Most people incorrectly believe that estate planning is important only after you have reached a certain age or acquired some wealth. This is not the case. At Berwitz & DiTata LLP, we like to think of estate planning as “lifetime planning” and believe that it is important for all of us who have reached the...
Websites and publications geared towards those contemplating retirement ply their readers with articles on the “do’s and dont’s” of retirement planning. Even so, trying to formulate the right retirement strategy can be mind-boggling! Here are some common retirement planning myths: “As I near retirement, investments should be more conservative.” Americans are living longer. In fact,...
Moriah Adamo, Esq. Moriah Adamo is a Partner at Abrams Fensterman, LLP and leads the firm’s Elder Law & Estate Planning Practice in its Lake Success office. Moriah distinguishes herself as litigator and, in the past, represented health care providers in the areas of Medicaid qualifications and appeals. Like us, this experience and skill...
Amendments to the law are often necessary to adapt to the growing needs of the community at large. Sometimes change is beneficial. Unfortunately, on occasion change deprives benefits to those who are most vulnerable. Anticipated changes in the New York State Community Medicaid Program (Medicaid home care) promise both the good and the bad in...
As you likely have heard by now, our entire Berwitz & DiTata LLP team has joined with the law firm of Abrams Fensterman, LLP! We are thrilled to now be settling into the Elder Law and Estate Planning Practice, in its Lake Success office, with our new partner, Moriah Adamo, Esq. We, of course, will continue...
In our last issue we reviewed certain changes to community based Medicaid eligibility (home care) which had been incorporated in the 2020 budget but had not yet been implemented because of the pandemic emergency. We noted that, previously, eligibility required an applicant to be incapable of performing two of six activities of daily living: eating,...
When we ask our clients why they want to implement estate plans, they usually give one of three reasons: they want to ensure that their assets will be distributed according to their wishes; they want to avoid probate; and they wish to reduce estate tax liability. These are all very good and valid reasons but,...
Have you ever considered donating your body to science? Sometimes clients, who have been diagnosed with a debilitating illness, have a family history of disease or some other personal connection to medical research, have decided to donate their body, after death, for scientific research. Most clients, those who have had no personal connection with a...
Americans move from one home to another for a variety of reasons. They want to upsize, downsize, be closer to family and friends, seek a more desirable design or layout, or accommodate changing medical or physical needs. As people age, the likelihood of a move increases and it’s important to have reasonable expectations, be alert...
Divorce is often traumatic and is almost always an emotional and overwhelming process. It typically changes living arrangements and results in the division of assets and the apportionment of custody for minor children. Often, people in the process of divorcing become so caught up in these changes that they neglect to consider how the divorce...
