Many times when I meet with clients to discuss Medicaid, their children come along with them. One of the most frequent questions I get asked by children is, "Well, mom put me on her checking account, so half of that is…
We often see clients with concerns about loved ones who receive government benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Medicaid. Since SSI and Medicaid have very strict rules as to how much money and how much income beneficiaries can…
There are three types of guardianship proceedings in New York State: Article 17 - Guardianship of minors. Article 17A - Guardianship of adult individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Article 81 - A mental hygiene proceeding for adults who had…
Recently, I was helping a couple with planning. Unfortunately, the husband passed away about two weeks ago. After he died, the family realized that he had one bank account that was in his name alone, with about $3,000 in it. They did not realize this before he passed, otherwise they would have taken care of it.
Today (March 6, 2017) marks the last day a fiduciary of a trust or estate can make a distribution from the trust or estate, and still take the 65-day election on the fiduciary income tax return. The general rule is,…
On Long Island, a tax break affecting 35,000 Nassau County seniors was not renewed this year. Recently, Nassau County let a long-standing property tax abatement expire without any notice to the recipients of the abatement. Approximately 35,000 seniors, all earning…
Reporting the sale of real property could be either really complicated or relatively simple, depending on the facts and circumstances. The type of property will also impact the manner and type of taxes that need to be paid. There may…
When a person dies, his or her estate may need to go through probate. If the decedent leaves a will directing how his or her property should be distributed after death, the will must be submitted to the probate court…
There are some events in life that we can’t emotionally prepare for. They can come on suddenly and unexpectedly. But an estate planning attorney can help legally prepare for some of them. Here are some life events that can be…
A number of my clients have experienced a gap in their Medicaid coverage because they moved from one state to another to be closer to their families. It is important to remember that Medicaid is not portable. You cannot simply…