www.trustlaw.com Open in urlscan Pro
13.225.78.25 Public Scan

Back to summary

Submitted URL:
https://trustlaw.com/
Effective URL:
https://www.trustlaw.com/
Submission: On November 10 via api (November 10th 2024, 12:40:52 am UTC) from BE — Scanned from IT

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

Name: genericcontactform — POST /jshared/contactus/

<form name="genericcontactform" id="genericcontactform" data-gtm-label="Consultation Form" data-gtm-action="Submission" data-gtm-category="Forms" data-gtm-type="submission" action="/jshared/contactus/" method="post">
  <div class="formdesc"><span class="line-1">Free Consultation</span> <strong class="line-2">1-800-500-2525 <span>Ext. 117</span></strong></div>
  <div id="errmsg"></div> <input type="hidden" name="5_From_Page" value="Index"> <input type="hidden" name="site_id" value="1461807"> <input type="hidden" name="return_url" value="https://www.trustlaw.com/thank-you_1.html" id="return_url_f"> <input
    type="hidden" name="current_url" value="https://www.trustlaw.com/index.html" id="current_url_f"> <input type="hidden" name="big_or_small" value="small">
  <div class="col-1"> <span class="fld"> <label for="Name"> Name (Required) </label> <input name="10_Name" type="text" id="Name" size="40" placeholder="Name (Required)" autocomplete="name" required=""> </span> <span class="fld"> <label for="Email">
        Email (Required) </label> <input name="20_Email" type="text" id="Email" size="40" placeholder="Email (Required)" autocomplete="email" required=""> </span> <span class="fld"> <label for="Phone"> Phone (Required) </label> <input name="30_Phone"
        type="text" id="Phone" size="40" placeholder="Phone (Required)" autocomplete="tel" required=""> </span> </div> <span class="textarea"> <label for="Message"> Message </label> <textarea name="40_Message" id="Message" placeholder="Message"
      rows="5" cols="20"></textarea> </span>
  <div class="clr"> </div> <input type="hidden" name="check_required" value="yes"> <input type="hidden" name="subject" value="Detailed Enquiry From Website"> <input type="hidden" name="required_fields" value="10_Name,20_Email,30_Phone"> <input
    type="hidden" name="is_blog" value="yes"> <input type="hidden" name="source" value="off"> <input type="hidden" name="source_off" value="trustlaw"> <input type="hidden" name="wpid" value="2"> <!-- captcha include -->
  <div data-recaptcha-key="6LeWxLsUAAAAAKwOEcHCQONowDvYD1bSuz2AZogB" data-version="2" data-set-lang="en" class="g-recaptcha" data-sitekey="6LeWxLsUAAAAAKwOEcHCQONowDvYD1bSuz2AZogB" data-size="invisible" data-callback="recaptchaOnSubmit"></div> <span
    class="submit"><button type="submit" name="submitbtn"> Contact Us Now </button></span>
</form>

Name: sitesearch — GET /search/

<form action="/search/" method="get" name="sitesearch"> <span> <label for="siteSearchInput" class="visuallyhidden">Search</label> <input type="text" name="query" value="" id="siteSearchInput" title="Search" placeholder="Enter Text"> </span> <button
    type="submit" name="Search" id="siteSearchButton">Search</button> </form>

