Super Lawyers Interviews Partner Marion Walsh on How to Ensure a Child's Special Needs are Met at School | | Partner Marion M. Walsh, Esq., was interviewed by Super Lawyers, a branch of Thompson Reuters, this month in an article titled “How to Ensure Your Child’s Special Needs are Met at School.” Passed over fifty years ago, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that school districts provide a free appropriate education to students with disabilities. Students must receive specialized services to meet their unique academic, physical and social-emotional needs. In this interview, Marion and other education attorneys share experienced insights on how parents and guardians can best guarantee that their child or children are obtaining the education they deserve. We thank Marisa Bowe and the staff at Super Lawyers for including Marion in this insightful and important article for parents. | | Bernard Krooks and Joel Krooks Present Basics of Elder Law Planning for the NYSBA | | Founding Partner Bernard A. Krooks, J.D., CPA, LLM (in taxation), CELA®, AEP® (Distinguished) and Attorney Joel Krooks presented a course sponsored by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) covering the Basics of Elder Law Planning on Thursday, March 20th. They covered key areas of elder law planning that included the different types of advance directives clients should have and the repercussions to a client not having advance directives, long term care options for individuals and how to pay for long term care. requirements for Medicaid, strategies to plan for potential long-term care needs. This program is part of NYSBA’s Practical Skills Series of CLE Programs. | | Annual Review Season: Back to the Basics | | |
By Arshi Pal
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is an important document that lays out the foundation for a student with a disability’s education and supports. The Committee on Special Education (CSE) must convene annually to review the student’s IEP according to the student’s needs.
Annual Review Season is upon us. Let’s get back to the basics to prepare for the important meeting.
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Types of Special Needs Trusts:
First Party, Pooled, and Third Party
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By Jessica Saio
Special Needs Trusts or SNTs are an essential tool to care for children and adults with disabilities while protecting important public benefits such as Social Security and Medicaid. There are several types of SNTs, usually categorized as first party, pooled, and third party SNTs. It is important to determine which type of SNT you need. This is contingent upon whose property is funding the SNT.
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Planning Your Next Chapter:
A Couple’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Care
| | Founding Partner Bernard A. Krooks, J.D., CPA, LLM (in taxation), CELA®, AEP® (Distinguished), serves as an editor for The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation’s Preserving Your Memory Magazine. He edited author Cindy Kuzma’s article “Planning Your Next Chapter: A Couple’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Care” for the Spring 2025 Edition of Preserving Your Memory. The article outlines tips and best practices for couples to consider when a partner is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementia related conditions. We extend our thanks to the Fisher Center for providing essential information for individuals and their families who endure dementia-related challenges. | | Attorney Joel Krooks Teaches MyLawCLE Course on Estate Planning Fundamentals | | On March 27th, Attorney Joel Krooks co-presented a course titled "Estate Planning Fundamentals: Will Drafting, Probate, and Guardianships Considerations" hosted by myLawCLE. Attorney Krooks presented the first session covering estate planning and will drafting. During this session, he discussed drafting estate planning documents, the importance of supplemental needs trusts, and gathering important information from the clients. MyLawCLE provides legal education in real time, advanced training, and access to the largest selection of legal webinars for attorneys and other legal professionals. | | Tompkins Financial Advisors Joins Littman Krooks for The Canon Estate Planning Series | |
On Tuesday March 18th, the team at Tompkins Financial Advisors stopped by our offices to participate in The Canon Estate Planning Teleconference Series. Tompkins Financial Advisors is an independent, fee-based, wealth management firm with offices throughout New York and southeastern Pennsylvania. Their focus is on understanding the client's complete financial picture to provide the wealth management strategies that make a meaningful difference in their client's lives.
Thank you to Tompkins Financial Advisors for bringing lunch and The Canon Estate Planning Teleconference Series to our office to learn about the Mathematics and Economics of Estate Planning.
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CaringKind's April Medicaid Home Care Webinar Series
Date: April 3, 2025
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Online
On the evening of Thursday, April 3rd. Littman Krooks Partner Littman Krooks Partner Brian L. Miller, CELA®., ., will be present at CaringKind’s Medicaid Home Care Webinar and will cover several key topics in facilitating stay at home care and the Medicaid process. This seminar guides caregivers through the application process for Medicaid home care service in New York City for a person with dementia.
Prior attendance at a Legal & Financial seminar is required.
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Yonkers Senior Law Day
Date: April 10, 2025
Time: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Location: Grintin I. Will Library 1500 Central Park Avenue Yonkers, NY, 10701
Partner Brian L. Miller, CELA®, will be be of the chief presenters for this year’s Yonkers Senior Law Day. The program developed by Westchester's Department of Senior Programs and Services, in conjunction with legal and financial advisors from the private sector, is a free event that covers all aspects of elder law, financial planning and geriatric care management. Brian will be joined by fellow attorneys, certified financial planners and geriatric care managers to offer free workshops on elder law topics, plus free one-on-one consultations as part of the day's activities.
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The Lower Hudson Special Education Task Force Webinar: Redefining Consequences
Date: April 28, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Online
Join The Lower Hudson Special Education Task Force (LHSETF) to learn how the many conventional ways of responding to difficult behavior often contributes to the persistence of such behavior; particularly when applied to students with disabilities and neurodivergence (e.g., Autism, ADHD). During this webinar, practical evidence-based strategies will be offered to support decreasing maladaptive behaviors, increasing adaptive alternative behaviors, and evaluating the effectiveness of intervention plans.
This webinar is aimed at all stakeholder groups involved in supporting students with behavioral challenges and highlights the importance of collaboration among them.
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TRI's Special Education Advocacy Program: Support - Connect - Grow
Date: April 30, 2025
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Online
Join our colleagues at Taconic Resources for Independence Inc for their April Special Education Advocacy Program. This program is organized to provide training and information for families of children and young adults age between 3 and 22 years old with specialized and collaborative training, advocacy, parent-to-parent networking and support, information and referral services. This workship will focus on changes to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Process and Eligibility.
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A Matter of Taste Gala to Benefit ARC Westchester
Date: April 30, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location:
Glen Island Harbour Club
50 Glen Island Park
New Rochelle, NY 10805
The Littman Krooks team is proud to support our colleagues at ARC Westchester at their A Matter of Taste Gala this spring. This annual fundraising event features several dozen food and drink vendors from across Westchester County in raise funds to benefit the ARC Westchester Foundation and their programs that aim to help children, teens and adults with developmental disabilities, including individuals on the autism spectrum, and their families.
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CaringKind's May Medicaid Home Care Webinar Series
Date: May 1, 2025
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Online
We hope you can join us on n the evening of May 1st. Littman Krooks Attorney Joel Krooks, Esq., Esq., will be presenting at CaringKind’s Medicaid Home Care Webinar and will cover several key topics in facilitating stay at home care and the Medicaid process. This seminar guides caregivers through the application process for Medicaid home care service in New York City for a person with dementia.
Prior attendance at a Legal & Financial seminar is required.
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NAMIWalks Westchester
Date: May 17, 2025
Time: 8:30 am- 1:00 pm
Location:
Ridge Road Park
287 Ridge Rd.
Hartsdale, NY 10530
Join us as we walk with NAMI Westchester in their annual NAMIWalks Westchester to raise funds and awareness for individuals and families impacted by mental illness. Together, we will make a powerful change in our community. "Mental Health for All," here we come.
All clients and friends are invited to join us as part of our walk team or individually.
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| Littman Krooks LLP is among the 2025 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms." with partners that have been named as top attorneys in New York for 2024 by Super Lawyers magazine. | | | | |
