The New York estate tax “cliff” is a quirk in state law that can cause an estate worth just slightly more than the exemption amount to lose the entire exemption and be taxed from the very first dollar. In 2026, New York lets you pass up to $7,350,000 free of state estate tax (this is called the basic exclusion amount).
To avoid probate in New York, you arrange your assets so that they pass to your loved ones automatically — without a judge’s involvement — most commonly through a revocable living trust, beneficiary designations, and joint ownership with rights of survivorship. Probate is the court process that proves your Last Will and Testament is valid and gives your executor legal
As a general rule, you should review your New York estate plan every three to five years, and update it immediately after any major life event or change in the law. An estate plan is not a “set it and forget it” document. It is a snapshot of your wishes, your family, your assets, and the law as they exist
The short answer: in New York, a Health Care Proxy lets someone make your medical decisions if you cannot speak for yourself, while a Power of Attorney lets someone manage your financial and legal affairs. They are two separate documents, governed by two different laws, and one cannot do the other’s job. A Health Care Proxy operates under New York
If you are a young family in New York, estate planning means putting four coordinated legal documents in place — a will, a trust (or trusts), a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy — so that, if something happens to you, your children are cared for by people you chose, your money goes where you intend, and
Estate planning for a blended family in New York means building a coordinated plan — a will, one or more trusts, a durable power of attorney, and a health care proxy — that provides for your current spouse and your children from a prior relationship at the same time. Without that coordination, New York’s default inheritance rules can unintentionally disinherit