Name: genericcontactform_bottom-scf — POST /jshared/contactus/

<form id="genericcontactform_bottom-scf" name="genericcontactform_bottom-scf" class="form_designer" data-gtm-label="Consultation Form" data-gtm-action="Submission" data-gtm-category="Forms" data-gtm-type="submission" action="/jshared/contactus/"
  method="post">
  <h4 class="heading4 widget-title"><a href="contact-us.html">Contact Us</a></h4>
  <div class="formdesc">
    <div class="wrapper">
      <ol class="numbered-list">
        <li><span class="number"><span>1</span></span><strong>Free Consultation</strong></li>
        <li><span class="number"><span>2</span></span><strong>30+ Years Experience</strong></li>
        <li><span class="number"><span>3</span></span><strong>14 New York Locations Serving You</strong></li>
      </ol>
      <p>Complete the contact form or call us at <span class="phone-number">1-800-500-2525 Ext. 117</span> to schedule your free consultation.</p>
    </div>
  </div> <input type="hidden" name="5_From_Page" value="Index"> <input type="hidden" name="site_id" value="1461807"> <input type="hidden" name="return_url" value="https://www.trustlaw.com/thank-you_1.html"> <input type="hidden" name="current_url"
    value="https://www.trustlaw.com/index.html"> <input type="hidden" name="big_or_small" value="small"> <span class="fld"> <label for="10_Name_Required">Name (Required)</label> <input type="text" name="10_Name_Required" id="10_Name_Required"
      title="Name_Required" placeholder="Name (Required)" required=""> </span> <span class="fld"> <label for="20_Email_Required">Email (Required)</label> <input type="text" name="20_Email_Required" id="20_Email_Required" title="Email_Required"
      placeholder="Email (Required)" required=""> </span> <span class="fld"> <label for="30_Phone_Required">Phone (Required)</label> <input type="text" name="30_Phone_Required" id="30_Phone_Required" title="Phone_Required"
      placeholder="Phone (Required)" required=""> </span> <span class="fld"> <label for="40_Message">Message</label> <textarea name="40_Message" id="40_Message" title="Message" rows="5" cols="20" placeholder="Message"></textarea> </span> <input
    type="hidden" name="alt_required_fields" value="yes"> <input type="hidden" name="required_fields" value="10_Name_Required,20_Email_Required,30_Phone_Required"> <input type="hidden" name="is_blog" value="yes"> <input type="hidden" name="source"
    value="off"> <input type="hidden" name="source_off" value="trustlaw"> <input type="hidden" name="wpid" value="2"> <!-- captcha include -->
  <div data-recaptcha-key="6LeWxLsUAAAAAKwOEcHCQONowDvYD1bSuz2AZogB" data-version="2" data-set-lang="en" class="g-recaptcha" data-sitekey="6LeWxLsUAAAAAKwOEcHCQONowDvYD1bSuz2AZogB" data-size="invisible" data-callback="recaptchaOnSubmit"></div> <span
    class="submit"> <button type="submit" name="submitbtn">Contact Us Now</button> </span>
</form>

Text Content

* Free Consultation: +1 800-500-2525 Ext: 117 Tap Here to Call Us

New York Estate Planning Lawyer Ettinger Law Firm Home
Contact
* Home
* About the Firm
* Our People
* Michael Ettinger, Attorney
* Bonnie Kraham, Attorney
* Suzanne Ettinger, Attorney
* Danielle Becker, Attorney
* James Asquith, Attorney
* Michelle Berman, Attorney
* Lindsay Thomas, Attorney
* Nicole Davis, Attorney
* Practice Areas
* Elder Law
* Wills
* Living Trusts
* Wealth Preservation Strategies
* Medicaid Strategies
* Special Needs Trusts
* Estate Administration and Probate
* Reviews
* Online Forms
* Resources
* 2021 Newspaper Columns
* 2022 Newspaper Columns
* Frequently Asked Questions
* Video Center
* Blog
* Contact Us
* More
* Home
* About the Firm
* Our People
* Practice Areas
* Reviews
* Online Forms
* Resources
* Blog
* Contact Us

Watch Video
Trusts and Estates Wills and Probate Tax Saving Strategies Medicaid

Office Locations: Albany; Fishkill; Huntington; Islandia; Lake Success;
Melville; Middletown; New City; Rhinebeck; Rockville Centre; Saratoga; Staten
Island; White Plains

Schedule an in-office, Zoom or phone consultation Here.

slide 8 to 13 of 6

prevnext

NEW YORK ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEYS

ABOUT ETTINGER LAW FIRM

With over 34 years of experience, Ettinger Law Firm has been practicing elder
law estate planning exclusively since 1991. Our practice consists of Living
Trusts, Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts, Medicaid Applications, Wills, Probate,
Estate Administration and Special Needs Trusts in our thirteen offices in
Albany, Fishkill, Huntington, Islandia, Lake Success, Melville, Middletown, New
City, Rhinebeck, Rockville Centre, Saratoga, Staten Island and White Plains.

We serve elder law estate planning clients in the following counties of New
York: Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange,
Putnam, Queens, Ulster, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady,
Suffolk, Sullivan, Warren, Washington, and Westchester.

