My goal is to form and maintain long term relationships with my clients. I am blessed to be a happy husband, a proud father and a joyful pet owner. I have always felt that a life well lived is one filled with connections to others.
Our lives are plagued with uncertainty. If you are single, married or in a relationship; if you have children, plan to have children or not; or if you have pets or charities that you wish to provide for, you need a plan to address that uncertainty. When you don't have a plan in place, state laws will control what happens to you and your family. I can help you formulate and implement a plan tailored to your needs and choices and then review that plan with you throughout your life to make changes as needed.
Eliminate uncertainty for your family should you become incapacitated or die. Protect and control your assets. But most importantly, leave a legacy of confidence and positivity for all your loved ones.
Presently, areas of practice include Estate Planning, Probate & Administration, and Residential Real Estate.
I serve as a Consultant to several mortgage companies, having instructed real estate and mortgage licensees for many years and co-authored and edited several mortgage textbooks including Mortgage Lending Principles and Practices (6th, 7th and 8th edition).
I am a NYS Certified Real Estate Instructor. I am a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association. I serve as a Volunteer Attorney for Free Legal Answers through the ABA as well as serving as a member of the Estate Planning Committee of the Senior Lawyers Division and serve on the New York City Bar Association's Consumer Affair Committee. I am an Attorney Member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and support several charitable organizations.
- Hofstra University
- J.D. (1994) | Law
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- State University of New York - Stony Brook
- B.A. (1991) | History
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- Attorney
- Benjamin Katz, Esq. P.C.
- - Current
- Attorney
- Law Offices of Benjamin Z. Katz, Esq.
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- Mortgage Lending Principles and Practices, 8th Ed.
- Hondros Learning
- Animal Law Issues 2022, 225 Eastview Drive, Central Islip, NY 11722
- Touro Law School
- Certified Real Estate Instructor
- New York State Department of State
- New York City Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
- Activities: Consumer Affairs Committee Member
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- American Bar Association
- Member
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- New York State Bar Association
- Member
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- New York
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- Free Consultation
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Eminent Domain, Homeowners Association, Land Use & Zoning, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate, Water Law
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- English: Spoken, Written
- Q. Should joint account funds cover funeral expenses in NY?
- A: Joint bank accounts are considered property of the survivor. When your mother died, according to what you said, the joint bank account became the sole property of her sister-in-law. If you paid for her funeral, you are entitled to be reimbursed from estate assets. The bank account is not an estate asset. Any payment by your mother’s sister-in-law would have to be voluntary.
- Q. Dog ownership claim after breakup and caregiving responsibility in NY.
- A: Yes. Based upon what you have stated, he has a legitimate claim to maintain possession of the dog. The standard the Court uses is "best interests" of the dog.
- Q. How to transfer a house into a Revocable Trust in NY?
- A: I would not recommend doing this yourself. Depending upon the county where the house is located, you will have to file various transfer documents with the deed. You must also make sure to identify the Trust using the name of the Trustee(s). Usually, there will be a paragraph in the Trust Agreement indicating how the Trust should be identified. Some counties will require you to file a copy of the Trust Agreement or a Certification of Trust. I charge a flat fee of $750.00 to prepare the Deed and transfer documents. Filing and recording fees will be additional and vary from county to county.
7 Threats to Your Estate Plan March 2021