This being our 35th anniversary, your writer thought it might be of some interest to our readers just how Ettinger Law Firm first came into being. It is written in the third person to make it more readable. The law firm was founded in a single office in West Hurley,…
Elder Care Review, circulated to thousands of professionals in the elder care industry, has named Ettinger Law Firm as its Top Elder Law Firm 2025. Here are excerpts from the full article: For over four decades, Ettinger Law Firm has been transforming the way legal services are provided to older…
The current New York estate tax exemption stands at $7.16 million while the Federal exemption is at $13.99 million. While the Federal government only taxes the amount over the Federal exemption, New York takes a different approach. Once you go more than 5% over the exemption amount in New York,…
In the fall of 1990, some thirty-four years ago, your writer first heard of the proposition that if you set up a living trust your estate doesn’t have to go to court to settle – the so-called probate court proceeding for wills. Having spent the previous eleven years as a…
In second marriage planning, a co-trustee is sometimes recommended on the death of the first spouse. While both spouses are living and competent they run their trust or trusts together. But when one spouse dies, what prevents the other spouse from diverting all of the assets to their own children?…
Gratitude has to do with appreciation. Appreciation means to add value to. Things that appreciate tend to grow, just as being grateful for something or someone raises its or their value in our estimation. Even though, at any given time, countless more things are going right than going wrong in…
Adapted from author Doug Armey, the following are keys to keeping your brain “lit” as you age. Flow. A sedentary life causes brain deterioration. Blood flow to the brain keeps oxygen in your brain cells which gives them life. Keep moving, walking and get some exercise. Energize. Junk food clogs…
For the ever-increasing number of those who become legally incapacitated later in life (i.e. unable to handle their legal and financial affairs) having a legal guardian appointed looms as a distinct possibility. A guardianship proceeding may be commenced by a hospital, nursing home, assisted living residence, family member or a…
Estate planning varies substantially between individuals and is influenced greatly by a person’s goals. Each individual also has a unique situation as well as a background to consider. Two individuals with similar kinds of assets are worried about protecting property from future elderly care centers that might sound like they…
The states currently resisting Medicare are currently falling behind in job-market strength as well as the growth of income. Meanwhile, even the states that later signed up for Obamacare are witnessing more prosperous economies. Obamacare created a substantial debate in the country before it was passed into law. One question…