Forms and Papers When Meeting With Us

Below are links to forms and papers that will be helpful when keeping an appointment with us. These will help us to have the information we need to serve your interests.

• Whether you are getting a will or trust for the first time or are updating a previous will or trust, there is a lot to consider and a lot to think about. This downloadable and fillable PDF form will help you organize your thoughts, take an inventory of your estate, and clarify items to consider when you meet with us.

Background Articles from Our Firm

Here are links to a variety of legal websites that have information you may find useful and interesting, whether as part of your evaluation in selecting legal representation or for general interest. This is not a comprehensive set of links, but rather a starting point for exploring topics of interest. We have also provided articles of general interest that you may find useful on the following topics:

• What to Expect When You Are Buying or Selling a Home. The purchase or sale of a residence is one of the most exciting (and most expensive) purchases or sales that a buyer or seller will make during their lifetime. There is a lot that goes into the process. Here is some of what to expect. Our firm is expert at all sorts of real property closings and we can guide you through the process.
  
  
• Why You Need a Power or Attorney and Healthcare Proxy/Living Will. Having a will in place is essential to an estate plan and to your financial well-being and that of your heirs. However, a will only comes into play when a person dies? What about the need to manage affairs in life if you become incapacitated or become ill?; the power of attorney, healthcare proxy, and living will fill this need. We can tailor all of these documents to work seamlessly for you at any stage you need one.
  
  
• Estate Planning. An estate plan is an essential part of your financial strategy and survival. If you have never made a will, executed a power of attorney, or never made a health care proxy or living will, you need to have these vital documents. If you have documents that are more than five years old or have had milestone personal/financial developments (e.g., birth of a child), a review of these documents is in order. Contact our firm for help!
  
  
• Elder Law Planning. Elder law planning is not just for the elderly. In fact, the time to develop an elder law plan is well before becoming aged. Such planning addresses the possibility of nursing home care, in-home care, and other issues. Our firm can offer you the expertise to navigate these and other areas of elder law planning to meet your needs. Please contact us for help with elder law issues.
  
  
• What a Will Won't Do. People think that once they have a will, all of their estate plannng is done and all of their property has been taken care of for when they pass on. But is it?
  
  

Other Information Resources

Please note: These links below and other resources accessible from this page are offered for information purposes only and are not to be construed to create an attorney-client relationship in any way.

New York State Government websites:
The New York Legislative branch of government has several websites of interest. The New York State Assembly provides a gateway to the state’s legislative process. Find out about new proposed and enacted laws and how they will affect you. Get information and communicate with your state assembly representative. The New York State Senate provides similar access to the state’s other legislative body. You can track particular legislation of interest and get direct access to the Consolidated Laws of New York (the state’s statutes) at the state Legislative Session Information page.

The Governor of New York also has a website.

The New York State Unified Court System has a website for the courts of New York State. Find here an overview of the courts of New York and a discussion of how they relate. This site provides access to downloadable official court forms and information about filing fees. Additionally, you can find information about attorneys registered to practice law in the state. If you find yourself called to jury duty, you can find information about the role of jurors and juries, and check your on-call status here (usually with quicker access than the phone-in system).

The state Attorney General serves as head of the New York State Department of Law. The Attorney General is the state’s chief legal officer and represents the state in court proceedings. The Attorney General also serves as the guardian of the legal rights of the citizens of New York, its organizations and its natural resources. The website of the Attorney General contains links to resources in areas such as consumer fraud, identity theft, the state’s Freedom of Information law, investor protection, and franchise information.

The Department of Financial Services (DFS) was created in 2011 and replaced the former New York State Banking Department and New York State Insurance Department.

DFS regulates state-chartered banks and other state-licensed financial entities operating in New York. (Many banks and other financial institutions are chartered by the federal government and are subject to regulation by various federal agencies.)

DFS also oversees insurance companies authorized to do business in New York State. Find out about insurance agents and brokers, get information about filing a complaint with the department, and access resources for auto and health insurance.

The State Comptrolleris the state’s chief financial officer. In addition, the Comptroller’s office is the depository for lost and unclaimed property (escheated property) that is turned over to the state, as required by state law. This property includes refunds never claimed, paychecks never cashed, etc. The Comptroller’s website offers access to information about the funds it holds, allows you to search through the unclaimed property database to see if the state holds your property, and outlines the procedures for reclaiming the property.

The Department of Motor Vehicles website provides information about driver licensing, motor vehicle registration, and information about fines and penalties for vehicle and traffic violations, and other topics. The DMV Services page provides links to access some of the DMV’s most frequently used services and enables many transactions to be performed online.

The Department of State has a website that brings functions of this department online to interested researchers. You can find information about corporations or other business entities, research the requirements for occupations and professions licensed through the DOS, and a person’s license status.

New York Local Government websites:
The website of Suffolk County, New York, offers access to information about county government officials and services, doing business in the county, tourism, and other topics relating to the county.

The Nassau County, New York, website provides a gateway to government officials, county departments, and other information about the county.

The New York City website offers a variety of government, business, and tourism resources.

Federal Government websites:
The U.S. Government Printing Office website, FDsys, is a gateway to legal information from the three branches of the federal government – legislative (the U.S. Congress), Executive (the President), and judicial (the courts). This website is useful for locating federal regulations, bills before Congress, recently enacted legislation, and Presidential documents.

The Supreme Court of the United States website provides access to the court’s docket, as well as recently decided cases.

The IRS website contains thousands of pages of official guidance from America’s premier taxing authority, as well as understandable and accessible topics and fact sheets. One popular aspect of this website is the Forms and Publications page, which provides ready access to hundreds of IRS forms and publications in PDF format. Many of these forms are “fill-in” forms – no writing to the IRS or visiting the Post Office to get the forms you need!

Legal Profession websites:
The American Bar Association is a professional association for attorneys across the U.S.

The New York State Bar Association is the statewide professional organization for attorneys.

The Suffolk County Bar Association is the professional association for attorneys in Suffolk County, New York.

The Nassau County Bar Association is the professional association for attorneys in Nassau County, New York.