Our founding attorney, Michael Ettinger, is author of “Elder Law Estate
Planning” and a leading authority on elder law estate planning matters. He was a
founding member of The American Academy of Estate Planning Lawyers and Past
President of The American Association of Trust, Estate and Elder Law Attorneys.
The firm today consists of eight lawyers and fifteen paralegals and support
staff.

ELDER LAW AND DISABILITY PLANNING

Elder law addresses disability planning. As people's life expectancies have
increased due to advances in medical science as well as health and nutrition
people are living much longer than just a century ago. One result is that many
more people now become disabled before they die – some say that as many as half
of us will have a period later in life where we are unable to manage our
affairs.

Elder law protect the needs of frail seniors by providing substitute
decision-making through the use of Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies and
Living Wills, Revocable and Irrevocable Living Trusts, Medicaid Planning and
Medicaid Applications. Proper elder law planning allows you to avoid
guardianship proceedings upon disability and keep control with your loves ones.
Ettinger Law Firm has prepared many thousands of each of the foregoing matters
since 1991 and can help you with a free elder law and disability planning
consultation at any of our thirteen New York locations. Please contact us by
telephone or email.

ESTATE PLANNING WITH REVOCABLE LIVING TRUSTS

Estate Planning has been defined as “Getting your assets, upon death, to whom
you want, when you want, in the way you want, with the least amount of taxes and
legal fees possible.” Estate planning most often results in the use of revocable
living trusts to avoid probate at death. Probate is a court proceeding required
to prove the will valid before the executor may proceed to distribute assets to
the named heirs. Probate can often be expensive and time-consuming, resulting in
frustrating delays.

Revocable living trusts do not require court proceedings at death and thus have
become the most popular alternative to wills for seniors.

Other advantages of living trusts are they are significantly less expensive to
settle upon death than wills, they can keep your assets in the bloodline with
Inheritance Protection Trusts, and they afford privacy of the deceased person's
affairs since there is no probate record of how much you had, who you left it
to, or who you may have left out. Again, with a living trust you keep control
with your loved one instead of handing it over to courts and judges as you do
with a will.

Living trusts also provide for who takes over if you should become disabled,
avoiding potentially expensive and time-consuming guardianship proceedings and
keeping control in the family. Ettinger Law Firm has prepared thousands of
revocable living trusts. For a free revocable living trust consultation at any
one of our thirteen New York offices, please contact us by telephone or email.

MEDICAID ASSET PROTECTION TRUSTS

Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts (MAPT's) have been protecting clients' assets
for over thirty years. Also known as an irrevocable Medicaid trust, these trusts
avoid guardianship proceedings on disability, avoid probate proceedings at
death, keep assets in the bloodline with Inheritance Protection Trusts, and have
the added feature of protecting your assets from nursing home care costs. There
is a five year “look back” period upon transfer of assets to the Medicaid trust.
This means that assets are not fully protected until five years after the date
of transfer. However, the time pro rates, so let's say you don't make it five
years – you need nursing home care three years after you put your assets into
the Medicaid trust -- in that case you only have to pay for the two years that
are left.

There are many misconceptions and myths about Medicaid trusts. Well-meaning but
ill-informed professionals such as accountants, financial advisors and even
general practice lawyers often give incorrect advice in this area. For example,
very few know that in New York we can actually revoke the irrevocable trust – we
just have to get all family members to sign. Ettinger Law Firm has prepared
thousands of Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts. To get the correct advice about
Medicaid trusts at one of our thirteen New York offices, please contact us by
telephone or email.

MEDICAID APPLICATIONS

Whether a loved one needs Medicaid for home care (Community Medicaid) or
Medicaid for nursing home care (Institutional or Chronic Care Medicaid) an
application for Medicaid benefits is required. Due to complex asset and transfer
rules, various “look back” periods and different Medicaid practices in the
various counties of New York State, the application should be made with the
assistance of an experienced elder law attorney. Ettinger Law Firm has filed
thousands of Medicaid applications.

Certain assets are exempt from Medicaid where there is a spouse at home (the
“community spouse”). Apart from the exempt assets, there are a number of ways to
protect assets from Medicaid such as where there has been an adult caregiver
living in the home for two or more years before applying for Medicaid, spousal
refusal and transferring the assets to a Supplemental or Special Needs Trust to
a disabled child under the age of sixty.

