Articles
Estate Planning Articles
- A Lesson Learned at David Bowie’s Expense
- A Lesson Learned at Prince’s Expense
- Aretha Franklin Had No Respect
- Avoid Guardianship – Plan In Advance
- Back To School: Health Care Proxies and Health Care Decisions
- Berwitz & DiTata LLP Introduces Its Trusted Family Advisor Program
- Berwitz & DiTata LLP Wins First Case Under New NYS Decanting Law
- Berwitz & DiTata Gets Favorable Decision in Court on New New York State Decanting Law
- Berwitz & DiTata LLP Implements “Young Families Program”
- Capital Gains Tax
- Changes Effecting IRA
- Changes in Medicaid Estate Recovery Rules May Affect Your Existing Estate Plan
- Changes to New York State Estate and Gift Tax Regimes
- Changing IRA Distributions and Loans
- Charitable Giving
- Considering An Anatomical Donation
- Considering Early Retirement? Social Security Primer – Part 2
- Directing The Disposition of Your Remains
- Estate Planning For Business Owners
- Estate Planning For Businesses
- Estate Planning For Children With Special Needs
- Estate Planning For Second Marriages
- Estate Planning For Your Blended Family
- Estate Planning in the Age of Step-Families
- Estate Planning Lessons Learned From the Tragic Death of Anthony Bourdain
- Estate Planning When a Relationship Ends
- Estate Planning-Essential at Any Age
- For Readers Making Charitable Contributions in 2020
- Getting Your Affairs In Order
- Gifting
- Gifting Generally
- Gifting With A 529 Plan
- Grieving Property Taxes
- Health Care Proxies
- Here or There: Which State Do You Call Home?
- How Can I Provide For My Pet
- How Can Someone Manage For Me When I Can No Longer Manage My Affairs
- How Do I Select a Trustee
- IRA Accounts: Question From Readers
- James Gandolfini’s Estate Plan – It’s Nobody’s Business
- Keeping Up with Your Estate Plan: A Lesson Learned From Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian
- Lessons Learned From Celebrities: Make An Estate Plan & Keep It Current
- Lessons Learned from Chadwick Boseman
- Making Your Estate Plan Work For You
- Maximizing Benefits With A “Stretch” IRA
- New HIPAA Regulations Necessitate Important Changes In Your Estate Planning Documents
- Organ And Tissue Donation – Never Too Old, Never Too Late
- Payable-On-Death (POD) Bank Accounts
- Planning with A QPRT
- Protecting Retirement Accounts from Creditors
- Protecting Your Pet’s Future
- Power Of Attorney – Myths & Misconceptions
- Public Health Law Section 4201 – Disposal Of Decedent’s Remains
- Remote Notarization and Witnessing
- Retirement Planning Myths
- Same Sex Marriage In New York: One Year After
- Same Sex Marriage Update
- Should You File A Gift Tax Return?
- Six Reasons To Review Your Estate Planning Documents
- Slowing Alzheimer’s: Things You Can Do
- Social Security: Being Smart With Your Money
- Someone to Watch Over My Child Part 2: What to Consider When Planning For Children With Special Needs
- Someone To Watch Over My Child Part 1: What To Consider When Planning For Children With Special Needs
- Special Needs Planning – For the Future of Your Child or Loved One
- Speaking with Your Adult Children About Your Retirement
- Spring Cleaning – Time To Review and Renew
- The Benefits of 529 College Savings Plans in Estate and Tax Planning
- The Business Side of a Second Marriage
- The Health Care Proxy and the Living Will
- The Importance of Documenting Loans to Family Members for Estate and Medicaid Planning
- The Importance of Reviewing Beneficiary Designations
- The Lessons of Anna Nicole Smith
- The New Power of Attorney Law
- The Pitfalls Of Joint Ownership
- Time to Revisit Trusts
- Title Matters
- Transfer-On-Death Security Registration Act
- Transferring The Home
- Understanding Investments
- Understanding Your FDIC Coverage
- Update Your Estate Plan Following Divorce
- Use New Technology To Protect Your Critical Records
- What Is Includable In Your Estate
- When Opening a Bank Account, Just Say “NO!”
- While You Are Reviewing That IRA Distribution
- Who Should Serve As My Fiduciary?
- Why Your Estate Plan Should Include Digital Assets
- Wills Do Not Avoid Probate
- Wills & Revocable Living Trusts
- Year End Gift and Tax Planning – A Potential Silver Lining?
