Top Elder Lawyers Near Me in Garden City Area

When you're ready to address your future needs and those of your family and other loved ones, you need the guidance and experience of a legal professional who appreciates that your needs are unique.  With elder law, estate planning and special needs law, you need someone you can talk to and trust, who will listen attentively and then explain your legal options in easy-to-understand language.. For more than 30 years, Beth Polner Abrahams, Esq. has provided personalized legal representation to families, seniors and persons with disabilities, and look forward to working with you. Her law firm creates and integrates timely and personalized strategies for elder law planning, including Medicaid applications, special needs trusts and 17A guardianship legal proceedings, and estate and tax planning, always addressing your lifestyle and family legal needs.  She never delivers off-the-shelf 'cookie-cutter' legal advice and forms.. Ms. Polner Abrahams is a member of the New York State, Nassau and Suffolk Bar Associations.  She served as past chair of the Nassau County Bar Association Elder Law Committee, and is current co-chair of the Mediation Committee of the NYS Bar Elder Law and Special Needs Section.  She serves on several advisory boards of nonprofits on Long Island.  Ms. Polner Abrahams has lectured widely for libraries, educational organizations, and has published articles on special needs trusts, guardianship proceedings and elder law.  Her quarterly newsletter, The Polner Abrahams Report, is available at no charge.

VINCENT J. RUSSO, Managing Shareholder of Russo Law Group, P.C., Long Island’s Signature Elder Law, Special Needs and Estate Planning Law Firm with offices in Garden City, Islandia, Lido Beach and Manhattan, New York has championed the rights of seniors and people with special needs since is a Founding Member, Fellow and Fifth President of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and is a Founding Member and First President of the New York Chapter of NAELA. He is the only NAELA member to receive the prestigious President’s Award twice. He is also a member of the invitation only, NAELA Council of Advanced Practitioners (CAP). He is a Founding and current Chair of the NAELA Foundation (NELF) and the current Chair of the NELF Programs Committee. Vincent is a Founding Member and Past Chair of the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) and Co-Founder and Past Chair of the Board of ElderCounsel, is also a Member of the NYSBA Advocacy Committee on the Medicaid Budget. He is a Co-Founder of the Academy of Special Needs Planners (ASNP), Past Board Member and current President of the Guardianship Corporation of United Cerebral Palsy of Nassau County and a Co-Founder of Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation for children with special needs.. Vincent is the Founding Chair and current member of the Legal Advisory Committee of the Alzheimer’s Association Long Island Chapter and a former Board Member of the Arthritis Foundation Long Island Chapter and United Cerebral Palsy of Nassau County.. His professional achievements include an invitation to join the WHITE HOUSE 2005 Conference on Aging as an at-large delegate. This invitation followed two other major events in Washington, D.C. as a representative of NAELA: (1) Testimony before the UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGING on the proposed, detrimental changes in the Medicaid Program and (2) Featured Speaker at the Policy Forum of the CATO INSTITUTE on the subject of “Medicaid and the Long Term Care Crisis.”. Joining a special group of New York attorneys, Mr. Russo is Co-Chair of the New York State COMPACT Working Group, introducing new and innovative long term care program which is being considered by the New York State Legislative.. As a national advocate for people with disabilities, seniors and their families, Mr. Russo has appeared on the NBC’s TODAY SHOW, WNBC NEWS, CBS SUNDAY MORNING, CNN, NEW YORK TIME FORUM, CNBC, the FOX NEWS NETWORK, CSPAN II, WCBSRADIO, TELECARE, NEWS 12 LONG ISLAND, as well as numerous, other local radio and television programs. He created and co-hosts Family Comes First on cable TV, which won two Telly Awards, one for the Alzheimer’s Impact on Family, The Henley Family Story and another for Military Moms.. His press interviews include The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News, the Washington Post, and Newsday. His articles have been published in the New York State Bar Journal, The Elder Law Report, Nassau Lawyer, Trust and Estate, National Underwriter and the NAELA Quarterly. His 1993 cover story in Financial Planning – The Official Magazine of the International Association of Financial Planning – was well received by a whole new audience of professionals serving seniors. Since that lead article, Mr. Russo has written for a host of other professional organizations and has co-authored, New York Elder Law and Special Needs Practice and two consumer books on Estate Planning and Elder Law.. Mr. Russo is a nationally recognized speaker and noted authority on Elder Law, Special Needs and Estate Planning. His distinction in Elder Law, Special Needs and Estate Planning has made him one of the most prominent attorneys in his field.. Mr. Russo earned his law degree from Fordham University School of Law and his LLM in Taxation from Boston University School of Law. He is admitted to the New York, Massachusetts and Florida State Bars, and is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation.

