Fern J. Finkel

Practice areas

Elder Law, Estate Planning & Probate

Focus areas

Estate Planning, Living Wills, Power of Attorney, Probate & Estate Administration, Trusts, Wills

Fern J. Finkel, the founder of Fern Finkel & Associates, PLLC, located in downtown Brooklyn, New York, has dedicated her legal practice to various areas, including elder law, special needs planning, estate planning, asset protection, advance directives, Supplemental Needs Trusts, and long-term care planning. She represents a diverse clientele throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Ms. Finkel graduated with honors from New York University College of Business and Public Administration, earning a degree in Economics, and subsequently obtained her Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law. Her legal career began in 1985, with a primary focus on Elder Law since 1997.

Her extensive range of services includes comprehensive planning tools to safeguard the interests of older adults, individuals with disabilities, and their families. She collaborates closely with clients to devise strategies for future financial and personal security, encompassing estate and asset protection planning, Special Needs Trusts, Medicaid and benefits planning, and advance directives such as Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies, Living Wills, and other legal instruments. Ms. Finkel has also represented clients and their families in Article 81 guardianship proceedings, frequently serving as Court Evaluator and Counsel to the Alleged Incapacitated Person. Over the past two decades, she has taken on the role of Guardian, either through Court appointment or personal nomination.

Ms. Finkel offers expert advice on long-term care, benefits planning, financial choices, and legal challenges encountered by the elderly and disabled, all with a focus on enhancing her clients’ independence and enabling them to remain in their homes. Her dedication to empathetic listening and protecting vulnerable seniors and individuals with disabilities is underpinned by nearly four decades of experience in elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, and trial advocacy.

Ms. Finkel holds the prestigious position of Chair of the New York State Bar Association Elder Law and Special Needs Section. She also served as the Immediate Past President of the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Chair of the Brooklyn Bar Association Foundation Law Committee, Co-Facilitator of the Working Model of Guardianship – WINGS (Working Interdisciplinary Network of Guardianship Stakeholders), Special Master of the Appellate Division Second Department Mandatory Civil Appeals Mediation Program, and Vice Chair of the Brooklyn Bar Association Elder Law Committee.

In addition to her legal roles, Ms. Finkel dedicated years to volunteering as a certified mediator with Safe Horizons, assisting with community disputes, PINS cases, custody matters, and serving the United States District Court, Eastern District. She has been a sought-after speaker, delivering lectures for various bar associations, CLE providers, and community organizations on topics such as the Role of the Guardian, Role of the Court Evaluator, Role of the Attorney for the AIP, Advance Directives, Medicaid and Asset Protection, Aging in Place, Supplemental Needs Trusts, Guardianships, and Planning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Furthermore, Ms. Finkel has played an active role as a mentor attorney at the Brooklyn Law School HELP (Helping Elders Through Litigation and Policy) Clinic, the Touro Law School Externship Program, and the New York Law School Elder Law Clinic. Since 2008, she has served on the Committees on Character and Fitness for the Second Judicial Department.

Ms. Finkel’s dedication to pro bono service has earned her numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2019 “Champions of Justice: Women in Leadership in Law and Administration of Justice” Honoree, the 2013 Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project Building Bridges Award, the 2013 Brooklyn Bar Association Distinguished Service Award, the 2009 Brooklyn Bar Association Distinguished Service Award, the 2004 Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York Hanna S. Cohn Pro Bono Award, the 2003 New York State Bar Association Pro Bono Award for the Second Judicial District, the 1999 Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project Pro Bono Award, the 1996 Brooklyn Bar Association Frieda S. Nisnewitz Award for Pro Bono Service, and an Award of Merit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 1997. Additionally, Ms. Finkel has been consistently recognized in the New York Super Lawyers list for Elder Law from 2014 through 2023.