By Joel Krooks, Esq., Littman Krooks In response to COVID-19, Governor Cuomo declared a State of disaster emergency in New York on March 7, 2020. In order to cope with the disaster emergency, Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Law on March 19, 2020 to allow any notarial act required under New York State Law to…

The top priority of Littman Krooks has always been to deliver superior service to our clients. To continue to do this in the current environment, we are taking every precaution possible to protect the health and safety of our team, their families, and our clients given the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, in step with much…

Dear Client and Friends,  At Littman Krooks, the health and safety of our clients and staff is our highest priority. We pride ourselves on exemplary and individualized services to our clients. We are writing to provide you with the steps that we are taking to protect you and our staff against the spread of the…

A recent study found that nearly 60 percent of Americans do not have a will, despite almost all the people surveyed agreeing that it is very important. The thought of not having an estate plan in place should make anyone nervous, but for those who provide unpaid care for an aging loved one or a…

As the demographics of American society change the needs of each generation evolve along with them, one unique group of people is growing especially quickly — the sandwich generation, or those who are responsible for the care of both their minor children and their aging parents. Typically, this is a person in their late thirties…

By Brian L. Miller, Esq., Littman Krooks On January 1, 2020 the Setting Up Every Community for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act went into effect.  The SECURE Act will impact your retirement savings, and may also affect the estate planning that you currently have in place. Below we’ve highlighted seven areas in which the SECURE Act…

By: Bernard A. Krooks, Certified Elder Law Attorney This is the primary question asked by many of our estate planning clients. So, here are our top 10 reasons to consider a trust (in no particular order). Please keep in mind that there are many different types of trusts and one size does not fit all.…

Childless couples are becoming increasingly common today. These couples have unique considerations to make when planning their estates. If you and your partner count yourselves among them, creating an estate plan can seem complicated but, nevertheless, it is critical in the absence of obvious heirs. Whether assets are left to another family member, a friend,…

While my father was in a nursing home receiving Medicaid, his sister died and left him money in her will, and to his children if he died before she did. I am his only child. My lawyer prepared a renunciation and had my father sign it. The lawyer said this was to facilitate the transfer of funds to me without Medicaid claiming it. My father passed away in 2006. Medicaid states that renunciation is not allowed by Medicaid patients, and they are going to court to claim the funds that are still in my aunt’s estate. After paying the lawyer $3,000, do I have any recourse?

By Littman Krooks The transition to college and young adulthood, while exciting, can be difficult for parents. Parents must not overlook obtaining advance consent from their children so they can have access to important health and educational information—or risk begin left out in an emergency. Once a person turns 18, the law presumes that they…