Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced he 19th Annual Senior Law Day in White Plains will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Westchester County Center, 198 Central Avenue. The free event features 24 educational workshops, one-on-one consultations and an opportunity to meet and learn from experienced elder law attorneys, certified financial planners, geriatric care managers and long-term care insurance specialists. Free parking will also be available.
Latimer said: “We can’t stress enough the importance of planning, especially when it comes to aging. Senior Law Day is designed to help Westchester families navigate the legal, financial and health related concerns that all of us experience as we grow older.”
The program, hosted in part by Westchester County’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS), is open to all County senior citizens and their families. Registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome and sign-up for the free, 15-minute, one-on-one consultations will be available at the door. To register in advance, call (914) 813-6300.
DSPS Commissioner Mae Carpenter said: “Since its start in 1999, Senior Law Day has benefitted an estimated 9,500 seniors, family members and caregivers throughout Westchester. It’s one of our department’s most valuable programs not only because of the services offered, but also because of the dedicated community partners we work with who volunteer their time and expertise to making these events possible.”
The full day of workshops will include topics on elder law, estate and retirement planning, wills and trusts, social security benefits, long-term care, Medicare and Medicaid, financial planning, affordable housing and more. In addition, two sessions will be presented in Spanish.
The following is an outline of each of the scheduled workshops.
Workshop One, 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
- Estate Planning/Elder Law 101: Nuts and Bolts of Estate Planning to Preserve your Assets
- Making it Easier to Care: How to Use a Power of Attorney and when to Establish a Guardianship
- What are the Best and Most Affordable Housing Options as you Age?
- How to Avoid Common Scams that Target Older Adults
- Understanding the Basics of Retirement Plans and IRA Distribution Rules
- Financial Fitness Planning: A Check Up on your Bottom Line
- Spanish: Cobertura Básica de Medicare
- Essential Online Health Information for Older Adults: How to Find, Use and Assess the Online Information You Need
- 15-Minute consultations by appointment
Workshop Two, 11 a.m. – Noon
- Understanding your Social Security Retirement Benefits
- How do I Pay for Long-Term Care? Planning With and Without Long-Term Care Insurance
- Take charge: Planning in Advance for your Health Care
- Should I Use a Will or a Trust: Who’s Afraid of Probate? What to do When Someone Dies
- I don’t Want to Talk About It: The Most Frequently Overlooked Aspects of Estate Planning
- Legal and Financial Planning for the Newly Diagnosed Dementia Patient
- Spanish: Planificación de bienes: Testamentos, Cuidados Médicos y Finanzas
- Essential Online Health Information for Older Adults: Q&A
- 15-Minute consultations by appointment
Workshop Three, 12:15 – 1:15 p.m.
- Nuts and Bolts of Medicaid Planning
- Everything Baby Boomers Need to Know About Estate Planning and the 2017 Tax Law
- Avoid 10 Greatest Gaffes in Estate Planning
- Should I Use a Will or a Trust: Who’s Afraid of Probate? What to do When Someone Dies
- Medicare: Plan, Enroll and Manage to Meet your Changing Needs
- Essential Online Health Information for Older Adults: How to Find, Use and Assess the Online Information you Need
- 15-Minute consultations by appointment
Workshop Four, 1:15 – 2 p.m.
- Estate Planning/Elder Law 101: Nuts and Bolts of Estate Planning to Preserve your Assets
- Essential Online Health Information for Older Adults: Q&A
- 15-Minute consultations by appointment
In addition to workshops and consultations, helpful materials from government agencies, not-for-profit organizations and program sponsors will also be available at exhibit tables. Questions regarding the program or services may be sent by e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or tweeted @seniorlawday. Other useful resources are available at www.seniorlawday.info.
Senior Law Day is presented by DSPS, the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services, and the Ninth Judicial District of the New York State Office of Court Administration. The program is made possible by members of the Senior Law Day Committee, Co-Chaired by Steven A. Schurkman, Esq., a Partner with Keane & Beane, P.C., Sara Meyers, Esq., a Partner with Enea Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP and Elena Falcone, Director, Public Innovation & Engagement, Westchester Library System. Sarah A. Steckler, Esq., an Associate with Keane & Beane, P.C., is the Senior Law Day Program Director.
Sponsors of this year’s event are: Keane & Beane, P.C.,Priority Home Care, The Woodlawn Cemetery, Ameriprise Financial, Amoruso & Amoruso, LLP, Barnum Financial Group, Bleakley Platt & Schmidt, LLP, Cuddy + Feder, Edward F. Carter Funeral Homes, Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP, Gate of Heaven Cemetery - The Trustees of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Glassman & Brown, LLP, Goldfarb Abrandt Salzman & Kutzin LLP, Hyman & Gilbert, Law Office of Valorie Joy Promisel, Lamson & Cutner, P.C., Life Inc. Pooled Trust Services, Littman Krooks LLP, LOB Planning Group, Robert Leitner, CFP, RIA, Financial Advisory Network, Miriam Scholl, LMSW, Westchester Elder Care Consultants, LLC, Rosenthal & Markowitz, LLP, Salvatore M. DiCostanzo, Shamberg Marwell Hollis Andreycak & Laidlaw, P.C., The Bristal Assisted Living, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center for Elder Justice at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, The Osborn & Osborn Home Care, Westchester Library System FRIENDS OF SENIOR LAW DAY Bob Grenier, CFP® CPFA®; Wealth Management Advisor, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, & Smith Inc., Bruce Segall, Marketing Sense, Heidi Donoghue, CPA, Agent, New York Life Insurance Company, Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP, Ilene Amiel Daily Money Manager - Personal Affairs Administrator, Inc., Law Office of Jeffrey S. Goldstein, and Nancy Gould ACSIA Partners Specializing in Long Term Care Solutions.
