Karin Sloan DeLaney
Of Counsel
P: (315) 565-4500 (ext. 4519)
F: (315) 565-4600
kdelaney@hancocklaw.com
Karin Sloan DeLaney is of counsel in the Trusts & Estates, Elder Law & Special Needs and Tax Practices. She has extensive experience representing clients in all areas of estate planning, including estate tax, asset protection, special needs and business succession. Ms. DeLaney also represents clients in estate and trust administration, and adult and minor child guardianship matters. She represents nonprofit organizations in their formation and tax compliance and assists charitably minded clients with creative methods to incorporate charitable giving in their estate plan.
Ms. DeLaney assists clients from start to finish in the process of developing their estate plans, from the initial information gathering stage to the creation of appropriate planning vehicles, to the funding of trusts and titling of assets. Her clients include both high net worth and moderately wealthy individuals. Ms. DeLaney guides clients in every detail of their estate plans, from choosing the appropriate executor or trustee to utilizing tax-advantageous methods to distribute wealth. In addition to the preparation of Wills, Irrevocable and Revocable Trusts, and Advance Directives. She also advises clients on issues of estate, gift and income taxation and planning for asset protection in the event of long-term health care.
Ms. DeLaney’s practice also includes the administration and informal and judicial settlement of estates and trusts. Her experience covers both simple and complex estates and trusts, traditional and nontraditional families, contested and uncontested matters and representation before the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Social Services.
- Handled a successful post mortem reformation of trusts in the Supreme Court to include estate tax savings clauses resulting in estate tax savings of nearly a half million dollars.
- Obtained a favorable settlement for an heir in a contested probate of a multimillion-dollar estate, based on undue influence and duress.
- Representation and successful administration of an estate plan for same-gendered couple with minor children.
- Creation and successful administration of a Surrogate Court and a Department of Social Services’ approval of multimillion-dollar self-settled supplemental needs trust for the benefit of accident victim.
- Handled the development and funding of a complex estate plan for a high-net-worth married couple involving complex tax-sensitive Wills, Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, Charitable Remainder Trust and Family Limited Partnership issues.
- Handled a successful settlement of an allocation of proceeds from wrongful death lawsuit, resulting in a significantly greater portion of the proceeds passing onto the client.
- Member, Onondaga County Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education Committee
- Member, Onondaga County Bar Association, Estates and Surrogate’s Committee
- Member, New York State Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Law Section
- Member, New York State Bar Association, Elder Law Section
- Member, Central New York Estate Planning Council
- Member, Syracuse City Court Small Claims Arbitration Program
- Member, Onondaga County Volunteer Lawyers Project
- Member and Past President, Central New York Women's Bar Association
- Member, Women's Bar Association of the State of New York, Elder Law Committee Chair
- Mentor, Syracuse City School District
- Board Member, Home Aides of Central New York, Inc.
- New York Association of Long Term Care Administrators Seminar, "Health Care Update & Best Practices: Recent Changes to the Right of Recovery Rules" (December 2011)
- Hancock Estabrook Shop Talk, “Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples” (2011)
- New York State Bar Association, “Elder Law Practical Skills: Powers of Attorney & Health Care Proxies” (2011)
- Hancock Estabrook Shop Talk, “Beneficiary Designations after Divorce” (2010)
- New York State Bar Association, “Elder Law Practical Skills: Medicaid Eligibility” (2009)
- New York State Bar Association, “Planning with Revocable Trusts: Strategies and Pitfalls” (2009)
- Onondaga County Bar Association, “Estate Administration: Spousal Right of Election, Discovery, Attorney as Executor, Ancillary Probate” (2009)
- New York State Bar Association, “Guidelines for Guardians ad Litem: Part 36 Training” (2008)
- Program Chair and Moderator, Central New York Estate Planning Council, “Estate Planning Day” (1999)
- Program Chair, Onondaga County Bar Association, “Newly Admitted Attorney Bridge-the-Gap Program” (1999)
- Co-author, "Revocable Trusts", Estate Planning and Will Drafting, New York State Bar Association.
- Author and Co-author, “Marital Deduction and Credit Shelter Planning” and “Planning for Client Incapacity,” Estate Planning and Will Drafting, New York State Bar Association.
- “The Revocable Living Trust as an Estate Planning Tool,” New York State Bar Association Elder Law Section Newsletter, Summer 1998.
- Syracuse University College of Law, LL.M., 1996
- Western New England College School of Law, J.D., 1995
- State University of New York at Albany, B.A., 1992
- New York
