Courtesy of Herzog Law Firm
By Susan Elise Campbell
Herzog Law Firm, P.C., has expanded its presence in Saratoga Springs and is making further growth possible with a new location and a quadruple ribbon cutting that took place on April 25 at 60 Railroad Place.
With its flagship office in Albany and another location in Kingston, Herzog Law Firm is now in its 78th year of operation, said David A. Kubikian, principal, one of the firm’s three partners and hosts of the grand opening.
“When I spoke a few words to our employees and guests at the event, I said that we are on the shoulders of all the previous attorneys who have done really good work here,” Kubikian said.
There were about 60 family members, friends, employees and business partners in attendance, including representatives of all four area chambers of commerce: Saratoga, Colonie, Adirondack Regional and Capital Region. A representative of each cut a ribbon and a member of Saratoga Chamber of Commerce served as master of ceremonies.
Also present and speaking were State Representative Phil Steck, Mayor John Safford, State Senator Jim Tedisco, and a representative from Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner’s office.
The firm vacated their “quaint little office on West Harrison Street,” a converted house, to move to the Wise Building and gain more than twice the space to accommodate growth in the areas in which the firm specializes, Kubikian said.
Herzog Law Firm was historically a larger firm in the sense that it handled a lot of other areas of law, according to Kubikian. Today the 24-member firm focuses on elder law, estate planning, and other practice areas that are geared to the specific needs of a growing aging population and the financial legacies that seniors want to protect.
The new location has a 20-person conference room that enables the firm to sit with larger client groups and to offer sizable in-house seminars, which the attorneys provide to their clients and the public at no charge.
Herzog Law has a strong commitment to public education. On the calendar now are a healthy heart, healthy brain seminar and ongoing Medicaid and estate planning seminars that any interested persons may register for, not just seniors.
“Everyone has to have an estate plan,” said Kubikian. “For example, it’s very important for young families to have wills so that, in the event something should happen to the parents, money will be held in trust for minor children.”
Educational events also aid the firm in helping others debunk myths about long-term care planning. Kubikian said one common misconception is that it’s too late to plan for long-term care needs or that you can earn too much money to qualify for a Medicaid program that assists with costs.
“Some people think that for home care you need to plan way ahead of time or that your only option for long-term services is private pay,” he said. “The truth is, there are a lot of ways to help preserve your assets while receiving long-term care with dignity and with quality caregivers.”
Community Medicaid, a Medicaid program that covers long-term care outside of a skilled nursing facility, is one such option, he said.
According to Kubikian, “the state of New York actually prefers people to stay at home,” and for this and other reasons Herzog Law has a social services professional in-house to assist with care management and advocacy.
“Kym Hance has been with the firm for more than seven years as director of client care services functioning as a life coach and advocate for independent living,” said Isabel Kubikian, the firm’s director of business development. “Prior to joining Herzog Law, Kym was the Adirondack area program manager for the Alzheimer’s Association.”
“Client care coordination allows a tailored solution for a family to plan and implement care that fits that particular family,” said Ms. Kubikian. “Successful planning for themselves and their loved ones and advocating for their needs ensures maximum quality of life by obtaining the right support services to age in place.”
She said the firm works closely with such organizations as the Alzheimer’s Association, the Saratoga Senior Center, the Conklin Center and others to assist others with a personalized care plan.
“We are looking to expand further at some point, as we grow,” said Kubikian. “Having a larger footprint in Saratoga will help us further serve clients throughout Saratoga County and the North Country in real estate, estate planning, elder law, business succession planning, probate and estate administration, and much more.”
Visit the website www.herzoglaw.com for more information about services and educational events Herzog Law Firm, P.C. offers.