Established in Brooklyn in 1990 and still operating from the same borough more than three decades later, the Kornfeld Law Firm runs two distinct divisions from two separate Brooklyn locations — estate planning and elder law at one address, real estate at another. That dual-division structure makes the firm unusual among neighborhood practices: clients can address long-term care and Medicaid planning under the same roof where their title work gets handled, by attorneys who share a firm identity and a common client base.
Overview
The Kornfeld Law Firm has served Brooklyn and Greater New York for over thirty-five years. Co-founding partner Jason Kornfeld built the practice around estate planning and elder law, with a separate real estate division operated by Joseph Kornfeld. The firm now includes Sam Stein as an estate planning and elder law attorney alongside the Kornfeld family partners.
The firm’s model is built for accessibility. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (closing at 4:30 p.m. on Fridays). The firm accepts WhatsApp as a communication channel alongside phone and email, which reflects an awareness of how clients in the Greater New York area actually communicate. For clients who have difficulty traveling to the office, the firm offers complimentary transportation assistance and document delivery services — a practical accommodation for the senior and elder law clients who make up a significant portion of the practice.
Jason Kornfeld conducts free estate planning workshops in Brooklyn and the Greater New York area, and the firm publishes a newsletter and maintains resources for professional advisors. These outreach activities reflect a view that legal planning should be accessible to individuals who may not have worked with an attorney before.
Practice Areas
Elder Law. The elder law practice covers the full range of legal issues that seniors and their families encounter as age and health change. This includes long-term care planning, Medicaid eligibility analysis and applications, senior housing guidance, home care arrangements, nursing home care planning, and guardianship petitions. The firm also handles health care documents — health care proxies, living wills, and related instruments — as well as Medicare and Medicaid issues that arise in the context of care planning. Elder law is the core of what Kornfeld does, and the practice has served this population for over three decades.
Estate Planning. Beyond elder law, the firm provides comprehensive estate planning services including revocable and irrevocable trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and asset protection strategies. The estate planning work addresses charitable planning, business succession, and multi-generational wealth transfer. Clients who engage the firm for elder law planning often find that estate planning is a necessary and integrated component of the same conversation.
Medicaid Planning and Applications. Navigating Medicaid eligibility for long-term care requires understanding spend-down rules, asset transfer regulations, look-back periods, and application procedures. The firm handles Medicaid applications and the underlying planning work that positions clients for eligibility while preserving assets within the boundaries of the law.
Special Needs Planning. Families with members who have disabilities need estate plans that account for government benefits. The firm prepares special needs trusts and related structures that allow individuals with disabilities to receive inherited assets or gifts without jeopardizing their eligibility for Medicaid, SSI, and other programs.
Veterans Benefits. The firm assists eligible veterans and their families in accessing benefits available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, including Aid and Attendance benefits that can help fund long-term care.
Real Estate. A separate division, operated by Joseph Kornfeld at a second Brooklyn location (1867 East 13th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11229; (718) 382-9300), handles real estate transactions. Clients who need real estate closings alongside estate planning can work with both divisions of the firm.
Probate and Estate Administration. When an estate needs to be administered following a death, the firm assists executors, administrators, and beneficiaries through the probate process in New York.
Attorney Profiles
Jason Kornfeld is the co-founding partner and the primary attorney for estate planning and elder law matters. He earned his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and is admitted to both the New York and New Jersey bars. He has conducted community estate planning workshops in Brooklyn and the Greater New York area throughout the firm’s history and focuses his practice on elder law, Medicaid planning, and estate planning. He is a co-founding partner who has built the firm’s reputation over more than three decades.
Sam Stein practices estate planning and elder law at the firm. Specific credentials and bar admission details are not publicly specified in available sources.
Joseph Kornfeld runs the real estate division from the firm’s second Brooklyn location. Specific credentials and bar admission details are not publicly specified in available sources.
Location and Service Area
The Kornfeld Law Firm’s estate planning and elder law office is located at 1377 East 4th Street, Floor 3, Brooklyn, NY 11230. Phone: (347) 560-5678. The real estate division operates at 1867 East 13th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11229; phone (718) 382-9300. The website is https://www.kornfeldlawfirm.com/
The firm serves Brooklyn and the Greater New York area and is licensed in New York and New Jersey.
Client Focus
The firm’s primary client base consists of seniors, families planning for aging parents, and individuals navigating the intersection of long-term care, Medicaid, and estate planning. The elder law practice is designed specifically for this population, and the firm’s practical accommodations — extended office hours through 6:30 p.m., WhatsApp communication, transportation assistance, and document delivery — reflect the real-world constraints of serving older adults and their caregivers.
Real estate clients who also have elder law or estate planning needs benefit from the firm’s dual-division structure, which allows both sides of a client’s legal life to be addressed within a single firm. Veterans seeking to access VA benefits and families managing special needs planning for members with disabilities are also part of the client population.
FAQ
What is the difference between Medicaid planning and a Medicaid application at this firm?
Medicaid planning is the work done in advance to structure assets and arrangements so that a client is eligible for Medicaid when long-term care is needed. A Medicaid application is the formal submission to the state. The Kornfeld Law Firm handles both — the planning work that prepares a client for eligibility and the application process itself.
Does the firm offer services for clients who cannot travel to the office?
Yes. The firm offers complimentary transportation assistance and document delivery for clients who have difficulty traveling. The firm also accepts communication via WhatsApp, phone, and email, and office hours extend through 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday to accommodate working adults and caregivers.
What is a special needs trust, and when does someone need one?
A special needs trust allows a person with disabilities to receive inherited assets or gifts without losing eligibility for government benefit programs like Medicaid or SSI, which have strict asset limits. Families planning for a child or other dependent with a disability should consider a special needs trust as part of their estate plan. The Kornfeld Law Firm prepares these trusts as part of its estate planning practice.
Are the estate planning and real estate divisions of the firm connected?
Yes. Both divisions operate under the Kornfeld Law Firm name. The estate planning and elder law practice is at one Brooklyn address; the real estate division is at a second Brooklyn address under Joseph Kornfeld. Clients who need both services can work within the same firm.
Does the firm hold public workshops on estate planning?
Yes. Jason Kornfeld conducts free estate planning workshops in Brooklyn and the Greater New York area. These sessions are open to the community and are intended to help individuals understand the basics of estate planning before they engage an attorney for their own planning.
Closing
More than thirty-five years of Brooklyn practice, a dual-division structure covering elder law and real estate, and practical accommodations for clients who cannot easily reach an office define the Kornfeld Law Firm’s approach. The firm built its reputation by serving the legal needs of seniors and families across a borough where that work is both in constant demand and not always easy to navigate — and it has done so from the same community throughout.