Business Details
32 Years
experience
Elder Law & Estate Planning Services
Established by Michelle Fine, our law firm specializes in elder law, estate planning, and related legal matters. With nearly three decades of legal experience, we provide personalized guidance to individuals, families, and businesses navigating complex legal challenges. Our practice focuses on empowering clients to protect assets, plan for long-term care, and resolve probate and guardianship issues. We prioritize a client-centered approach, combining deep legal expertise with compassionate support to achieve practical solutions.Our team serves clients across Northern New Jersey and New York, offering tailored strategies for Medicaid planning, trust administration, and end-of-life preparations. Backed by extensive experience in fiduciary relationships and estate administration, we help families avoid costly disputes while ensuring compliance with evolving legal standards. Our commitment to accessibility ensures clients receive clear, actionable advice through direct communication and comprehensive legal documentation.
Services
Estate Planning
Probate Administration
Medicaid Applications
Guardianship Proceedings
Trust Administration
Details
- Year established: 1994
Highlights and features
- We offer 30 years of specialized experience in elder law and estate planning.
- Our practice combines personalized attention with proven strategies for Medicaid planning.
- We provide clear guidance on complex probate and guardianship proceedings.
- Our team maintains active bar memberships in New York and New Jersey.
- We focus on practical solutions that balance legal requirements with family needs.
Services
Estate Planning
We help clients establish comprehensive estate plans including wills, trusts, and advance directives. Our services ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes while minimizing tax implications. We create tailored documents like powers of attorney and healthcare proxies to address both end-of-life planning and potential incapacity scenarios.
Probate Administration
Our firm guides executors through the probate process for validating wills and distributing assets. We handle court filings, debt resolution, and asset management while addressing potential family disputes. Our experience streamlines complex probate matters across New Jersey and New York jurisdictions.
Medicaid Planning
We develop strategies to qualify for Medicaid while protecting family assets. Our planning addresses nursing home costs exceeding $130,000 annually in New Jersey. We help clients navigate eligibility requirements and structure financial arrangements that meet both current needs and future care requirements.
Guardianship Proceedings
We assist families in establishing guardianships for incapacitated individuals. Our services include preparing court petitions, obtaining medical certifications, and managing post-appointment reporting requirements. We help select appropriate guardians while ensuring compliance with state-specific legal standards.
Trust Administration
We create and manage revocable and irrevocable trusts to avoid probate and protect assets from excessive long-term care costs. Our trust solutions address tax planning, creditor protection, and multi-generational wealth transfer while maintaining flexibility for changing family circumstances.
People
Michelle Fine
Attorney & Founder
Michelle Fine has practiced elder law for 30 years, focusing on estate planning and Medicaid strategies. She holds degrees from Barnard College and Brooklyn Law School, with bar admissions in New York and New Jersey. Her client-centered approach emphasizes practical solutions for complex legal challenges.
Questions
What estate planning documents are most important?
The Basic Three documents include a will, power of attorney, and health care proxy to manage both end-of-life wishes and potential incapacity.
How can Medicaid planning protect assets?
Proper planning helps meet strict eligibility requirements while preserving assets through strategic gifting, trust creation, and resource reallocation techniques.
What happens if someone dies without a will?
Intestate succession laws determine asset distribution, which may not align with the deceased's wishes and could create family disputes.
How do guardianships work in New Jersey?
Guardianships require court petitions, medical certifications, and ongoing reporting to manage financial and healthcare decisions for incapacitated individuals.
Can probate be avoided in New York?
While not always necessary, probate can be minimized through revocable trusts, joint ownership arrangements, and proper beneficiary designations.
What's included in long-term care planning?
Planning addresses nursing home costs, Medicaid eligibility, asset protection, and legal documentation to ensure care preferences are honored during incapacity.
