Rapps Law Firm

Rapps Law Firm He can assist with retirement planning, asset management, portfolio analyses and business management.

Michael Rapps, Principal of Rapps & Associates, PLLC, through his affiliation with Avantax Wealth Management, provides a broad array of wealth management services. Additionally, through the Avantax platform, he offers a wide range of investment products beyond stocks and bonds. His offerings include professionally managed portfolios, ETFs, structured products, and thousands of mutual funds includi

ng completely managed mutual fund portfolios. Rapps & Associates, PLLC is not a registered broker/dealer or independent investment advisory firm.

08/31/2026

“I added my daughter to my checking account so she can help with bills. That’s fine, right?”

This question came directly from the live Q&A during our July webinar—and it’s easy to understand why families do this.

Having a trusted child on the account can make handling everyday expenses easier.

But what happens to that account at death is another matter. The account is legally hers, regardless of what you intended, and she isn’t required to divide it with her siblings.

Comment “PROTECT” and we’ll send you the free estate planning resources.

08/26/2026

The estate planning mistake isn’t always what someone fills out incorrectly.

Sometimes it’s the line they never fill out at all.

Primary beneficiaries tend to be straightforward. Contingent beneficiaries require more information, so completing that section often gets postponed.

Then 10, 20, or 30 years pass.

When there’s no living beneficiary on file, the account gets paid to the estate. In a blended family, the eventual result can be very different from what the account owner intended.

It’s a simple administrative detail worth revisiting periodically.
Comment “PROTECT” and we’ll send you the free estate planning resources.

Tonight at 7 PM ET: The Second-Marriage Trap.In a second marriage, good intentions aren't always enough to protect the p...
08/25/2026

Tonight at 7 PM ET: The Second-Marriage Trap.

In a second marriage, good intentions aren't always enough to protect the people you love.

If you have children from a prior relationship, join us tonight to learn about the estate-planning trap worth knowing and how the right structure can help protect both your spouse and your kids.

Comment “PROTECT” and we’ll send you the registration link.

Your divorce was finalized in 2019. 📄Your will still names your ex-spouse as executor. Your 401(k) still lists them as p...
08/24/2026

Your divorce was finalized in 2019. 📄

Your will still names your ex-spouse as executor. Your 401(k) still lists them as primary beneficiary. Your health care proxy still gives them the authority to make medical decisions for you.

Here's the part that surprises people: a divorce decree doesn't quietly go through your paperwork and fix all of that. Some of it updates by law. A lot of it doesn't — and the pieces that don't are often the ones holding the most money. ⚠️

The same thing happens in reverse when you remarry. A new spouse changes what your old documents actually do — including, here in New York, a right to claim a share of your estate no matter what your will says.

On Tuesday, August 25 at 7 PM ET, I'm hosting a free online session on estate planning through divorce and remarriage: what updates automatically, what absolutely does not, and how to make sure the right people are named on the right documents. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Can't join live? Register and I'll send you the replay.

👉 Save your spot (free): rappslaw.com/f-august

“We’ll just leave everything to each other.”That can feel like the most natural plan in a second marriage.But if everyth...
08/24/2026

“We’ll just leave everything to each other.”

That can feel like the most natural plan in a second marriage.

But if everything passes outright to the surviving spouse, children from a prior relationship may not be protected later.

A strong estate plan can provide for your spouse while also protecting what you want your children to inherit.

We’ll explain how in The Second-Marriage Trap on Tuesday, August 25 at 7 PM ET.

COMMENT “PROTECT” FOR THE LINK

A second marriage can change more than your family tree. It can change where your assets eventually go.Three ways your o...
08/21/2026

A second marriage can change more than your family tree. It can change where your assets eventually go.

Three ways your own kids can quietly be left out:

1. Everything passes to your spouse and later to their children, not yours.
2. A new joint account can override what your will says.
3. “I trust them to do right by the kids” sounds reassuring, but the promise has no legal teeth.

There are ways to protect your spouse without leaving your children's inheritance to chance.

We cover all three traps and the fix in The Second-Marriage Trap on Tuesday, August 25 at 7 PM ET.

Registration link: https://rappslaw.com/webinars/

He remarried at 64. Everyone was happy about it. 💛His kids liked her. Her kids liked him. And when he updated his will, ...
08/18/2026

He remarried at 64. Everyone was happy about it. 💛

His kids liked her. Her kids liked him. And when he updated his will, he did what felt like the obvious, generous thing: everything to his wife — and she would take care of his children when the time came.

She fully intended to.

But when he passed, everything he owned became hers. Her house. Her accounts. Her will. And her will — written years earlier, never revisited — left everything to her own three children. 🏡

His kids received nothing. Not because anyone was dishonest. Because the plan did exactly what it said on paper.

This is one of the most common, and most painful, things I see in second marriages. Two people who love each other, and one document that quietly picks a side. ⚠️

On Tuesday, August 25 at 7 PM ET, I'm hosting a free online session on estate planning for blended families and second marriages: how to provide for your spouse and protect your children, what a trust actually does here, and what divorce does to a plan nobody updated. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Can't join live? Register and I'll send you the replay.

👉 Save your spot (free): rappslaw.com/f-august

You love each other. You trust each other. So leaving everything to your spouse sounds completely reasonable.But in a bl...
08/14/2026

You love each other. You trust each other. So leaving everything to your spouse sounds completely reasonable.

But in a blended family, that decision can sometimes mean your assets eventually pass to your spouse’s children, while your own children receive nothing.

No one has to do anything wrong for it to happen. The plan simply may not be structured to protect both sides of the family.

On Tuesday, August 25 at 7 PM ET, we’re covering exactly this in The Second-Marriage Trap, including how to provide for your spouse while still protecting your children’s inheritance.

Comment PROTECT for the registration link, or register here: https://rappslaw.com/webinars/

A mother added her son to the deed of her home "to keep things simple." When she passed, that one decision cost the fami...
07/18/2026

A mother added her son to the deed of her home "to keep things simple." When she passed, that one decision cost the family tens of thousands, and nearly split her children.

She wasn't careless. She was doing what sounded reasonable. No one had ever shown her where it leads.

That's the whole reason for this session. Next Monday, July 20 at 7 PM ET, I'm walking through the three most common ways families accidentally disinherit their own children, and exactly how to avoid them. Free, 45 minutes, replay included.

If you've ever thought "we have a will, we're set," this hour is for you 👉 ringcentr.al/4vbEeuU

Address

445 Central Avenue Suite 112
Cedarhurst, NY
11516

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15163423756

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Rapps Law Firm posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category