Senior Law | Elder Law
About Senior Law
This is a Web site where senior citizens, their families, attorneys, social workers, and financial planners, can access information about elder law, Medicare, Medicaid, Medicaid planning, guardianship, estate planning, trusts and the rights of the elderly and disabled.
This site focuses on New York elder law, New York Medicaid, New York guardianship law, New York estate planning. If you have a legal issue related to any of these matters or need legal advice, you should contact our office today to schedule a consultation with a New York elder law attorney.
Goldfarb Abrandt & Salzman LLP
For more than 25 years, the law firm of Goldfarb Abrandt & Salzman LLP has advocated for the elderly and people with disabilities. Concentrating in elder law, trusts and estates, and the rights of people with disabilities, we have aided countless families, attorneys, social workers, and financial planners.
We focus our practice on New York elder law, New York estate planning, New York estate administration, and New York guardianship law.
New York Elder Law
According to the American Bar Association, elder law as a practice area is more about meeting the needs of a particular type of client rather than practicing in a particular area of law—and we couldn’t agree more. Older adults often have specific legal needs in a variety of areas that are unique to people of a certain age, and no two clients are the same. Our New York elder law attorneys are committed to meeting our clients’ needs, whatever they may be. We look at the totality of each case and provide representation regarding immediate, active disputes as well as advice about long-term health care and estate planning. As lawyers who practice in elder law, we handle a wide variety of legal matters on a regular basis, including the following:
- Health care coverage
- Financial elder abuse
- Social security benefits
- Special needs planning
- Guardianship
- Estate tax
- Home health aides
- Will contests
- Trust formation
- Estate Administration & Probate
- Special education law
- Estate planning
- Nursing home admission
- Medicaid eligibility planning
- Special needs trust formation
New York Estate Planning
You may think that estate planning is only for the wealthy, but nothing could be further from the truth. If you have any assets that you would like to pass on to future generations or even the charitable organization of your choice, you should discuss your goals with an experienced estate planning attorney. At Goldfarb Abrandt & Salzman LLP, we work with estate planning clients of all backgrounds and know how to create comprehensive estate plans that protect assets, minimize tax liability, and transfer wealth to beneficiaries as quickly and efficiently as possible—in many cases avoiding the intervention of a court altogether. Here are some of the more specialized estate planning considerations with which our attorneys can help:
- Issues related to blended families and providing for children of a new or previous marriage
- Providing for a disabled person while maintaining his or her eligibility for government benefits
- Avoiding probate through the use of an lifetime trust, joint ownership of assets, bank accounts, or other means
- Determining whether you have sufficient assets or should supplement your estate with life insurance
- Choosing an executor for your estate
- Drafting and executing a will that accurately reflects your wishes
Estate planning is a complicated process and no two plans are ever the same. Even if you have never considered any of these issues before, you can benefit from meeting with an attorney to start the process.
New York Estate Administration
At Goldfarb Abrandt & Salzman LLP, we represent estate beneficiaries and executors/administrators in all matters related to estate administration, including the following:
- Will probate
- Intestacy proceedings
- Will and trust contests
- Probate of lost wills
- Kinship proceedings
- Income tax matters
- Real estate sales
- Estate tax audits
- Tax return preparation
If you are the named executor of an estate, you may feel overwhelmed with your duties. Not only do you need to find the will and submit it to the appropriate Surrogate’s Court, you also need to:
- Gather and keep assets safe
- Pay the estate’s bills
- Collect on debts owed to the estate
- File and pay tax returns
- File an inventory of assets with the court
- Defend any lawsuits
- Distribute assets to beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of the will
These tasks can be extremely complicated. For example, you may have to make difficult decisions about liquidating assets that beneficiaries are expecting to inherit or engaging the services of a collection agency to collect on debts owed to the estate. On top of all of this, as a fiduciary, you could potentially incur personal liability if you make any mistakes that beneficiaries could potentially attribute to negligence.
Fortunately, the attorneys of Goldfarb Abrandt Salzman & Kutzin are here to help. We can provide representation and advice regarding a single issue related to estate administration or handle the entire matter on your behalf. Importantly, executors can use estate assets to pay for legal advice.
New York Guardianship Law
Guardianship is a legal arrangement in which a court gives a person power to make decisions on behalf of a person who cannot make decisions for himself or herself. Typically, guardianships are sought by family members or loved ones of people who are incapacitated by illness or injury. At Goldfarb Abrandt Salzman & Kutzin, LLP, our New York guardianship lawyers represent both parties seeking guardianship and those opposing them. We are qualified to provide representation and counsel regarding all aspects of guardianships in New York, including:
- Incapacity disputes
- Article 81 guardianships over disabled adults
- Article 17 guardianships for persons with developmental disabilities
Guardianship disputes can be highly contentious and often pit family members against one another. Fortunately, the assistance of an experienced New York guardianship lawyer can actually help you take steps to minimize the risk of a guardianship dispute from arising in the future. Some of the estate planning tools that our attorneys can help you execute will reduce the risk of a guardianship dispute regarding you include the following:
- Durable powers of attorney
- Healthcare proxies and living wills
- Revocable living trusts
If you are currently seeking guardianship of another person, are involved in a dispute regarding guardianship, or would like to make plans to avoid a guardianship dispute in the future, call our office today.
Have a Question? Let Us Know How We Can Help You!
At Goldfarb, Abrandt, Salzman & Kutzin LLP, we are dedicated to helping meet the legal needs of older adults and the disabled. With more than 25 years of experience, we are qualified to handle any matter in our areas of practice and are committed to providing solution-oriented and effective legal representation. To schedule a consultation with one of our New York elder law and senior law attorneys, call us at (212) 387-8400 or send us an email through our online contact form.