- Your Health Care Proxy – Make It Work Harder For You
- Your Responsibilities as Agent Under a Power of Attorney
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
- Do Jointly Owned Accounts Pass to the Survivor
- Elder Abuse
- Guardianship
- Joint Accounts
- Life Insurance
- Medicaid
- Mistakes And Misconceptions: Gifting
- Paid On Death (Pod) Accounts
- Retirement Planning Myths
- Retitling Real Property
- Still Need A Will
- The Myths About Long Term Care
- The Power Of A Power Of Attorney (POA)
- Using The Gift Tax Exclusion
- Why You Should Not Put Your Last Will And Testament In A Safe Deposit Box
- Will, Living Will, Or Living Trust
- Power Of Attorney
Elder Law Articles
- A Parting Gift to Your Family: Plan Your Funeral
- Advance Funeral Planning Makes Financial Sense
- Avoid Guardianship – Plan In Advance
- Caring For The Caregiver
- Caregiving Can Be Hazardous To Your Health
- Changes in New York Medicaid Benefits
- Debt Relief Strategies For Seniors
- Do I Need Health Insurance Other Than Medicare?
- Does A “Medigap” Health Insurance Plan Make Sense?
- Facility Prisoners
- Fear Of Falling And Depression In Older Adults
- Guardianship ABCs
- Guardians Have A Duty To Account
- Guardianship- Different Strokes for Different Folks Part 1
- Guardianship- Different Strokes for Different Folks Part 2
- Guardianship– Myths & Misconceptions
- Helping Our Loved Ones Manage Medication
- Holiday Blues – Depression In The Elderly And Disabled
- Hospice Care
- How Do I Encourage My Elder Parent Or Loved One To Take Necessary Steps?
- How Do I Encourage My Loved One to Move to a Safe Environment?
- How Do I Know If My Loved One Has The Ability To Sign Estate Planning Documents?
- Is Assisted Suicide Legal?
- Let’s Help Prevent Seniors From Falling Victim To Fraud
- Living At Home With Dementia
- Managed Long Term Care — New Horizon For Medicaid Home Care
- Medicaid Asset-Protection Trusts
- Medicaid’s Protections Are Afforded
- Medicaid Benefits Are Not Granted For Life:Annual Renewal Of Eligibility Is Required For Medicaid Recipients
- Medicaid Home Care: Preserving Income With A Pooled Trust
- Medicaid Myths & Misconceptions
- Medicaid’s Protections Are Afforded To Same-Sex Couples Nationwide
- New Medicare Cards
- New Medicaid Home Care Rules Will Severely Curtail Applicants Ability To Protect Assets
- New York Medicaid Planning And Applications
- Orphan – Elders Is Aging in Place Always the Best Option?
- Pets for Seniors Enhance Quality of Life
- Pre-Paid Funeral And Burial Plans
- Preventing Financial Abuse Of The Elderly
- Someone To Watch Over My Child Part I: What To Consider When Planning For Children With Special Needs
- Someone To Watch Over My Child Part II:Planning For Children With Special Needs
- Taking The Car Keys Away
- The Able Act: Is It All That It’s Cracked Up To Be?
- The Importance of Documenting Loans to Family Members for Estate and Medicaid Planning
- To Sell Or Not To Sell
- Transferring The Home
- Turning 65
- Understanding Home Care
- Veteran’s Pension Programs
- Veterans Administration Aid And Attendance Special Pension
- What Is Hospice Care
- What Is Palliative Care And How Does It Differ From Hospice?
- When Parents Move In With Adult Children
Probate, Estate and Trust Administration Articles
- After We Say Goodbye
- Can I Refuse To Accept An Inheritance?
- Jose Fernandez
- Lessons Learned From Celebrities: Make An Estate Plan & Keep It Current
- Mistakes Executors Make
- Payable On Death (Pod) Bank Accounts
- Status of Our Courts
- Transfer-On-Death Security Registration Act
- Why Haven’t I Received My Inheritance?
- Wills Do Not Avoid Probate
General Legal Information
- Business Owners Beware
- Berwitz & DiTata LLP Implements “Young Families Program”
- End Of Year Tax Planning
- Highlights of the New Tax Reform Law
- Holiday Blues:Depression in the Elderly and Disabled
- Important News About Safe Deposit Boxes
- In Case Of Emergencies- ICE
- Moving Tips – Making Your Move Trouble Free
- Opting Out
- Organ And Tissue Donation- Never too Old, Never too Late
- Proposed Tax Legislation Could Have Significant Consequences
- Protect Yourself From Medical Identity Theft
- Protecting Against Credit Card And Identity Fraud
- Protecting Our Financial Privacy
- Record Retention- A Good Habit to Cultivate
- The Benefits Of The Relationship
- The Facts About Long-Term Care Insurance
- The Myths About Long Term Care
- The Pension Protection Act And The 529 Plan
- The SECURE Act Its Affect on Retirement Accounts – How It Hurts
- Turning 65
- Understanding your FDIC Coverage
- Veterans Administration Aid And Attendance Special Pension
- When Opening A Bank Account Just Say “No!”