Law Office of Inna Fershteyn and Associates, P.C.
Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorney
On August 5th, 2026, the New York State Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) law went into effect. The Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) law allows patients who are mentally competent and terminally ill to obtain a prescription for medication that they can choose to self-administer
The rise of blended families in New York has led to some estate planning difficulties that an ordinary estate plan may not be able to cover. The term “blended family” means a family where the parents have had children from other marriages before and/or in
In July of 2026, New York City’s new Pied-a-Terre tax took effect. The new Pied-a-Terre tax, also known as the non-primary residence property surcharge, went into effect on July 1st, and targets luxury second homes. Under the law, the owners of high-value residential properties that
A Russian-speaking estate planning attorney in Brooklyn helps families prepare wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare proxies, and Medicaid plans in their native language, so that nothing important is lost in translation. When choosing one, look for an attorney who focuses on estate planning law,
In both New York and New Jersey, there is no state gift tax. However, both states adhere to the federal gift tax rules and exemptions. In 2026, the federal annual gift tax exclusion is $19,000 per recipient, meaning that if a gift stays within that
Last updated: June 12, 2026 | By Inna Fershteyn, Esq. | Reading time: ~8 minutes When a person dies without a will in the state of New York, the person is said to have died “intestate.” In that case, how the property is inherited and
Last updated: May 29, 2026 | By Inna Fershteyn, Esq. | Reading time: ~9 minutes The New York estate tax exemption for 2026 is $7,350,000 per individual — the amount a person can pass to his beneficiaries before any New York State estate tax is
Last updated: May 22, 2026 | By Inna Fershteyn, Esq. | Reading time: ~10 minutes A revocable trust can be changed or undone by the grantor at any time during his lifetime; an irrevocable trust generally cannot. That single distinction drives every other difference: a
Can you use ChatGPT to write a legally valid will in New York or New Jersey? It’s a question more people are asking every day, as AI tools like ChatGPT become increasingly accessible and estate planning costs remain a concern. While AI can generate text
Even with the most thought-out, thorough, detailed estate plan, failure to anticipate surprise heirs and challenges can completely throw your plans into disarray. Not considering the possibility of having a distant relative or an estranged child who can make a claim that challenges your decisions