Top Estate Planning Lawyers in ZIP 12065 | 4 available

Thomas M. Kernan, a Partner in the Clifton Park, New York law firm of Berger & Kernan, P.C., practices in the areas of estate and trust planning, probate and estate administration, matrimonial and family law, litigation and dispute resolution and business law.. Mr. Kernan received his Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School of Union University, from which he graduated summa cum laude and where he was Salutatorian of his graduating class.  Before entering private practice, Mr. Kernan completed a two-year judicial clerkship at the New York Court of Appeals, the State’s highest appellate court, where researched and drafted reports for the Judges of the Court analyzing both substantive and jurisdictional issues raised in motions for leave to appeal, appeals as of right and certified questions.. Mr. Kernan represents corporate and individual clients in litigated matters on a wide range of issues that run the gamut from family and matrimonial matters to Surrogate’s Court litigation to complex commercial and employment litigation in both state and federal court.. Mr. Kernan has significant experience in the field of Trusts and Estates. Mr. Kernan prepares Wills, living wills, health care proxies, powers of attorney, standby guardianship designations, Revocable Trust Agreements, Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts, Supplemental Needs Trusts, and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts. Mr. Kernan also regularly represents clients in New York State Surrogate’s Court in contested and uncontested probate proceedings, contested and uncontested accounting proceedings, proceedings for judicial settlement of account, compulsory accounting proceedings, and miscellaneous proceedings.. Mr. Kernan also regularly advises clients on a wide range of business and general corporate matters, including the formation of business entities, the drafting of limited liability company operating agreements and corporate shareholder agreements, the negotiation of commercial leases, the purchase and sale of existing businesses and professional practices, the purchase and sale of commercial real estate, and the review and preparation of various agreements, including licensing agreements, non-compete agreements, asset purchase agreements and stock sale agreements. Mr. Kernan also possesses significant expertise in the formation of harness racing corporations and the licensing of such entities and their principals by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board.. Mr. Kernan is admitted to practice before allNew YorkStatecourts, as well as the Supreme Court of theUnited States, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for the Southern, Northern, and Western Districts ofNew York. He is a Member of the New York State Bar Association as well as the Saratoga County Bar Association.

Ms. Hoffman limits her practice to divorce and family law matters. This includes a wide array of legal issues ranging from domestic violence, custody and child support, to post judgment actions. She is well-versed in business valuations, enhanced earnings, distribution of professional degrees and other matters surrounding property distribution. Her goal is to combine the facts as the client presents them with the law as she knows it to achieve the client's objectives. She also works diligently to resolve matters before court intervention is necessary. When this is not possible, she is prepared to take the case to trial and has significant trial experience.. Ms. Hoffman's academic distinctions make her well-suited for the practice area. She received her Juris Doctor with Honors from Syracuse College of Law in 2005. There, she was awarded the Excellent Achievement in the Study of Trial Practice award by the College of Law, as well as bestowed a Certificate of Specialization in Family Law & Social Policy. She began her practice in this field as a Student Attorney in the Children's Rights and Family Clinic representing clients in court even before graduation.. Ms. Hoffman knows that family conflicts are highly stressful and emotional. She has dedicated her career to helping clients obtain solutions. As a wife and mother, she understands the sensitivity of these issues and will take the time to understand and concerns and develop a tailored legal strategy to meet your needs. Ms. Hoffman resides in Clifton Park with her husband and two young sons.  She is a novice photographer in her limited free time and an avid television watcher.

After undergraduate school, Tara began working as an estate planning paralegal in Albany. She quickly realized that she enjoyed the connection with families that position provided her and wanted to develop further those skill sets. She graduated from Albany Law School in 2002 with honors in the estate planning concentration and was fortunate to begin her legal career already with six years of meaningful hands-on experience behind her.. “I began working with Ed in 2004, which offered me an introduction to special needs law. However, my passion for this area of the law was solidified when my son was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder) several years ago.”. I feel very fortunate to have a practice that allows me to be a better mother to and advocate for my son. While no two family’s experiences will be identical, there are shared concerns. Understanding those concerns as a mother makes me a better lawyer.”. You may see her around town taking a local Pilates class with friends or running a 5K with her husband Andy. Tara and her family roam the Adirondacks every chance they get. They hike and ski and are hoping to have two “46ers” before her son and daughter graduate from high school. (For those unfamiliar, those are some pretty hard hikes up our highest mountains!). “About three years ago a friend gave me a book that she authored about the history of the women’s movement in Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties. Her insignia to me read: ‘Remember, you’re a mother, a daughter, a wife, a sister, and a friend—and at the end of the day what we all really have and can rely on are our family, our friends, and our faith.’. That has stayed with me and in someone else’s words, sums up entirely what's most important to me.”