Cheryl A. Merritt-Giles Attorney at Law

12/25/2025

12/19/2025

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

11/28/2024

Let Your Life Be Full of Both, Thanks and Giving!

09/17/2024

Did you know that any Westchester Senior or family member can meet privately and for free with a professional to ask questions about Elder Law, Elder Care or Finances?

Join us for Senior Law Day on Tuesday, Oct 1 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. I’m pleased to be serving as a volunteer attorney, but we also have financial planners, care managers and Medicare specialists on hand. See you there!

At the Law Firm of Cheryl A. Merritt-Giles, PLLC, I will use my education, experience, competency,

05/27/2022

Limited liability companies (LLC) fall between partnerships and corporations in their structure. A hybrid legal entity such as an LLC is well known for its financial management benefits, yet LLCs can also serve as a powerful estate planning tool for the same reasons. For estate planning purposes, a Family LLC can permit asset transfer to children, grandchildren, and other family members at discounted rates without being heavily burdened by gift or estate taxes. In addition to protecting your assets during your lifetime, an LLC will ensure that they are passed on to your loved ones and reduce your and your family’s taxes.


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05/20/2022

Medical emergencies are stressful enough, but when massive bills arrive despite your insurance coverage, the pain may continue. Imagine, for instance, that you had emergency surgery. In addition to the surgery bill, you received a massive bill from the anesthesiologist after it was scheduled at a hospital in your insurance network.


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05/13/2022

Some of your heirs, whether minor or adult, may not agree on family matters, especially when it comes to inheriting your estate. It is not uncommon for relationships to change and intensify when a person dies. This is because underlying issues that reveal themselves, creating tension over your estate and possibly tearing your family apart. Conflict resolution skills are needed to distribute your assets even if your children get along well. The settlement of an estate can be challenging even for close siblings who have never had any significant conflicts.


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05/06/2022

Among older adults, estate planning is considered very significant. The majority of Americans over 55 do not have a will, and fewer still have a living will or a health care directive. Providing the end-of-life wishes you desire is easier with these documents. Furthermore, estate planning reduces the stress of conflict between family members after your death.


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04/29/2022

There's a saying that says it's best to avoid probate court. But just because people may have heard that term, doesn’t mean they know exactly what probate means, why it can be a problem, or how to successfully avoid it. In this post, we will take a look at the term probate to understand exactly what it means, and what the process includes.

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04/22/2022

There are currently more than 51 million seniors in the United States, and the number is steadily increasing due to medical developments and technological advancements that allow seniors to live longer and better lives. The expanding needs of the US aging population are contributing to an increase in federal government senior assistance programs' complexity and availability.

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04/15/2022

A revolution in smart personal assistants is sweeping the nation. In 2020, the technology-research firm Canalys predicted 100 million smart speakers (smart personal assistants) would be installed worldwide and also estimates the number of smart assistant compatible devices would reach 1.6 billion in the US.

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