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A thought for your family A medical emergency can quickly become a financial crisis when nobody has legal authority to help. Picture a Tuesday that starts like any other. By lunchtime, you're in the hospital after a sudden stroke, and you can't speak for yourself. Your family rushes in. They love you, they know your wishes, and they're ready to help. Your spouse assumes they'll just pay the bills from your account. Your daughter figures she'll call the bank and explain. Then

If you've ever left an IEP meeting with more questions than answers, you're not alone. Special education comes with its own language, timelines and paperwork. And for many parents, a bigger question sits quietly in the background: What happens when my child ages out of school? In our recent webinar, Jacqueline Scali of the FACE Center (Family and Community Engagement Center) at Long Island University shared free resources to help families navigate special education. Her ins

Congratulations! Someone trusted you enough to name you as trustee of their trust. That's a real honor. It means they believe in your judgment, your integrity, and your ability to handle something deeply important to their family. Now here's the first piece of advice we give every new trustee who walks through our door: Before you hand out a single dollar, stop. Breathe. And read this first. The #1 Mistake New Trustees Make It feels obvious, right? Someone passes away, money

What Does "Funding a Trust" Actually Mean? Funding a trust means legally transferring your assets into the trust's name. It's not automatic. It doesn't happen just because you signed the trust paperwork. It requires deliberate, specific action for each asset. Here's what that looks like in the real world: Your home: The deed must be legally re-titled from your name into the name of your trust. "John Smith" becomes "John Smith, Trustee of the John Smith Revocable Living Trust.

When you first set up your trust, it probably reflected your life as it looked then: your family, your relationships, your assets, and your goals. But life doesn’t stay still and your trust shouldn’t either. Over time, a trust that once fit perfectly can become misaligned with your reality. That doesn’t mean it stops working altogether, but it can quietly set the stage for confusion, conflict, or outcomes you never intended. Why Updating Your Trust Matters A trust is one of

If you live in New York, you’ve probably heard this advice: “Just add your child to your house deed or bank account so it won’t go through probate.” It sounds simple, but this “shortcut” can create bigger problems than the probate process you’re trying to avoid. In many cases, adding a family member to your assets immediately takes away your legal control and makes your real wishes hard, or impossible, to enforce later. There are safer ways to avoid New York probate withou

Blended and non-traditional families are everywhere these days and that’s a wonderful thing! But when it comes to estate planning , they bring unique challenges. According to Pew Research , 1 in 6 children live in a blended family. Two-parent households are on the decline in the U.S., as divorce, remarriage, and cohabitation rise. Blended families often include step-kids, half-siblings, and kids from previous marriages, turning what might be a straightforward plan for a tradi

When people in New York think about estate planning , they often imagine it’s only for the wealthy. But the truth is, tools like revocable trusts and irrevocable trusts can benefit families of all sizes, whether you own a Brooklyn brownstone, a Long Island home, or a small co-op apartment in Queens. At Sammartino & Sultan Law Group, one of the most common questions we hear is: What’s the difference between a revocable trust and an irrevocable trust and which one should I choo

When most people hear “estate planning,” they picture the rich or folks heading into retirement. But here’s the truth, if you’re over 18,...

It is essential to recognize that estate planning is not a one-time event but rather an ongoing process that should evolve alongside...

Creating a revocable living trust is one of the most significant steps you can take in estate planning, but it’s just the beginning. If...

We often encounter questions about co-ops and trusts, particularly in the context of New York City real estate. Here's a comprehensive...