New York no longer has the highest estate and gift taxes in the nation. The previous estate and gift tax with a maximum rate of 21 percent forced many affluent New Yorkers to retire to states with lower estate and gift taxes and to sever all ties with New York. New York s estate tax rate is now identical to at least 35 other states, including the retirement states of Florida, Arizona and California. The gift tax was eliminated as of January 1, 2000. Also eliminated is the requirement of obtaining estate tax waivers before transferring assets held by banks, brokers, insurance companies and other institutions.
Divorce agreement omits survivor benefits.
An ex-wife could not collect any survivor s benefits where her divorce agreement stated that she would get part of her husband s pension when he retired but was silent as to what would happen if he died first. County is liable for courthouse murder. A county can be sued for failing to install metal detectors or other security devices where an ex-husband shot and killed his wife in the county courthouse hallway while waiting for a child support hearing. She had also obtained a restraining order prohibiting him from carrying firearms. The California Court of Appeals, Second District, ruled that the county, as the party controlling the courts, has an obligation to take reasonable steps to discover criminal acts that are or are likely to be committed in its courthouses and to warn about or protect against foreseeable harm because many have no choice but to utilize the courts .