Estate Planning

Estate Planning is more than just how to divide property after you pass away or reducing/eliminating estate taxes. Good estate planning is about getting to know your family and what is important to you. Only then can a plan be customized to your family’s needs. It is important to have a law firm that understands your needs and strives to meet those needs.

The Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen provides solution-based planning for a variety of client goals, including:

• Ensuring a surviving spouse has the ability to maintain his/her lifestyle with the least amount of restrictions;
• Minimizing potential family conflicts regarding healthcare and property distributions;
• Ensuring the proper Guardian and/or Trustee is selected for your children;
• Protecting a child’s inheritance;
• Protecting important government benefits for a disabled family member;
• Eliminating/reducing estate taxes;
• Developing a plan to synthesize business objectives with family planning;
• Leaving a social or community legacy.

Special Needs Planning

If you have a child or loved one who is disabled or otherwise not able to care for themselves, a Special Needs Estate plan must be done to ensure that they have proper care and do not lose essential government benefits.

The Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen does extensive work in the area of Special Needs Planning. The creation of a Supplemental Needs Trust is the most important tool in formulating a plan to care for an individual with special needs and/or under a disability. The assets that fund the Trust provide a comfortable and secure financial future for a person with a disability without disqualifying them from means-based benefits such as SSI and Medicaid. Let the Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen create a special plan for the special individual in your life.

In addition to creating a Supplemental Needs Trust for estate plans, The Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen also regularly creates self-settled or First Party Special Needs Trusts to shelter the assets of a disabled individual (typically from a lawsuit or unanticipated inheritance) and allow a disabled individual to gain/maintain eligibility for Medicaid.

Guardianship

Legal Guardianship is a court process utilized when a person cannot make or communicate safe or sound decisions about his/her person and/or property.

Legal Guardianship is just one of several legal options available to family members concerned about a loved one’s ability to manage his/her personal or financial affairs. The Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen can review your situation and provide counsel as to whether Guardianship or other legal alternatives can best meet your circumstances. If your family member is approaching their 18^TH

birthday or has already reached the age of majority, contact us

today to discuss this important process.

Business Planning

Estate planning and business planning should always be coordinated. At the Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen, we assist clients whose personal wealth is directly tied to their business. Strategies include choosing and creating the right business entity, creating buy-sell agreements and implementing a business exit plan. These techniques can maximize the value of a business, minimize taxes and secure the financial future for the business owner and his/her family.

Charitable Planning

The Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen helps clients make their charitable gifts in the most tax efficient manner. The use of a Charitable Trust or A Charitable Gift Annuity are techniques to provide tax savings and retain control over how funds will be used.

Probate & Estate Administration

The loss of a loved one is a traumatic event. The making of financial and legal decisions while grieving is extremely difficult and stressful. The Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen makes the process of Probate and Estate Administration as easy and pain-free as possible.

We work with Executors, Administrators, Trustees and other fiduciaries in all aspects of estate administration to complete the process quickly and efficiently while maintaining sensitivity to the concerns of the client.

LEGAL SERVICES INCLUDE:

• Advice regarding the terms of a Will or Trust
• Preparation and filing of court papers
• Post mortem planning
• Litigation services for Will contests and/or disputes amongst estate beneficiaries
• Review of Federal and State tax returns

Elder law

The Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen helps guide elderly individuals and their families through the legal processes of Medicaid planning and asset protection. We can help preserve your assets through a variety of tested planning techniques to protect a lifetime of hard-earned assets for a senior’s family. We carefully assess your medical, legal and financial circumstances and devise a plan to meet long term care needs that fit your objectives.