Thomas R. Fazio graduated from Syracuse University and earned hisJuris Doctorate from City University of New York. He became a member ofthe New York State Bar in 1986. In 1996, Mr. Fazio began his own lawpractice serving corporations and small businesses in New York the last nine years, he has also served as in-house counsel forsecured commercial lenders with annual revenues in the billions ofdollars.. Mr. Fazio enjoys using his unique experience and varied resources tonegotiate and document important business transactions for large andsmall businesses. He concentrates in corporate formations, structureand finance, as well as operation and funding of medical facilitiesacross the country.

Ms. Makofsky practices in the areas of  Elder Law, Trusts and Estates and Probate, Estate Administration and Guardianships and has done so for over a quarter of a century.  Four times selected to the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers list for the New York metro area, Ellen G. Makofsky is a the principal shareholder of Makofsky & Associates, P.C. successor firm to  Raskin & Makofsky, LLP.   The National Elder Law Foundation has named her a certified elder law attorney (CELA).. Ms. Makofsky is a past President of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, New York Chapter and just completed a third term as Secretary of the New York Bar Association (NYSBA), the largest voluntary Bar in the United States.   Ms. Makofsky was a member of NYSBA's House of Delagetes for a decade.  She served as Chair of NYSBA's Committee on Legal Education and as Co-Chair of NYSBA's Women in the Law Committee and is Chair of the Working Group to amend the Power of Attorney statute.  Ms.Makofsky has served as a member of the Executive Committee of NYSBA for three terms  and served as Chair of NYSBA's  Elder Law Section.  Ms. Makofsky  is a past president of the Estate Planning Council of Nassau, Inc., served as a Chair of the Long Island Alzheimers' Foundation Legal Advisory Board and is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and a member of the Elder Law, Social Services and Health Advisory Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association.  She is also one of the founders of the Senior Umbrella Network of Queens and  founder of the Sun Council, Inc. She is past president of the Nassau chapter of the Gerontology Professionals of Long Island and the Senior Umbrella Network of Nassau.. Ms. Makofsky graduated cum laude from  Brooklyn Law School. In 2009, she received an award from the NYSBA Elder Law Section for her work in furtherance of the rights of the elderly and the disabled. In 2010, the 7th Senatorial District of New York State named her a Woman of Distinction. Long Island Business News  named her a Top 50 Woman in 2014.  In 2016 Ms. Makofsky was honored by The Maurice A. Deane School of Law Center for Children, Famiilies and the Law as an Outstanding Woman in the Law.  In 2017 Ms. Makofsky  received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Law from Long Island Business News. Best Lawyes named Msakofsky & Associates the best law firm concentrating in Elder Law in Long Island, NY.

Most people work their entire lives in order to make sure that they have enough saved away to provide for themselves and their family after retirement, yet few are truly well-informed about the decisions and obstacles that await them in their later years.   The cost of long-term care can be astronomical, and very often people underestimate the importance of proper planning.. As an elder law and estate planning attorney, I provide my clients with the knowledge and perspective they need to ensure that their assets are protected, and that their wishes are accurately reflected in their estate planning documents.  It is my passion to help others protect what they have worked their entire life to obtain, and to help those in need age with the dignity and respect they deserve.. If you or a loved one are curious about what steps can be taken to ensure that you are well prepared for whatever obstacles life might put in front of you, please call me today to set up a consultation.

Mark A. Annunziata, P.C. is a Long Island based law firm that concentrates in the areas of Elder Law, Guardianships, Estate Planning and Administration, Wealth Preservation and Real Estate.. Mark A. Annunziata, Esq. is very active in his professional community. He is a Supreme Court and Surrogate’s Court appointed Court Evaluator, Guardian and Guardian ad Litem for incapacitated persons. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association’s (NYSBA) Elder Law Committee and Trusts & Estates Committee. He is also a member of the Nassau County Bar Association’s (NCBA) Elder Law, Social Services and Health Advocacy Committee. Mark A. Annunziata is also the past Chair of the NCBA’s Surrogate’s Court Estates & Trusts Committee. He is currently on the Board of the WE CARE Fund, which is the charitable arm of the NCBA, and is currently an officer of the Columbian Lawyers Association of Nassau County.

