It is a little-known but important fact that receiving benefits of one kind can affect benefits of another kind, sometimes adversely.
Take the case of Sally and her son, Paul. Sally is a constant advocate for Paul, who has special needs. Paul is currently receiving Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Sally is also receiving Medicaid.
If you are getting divorced in New York then you should know that recent revisions to the Domestic Relations Law will impact the calculations to your maintenance payments.
If you are considered the “non-monied” spouse, then you may be negatively impacted by these changes and could receive significantly less in spousal maintenance payments as a result. However, if you are considered the “monied” spouse, then these changes may benefit you by capping your income, eliminating the application of enhanced earning capacities, and limiting the timeframe of maintenance obligations.
This past season of Family Comes First™ has been inspirational and filled with stories that are heartwarming and moving. On this week’s show, The Best of Season 7, we will be taking a look back on the families and resources that moved us during this season.
If you are a resident of Nassau or Suffolk County, then you have most likely heard complaints of how expensive it is to live here. According to recent reports, Nassau and Suffolk counties are the most expensive places to live in the United States (including Hawaii, NYC, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.).
Although six factors made up the rankings in these reports, including housing, taxes, health care, child care, transportation and “other necessities” such as food, the one factor that garnishes the most complaints is “taxes.”
Another complaint you may have heard about is traffic cameras that catch unsuspecting drivers speeding or committing other traffic violations. Many complaints have come from those drivers who have received tickets, and many of the complaints have argued that the tickets are “just a money grab for the county.”
One of the most challenging topics to discuss when creating an estate plan is the topic of your remains. As attorneys, we meet people from all backgrounds, many of whom have varying wishes as to what should happen to their remains after they die.
Oftentimes, the default plan that people chose is to be buried through a funeral home. There is no law requiring the use of a funeral home, though many choose to do so because of the full range of services offered, which can make the entire burial process a little easier. If you would like to retain the services of a funeral home, then you should research funeral homes now and make arrangements for a prepaid funeral. Planning ahead will alleviate the stress your loved ones may feel about making arrangements for your burial and can help ensure that the funeral home of your choosing provides services you desire.
The Suffolk County Sheriff’s office has implemented the Project Lifesaver program. Project Lifesaver is a countywide emergency response locator system to help locate someone with cognitive impairments who may have wandered or gotten lost.
The client wears a battery-operated transmitter bracelet that emits a signal every second of every day (24/7). When a caregiver notifies the Sheriff’s office that someone with a Project Lifesaver bracelet is missing, specially trained rescue personnel are immediately dispatched to track the signal and help locate the missing person. The signal can be tracked for up to several miles by air and by land.
Using a Will or a Trust that you found by searching on Google is like using WebMD to diagnose a serious illness.
A rational person would not consult WebMD to learn how to treat a serious illness. You might use it as a source of reference, but if you are in pain or want to prevent health issues, you consult to a doctor.
The same is true when planning your estate. You may save a couple dollars by creating your own estate plan, but you are going to cost your loved ones ten times that with the expense of going to court, and by hiring an attorney to interpret and administer the errors in the DIY estate plan you created.
For many people, November 11 is just another day off from work or school. However, on this important holiday, Veterans Day, we should all pause to celebrate and thank our veterans; the men and women who have served in the…
A question clients often ask is, “What happens to my assets when I die?”
The answer to that popular question depends on what you do while you are alive.
When you die, your assets are essentially bulked into two general categories: (1) Non-Probate Assets; and (2) Probate Assets.
In order to determine if something is a non-probate or probate asset, you must look at the way in which the asset is owned.
When you are little, often times, being different is perceived as a bad thing. Sesame Street, known for teaching important lessons to children through their stories, is here to show that everyone deserves to be respected and not bullied because…