ESTATE PLANNING AND ELDER LAW

Overview

When Chris launched his law office in 2007, he focused primarily on Staten Island real estate matters. Over the years, due to encouragement from clients, he began assisting people with Estate Planning and Elder Law as well.

The rationale goes something like this: you trusted Chris when buying your home, and that worked out, so now you trust him to handle essential end-of-life matters.

• Estate Planning – Everyone leaves behind an estate when they pass away. Chris and his staff can provide you with assistance to ensure your assets are protected from creditors, your estate is assessed the minimum of taxes, and your wishes are respected without undue trouble or litigation … which translates to the best result to your loved ones.
• Elder Law – As people near the ends of their lives, they and their family can face difficult questions such as what will happen if they cannot make medical decisions on their own behalves and whether Medicaid will pay for a retirement home. Chris and his staff can explain all the different legal processes and remedies available so you and your family are protected from an uncertain future.

While Chris’s law office focuses on planning, the firm will also advocate for its clients when necessary. Whether the problem is a bank refusing to recognize a valid power of attorney, a financial institution or other vendor selling inappropriate investments, or Medicaid refusing to make proper contributions to medical care, you will be protected.

Philosophy

An elder law attorney does not just help the elderly, and an estate planning attorney does not just help the wealthy. Everyone should have a plan for the cost of long-term care, for how to take care of their loved ones after they pass away, and for what kinds of emergency life-saving medical treatment they may want to opt into or out of.

Estate planning is a means of not just planning how things are passed on when you die, but also protection against liens from creditors (Medicaid/Medicare, for example), minimizing tax consequences (currently and eventually for beneficiaries), planning for medical incapacity (so that family members are not burdened with making decisions for you that may not be what you would have wanted), and providing a meaningful legacy for family, loved ones and possibly charities.

Many of the steps you can use to protect yourself must be done well before you get sick and need Medicaid nursing home care or are in the hospital and require emergency treatment. It is important when you are still of sound mind and sound body to speak with an attorney to understand what your options are and to put a detailed estate plan into place.

Chris and his staff recognize the importance of these kinds of decisions to our clients and treat each matter as their own. To create your own unique plan reflecting your own unique circumstances, Chris will meet with you to begin the process and answer any questions you have along the way. This is important, for us as well as you.

Learn More

We invite you to learn more by visiting our Estate Planning and Elder Law FAQ page or by contacting our law office today.