Marie Elena is a Partner of Russo Law Group, P.C. of Garden City, Islandia, Lido Beach and Manhattan, New York. Marie Elena joined the firm in 1991 and her areas of practice include Trust and Estate Administration, Elder Law, Special Needs and Estate Planning, Guardianships, and Real Estate. Marie Elena is a member of the New York State, Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations, the Academy of Special Needs Planners, and has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) from 2004-2011. She is a former Co-Chair of the Legal Education Committee, former Chair of the Trusts and Estates Administration Committee, former Chair of the Estate Tax Planning Committee, and former Co-Chair of the Trusts and Estates Administration Committee for the New York State Bar Association’s Elder Law Section. Marie Elena was also the Chair of the 2010 Annual Meeting for the New York State Bar Association’s Elder Law Section.. In addition, Marie Elena is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). She is a former Chair of NAELA’S Member Relations/Membership Committee, a former Chair of NAELA’S Academic Committee, and continues to be actively involved with NAELA. In 2010, Marie Elena was nominated to the Board of Directors of NAELA National. She has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Chapter of NAELA. She earned her law degree at St. John’s University School of Law and is admitted to the New York State Bar.. “I receive great personal and professional satisfaction from helping families achieve their objectives, protect their assets, and cope during times of family crisis,” says Marie Elena. “I am also proud of the fact that we have become one of the most respected Elder Law, Special Needs and Estate Planning firms in the country. Every day offers me a new opportunity to use my experience and knowledge to help families during difficult times.”

Maria DeMarco Begley received her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from the City University of New York, Queens College, in 1973 and her Juris Doctor from St. John’s University, School of Law in 1977. She was admitted to the Bar in the State of New York and has practiced law for 42 years. Her practice of law areas of concentration include Elder Law, Guardians, Estate Planning, Estate Administration and Medicaid Planning.. Ms. Begley served as an adjunct professor at Long Island University, C.W. Post from 1996 to 2018, where she taught two courses, Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration and Legal and Ethical and Governance Issues in Nonprofit Organizations. In 2005 she served on the C.W. Post Advisory Council Committee for the MPA accreditation program required by NASPAA. In 2010 she was awarded the Adjunct Faculty Recognition Award.. Ms. Begley is active in many community service activities. She served on the Board of Directors for Support For People With Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC), a nonprofit organization. She is a former director of the Columbian Lawyers Association of Nassau County. She is a panel member of the New York State Surrogate Decision Making Committee sponsored by the New York State Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled.. In 2016, Ms. Begley was honored by Hofstra Law School with the Outstanding Woman in the Law award by the Maurice A. Deane School of Law Center for Children, Families and the Law.. She is certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the American Bar Association’s Accredited National Elder Law Foundation. She is one of only 500 Certified Elder Law Attorneys (CELA) in the country.. She is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell and was named a Metro Area Super Lawyer in the area of Elder Law for 7 consecutive years, this a rating service sponsored by Thomson Reuters. Only 5% of attorneys in New York receive this distinction.

Kim N. Christian is a Partner with Russo Law Group, P.C. of Garden City, Islandia, Lido Beach and Manhattan, New York. Her areas of practice include Elder Law, Estate and Trust Planning, Real Estate, and Special Needs planning. Kim has presented seminars on Elder Law and Estate Planning, as well as Special Needs planning throughout Nassau County and Queens County, and is a sought-after speaker on these topics.. Kim earned her law degree at St. John’s University School of Law and served as Research Editor of the New York Litigator. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association as well as the Nassau County Bar Association. Kim is licensed to practice in both New York and New Jersey, and has been admitted to the United States Supreme Court. She is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and the Academy of Special Needs Planners (ASNP).. Kim began her career as a general practitioner but soon gravitated to Elder Law, Estate Planning, and related practice areas. “I chose to focus on this area of the law because I believed it would give me the opportunity to help people when they need it most… and it has,” says Kim. “Nothing gives me greater professional satisfaction than helping clients receive the long-term care they need while protecting their life savings at the same time. I also strive to help my clients remain independent for as long as possible, live their golden years in comfort and dignity, and cope during times of family crisis.”

I am also a New York Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 1987 and a. licensed Real Estate Broker in New York.

