Essential Business: Required Face Covering

On April 12, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued his latest Executive Order 202.16 in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect essential workers. Any employees who are present in the workplace shall be provided and shall wear face coverings when in direct contact with customers or members of …

April 15, 2020

NYS Surrogate’s Courts are Permitting the Filing of New Estate and Administration Petitions

As we have chronicled in this space, New York State courts are gradually re-opening for business. The trend continues with the announcement that beginning on Monday, April 13, the New York State Surrogate’s Courts will accept the filing of new estate/administration petitions for a fiduciary (administrator or executor) to be …

April 13, 2020

New York State Public Hearing Changes Amid the Coronavirus Crisis

Governor Cuomo signed Executive Order 202.15 (E.O. 202.15) on April 9, 2020 with provisions pertaining to public hearings and certain public hearing requirements in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. E.O. 202.15 is the latest in a string of Executive Orders intended to balance the needs of public safety and continued …

Updated: Executive Orders on Remote Notarization Will Facilitate Wills, Trusts and Other Needed Documents

Updated September 14, 2020   Among many things, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the need to have important personal documents in place and updated, such as wills, trusts and health care proxies. At the same time, social distancing protocols have made in-person notarization of such documents difficult, …

April 9, 2020

Judges Expand Matters to be Addressed in New York State’s Virtual Courts

As the country adapts to life during the COVID-19 pandemic, so do the New York State trial courts. New York State courts have been addressing emergency, or “essential,” matters virtually, allowing counsel and the parties to appear before the Court either by phone or videoconference. Beginning Monday, April 13, New …

April 8, 2020

Updated: Connecticut Authorizes Remote Document Execution During COVID-19

Updated June 25, 2020   In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont issued Executive Order No. 7K on March 23, 2020 concerning remote notarization. This Order was then amended by Executive Order 7Q on March 30, 2020. The new Executive Order provided in part that remote notarization …

Municipal Building Inspectors are Essential Under NY Covid-19 Executive Orders

Cuddy & Feder LLP continues to closely monitor state and federal responses to the outbreak of COVID-19 pertaining to the land use, zoning, development, and telecommunications fields. The New York State Department of State, Division of Building Standards and Codes “Guidance for Code Enforcement Personnel Relating to the Governor’s Executive …

April 7, 2020

COVID-19 Emergency Measures for Retirement Accounts

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law on March 27, 2020. Among other measures designed to ease the financial burden of the COVID-19 pandemic, this new law changes the way you can access funds from your retirement account. Background To understand how this …

April 2, 2020

COVID-19: What you Need to Know About Medicaid and Medicare Updates

The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in its scope and challenges. Among those at the highest risk are the elderly and disabled, many of whom have underlying conditions, which make them more susceptible to the effects of infection. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are high risk environments because of the …

March 31, 2020

Best Practices for New York State Real Estate Closings During COVID-19

In light of recent events surrounding the outbreak of COVID-19, Cuddy & Feder LLP has been closely monitoring developments in the real estate industry. Since New York State has mandated that all non-essential businesses reduce in-person work forces by 100%, our attorneys have been conducting loan and real estate closings …