Estate Planning Isn’t Just For The Elderly

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Westchester Elder Law Attorney Sara E. Meyers Sheds Light on Guardianships

On Behalf of | Jul 27, 2015 | Guardianships

Westchester elder law attorney Sara E. Meyers, partner at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP, recently addressed the rights and responsibilities associated with Mental Hygiene Law Article 81 Guardianships at the Westchester County Bar Association’s latest Continuing Legal Education program presented by the Elder Law Committee. With millions of baby boomers coming of age, Ms. Meyers urges seniors and their family members to take a proactive role in planning for the future.

The program marked the latest speaking engagement for Sara Meyers, who has spent two decades protecting the rights of seniors, the disabled and their families. An authority on Medicaid and special needs planning, her practice areas include elder law; home health care; Medicaid planning; wills, trusts and estates; and guardianships.

A guardianship petition under Article 81 of the Mental Hygiene Law is brought when a person requires some form of assistance with respect to their health care, therapy and finances as well as with day-to-day affairs. In many instances, Article 81 offers an ideal guardianship solution by ensuring that the needs of the individual are met while also allowing him or her the greatest amount of freedom, independence and flexibility possible.

Ms. Meyers states, “Article 81 guardianships are designed to be the least restrictive form of intervention. The guardian, therefore, should have only those powers necessary to assist the incapacitated person to compensate for limitations. The inherent ability within Article 81 to customize and tailor the rights and duties of a guardian makes it a desirable solution in many cases.”

The Westchester County Bar Association is a not-for-profit corporation with a voluntary membership of more than 2,000 lawyers. Established in 1896, the Association provides members with opportunities to help shape the legal community and to maintain the high standards of the legal profession.

Named a “Super Lawyer” for the New York Metro region by Thomson Reuters, Ms. Meyers’ is the immediate past chair of the Westchester County Bar Association’s Elder Law Committee and a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Elder Law Section and Trusts & Estates Section. A frequent lecturer for both the WCBA and NYSBA, Ms. Meyers is also an editor of the Westchester County Bar Journal and the NYSBA Elder Law Section’s Elder and Special Needs Law Journal.