Municipal Law | Real Property | Wills/Estates | Landlord/Tenant | Business | Traffic Tickets
We are a general practice, able to provide the full range of legal services to individuals, families, businesses, and municipalities. Our role is not to put obstacles in your way, but to inform and advise about the law, help you decide which course of action will allow you to both comply with the law and achieve your goals, and then help you put your choice into effect.
We are not slaves to the billable hour, and, in fact, believe it is counterproductive for many clients. We are happy to discuss with you creative, alternative payment arrangements that will best suit your needs and ensure you the most efficient service.
Listed on this page are our most common areas of practice, but it is not an exclusive list. If your question does not seem to fall into any of the categories, please feel free to call us to discuss whether we may be able to assist you anyway. If we cannot, we would be glad to help you find another trustworthy attorney in the area who can.
We have combined experience of more than 30 years in municipal affairs. We represent four Chautauqua County towns, including their Town Boards, Planning Boards, Zoning Boards of Appeals, Code Enforcement Officers, Assessors and other municipal officers. Attorney Seachrist publishes a weblog providing daily notes and comments on matters of interest to town attorneys and officials.
We also represent four fire districts, and have helped to establish two new fire districts in the County within the past three years.
As long as there is no conflict of interest with our clients, we also are happy to represent individuals in matters before Zoning Boards of Appeal and Planning Boards, challenges to tax assessments, and any other matters addressed to a Town or Village entity.
We have the good fortune of having a great pair of real estate secretaries. An attorney will help you draft or review a contract of sale and advise you about obtaining or providing financing. Once that is accomplished he will assign you to either Debra or Victoria, who will guide you through the process of buying, selling or refinancing in a pleasant and professional manner. When you come in to sign your closing documents, you will meet with an attorney. Although much of your contact will be with the real estate secretaries, an attorney reviews each document related to your file before you sign it or it is sent out of the office, and is always available should you have any questions. We pride ourselves on providing personal, professional real estate services at competitive rates.
Many people do not realize that they need not be present in New York State to close a real estate transaction here. We routinely work with out-of-state clients to close transactions by mail. Modern communications and overnight delivery make it nearly as easy as if the client lived next door.
Please feel free to contact us should you want information about our fees and the expenses you can expect in your purchase, sale or financing transaction.
You are making a mistake if you have not prepared a Will, a Power of Attorney, and a Health Care Proxy- no matter what your age or station in life. They all are inexpensive and easy to put into place, and will save you and your family a lot of aggravation and strife should you suffer health problems, become incapacitated, or pass on.
You will meet with an attorney to establish your objectives and determine the most cost-effective way to reach them. At the same time, we will discuss with you the benefits of a Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy, and decide whether you wish to execute them along with the Will. We will then draft the Will and set up a second appointment during which we will review it, make changes if necessary, and then execute it.
We also represent people who have been named executors of estates. A lot of people do not realize that you have a choice as to which attorney you wish to work with if you have been named as an executor. You are not required to retain the attorney who prepared the decedent's Will, and, in fact, you should retain whomever you are comfortable working with. We can work with you to obtain the appropriate Letters from the Surrogate's Court and to assist you with all facets of the estate administration.
In most cases, living trusts do not provide the benefits many people think they do, and we are not afraid to give that opinion. Where a living trust is justified, however, we are happy to draft the appropriate agreement and help you arrange your affairs in the most effective manner.
At some point, all landlords need an attorney to help them deal with a problem tenant. We can help you draft a strong lease to put off that point as long as possible, but that puts you in the best position when it arrives, and then represent you should eviction or other litigation become necessary. Our experience has been that many landlords (a) are too trusting of potential tenants, and (b) do not use a lease because they think it will be expensive to have an attorney tailor one to their needs. This is a recipe for disaster. You will save yourself a lot of money and aggravation in the long run by spending a few dollars up front.
If you are starting a business enterprise, we can help you choose whether you should operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or some other business entity, and help you draft the documents needed to put your choice into effect. Once you are up and running, we would be happy to assist you in the myriad legal questions you might encounter.
Everyone makes mistakes. We'd be happy to represent you in traffic matters in our local justice courts, to try to minimize the effect on your driver's license, insurance standing, and bank account. We routinely represent out-of-state drivers in such matters, and can do so without you having to attend any court dates.