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Title: Together for 50 Years, Legally Strangers: NYC Estate Attorney Lists Common Estate Plan Gaps

New York, United States, 27th Oct 2026 – A couple can live together for 50 years in New York and the surviving partner can still inherit nothing. It is one of several gaps the Law Offices of Vlad Portnoy, a Manhattan estate planning, probate and elder law firm, sees regularly, and one that families often discover only after a death.The firm identified five things New Yorkers most often leave out of their plans:1. An unmarried partner. New York does not recognize common-law marriage, so a long-term partner is not a legal spouse. The firm has handled a case involving a couple together for 50 years. “They’re always shocked,” says attorney Vlad Portnoy. Without a will naming the partner, the law does not treat them as family.2. The family pet. Many owners assume a will takes care of their pet, but probate in New York can take months, and a pet needs food and shelter the same day. Without a plan, no one may even know there is an animal in the apartment. The firm uses pet trust provisions, along with naming someone to be notified, so the animal is looked after right away.3. Digital assets, including crypto. Digital assets should be addressed in a will, but never with account names or passwords. A will is private only until death. According to the New York State court system, “Once the Will is admitted to probate or a small estate, it becomes a public document that anyone can see and read.”4. Beneficiaries that are out of date. Beneficiaries named in a will, and on accounts and policies that pass outside it, should be reviewed at least once a year and after any major life change. The consequences of skipping this can be serious and, as the firm puts it, keep “backfiring long after” the person has died.5. Do-it-yourself documents. “DIY is rarely a good thing in anything,” says...

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