Buffalo Legal Issues Blog
How retirement accounts are divided in NY divorces
Later life divorces come with unique challenges when it comes to asset division. Pursuing a divorce after many years of marriage is a daunting task, especially when concerns over your future finances might make you even more apprehensive. One of the common...
5 reasons your estate plan may need updating
You’ve made the smart decision to create an estate plan early in life. If anything should happen to you, your family won’t have to make tough decisions or go through a difficult court process. Your plan can protect them from losing out on your income while...
Why is forgiveness vital in divorce?
A couple may choose to end their marriage for a variety of reasons. You and your partner might no longer love each other. Or perhaps infidelity crept in between you, you find it impossible to agree on financial decisions or your careers are pulling you in different...
Co-parenting tips: How to make sure you’re putting your children first
A divorce, no matter how amicable, is a tectonic shift in your family life. The underlying structure of the day-to-day has been altered, and even little things will change. Amidst all this, however, is one thing you do not want to see impacted: the well-being of your...
When can a parent seek a child support modification?
When two New York parents decide to separate or end their marriage in divorce, they will have to make many difficult decisions about how they will continue to provide for and love their children. Some of their decisions will focus on child custody, such as where their...
A charitable trust as an estate planning tool
Trusts are useful estate planning devices that allow New Yorkers to pass their property to others without the burdens and costs of having it go through probate. While it is often the case that individuals set up trusts to support themselves and their family members,...
Is spousal support a part of every divorce?
While the topic of divorce may be familiar to readers of this New York legal blog, the specific nature of individual divorces can be very different. That is to say, the resolution of one divorce and its related family law issues may be very different than the...
Navigating aggressive custody battles
As a parent, you are biologically programmed to be protective of your child. When you are facing the prospect of dividing time with them or losing touch with them, this can be extremely scary. It is natural to feel anger and panic in this situation. However, it's...
Laws surrounding intestate succession in New York
Intestate succession refers to the process of distributing a decedent's estate when the decedent does not have a will. As our readers are aware, a will is an important testamentary document that provides guidance on how the assets and property of a person's...
Establishing a health care power of attorney
A previous post here discussed the importance of including durable powers of attorney in the estate plans of Buffalo residents. In review, a durable power of attorney gives a named party the right to make financial decisions on the part of another person who is unable...