Tools for Planning Your Estate in New York

In New York, a will is signed before 2 witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

21 tools for New York

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in New York costs an estimated $35,992. Attorney fees run 2.5% to 4% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in New York, a surviving spouse takes the first $50,000 plus half of the rest when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generation.

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How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

New York levies an estate tax above $7,350,000 (top rate 16%) and no inheritance tax; the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,000.

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Do I Need Probate?

In New York, estates with personal property of $50,000 or less use the Voluntary Administration, a court filing short of full probate.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in New York runs $4,250 to $6,375 and a simple will $1,344 to $2,688, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in New York runs $4,250 to $6,375 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in New York runs $1,344 to $2,688, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $35,992.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In New York, four years at a public university cost about $101,592 and the cost of living is 8% above the U.S. average; the state levies an estate tax above $7,350,000.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in New York take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces ordinary income tax at the state's regular rates.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

New York automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in New York costs an estimated $35,992 and takes 7 months to 9 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.5% to 4% of the estate. Estates under $50,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In New York, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18.

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What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

New York allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the statutory order of next of kin who otherwise control disposition of the remains.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in New York takes 7 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.5% to 4% of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

New York authorizes transfer on death deeds: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.

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Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

New York does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.

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How Do I Open a Trust Account at My Bank?

Compare trust-account requirements bank by bank: how a revocable trust account is opened or retitled, and what proves the trust.

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A will in New York costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in New York charges around $448 an hour for wills and estates work, which puts a simple will at $1,344 to $2,688. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $35,992 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.

A revocable living trust in New York costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription. An attorney in New York charges around $425 an hour for trust work, which puts an attorney-prepared trust at $4,250 to $6,375 for an individual plan.

Yes. New York allows transfer on death deeds. The deed names a beneficiary for real property, is recorded during the owner's life, and passes the property at death without probate.

In New York, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing. It needs your signature and a notary, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18. It can be recorded alongside the rest of an estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.

In New York, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.5% to 4% of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee. The trust also distributes assets faster than the 7 months to 9 months probate timeline a simple estate takes.

Tools for Planning Your Estate in New York

The tools of an estate plan are the documents that decide who receives property, who acts when the owner cannot, and who cares for minor children: a will, a revocable living trust, a financial power of attorney, a healthcare directive, beneficiary designations, and in some states a transfer on death deed. Each is governed by the law of the state where it is signed, and what it can do, how it is signed, and what it costs differ from state to state.

An attorney-prepared will in New York runs $1,344 to $2,688, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $35,992 in court costs, attorney fees and executor compensation, the figure a trust is measured against. A healthcare power of attorney in New York is signed before 2 witnesses; notarization is not required. New York levies an estate tax above $7,350,000 and no inheritance tax.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 15, 2026

Legal Sources

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Data sourced from New York statutes and official state code. How we research.