A number of months ago, LinkedIn invited me to their Series “pilot,” and I began to publish my Series, “Elder and Special Needs Law in a ‘New York Minute'”

I am reproducing the Series here every week.

Super thankful to have been invited to this Series pilot. I must write that as a first sentence.

Now, I will tell you why I titled it “Elder and Special Needs Law in a New York Minute.”

I was born, raised, live and practice law in New York City. It is a fast-paced city, where people oftentimes need an answer—succinctly and quickly.

Elder and Special Needs Law is not a sexy topic, I can admit that.  However, I will strenuously argue that it is important, even vital, to every single person including…you.  If you have not been touched by these areas of law (yet), you will be and already know a person or persons who have confronted legal issues associated with aging, a special needs child or both.

Unfortunately, and all too often, people’s decision to plan is reactive, as opposed to proactive. What I mean by this is, 1) they never thought about, 2) did not want to think about, 3) did not think it was their time to think about it yet (i.e. too young), or 4) thought it was too costly to do…until they could no longer avoid it.  Fear is one contributing factor to this “procrastination,” but cultural taboos around aging, illness, money and death are others.

When they finally decide to plan, some are surprised, disappointed or frustrated to realize that waiting left them with less than desirable options. In these areas of law, time is not necessarily your friend.

The purpose of the series will be to break down these two areas of law into its components, starting with the basics of estate planning and branching out into Elder Law and then Special Needs. When people ask me what Elder Law is, I always reply that it is a “sibling” to Trusts and Estates. Like real siblings, they share important characteristics but are clearly distinct from one another. I characterize Special Needs Law as the youngest, the “baby.”

I am here to teach. I am here to impart understanding. I am here to demystify these areas of law. I do not want people to be afraid.  I promise not to overload you with information. On the contrary, I hope to assist you in creating a foundation, a foundation that is important now, no matter your age, and well into your future.  

If you’d like to learn more about me and my law practice you can go here or, si hablas español, here.