes are followed rather than relying on State Law of inheritance and intestate distribution. There are many benefits to estate planning including minimizing taxes, maintaining privacy, helping your loved ones avoid probate court, protecting your loved ones from creditors and much more.

If you have been named as the executor, administrator or a trustee you will have a number of important responsibilities. A fiduciary named under a Will to administer an estate, administrator, is often called the executor or personal representative, so you may hear these terms used interchangeably. While you can certainly act as executor on your own, you may run into various risks involving personal responsibility if you are unfamiliar with the fiduciary laws in the State of New York. That is why many appointed executors or trustees prefer to have an attorney at their side to ensure everything is taken care of properly. For now, learn more about probate administration and how to proceed.