Cormac McEnery was born and raised in City Island, New York, and returned there to practice law. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1979, and his firm still operates from 562 City Island Avenue, the main commercial street of the small Bronx island community where he grew up. The practice has remained focused on estate planning and elder law for over forty years, long enough that McEnery has served on the Bronx County Bar Association’s Surrogate’s Court Committee as its chairman and continues to teach continuing legal education courses to other attorneys on the same subjects he has practiced since the late 1970s.
Overview
The Cormac McEnery Law Firm operates from its primary City Island office with additional offices in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The firm serves families across the New York City boroughs and into Westchester County, handling estate planning, elder law, Medicaid planning, probate, and related real estate matters.
City Island, though technically a Bronx neighborhood, functions as a small maritime community of roughly five thousand residents. A law firm that has operated from this address for decades is embedded in the local community in a way that firms in midtown office towers are not. McEnery is a member of the City Island Chamber of Commerce and is described as an active advocate for senior citizens’ rights and welfare.
The practice draws from a service area that extends far beyond City Island itself. Westchester County communities served include Larchmont, Pound Ridge, Rye, Bronxville, Scarsdale, New Rochelle, Pelham, Yonkers, and Mount Vernon, alongside the firm’s coverage of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. The geographic reach reflects the multiple office locations that extend the firm’s accessible presence.
Client reviews on Google rate the firm at 4.9 out of 5 stars, with reviewers citing compassionate and professional service and responsive communication.
Practice Areas
Elder Law and Medicaid Planning is a defining practice area. Medicaid eligibility planning for seniors requires understanding both the asset and income rules that govern Medicaid qualification, and the legal tools available to protect assets while meeting those requirements. This is specialized territory where the rules are technical and the stakes for clients are high.
Estate Planning covers comprehensive plans for New York City and Westchester families, including wills, trusts of various types, powers of attorney, healthcare proxies, and living wills. McEnery’s four-plus decades of surrogate’s court practice inform how estate documents are drafted with an awareness of how they will perform if contested or administered.
Probate and Trust and Estate Administration covers the administration of decedent’s estates through the New York Surrogate’s Court, representing executors, administrators, and trustees through the estate settlement process.
Estate Litigation handles contested will proceedings and other estate disputes in surrogate’s court. McEnery’s background as a former chairman of the Bronx County Bar Association’s Surrogate’s Court Committee reflects depth in this specific forum.
Asset Protection planning assists clients in structuring assets to reduce exposure to creditors, long-term care costs, and estate taxes.
Special Needs Planning addresses estate planning for families with disabled beneficiaries, including trust structures that preserve eligibility for government benefit programs.
Real Estate covers residential and commercial real estate matters in New York.
Healthcare Proxies and Living Wills are prepared as part of the estate planning process, establishing who can make healthcare decisions and what those decisions should be if a client becomes incapacitated.
Attorney Profiles
Cormac McEnery is the principal and founder of the firm.
Education: B.A., St. Michael’s College, 1972. Law school is not identified in publicly available sources.
Bar admissions: New York (admitted 1979); U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York.
Professional roles: Former Chairman, Bronx County Bar Association, Surrogate’s Court Committee. Past member, Association of the Bar of the City of New York, Trusts, Estates and Surrogate’s Court Committee. Member, City Island Chamber of Commerce.
Teaching: Teaches continuing legal education courses for attorneys on elder law and estate planning topics. Speaks regularly at professional and community events on these subjects.
McEnery is a City Island native who has practiced estate planning and elder law from this community for over forty years. He is an active advocate for the rights and welfare of senior citizens.
Contact: [email protected]. Phone: (718) 885-1234 or (718) 885-1112.
Note regarding Kerry A. Dinneen: Kerry A. Dinneen (J.D., Fordham University; admitted New York 2005) previously associated with the firm and has since established an independent practice, The Law Offices of Kerry A. Dinneen, P.C., as of 2026.
Location and Service Area
Primary office: 562 City Island Avenue, City Island, NY 10464. Phone: (718) 885-1234 or (718) 885-1112.
Email: [email protected].
Website: https://cormacmcenerylaw.com/
Office hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
The firm also maintains offices in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Service area: City Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Westchester County communities including Larchmont, Pound Ridge, Rye, Bronxville, Scarsdale, New Rochelle, Pelham, Yonkers, and Mount Vernon.
Client Focus
The firm serves New York City families and Westchester County residents with estate planning needs, seniors and their families navigating Medicaid planning and elder law, executors and trustees managing estate administration, and parties to estate disputes in surrogate’s court.
The firm’s particular strength in elder law and Medicaid planning makes it relevant for families facing long-term care cost planning, which is a concern for a large portion of the senior population in the New York metropolitan area.
Whether initial consultations are provided without charge is not publicly specified.
Languages spoken beyond English are not publicly available. Fee structures are not publicly specified.
FAQ
Does the firm handle Medicaid planning for seniors?
Yes. Elder law and Medicaid planning is a primary practice area. The firm assists seniors and their families with Medicaid eligibility planning and asset protection strategies designed to address the cost of long-term care while preserving qualifying status for government benefits.
Where are the firm’s offices located?
The primary office is at 562 City Island Avenue, City Island, NY 10464. The firm also maintains offices in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Does the firm handle contested estate matters?
Yes. The firm’s estate litigation practice handles contested wills and estate disputes in the New York Surrogate’s Court. Cormac McEnery served as chairman of the Bronx County Bar Association’s Surrogate’s Court Committee, reflecting deep familiarity with this specific judicial venue.
Does Cormac McEnery teach other attorneys?
Yes. He teaches continuing legal education courses for attorneys on elder law and estate planning topics and speaks regularly at professional and community events on these subjects.
What geographic area does the firm serve?
The firm serves City Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Westchester County, including Larchmont, Pound Ridge, Rye, Bronxville, Scarsdale, New Rochelle, Pelham, Yonkers, and Mount Vernon.
Closing
The Cormac McEnery Law Firm’s forty-plus years of practice from City Island reflects a commitment to place that is rare in the New York metropolitan legal market. McEnery built his practice in the community where he grew up, developed deep expertise in the surrogate’s court and elder law systems specific to his region, and has continued teaching other attorneys on these subjects while maintaining a practice rated near-perfect by clients across a wide geographic area.