When a Brooklyn family pays off the mortgage on a multi-family brownstone after thirty years of labor, that property ceases to be just a building.
When a Brooklyn grandparent steps in to raise a toddler after a family tragedy, the immediate focus is simply getting through the week. The priority
A client in Brooklyn called me last week. She wanted to add her adult son to the deed of her brownstone, a home that’s been
A small business owner in Brooklyn passes away unexpectedly. He was divorced with two adult children and a long-term partner he never married. Critically, he
A client recently sat in my Manhattan office and asked, “Russel, my will names an executor, but my trust names a trustee. I chose the
A client once came to my office with a clear intention. After a difficult divorce and remarriage, he wanted his will to leave his entire
I once met with a new client, a retired executive from Manhattan, who had done everything right—or so he thought. He had diligently created a
A few months ago, a man came into my Manhattan office with a binder. Inside was a set of documents he’d purchased from a national
Can Making A Gift Before Applying To Medicaid Save Assets? Understanding the Complexities of Medicaid Planning Introduction Medicaid is a vital government program that provides
Navigating the complex and often overwhelming world of nursing home care is a task that many adult children find themselves faced with as their parents
When a Brooklyn family loses a parent who left behind a paid-off brownstone but no trust, the next nine months are dictated by Surrogate’s Court.
I recently met with the adult children of a Brooklyn business owner. Their father, a prudent man, had diligently prepared a will, believing he had
In the world of estate planning and asset distribution, the question of whether or not to have an estate sale can often arise. As experienced
An adult child, recently named executor, stands in the doorway of their parents’ Manhattan apartment. Every room is filled with a lifetime of possessions—furniture, art,
An executor for a Brooklyn estate is preparing the final accounting. Everything seems to be in order—the brownstone is sold, the investment accounts are settled,
I often sit with clients whose parents, with the best intentions, suggest a simple solution: “Let’s just sign the house over to you.” They see
Three days after a family loses a parent, they often find themselves sitting across a conference table from me in Manhattan, holding a folder of
When a Manhattan family loses a parent who relied entirely on a simple will, the next nine to fifteen months belong to Surrogate’s Court. While
I recently met with a family whose patriarch, a successful Manhattan business owner, had passed away. His children brought me the will he had signed
A client from Brooklyn sat in my office last week, wrestling with a decision many parents face. His son is a successful accountant—organized, responsible, and
A client sat in my Manhattan office last month, convinced his estate was in perfect order. He had recently finalized his divorce and updated his
When a Manhattan family discovers their father’s will was drafted by a general practitioner who misunderstood the state’s strict witnessing rules, the next eighteen months
A Manhattan father recently sat in our conference room, highly concerned that wiring his daughter a $60,000 down payment for her Brooklyn apartment would trigger
A son recently sat in my office, facing a problem he never anticipated. Years ago, his mother added him to the deed of her Queens
When a Manhattan executive suffers a sudden stroke, his family often scrambles to find his Last Will and Testament. They tear through desk drawers and
An executor in Brooklyn opens their late mother’s desk and finds a stack of bank statements, a deed to a property in the Catskills, and
When a Manhattan family submits their mother’s will to Surrogate’s Court, they often expect a quiet transition of assets. Then the clerk asks for the
When a Manhattan couple executes their wills today, they often assume their combined wealth sits safely under the federal estate tax exemption. But decades pass.
A family in Brooklyn finds their father’s original Last Will and Testament neatly folded in a fireproof safe. It names the eldest daughter as executor
I’ve sat in my office with siblings who have just lost a parent and seen them argue—not over the multi-million dollar estate—but over a worn
