Practice Areas

The law office of Lesly R. Devereaux offers estate planning services designed to help you manage your affairs in the most practical and positive way possible. Lesly is an established New York estate planning lawyer with extensive experience in this and many other areas of the law. The goal of our legal team is to provide you with the practical help and support needed to create a comprehensive estate plan in the state of New York. We offer assistance in the following areas: delegating power of attorney, setting up a health care proxy, writing a valid will, establishing trusts for yourself or your family members, avoiding or navigating probate, non-profit church law, and attorney discipline.

If you need a qualified and compassionate New York estate planning lawyer, Lesly R. Devereaux can provide you with the right services for your needs.

Power of Attorney

Naming a friend, family member or legal representative to hold your power of attorney can provide you with added peace of mind regarding how your affairs will be handled if you become unable to manage your own financial obligations and assets. Assigning a durable power of attorney will allow your designated representative to manage your affairs both while you are healthy and if you should become ill or incapacitated. General power of attorney arrangements, by contrast, will terminate if you become too ill to manage your own affairs. For this reason, our legal team recommends assigning a durable power of attorney to someone you trust to care for you and your obligations if you should be injured or mentally incapacitated.

Health Care Proxies

A health care proxy is a valuable tool that can allow you to designate a specific individual to make medical and health care decisions on your behalf if you are seriously injured in an accident or if you become too ill to manage your own affairs effectively. The person who holds your New York health care proxy will be responsible for making a wide range of decisions about the medical care you will receive. Communicating your wishes clearly to your health care proxy holder is essential to make sure that they adhere to your preferences regarding life-saving treatments and other medical decisions.

If you are looking for a qualified, knowledgeable and caring New York estate planning lawyer, Lesly R. Devereaux can deliver the right solutions for you. Schedule an appointment to learn more about the services we offer. We look forward to the chance to serve your legal needs now and in the future.

Wills

A will is a legal document that provides guidance on distributing the assets of an individual after his or her death. The law office of Lesly R. Devereaux can provide you with the legal support you need to create a valid and comprehensive will that includes all of your assets and all of the individuals you wish to remember in your will. Lesly will work with you to make sure that every element of these legal arrangements is accurate and up to date. This can eliminate any uncertainty for your estate and your beneficiaries after your death.

Living Trusts

Living trusts provide added flexibility and control over your financial assets during your lifetime and make it easier to leave those assets to friends or family members without going through probate. By transferring the ownership of certain assets or financial resources to a living trust, you can ensure that they are transferred seamlessly to the individuals you designate as the beneficiaries of these legal arrangements. This will often allow you to earn income or to derive benefits from these financial assets during your lifetime while eliminating the need to probate these valuable assets after your death.

Probate

Lesly will work with you to provide for your loved ones through the probate process in New York. Our firm will find the best and most practical ways to administer your Estate and work closely with the executor of the will to explain and assist in the probate process in New York. Our vast experience in Court will allow you and your loved ones the security of knowing that their final wishes are respected and followed in accordance with a valid will and any living trusts that make up part of your estate. By working with our legal team, the probate proceedings will be fast, efficient and accurate.

Non-Profit Church Law

For over 20 years, churches have relied on church attorney, ordained minister and Senior Pastor of three different houses of worship, Lesly Devereaux, Esq. to guide them through every aspect of a church’s legal existence, from incorporation to governance, employment, property and finances, and even dissolution, merger or consolidation. With her unique background and combination of disciplines, Lesly is perfectly situated to understand how churches operate and function both as a ministerial body and as a legal entity incorporated under the laws of the state of New York.

Attorney Discipline

Reinstatement after suspension or disbarment is not an absolute. It is one of the most challenging hurdles for an attorney to overcome. There is a minimum threshold that must be met whether you are charged with client neglect, escrow fraud or a criminal offense which had nothing to do with the practice of law. If you are required to answer a misconduct complaint filed against you or to give a deposition, be proactive and speak with an experienced New York City lawyer. A misconduct allegation, no matter how frivolous it may appear, should not be taken lightly.

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