In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, families across the country are suffering unimaginable hardships. However, nowhere has been hit as hard by COVID-19 as New York City. Whether it be illness, job loss, lack of childcare or loss of a loved one, all New Yorkers have been affected by the virus in one way…

By Littman Krooks The  United States Department of Education has confirmed that students with disabilities remain entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) during the COVID-19 national emergency. The New York State Education Department  has similarly confirmed that students with disabilities are entitled to FAPE and has issued update guidance. NYSED has confirmed that…

One thing we’ve learned from this pandemic is it’s never too early to plan ahead.  Those with young families may believe they are either too young to engage in estate planning, are unable to afford it or simply do not have the time.  Estate planning for young families is essential for a number of reasons.…

Students with disabilities are receiving a drastically reduced number of service hours. When they do receive services, it is questionable whether those service hours are being rendered with fidelity through the distance-learning platform. While we have been guided by the Department of Education to be flexible and understanding, and creatively collaborate with schools and educators,…

By Arshi Pal, Esq., Littman Krooks The President signed the Stimulus Package on March 27, 2020, which authorized direct payments to individuals and families. It was announced that individuals who filed taxes in 2018 or 2019 did not have to take further steps to receive their stimulus funds. However, the Social Security Administration further clarified…

By Littman Krooks The COVID-19 virus is taking a disproportionate toll on our most vulnerable population. The New York Times, in a recent article,  reported that, as of Monday, April 7,  1,100 of the 140,000 people with developmental disabilities had tested positive for the virus;  105 people had died.  This rate is much higher than…

By Arshi Pal, Esq., Littman Krooks On April 6, 2020 Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the ‘New York on Pause’ order, keeping New York State schools closed through April 29th. Simultaneously, the New York State Board of Regents adopted emergency regulations to address continued school closures. The amendments address various topics such as Requirements for State…

By Brian L. Miller, Esq., Littman Krooks As the COVID-19 crisis lingers, the interest of people seeking to prepare and/or update their estate planning documents has increased.  However, there is an inherent (and valid) concern of clients who have socially isolated themselves in compliance with the CDC directives.  As such, the Last Will and Testament…

By Brian L. Miller, Esq., Littman Krooks In the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature quietly made significant changes to New York’s Medicaid rules, making it harder for New Yorkers to obtain Medicaid benefits for long-term care. The changes to New York State’s Medicaid program include the following:…

By Brian L. Miller, Esq., Littman Krooks In this current COVID-19 environment, we have seen an uptick in news articles about Do It Yourself Wills and Advance Directives.  These articles are often written by journalists with little to no real world experience of probating a will or executing advance directives, or are targeting a national…