More people with developmental disabilities are living to adulthood and even into their senior years. As a child with developmental disabilities grows older, parents begin thinking about how to secure their loved one’s financial future as the care they need can be expensive. While government programs and community resources provide essential help, significant family resources…

As of April 1, 2014, the New York State estate tax exemption will increase each year until 2019, when it will match the federal exemption amount. That is good news for wealthy New Yorkers planning their estates. However, the estate tax reform was subject to legislative amendments in 2015, which have now been clarified in…

Estate planning experts say that everyone should have an estate plan, but not everyone does. Often a life event such as getting married, having children or buying a house motivates people to contact an estate planning attorney and execute a will, any necessary trusts, and advance directives for health care. That is a good thing,…

In an article in the August issue of Vanity Fair, members of Paul Newman’s family claim that the company, Newman’s Own and its foundation are being mismanaged by the man who has served as chief executive for several years. Much of the dispute concerns changes that Newman made to his estate plan in his final…

By Giulia Frasca, Esq. Spread the Word to End the Word is a movement started in February 2009 in conjunction with the World Winter Games to stop the use of the word “retarded” and its variants. Now, as the 2015 Special Olympics World Games are under way, Spread the Word to End the Word has…

In a move that could affect the way wealthy families plan their estates; the IRS may put a stop to the tax strategy of using businesses to pass down stock portfolios to heirs at a discount. Tax attorneys say that the issue has been on the IRS’s agenda for some time. The proposed rules could…

An upscale continuing care retirement community drew the ire of residents four years ago when it began limiting certain areas and events to its independent living residents. Suddenly, residents in the assisted living or nursing units could no longer attend certain holiday parties or eat meals in the community’s country-club style dining room. According to…

As children with autism reach adulthood, one of the biggest challenges is finding suitable employment. By some estimates, the rate of unemployment for adults on the autism spectrum is 90 percent.

Employment programs for individuals with special needs do exist, and people with autism have shown that they can be some of the most dependable and productive employees. Now, more businesses are beginning to realize that people with autism have unique talents that can be an asset in the workplace.

On April 14, the Labor Department proposed new rules to provide greater protection for retirement savings. The proposed rules, if finalized, would strengthen requirements for brokers and investment advisers to act in the interests of investors with regard to individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and 401(k)s. The proposed rules are intended to protect investors from being…

Charitable giving is a way to benefit a good cause while also earning tax advantages. However, there are ways to make charitable gifts even more advantageous, both during one’s lifetime and as part of one’s estate plan. One method is to donate appreciated securities. If you own stock that has appreciated over time, you may…