Law Office of Michael C. Levy

03/11/2022

I am please to announce that I have joined Anderson Kill P.C. as a shareholder after nearly 11 years of solo practice. It has been an incredible experience working with so many of you on a personal and professional level and I look forward to continue our relationships as I begin this new chapter of my professional life.

12/04/2020

2021 begins in less than four weeks and the outlook on all fronts remains largely unknown. Will there be a smooth transition from the current president to the president-elect? Will the Senate remain Republican controlled or will a 50-50 split render it a de-factor Democratic controlled chamber for the first time in six years? Most importantly, will the Pandemic that has so fundamentally altered the world dissipate and/or disappear?...

2021 begins in less than four weeks and the outlook on all fronts remains largely unknown. Will there be a smooth transition from the current president to the president-elect? Will the Senate rema…

12/03/2020

One common theme across all industries and professions is that the COVID-19 Pandemic has drastically changed the way people work and do business. By necessity, we have been forced to adjust to a world where direct, personal interactions became non-existent, limited or altered by the need to wear protective coverings and to socially distance from others. Working in the trusts and estates field has been a typical example of this....

One common theme across all industries and professions is that the COVID-19 Pandemic has drastically changed the way people work and do business. By necessity, we have been forced to adjust to a w…

12/02/2020

The election of 2020, both at the federal and New York level, provided a glimpse into where our country and state will be heading as we enter the third decade of this century. At both levels, the most immediate and pressing concerns are the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic and repairing the economic damage that came with it. This will require additional spending and adjustments to the respective tax systems to make up for the substantial shortfalls in revenue that have or will occur over the next few years....

The election of 2020, both at the federal and New York level, provided a glimpse into where our country and state will be heading as we enter the third decade of this century. At both levels, the …

12/01/2020

When historians study the 21st century, it is almost certain that the events of 2020 will be seen as a major moment in time. At all levels of society throughout the world and here at home, the world has been forced to rapidly change due to this first pandemic of most people’s lives. While there is some hope that the cure/vaccine for COVID-19 is imminent, the long-term effects of this event will be with us for many years and perhaps decades to come....

When historians study the 21st century, it is almost certain that the events of 2020 will be seen as a major moment in time. At all levels of society throughout the world and here at home, the wor…

10/27/2020

"The Law is reason, free from passion."

This quote has guided the lives of myself and other lawyers for centuries now. And while we sometimes fail at avoiding allowing passion to enter our legal briefs and arguments, it is an ideal much like the doctor's creed to "do no harm."

The clear political and unethical actions of Mitch McConnell in his actions in filling federal judgeships over the last decade has besmirched the federal judiciary and last night's abomination is perhaps the final shovel of dirt on the legitimacy of that court system. It is no longer true that we can expect reason without political passion; it has been in fact the project of the Republican Party to inject passion into the judiciary for nearly fifty years.

Attorneys, myself included, have long dropped the ball in demanding this corruption of the courts end. But now, it is absolutely essential that lawyers-from organizations like the ABA to individual attorneys-speak out at this perversion. The legitimacy of the federal judiciary has been tainted and states and other actors will be quite justified in ignoring the federal judiciary unless this taint is fixed.

07/19/2020

With New York and other states finding themselves with a massive backlog of probate cases due to court closures and higher mortality rates due to COVID-19, the attractiveness of a living revocable trust has risen. Some oversell its benefits, but for the right people in the right situations, it can be a tremendous time and money saver.

Whether your estate is large or modest, these options are available to help you avoid getting your estate stuck in probate.

07/07/2020

In NY, the idea of heirs' property doesn't exist, but the issue of failing to draw up a will ultimately produces the same result. All throughout NYC and elsewhere, property owned by African Americans' that is transferred by the laws of intestacy ends up being sold to developers and eventually resold at significantly higher prices or redeveloped to create new neighborhoods for wealthier people to live in.

Their Family Bought Land One Generation After Slavery. Licurtis Reels, left, and Melvin Davis. The Reels Brothers Spent Eight Years in Jail for Refusing to Leave It. By Lizzie Presser Photography by Wayne Lawrence July 15, 2019 This story was co-published with The New Yorker. ProPublica is a nonprof...

06/26/2020

The difficult position of having to speak to your parents about money and estate planning is an inevitable problem that some choose to delve into and some choose to ignore.

As with most problems, tackling sooner and with great candor can help avoid many problems in later years.

Talk to your parents about their financial situation now to make everything easier down the road. Understand if your parents are in debt, if they’re prepared for end-of-life care, and figure out other challenging logistics with this conversation guide.

05/18/2020

A unique problem given the state of the world and the US currently. Will this bear out or will those affected get relief from this?

https://www.financialmirror.com/2020/05/15/covid19-expats-hit-with-tax-planning-complications-due-to-lockdowns/?utm_campaign=05-18-20---Another-impact&utm_source=Message&utm_medium=Twitter

04/22/2020

Much of the New York Unified Court System is seeing significant delays on matters before it. The Surrogate's Courts are no different and while, as of last week, they have begun hearing certain non-essential matters, persons with matters before the courts need to prepare for long delays and uncertain outcomes.

The recent executive orders by Governor Cuomo has allowed estate planning attorneys and clients to use alternative means to prepare and finalize their planning documents. However, while it is still…

04/14/2020

As the current stay-at-home order continues with no specific end in sight, New York has taken steps to allow estate planning documents to be executed virtually and without the need to risk infection. These changes, whether temporary or more long-term, are essential for all in need of proper protection of their families and assets.

https://nyestateofmind.com/2020/04/14/planning-and-administrating-estates-during-the-time-of-covid-19-virtual-execution-of-documents/