Are you recently widowed, or do you have a close friend or relative who has lost a spouse? During such a difficult time, with so much to take care of, panic can set in as you begin navigating the probate process – don’t panic, the professionals at Schwartz Ettenger can help! Not everyone needs to…
Did you know that you should never unstaple an original Last Will and Testament? Additional staple holes, or no staples at all, could indicate that pages were removed, added or changed since the time the Will was executed, all of which could be problematic in the event of a Will contest. If you’ve already unstapled…
Did you know that in New York once your child turns 18 you are no longer legally entitled to know anything about them? Their school can’t talk to you, even if you are paying for their education. Their health care providers can’t talk to you, even though you are their parent, and even if they…
Marci Goldfarb, Esq., Senior Counsel at Schwartz Ettenger PLLC, discusses why it is so important to have a Health Care Proxy in place before your college-aged students head back to school.
According to recent statistics, there is over $17 billion dollars in unclaimed funds that are being held by New York State. In the first three months of 2022 alone, the state has returned over $90,620,070. The amounts received by individuals varied, but over 59% of the claims were for over $100. Odds are, someone you…
New York State recently enacted legislation simplifying the form of Power of Attorney (“POA”), which law went into effect June 13, 2021. After such date, the new form of POA is required to be used. WHAT IS A POWER OF ATTORNEY? As you may know, a POA is a legal document by which a person…
Estate planning is a process that allows you to state how you want your personal and financial assets to be distributed at your death and plan for incapacity. By being proactive, you have control instead of other people or legal rules making those decisions. As you begin (or update) your own estate planning, here are…
Google words like “wills,” “trusts,” “power of attorney,” and other estate planning terms and you will find links to websites offering free or low-cost forms available for download. These sites tell you that you can DIY your own estate planning documents; why hire an attorney when you can prepare your own documents and save money?…
