Uncategorized

For many people, it is not easy to think about the possibility of being incapacitated or in a terminal state.  But if that were to happen, it is important that family members and loved ones know what your wishes are. Having your health care and end-of-life wishes documented and in place are not only important […]

Overview – Income tax savings:   College savings plans, known as 529 plans, derive from Internal Revenue Code Section 529 which provides income tax benefits for college savings. Investments in 529 plans grow tax-free, and withdrawals are not federally taxable.  Any person (the account “custodian”) can open a 529 account for a beneficiary, so long as

In 1971, when Stuart R. Shamberg established the law firm that was the first generation of today’s Hollis Laidlaw & Simon, it was a time of rapid growth and development in Westchester County. A former builder himself, Shamberg quickly became known for representing property owners of all types and sizes seeking to develop their properties. 

When an individual is named as an executor in a deceased loved one’s (decedent’s) last will and testament, there are many responsibilities that such individual must undertake. These responsibilities range from navigating the probate process in the Surrogate’s Court, collecting or marshalling any probate assets to forwarding the decedent’s mail, and paying the debts of

Laidlaw & Simon’s guardianship team has decades of collective experience handling guardianship cases and unparalleled facility in the courtroom, yet they would much rather keep their clients out of the firm’s guardianship practice. With firsthand knowledge of the complicated and emotional process of establishing guardianship at trial and 20 years of experience structuring estate plans,

At the end of 2019, Congress passed a major piece of legislation impacting qualified retirement plans. This piece of legislation is referred to as the Secure Act. Among the Secure Act’s many provisions, the two most substantial changes were: (1) the age that retirement plan participants need to take distributions was pushed back from age

Revocable trusts are useful tools to manage your assets during your lifetime and after your death. As the name implies, revocable trusts may be revoked or amended while you are alive giving them the nickname, “living trusts”. They are useful estate planning tools for individuals with moderate and high asset values because they avoid probate

Laidlaw & Simon’s litigation team handles a broad range of matters for their clients and resolves them efficiently and effectively – and perhaps most importantly, level-headedly. While ready and able to fight for their clients at trial, the firm’s litigators know that the best outcome for their clients is to achieve the most favorable resolution

To view footnote, click on footnote number. In 2015, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff was confronted by two senior executives, Cindy Robbins and Leyla Seka. The two women believed that there was a gap between male and female employee salaries. Despite his skepticism, Benioff agreed to review the salaries of all 17,000 Salesforce employees. The audit

Earlier in the year, we discussed Governor Hochul’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023. As part of the budget, the Governor proposed to eliminate the resource test for New York’s Medicaid program for those individuals aged 65 or older.  That proposal was not passed.  Instead on April 8, 2022, the New York State Legislature passed