Cookies

We use cookies and related technologies to personalize and enhance your experience. By using this site you agree to the use of cookies and related tracking technologies.

Privacy Policy

Blog

Collaborative Law: An alternative to consider when facing Divorce

Separation and divorce can be an overwhelming and terrifying process.  In an instant, everything you hold nearest and dearest – your children, your home, your business, your money – is being examined, considered, and divided.  This process is overseen by a judge, a person you have never met, who does not know you, and who […]

Read More about Collaborative Law: An alternative to consider when facing Divorce

New York State Budget Extends “Clawback” of Gifts for New York Estate Tax Purposes

New York State Budget Extends “Clawback” of Gifts for New York Estate Tax Purposes As an update to Ryan’s 2014 blog that in part discussed New York’s treatment of gifts, New York had let a provision in the law lapse that required the value of certain gifts to be included back into a New York […]

Read More about New York State Budget Extends “Clawback” of Gifts for New York Estate Tax Purposes

Opportunity for Businesses and Investors in Central New York: Opportunity Zones, Opportunity Funds, and Qualified Opportunity Zone Businesses

The 2017 Federal legislation “Tax Credit and Jobs Act” created a new opportunity for both businesses and residents of economically distressed communities. The benefits offered by the new Opportunity Zone Program created by the Tax Credit and Jobs Act has the potential to attract significant investment to qualified Opportunity Zone businesses across the country and […]

Read More about Opportunity for Businesses and Investors in Central New York: Opportunity Zones, Opportunity Funds, and Qualified Opportunity Zone Businesses

2019 Changes to New York Estate Tax Exclusion Amount

As of January 1, 2019, the New York State estate tax exclusion amount is increased to $5,740,000 per person. This is an increase from the prior exclusion amount of $5,250,000. The Federal equivalent amount is now $11,400,000 per person. The annual gift tax exclusion amount remains at $15,000 per gift recipient. As stated in my […]

Read More about 2019 Changes to New York Estate Tax Exclusion Amount

Helping Out Our Furry Friends

Helping Out Our Furry Friends As the cold weather approaches our area, pet owners in Syracuse should be aware of the new legislation passed in June of this year which stipulates that an animal shall not be left outside for more than two hours below 30 degrees or above 90 degrees.  The legislation, known as […]

Read More about Helping Out Our Furry Friends

I’ve Been Summoned for Jury Duty. Now What?

What do you think of when you hear the words “jury duty”? To many people, the term “jury duty” brings to mind a civic obligation; a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Center Survey found that roughly two-thirds of American adults believe that serving on a jury “is part of what it means to be […]

Read More about I’ve Been Summoned for Jury Duty. Now What?

When Commercial Leases Don’t Mean What They Say

So you’re presented with a Commercial Lease, say a business retail tenant in a shopping center. You’re perhaps a Landlord, or a Tenant. You carefully review all of the terms and have no problem with their clarity. They’re explicit and unambiguous. What you might not realize is that there can be a third and silent […]

Read More about When Commercial Leases Don’t Mean What They Say

Online Privacy 101

Although we may not be conscious of it, nearly every action we take online involves sharing some amount of information with a website or its advertisers. Because of this sharing of information, most sites on the Internet have a lengthy document somewhere on the site, frequently written in legalese that they call a “Privacy Policy.” […]

Read More about Online Privacy 101

New Tax Bill Drastically Changes Treatment Of Alimony

For the last seventy-five years, a spouse paying alimony (also known as “maintenance” or “spousal support” in New York and many other jurisdictions) has been able to deduct the alimony award from his or her tax return each year.  Likewise, the spouse receiving the maintenance has the obligation to include the total amount of alimony […]

Read More about New Tax Bill Drastically Changes Treatment Of Alimony

Estate and Gift Law Changes under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

The new legislation signed into law on December 22, 2017 has significant estate planning changes. The federal estate, gift and generation skipping tax exemption amount is now doubled to $11.2 million per person. This exemption is portable between spouses. The new legislation also increased the annual gift exclusion amount from $14,000 to $15,000 as of […]

Read More about Estate and Gift Law Changes under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act