Health Care Decision-Making Quite often I am asked about the differences between a Health Care Proxy and a Living Will. A Health Care Proxy allows a “principal” to appoint someone else to act as his or her health care agent for purposes of making health care decisions. When executing a Health Care Proxy, a person…
Five Reasons to see an Estate Planning Attorney after your Divorce: Completely Untie the Knot Five Reasons to see an Estate Planning Attorney after Your Divorce: Completely Untie the Knot Now that your divorce is settled, it is important to think about estate planning for the benefit of your children or others closest to you….
The Hidden Dangers of Gifting to Family Members As people get older and retire, many express an interest in gifting to younger family members and sharing their savings with those who need help. A common misunderstanding about gifting stems from the IRS annual gift exclusion. Many of my clients correctly identify that any individual may…
Community Medicaid: The At-Home Care Option Many Americans swear that they’ll never go to a nursing home. There is a stigma that it is a last resort option for people who are dying. In truth, many nursing facilities defy the stereotypes and provide positive environments where elderly people can live their final years productively with…
It’s Always the Right Time for Estate Planning Each year of my practice as an attorney, I meet hundreds of people without a will or any estate plan in place. The most common reason they give me is timing. Young people—20’s to 50’s depending on who you talk to—tend to feel that they’re healthy and…
Do-It-Yourself Wills: Don’t Do It Attorneys frequently urge people to make a Will because we have personally seen the extremely unpleasant and expensive consequences that usually arise when people die without having made a Will. Some people may be tempted to make their own Wills. This frequently leads to the same unpleasant and expensive consequences…
Six Things To Do When A Loved One Passes Away When a loved one dies, the stress and pressure on the family can be immense—to carry out the last wishes and funeral of the deceased, as well as to make sure the heirs get their due. Here are the most important six things to know….
Three Ways to Approach Long-Term Care and Nursing Home Costs As long-term care and nursing home costs have soared to well over six figures annually, it is more important than ever to look at measures you can take to protect your assets. There are three ways you can approach the exorbitant costs of care: Paying…
5 Reasons Why You Should Make an Estate Plan About 60% of Americans lack a basic will. That’s no surprise: planning for sickness or death is a challenging subject to discuss, and it’s easy to put off for another time. But because you can’t see the future, you rarely know in advance when these documents…
Senior Citizens Property Tax Exemption Are you 65 or older, own your home and earn less than $29,000 per year? Then you may qualify for a partial exemption in your New York State property taxes. To qualify for the Senior Citizens’ Exemption, all co-owners of the property must be 65 years or older. However, if…