To learn more about your eligibility for home care Medicaid benefits or nursing
home Medicaid benefits, please contact us by telephone or email to schedule a
free consultation in one of our thirteen New York offices.

WILLS AND PROBATE

A will is a legal document, prepared by an attorney, and witnessed by two
witnesses stating your wishes as to who will receive which of your assets on
your death. It also names an executor to carry out your wishes.

Wills are not valid to transfer your assets until after a court proceeding known
as “probate”. Probate actually means proving the validity of the will. In
probate proceedings a petition to the court is required proving that you were of
sound mind, memory and understanding, that you were not under any fraud or undue
influences and you were able to read and converse in the English language. The
petition must be served on all the heirs and potential heirs and then returned
to the court and await the judge's decision. Then the estate must be kept open
for at least seven months for creditor's claims. Probate in New York can easily
take one year and often two or more years.

Probate only addresses assets in the deceased person's name alone. Assets that
do not go through probate are jointly held assets, assets with a named
beneficiary and assets held in revocable and irrevocable trusts.

Ettinger Law Firm has probated thousands of New York wills. For a free will or
probate consultation in one of our thirteen New York offices, please contact us
by telephone or email.

ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

Although trusts do not have to go through probate on death, the trust must still
be “administered”. This means the trustee must contact beneficiaries, keep them
informed, gather and collect the deceased person's assets.

Additional duties of the trustee include: showing loyalty to all trust
beneficiaries, dealing impartially with beneficiaries, make trust property
productive and eliminating “wasting” assets, i.e. those that deplete the trust,
invest prudently, account to beneficiaries, keep trust assets separate, avoid
conflicts of interest and self-dealing, preserve the trust assets, uphold the
trust terms and file tax returns.

Successor trustees often lack the time, knowledge or resources to personally
administer the trust. Ettinger Law Firm has performed thousands of estate
administrations. For your free estate administration consultation, please
contact us by telephone or email to schedule in one of our fourteen New York
offices.

SUPPLEMENTAL OR SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS

Special Needs Trusts, sometimes called Supplemental Needs Trusts, protect assets
for children receiving SSI (Social Security Income) benefits and Medicaid
benefits. Extra needs expenses beyond what the state provides may be for
clothing, dietary needs, education, hobbies, sports, exercise, travel and
entertainment, elective medical procedures, vocational rehabilitation, household
goods and appliances, personal care products, automobiles (including gas and
insurance), transportation and burial costs.

Payment must be made to the service provider or items purchased on behalf of the
child. Any payments made to the child themselves will reduce their Social
Security Income (SSI) benefits dollar for dollar.

Special or Supplemental Needs Trusts come in two varieties. Third party trusts
set up by a parent, grandparent of legal guardian and with third party money or
first party trusts using the child's own money. Under the ABLE act, children may
now also set up their own Special Needs Trusts if they are legally competent.
First party Special Needs Trusts require a “payback” provision so that any
unused funds in the trust must first be paid back to the state to the extent of
any benefits received, before going to the heirs.

Third party Special Needs Trust do not require “payback” to the state.

Ettinger Law Firm has prepared hundreds of Special Needs Trusts. For a free
Special Needs Trust consultation, please contact us by telephone or email at any
of our thirteen New York offices.

* Ten Reasons to Choose Ettinger Law Firm
* The Ettinger Law Firm Elder Law Estate Planning Process

Learn More

NEW YORK ESTATE PLANNING & ELDER LAW BLOG

* Planning for Single Relative Living Alone If you have a son, daughter,
sister, brother or parent living alone for whom you are responsible, and they
unfortunately become incapacitated or die,…
* Home Care with Community Medicaid To qualify for community based Medicaid,
meaning receiving medical care in the home, an individual cannot make more
than $1,752 per month and a…
* Leaving an IRA to a Trust An IRA may not be transferred to a trust without
causing the whole IRA to be taxed. The "I" in IRA stands for "individual" —
it must be owned by…

PRACTICE AREAS

* Elder Law Estate Planning
* Wills
* Medicaid Strategies
* Living Trusts
* Special Needs Trusts
* Estate Administration and Probate
* Young Family Estate Planning

Free Consultation 1-800-500-2525 Ext. 117

Name (Required) Email (Required) Phone (Required)
Message

REVIEWS

head>

DOWNLOAD OUR NEW E-GUIDE

DOWNLOAD E-GUIDE

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON AND KINDLE

Click here to receive your free emailed copy of "Ettinger Law Firm's Guide to
Protecting Your Future".

