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
- - Current
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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. Concern about multiple unexpected dog bite claims without documentation.
- A: If you insurance company is paying the claims, I doubt they are not being documented. However, I suggest you ask both the lawyer and the insurance company for copies of all documentation.
- Q. How to distribute my late daughter's 401k without a listed beneficiary?
- A: It is not clear from your description whether you are the Administrator and what function the court appointed attorney serves. If Letters of Administration have been issued to either you or someone else, that individual may petition the Surrogate's Court to establish a trust for your granddaughter. If there is no beneficiary listed for the 401k, it will be payable to the estate. Then, after all estate obligations have been satisfied, it may then be distributed to the trust until she reaches 18 years of age.
- 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.
7 Threats to Your Estate Plan March 2021