(914) 684-2100
CONTACT US
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP The New York State Court of Appeals, in Meyers, et. al. v. Schneiderman, et.al, on September 7, 2017, ruled that assisted suicide remains illegal in New York. Specifically, the Court affirmed lower court rulings that that the state legislature has a rational basis for criminalizing assisted suicide. The Court rejected the argument that New York State Constitution protects the right to physician-assisted …
By Arshi Pal, Esq. As the summer brings warmer weather and longer days, I look forward to my evenings in the doggy park with my twins, Louie and Simba. When I get home from work there they are waiting for me to pick them up and take them to their favorite spot. I cherish the times we spend together but I can’t help but think about what would happen to …
Chronic Medicaid vs. Community Medicaid in New York State Seniors who need long-term care should know that these services are not covered by Medicare, so they will need to either purchase long-term care insurance, pay out of pocket, or apply for Medicaid. In New York State, there are two different Medicaid programs: Community Medicaid, which covers care at home, such as a personal care aide, and Chronic Medicaid, which covers …
Beginning January 1, 2018, private employees in New York State will be covered by the state’s paid family leave program. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the family leave bill into law in 2016, along with a $15 minimum wage bill. The governor’s office described the legislation as the nation’s most comprehensive and strongest paid family leave policy. Here is what you need to know. Who is eligible? Nearly all private employees …
By: Bernard A. Krooks, Certified Elder Law Attorney Generally speaking, there are two kinds of special needs trusts. Those set up to handle money owned by the beneficiary (like a personal injury or medical malpractice settlement, for instance) are usually called first party special needs trusts. Those set up by someone other than the beneficiary, to handle money not belonging to the beneficiary, are usually called third party special needs …
By: Alexis Gruttadauria, Esq., Littman Krooks LLP You have your advance directives in place; you’ve designated in your Health Care Proxy and Living Will who you want making your medical decisions once you are no longer able to make them for yourself, and you’ve instructed your agent on what those decisions should be. Now what? How do you make sure that your agent is allowed to do his or her …
By Stacy Sadove, Esq., and Arshi Pal, Graduate Law Clerk On January 18, 2017, the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) revised their Regulations with regard to the evidentiary standard Administrative Law Judges (“ALJ”) use to determine eligibility for disability benefits. The new Regulations became effective on March 27, 2017. Five Step Review Process The revised Regulations maintain a five-step analysis for the appeals process, in determining whether an individual is eligible …
The NAEPC Education Foundation and the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC) are promoting April 2013 as National Financial Literacy Month. The goal of the awareness campaign is to help the American public learn how to keep their financial and estate plans up to date. Financial Literacy Month was officially designated by a Congressional proclamation. NAEPC is joining with financial professionals, nonprofit organizations and financial services organizations to promote financial literacy.
With tax preparation season upon us, seniors should arm themselves with knowledge and be vigilant against con artists. That can be difficult when scammers are constantly changing their tactics. According to the National Council on Aging, these are the top three scams that seniors should be aware of in 2017: Mass Mailing Fraud. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that thousands of victims in the United States have been defrauded …
Social media profiles are not the top concern for people planning their estate, but, online accounts contain an enormous amount of personal data. What happens to these accounts? Accounting for digital assets, such as social media accounts and hard-drive backups is worth considering. Here is what a few online services provide in terms of planning: Facebook allows you to designate someone as your legacy contact. After your death, this person …
