Estate Planning

OUR SERVICES

We create tailored estate plans that protect your assets, honor your intentions, and preserve your family’s legacy. Our approach is precise, strategic, and grounded in your long-term goals so you can move forward with peace of mind.

    • Wills & Testaments

    • Revocable Living Trusts

    • Powers of Attorney

    • Health Care Proxies

    • Living Wills & Advance Directives

    • Guardianship Designations for Minor Children

    • Irrevocable Trusts

    • Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs)

    • Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRTs)

    • Charitable Trusts

    • Special Needs Trusts

    • Generation-Skipping Trusts

    • Insurance Trusts (ILITs)

    • Dynasty Trusts for multi-generational planning

    • Business Succession Planning for family-owned and closely held businesses

    • Buy-Sell Agreements

    • Shareholder & Partnership Succession Agreements

    • Key Person Insurance Planning

    • Entity Restructuring for Succession

    • Aligning Estate & Business Interests

    • Domestic Asset Protection Trusts

    • Offshore Asset Protection Trusts

    • Medicaid & Long-Term Care Planning

    • Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs)

    • Retirement Account Planning (IRAs, 401(k)s, pensions)

    • Homestead Protections

    • Exempt Asset Structuring

    • Probate of Wills

    • Estate Administration

    • Trust Funding & Asset Transfers

    • Trust Management & Distributions

    • Estate & Gift Tax Return Preparation

    • Fiduciary Accountings for Executors & Trustees

    • Advising Executors, Trustees & Administrators

    • Beneficiary Representation

    • Federal & New York Estate Tax Planning

    • Gift Tax Planning

    • Generation-Skipping Transfer (GST) Tax Planning

    • Lifetime Gifting Strategies

    • Family Limited Partnerships (FLPs)

    • Family LLCs for Wealth Transfer

    • Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Planning

    • Private Foundations & Endowments

    • Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs)

    • Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs)

    • Private Foundations

    • Donor-Advised Funds

    • Philanthropic Giving Strategies

    • Legacy Planning Across Generations

    • Medicaid Planning & Applications

    • Nursing Home & Assisted Living Planning

    • Long-Term Care Insurance Strategies

    • Guardianship Proceedings for Incapacitated Adults

    • Elder Financial Abuse Prevention

    • Planning for Minor Children

    • Guardianship Designations

    • Special Needs & Disability Planning

    • Educational Trusts for Children & Grandchildren

    • Marriage & Divorce Considerations in Estate Planning

    • Planning for Blended Families & Second Marriages

    • Planning for Unmarried Partners

    • Digital Asset Estate Planning

    • Cross-Border & International Estate Planning

    • Planning for Non-Citizen Spouses

    • Real Estate Transfers Through Trusts or LLCs

    • Will Contests (validity, undue influence, fraud, capacity)

    • Trust Litigation (breach of fiduciary duty, mismanagement)

    • Beneficiary Disputes

    • Removal or Replacement of Executors/Trustees

    • Contested Guardianship & Conservatorship Matters

    • Estate & Gift Tax Disputes with IRS or State Authorities

    • Cross-Border Tax Planning for families with global assets

    • Planning for Dual Citizens

    • International Inheritance & Succession Disputes

    • Coordination with Foreign Counsel on Multi-Jurisdictional Estates

    • Treaty-Based Tax Relief for International Estates

PLAN WITH PURPOSE & PROTECT WHAT MATTERS

At Marano Law P.C., estate planning is a precise, strategic discipline focused on protecting your assets and preserving your intent. We craft tailored wills, trusts, and succession plans that reflect your financial goals, family dynamics, and long-term vision. Our approach is proactive and detail-driven — identifying legal, tax, and administrative issues in advance to ensure clarity and lasting protection for you and your loved ones.

SECURING YOUR LEGACY

  • ASSET PROTECTION
    Safeguarding wealth from creditors, lawsuits, and long-term care costs through trusts, business entities, and strategic planning.

  • TAX-EFFICIENCY
    Reducing estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes through strategic planning, trusts, and wealth transfer solutions.

  • PEACE OF MIND
    Ensuring your wishes are honored and your loved ones are protected with clear, reliable estate planning.

  • PERSONALIZED PLANNING
    Customized strategies to align your estate plan with your values, family dynamics, and long-term goals.

  • EFFICIENT TRANSFERS
    Structuring the smooth transfer of assets to heirs and beneficiaries while minimizing delays, costs, and disputes.

  • A health care proxy is a legal document in which you appoint someone you trust to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so. Without one, family members may disagree about your care, leading to unnecessary conflict or court intervention.

  • Proper estate planning can minimize estate and gift taxes by leveraging tools such as lifetime gifting strategies, irrevocable trusts, charitable giving vehicles, and family limited partnerships. Without planning, more of your estate may be lost to taxes.

  • Absolutely. Estate planning covers guardianship for children, medical decision-making, distribution of personal property, and ensuring your wishes are carried out.

  • Yes. With proper Medicaid and long-term care planning, assets can be structured to preserve eligibility for government benefits while protecting family wealth from being depleted by nursing home expenses.

  • We create estate planning solutions that fit each client’s goals, values, and family dynamics. From drafting wills and trusts to advanced tax planning and business succession, our role is to honor your wishes and protect your family and assets.

  • An estate plan is a set of legal documents that dictate how your assets, health care, and personal affairs will be managed if you become incapacitated or when you pass away. Without one, New York law determines who inherits your property and who makes decisions on your behalf.

  • Yes. Even if you have a trust, a will serves as a safety net for any assets not transferred into the trust. It also allows you to name guardians for minor children, which a trust alone cannot do.

  • If you die without a valid will (“intestate”), New York’s intestacy laws determine who inherits your assets. This usually means your closest relatives will receive your estate, regardless of your personal wishes.

  • Estate plans should be reviewed at least every three to five years, or sooner if you experience major life changes such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, significant financial shifts, or relocation to another state.

  • A revocable trust allows you to retain control and make changes during your lifetime, and it helps your estate avoid probate.

    An irrevocable trust, once created, generally cannot be changed and is often used for asset protection, tax planning, or Medicaid eligibility.

ESTATE PLANNING FAQs