Areas of practice

01

Estate Planning & Administration


We offer a comprehensive and understandable approach to estate planning and administration to serve the needs of each client and their unique family situation. We focus on ensuring that our clients fully understand their personal estate planning and that their plan addresses their individual goals.

  • Services include:

    -Wills

    -Powers of Attorney

    -Explain, draft and facilitate execution of variety of trusts, including first- and third-party Supplemental Needs Trusts, revocable trusts to avoid probate, and irrevocable trusts for Medicaid asset protection

    -Estate Administration and Probate

02

NYS Worker’s compensation

Have you been injured on the job? Whether that’s a slip on the factory floor, fall from a ladder on a construction site, auto accident in the company vehicle, development of lung illness after years of asbestos abatement, lifting injury on the assembly line or carpal tunnel syndrome from repetitive key turning, we are here for you.

  • If you are a NY State employee who has been injured on the job, you are entitled to receive both lost wages and medical benefits for the injuries you have suffered. If those injuries result in permanent disabling conditions, you may also be entitled to additional cash benefit awards as well as a possible lump-sum settlement.

    At Collins, Hasseler & Simser Law, our attorneys help you navigate the complex and often overwhelming NYS Workers’ Compensation process and will work closely with you to maximize your benefits while you optimize your recovery. Consultations are always free, and we don’t get paid unless you do.

03

Personal Injury & Negligence

If you or a loved one has been injured and/or killed as a result of someone else’s actions or failure to act, let the experienced lawyers at Collins, Hasseler & Simser Law work for you.

  • If you have been injured as a result of the following, we’re here to help:

    · Motor Vehicle Accident

    · Pedestrian Accident

    · Construction Accident

    · Premise Liability (slip/trip and fall)

    · Motorcycle Accident

    · Dog Bites

    · Wrongful Death

    Insurance companies work quickly and aggressively to protect their policies and insureds. They offer

    quick settlements and attempt to shift liability to you by assessing comparative fault, all while you and/or your loved ones are suffering and trying to heal. It is the nature of the system to dehumanize, alienate and frustrate the injured party. As your attorneys, we will identify your injuries, investigate the facts unique to your case, tell your story and posture your claim in such a manner as to maximize your recovery.

    You only get one bite at the apple and it’s our job to make it count! We will make sure your claim is properly valued. We will assess the value of your claim based on past and future medical expenses, past and future pain and suffering, past and future lost wages, property loss, emotional distress and loss of consortium. If necessary, we will employ medical and vocational experts to provide opinions on you future anticipated medical needs and pecuniary losses.

04

Real Estate

We represent clients in many aspects of real estate projects. Our experience includes advising on real estate purchase and sale contracts, land contracts, and asset purchase agreements. 

  • The scope of our real estate practice spans from gifting the family camp from parents to child, to the purchase of hunting land, to the sale of a million-dollar campground.

    Services include:

    Prepare and negotiate contracts

    Prepare pre- or post-possession agreements

    Review title for marketability

    Family deed transfers (with or without reserved life estate)

    Represent purchasers and sellers in residential or commercial transactions

Social Security Disability

If your injuries and conditions keep you from returning to work, you may be entitled to collect social security benefits early. We work to help our clients understand social security requirements by using common sense language.

  • We work to help our clients understand social security requirements by using common sense language. We represent clients seeking Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) benefits from requesting reconsideration following a denial on their initial application to appeal to Northern District of New York federal court following an unfavorable Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing and appeal to the Appeals Council.

    Services include:

    Evaluate claims

    Explain eligibility requirements

    Requests for reconsideration following initial denial

    Representation for hearings before administrative law judge (ALJ)

    Appeal to Appeals Council following ALJ denial

    File suit in Northern District of New York federal district court

Municipal Law

Municipalities face a variety of challenges as they provide services to their communities. We handle a multitude of public sector municipal law, representing municipalities themselves as well as private party applications to municipal boards.

  • Services include:

    Day-to-day counseling

    Preparation of contracts for services and inter-municipal agreements

    Code revisions

    Oversight of project bidding, zoning and development, review and approval

    Representation at administrative hearings

    Zoning changes, variances, and site plans

    Special permit approvals and other land use applications