Estate Planning For Your Pet
By Amy C. O’Hara, CELA When clients hire our firm to put their estate planning in order, they start the process with thoughts regarding their assets, planning for their spouse and children and sometimes who they want to receive their tangible personal property, including jewelry, furnishings, and art. However, rarely do clients incorporate their furry…
Should The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Affordable Care Act, be Enforced?
By Arshi Pal, Esq. In late April 2022, the United States Supreme Court decided Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller, P.L.L.C., [LINK: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/20-219_1b82.pdf ] which involved Jane Cummings, a deaf and legally blind individual who sought physical therapy services from Premier Rehab Keller, a physical therapy provider. Specifically, Jane requested Premier Rehab to provide an American…
Aging Out of Special Education in New York
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. In the past few years, there has been a lot of confusion as to when students with disabilities age out of public education with their school district. Students with disabilities have been among the hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, whether they have missed crucial opportunities to fulfill academic or vocational…
The Work of NAMI Westchester is Important
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. Littman Krooks LLP is proud to sponsor NAMIWalks Westchester. Team LK will walk with NAMIWalks Your Way on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. I am honored to lead our walk team – Team LK: Lights in the Tunnel. Our work at Littman Krooks is aligned to NAMI’s work in helping…
A New Crisis Hotline for Mental Health
By Amy C. O’Hara, CELA Starting July 16, 2022, a new crisis hotline will be rolled out for individuals to call that is being touted as the “911 for mental health.” 988 will be the new three-digit phone number that callers can call or text and they will be routed to the National Suicide Prevention…
Understanding the Gift Tax in New York
By Joel Krooks, Esq. It is a common misconception that when a person makes a gift to another recipient that there is a gift tax. Gift tax planning is complicated yet can be an essential tool in estate planning. Annual Exclusion In 2022, the annual gift tax exclusion is $16,000 per individual. This means that…
Questions and Answers about a Student’s Right to Special Education Law and How to Proceed
By Marion M. Walsh, Esq. After two years of living in a pandemic, many parents may wonder if their child has a learning or emotional disability or special needs. For some children, parents know about the challenges at birth or in early childhood. For other parents, they may not suspect a disability until a child…
New SEC Rules to Protect Against the Financial Exploitation of Senior Citizens
By Joel Krooks, Esq. Sadly, the financial exploitation of senior citizens is a growing problem in the United States. As a result of the growing problem, the SEC has approved new rules relating to the financial exploitation of seniors (Rule 2165 and amendments to Rule 4512). The new rules provide members of the Financial Industry…
Psychiatric Advance Directives
There are several advance directives that an estate planning attorney will recommend for clients, including a Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy, and Living Will. For individuals that receive treatment for their mental health, an additional advance directive may be appropriate. A Psychiatric Advance Directive, also known as a mental health advance directive, is a…
Should You Refer Your Child with a Disability for OPWDD Services?
By Sandi Rosenbaum, Special Education/Special Needs Advocate Some students who receive special education services are indistinguishable from their typical peers once the school day is over. Others have physical, medical, or neurodevelopmental differences that affect their lives, and those of their families, every day. They require far more supervision and support than their same-aged peers,…