Eric J. Einhart is a partner with the law firm of Russo Law Group, P.C., Long Island's Signature Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Special Needs Law Firm with offices in Garden City, Lido Beach, Islandia, Bay Shore, and Manhattan, New York. He earned his law degree at New York Law School, where he graduated Cum Laude, and is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.. Eric is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the New York County Lawyers Association, and the Nassau County Bar Association. He is also a member of ElderCounsel and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), where he serves as Executive Editor of the NAELA News, and Vice Chair of the Tax Steering Committee.Eric is a member of the New York State Bar Association Elder Law Section and Nassau County Bar Association's Elder Law Committee and Surrogate's Court Committee. Eric has written articles and blog posts for the NAELA News, Nassau Lawyer, The Student Appeal, and Russo Law Blog. Eric is also certified to serve as an Attorney for Alleged Incapacitated Persons, a Guardian, and a Court Evaluator in New York.Eric's areas of practice include: Trust and Estate Administration, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Tax Law, Real Estate, and Guardianship.

Ellen Victor concentrates her practice in all aspects of elder law, small business and estate planning. She is qualified to serve as attorney to incapacitated persons in a guardianship proceeding.. While Ellen provides estate planning and elder law to a wide variety of clients, as the parent of an adult special needs child, her passion is serving the legal needs of families with disabled children.  Ellen's Mom is currently in a nursing home, and Ellen finds working with families in this difficult situation very rewarding.

Diana Bronnberg, Esq. is a top rated Attorney in NYC and Long Island who specializes in Workers' Compensation and Social Security Disability. She's been an Attorney in this field for the past 18 years and personally represents injured workers before the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board and the Social Security Administration. Diana advocates for and protects the rights of injured workers against insurance carriers and employers. She skillfully negotiates resolutions and settlements with carriers to maximize client benefits and believes in educating her clients about their rights, so that her clients can make the best decision when encountering disability issues.. HER JOURNEY. Diana was born in the former Soviet Union in a large city of Minsk. She immigrated to the United States in 1980 with her family and established her roots first in Brooklyn and currently resides in Oceanside, NY. Diana was the first person in her family to attend college and graduated with honors from State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her major included not only History but also Russian Language and Literature.. Diana began her career as a paralegal at the international law firm, Proskauer Rose LLP. Her desire to attend Law School was realized when she was accepted to New York Law School. While attending NY Law, she continued to work in various large law firms in both defense and claimant litigation. With her prior experience working as a Paralegal and internships at major law firms, Diana gained a greater understanding of the operations of large firms. She also appreciated that a small firm affords more value to the client and individual, that she passes on to her team at Bronnberg & Henriquez PC.. A PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING. Diana’s early experiences of seeing the struggles that her parents, who did not speak or read English well, encounter with paperwork, documents, even medical bills, helped her be the advocate for foreign workers who are underrepresented and need someone to be their voice. She also understands how devastating an unexpected injury or accident can be for a hard working family.. When Diana began her career as an Attorney at one of the Largest Workers’ Compensation firms in New York City, she represented Verizon workers, CSEA, and City Employees. Having a Dad who works for the Union has made her a top leader in understanding and explaining the benefits afforded to Employees not only through the State but also through the Unions. In 2005, Diana transferred to a top Long Island law firm. It was there she developed skills in the area of Social Security Disability as well as expanded her knowledge of Workers’ Compensation. She established cases for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, heart attacks, and PTSD victims post 9/11. She managed many cases involving Nassau and Suffolk county police officers, teachers, sanitation workers, town workers, home health aides, and TLC drivers.. THE MORE YOU KNOW. Over the past 18 years, Diana has achieved a regard for being a patient, yet fierce advocate for her clients. Her attention to detail and preparedness has earned her respect from the Judges, defense counsel and colleagues. Diana is passionate about her work and prides herself in listening to her clients’ concerns and assisting them in organizing a plan of action when faced with a sudden and unexpected inability to work.

Admitted to practice in 1979, Maureen Rothschild DiTata earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo (1974) and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.  She received her law degree from St. John’s University School of Law (1978).. She is licensed to practice law before all New York State Courts and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and over the years has secured various pro hac vice admissions to practice in other states.  She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and serves on its Trusts & Estates and Elder Law Committees.. She is the current Co-Chair of the Elder Law, Social Services and Health Advocacy Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association and serves on its Surrogate’s Court and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committees.  She also belongs to the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Long Island Chapter of the National Aging in Place Council [NAIPC], the Mineola/Garden City Rotary and the North Shore Service Group.  She serves on the Attorney Advisory Board of LIAF (the Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation), on the Heart Advisory Council of the American Heart Association and on the Community Advisory Board of The Amsterdam at Harborside, a life care community in Port Washington.  She was honored by the Yashar Chapter of Hadassah as the 2010 Woman of the Year.  She is a frequent lecturer on issues concerning estate planning, asset preservation and elder law.