OUR VIDEOS

Elder E-lert
Search
Search Search

CLIENT REVIEWS

slide 1 of 4
★★★★★
This is the best choice for elder care and estate planning! Well established and
transparent in services and quality of staff is suberb. K. D.
★★★★★
Outstanding professionals at every level within their organization.
Interpersonal communications outstanding. F. O.
★★★★★
Very happy with the firm and so pleased we have them helping us. C. D.
★★★★★
Mr Ettinger has worked with my family for over a decade and has provided
excellent advice on numerous issues relating to trust and elder law. B. A.
★★★★★
This is the best choice for elder care and estate planning! Well established and
transparent in services and quality of staff is suberb. K. D.

View More
Submit a Law Firm Client Review

1. 1Free Consultation
2. 230+ Years Experience
3. 314 New York Locations Serving You

Complete the contact form or call us at 1-800-500-2525 Ext. 117 to schedule your
free consultation.

Name (Required) Email (Required) Phone (Required) Message

Albany County
125 Wolf Rd #225
Albany, NY 12205 US
Phone: 518-459-2700

Saratoga County
340 Broadway 3rd Floor
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 US
Phone: 518-581-9200
Hudson Valley

Dutchess County
200 Westage Business Center Dr #235
Fishkill, NY 12524 US
Phone: 845-897-4700

Orange County
75 Crystal Run Rd #G34
Middletown, NY 10941 US
Phone: 845-692-8700

Dutchess County
6369 Mill St #216
Rhinebeck, NY 12572 US
Phone: 845-876-6266
Long Island

Suffolk County
1377 Motor Pkwy
Islandia, NY 11749 US
Phone: 631-589-3333

Nassau County
3000 Marcus Ave #1E7
Lake Success, NY 11042 US
Phone: 516-327-8880

Suffolk County
1 Huntington Quadrangle #1N9
Melville, NY 11747 US
Phone: 631-673-3777

Nassau County
100 Merrick Rd #208E
Rockville Centre, NY 11570 US
Phone: 516-502-0100

Suffolk County
425 New York Ave
Huntington, NY 11743 US
Phone: 631-824-8000
Westchester/Rockland

Rockland County
345 N Main St #5
New City, NY 10956 US
Phone: 845-353-9555

Westchester County
140 Grand St #410
White Plains, NY 10601 US
Phone: 914-684-6100
New York City

Richmond County
900 South Ave
Staten Island, NY 10314 US
Phone: 718-477-2700
Attorney Advertising
Toll-free: 1-800-500-2525
Ext: 117
Toll-free Fax: 1-800-500-5445
We serve the following localities: Albany County including Albany; Bronx County
including The Bronx; Dutchess County including Fishkill, Poughkeepsie, and
Rhinebeck; New York County including New York; Orange County including Goshen,
Middletown, and Newburgh; Richmond County including Staten Island; Rockland
County including Monsey, New City, and Nyack; Saratoga County including Ballston
Spa, Clifton Park, and Saratoga Springs; Suffolk County including Brookhaven,
Huntington, Islandia, Melville, Riverhead, and Southampton; and Westchester
County including White Plains and Yonkers. View More
* Home
* Disclaimer
* Privacy Policy
* Site Map
* Contact Us

New York Estate Planning Attorneys | Top-Rated Estate & Elder Law Attorneys -
Ettinger Law Firm

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of
Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact
form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by
non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a
text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an
attorney-client relationship.

We use cookies to improve the experience of our website. By continuing to use
our website, you consent to the use of cookies. To understand more about how we
use cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.
Accept & Continue

<img
src="https://cnv.event.prod.bidr.io/log/cnv?tag_id=1002&buzz_key=sinclair&value=&segment_ke
y=sinclair-3122&account_id=110&order=[ORDER]&ord=[CACHEBUSTER]" height="0"
width="0">