Having a preconceived notion about a future event is likely going to impact the way you view it and ultimately experience it. Imagine that you have an upcoming work conference to attend, and you believe that the guest lecturer scheduled to speak will be dull or uninspiring. Think about what your mindset will be like when you are in the auditorium that day waiting for the person to take the stage.  Our judgments, Read More

Regardless of whether you are in the divorce process or beyond it, there is always a concern that your former spouse won’t follow the divorce decree. Before your divorce could be finalized, there were many details that needed to be sorted. Though there are always unique elements to consider, most people have to agree about dividing marital assets, child and spousal support, and custody.  Either you and your spouse Read More

Medicinal marijuana has been legal in New York since 2014 (and was approved for recreational use years later). That may come as a surprise to many New Yorkers. The ability to access and purchase medical marijuana has been limited. One of the biggest hurdles was the mandate that required patients to buy the drug from a licensed dispensary instead of growing it in their homes.   Seemingly, that doesn’t appear to be an Read More

There may be a general misconception that it is a single document for those who have not begun building an estate plan. In fact, it is a collection of documents that can work for you in various ways. Each one is a tool that has the potential to either protect your assets, protect you, or pass assets to your designated beneficiaries (or both).  Another common error is to think of estate planning as a single event. Read More

When people are in the midst of the divorce process, they aren’t hoping for it to last longer. It can be an emotionally difficult period in anyone’s life. There can be a significant amount of confusion and uncertainty during that time regarding the future. Having unresolved issues such as child custody and spousal support can be a heavy burden to carry throughout your daily life.  Mediation is an elegant solution to Read More

Even in states where marijuana has been legalized for both recreational and medicinal use, there remains a level of confusion about it. People often ask about how much they can have, the age they need to be to use it, how to sell it, and how former convictions are being treated.  The Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA) was the legislation that passed and allowed cannabis to be legal in New York. After it Read More

When people say they don’t need an estate plan because they don’t have enough money, they simply don’t understand all that an estate plan can do for them. Granted, there is a clear argument to be made saying that everyone needs an estate plan.  To take this one step further, aspects of an estate plan don’t directly correlate with money or finances. One such example of this is a healthcare proxy. This document allows Read More

In a divorce case, the number one priority to most parents is child custody. Almost every parent wishes they had more time with their children. When you get divorced, the court issues a ruling on child custody, ostensibly making a legal limit (and requirement) to how often each parent can see their child. Child custody is written into law - but laws can be changed. Your child custody law is based on the circumstances Read More

When people think of Estate Planning, they often think of Wills. Estate Planning is the process of working with an attorney to create a legally binding plan for what will happen to your remaining property and belongings (known as your estate) and any remaining money (known as your assets) after you pass away. While Wills are a common part of that process, another method may be a better fit for you: Trusts. A Trust is Read More

In almost every divorce case, a family therapist ends up working with the family. Their end goal is to bring the family closer together and resolve things as safely as possible. If that mission is unsuccessful, the therapist can still testify about the relationships and interactions they’ve observed throughout the sessions. The family therapist normally comes in at the very beginning of the divorce process, and there Read More