The Law Office of Noreen K. Scaperotti

The office is open! We are happy to offer our clients telephone and video conferences as well as document execution by mail. Give us a call with any questions during this uncertain time.

Many general practice attorneys likely only view the gifts rider for the purpose of making "traditional gifts" and may conclude that most of their clients simply don't need one. This is a critical mistake that ends up costing people tens of thousands of dollars when illness, dementia and Alzheimer's present themselves. The gifts rider allows for Medicaid planning and estate planning. This document prevents a lot of heartache.

Clesta Dickson is childless, single and 86 years old, and wonders what will happen to her when she needs help. "I think about it all the time."

A cautionary example demonstrating how important having the proper legal documents and/or structures can be in protecting oneself and avoiding family discord.

With the arrival of a new baby, parents and grandparents should stop to consider the benefits of establishing a trust for the growth and protection of college savings.

For higher-income New Yorkers, it may be beneficial to establish non-grantor trusts to mitigate the effects of the new tax law and preserve SALT (state and local tax) deductions.

Will your estate be large enough to trigger federal estate tax? If it is, do you know how to minimize your tax liability?

Income Tax Refunds are not countable for Medicaid eligibility purposes. Knowing that, how do you use your tax refund to your advantage?

Divorce effects your existing Will, Health Care Proxy, Power of Attorney and all beneficiary designations for your 401k, IRA and life insurance. Please review all documents to determine how drastically this may change your wishes!

Parents don’t have the authority to make health care decisions or manage money for their children once they turn 18even if the parents are paying the tuition, still have those children on their health insurance plans and claim them as dependents on their tax returns. That means if a young adult is in an accident and becomes disabled, even temporarily, a parent might need court approval to act on his or her behalf. https://www.scaperottilaw.com//advanced-directives-for-col

2018 Resource and Income standards have been released by the NY HRA. To qualify for Medicaid, resource limits for an individual now stand at $15,150 with income limits at $862 a month (for community care). Regional rates for nursing home care in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess have been increased to $12,428 per month.

For those with out-of-state property, be it a second residence, summer home or investment property, are you aware of ancillary probate? Do you know how to avoid an ancillary probate proceeding? (Hint: Revocable Trust)

Helpful planning information for those New Yorkers that spend a significant amount of time and/or own property in other states.