Joseph Allen Bollhofer

Joseph Allen Bollhofer

4.9
Rating: 7.2

Licensed for 41 years

Elder law Lawyer at Saint James, NY
Practice Areas: Elder Law, Estate Planning, Real Estate, Probate

291 Lake Ave, Saint James, NY

About Joseph

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Elder Law 30%

Elder law attorneys and elder care lawyers deal with issues related to elderly and disabled people. They write wills, answer tax questions, and plan strategies for obtaining disability, Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare payments. Their services are useful for health and long-term care planning, as well as end-of-life planning decisions and instances of elder abuse. Elder law attorneys know what public and private resources may be available for your elderly relatives or for anyone else you

42 years | 1,600 cases

30%
Estate Planning 30%

"Estate" is the legal term used to define your property and money;basically, everything that belongs to you. Estate planning attorneys tell you different strategies you can use to transfer your belongings after you die. By planning your estate, you can maximize its value by minimizing taxes and eliminating court costs and interference. Estate planning attorneys also help you control and protect your estate during your lifetime, by writing documents that allow you to transfer property.

42 years | 1,700 cases

30%
Real Estate 25%

Real estate attorneys deal with the many laws and practice areas associated with land ownership issues. For example, a commercial real estate attorney knows which laws apply to commercial transactions for construction/development projects (such as condo construction), or land use/zoning projects (such as subdividing a parcel of land for development), or real property issues (such as financing a large land purchase). Likewise, residential real estate lawyers help you buy a home.

42 years | 1,900 cases

25%
Probate 15%

Probate is the legal process used to carry out a person's will after their death; a probate attorney advises you on how to perform the steps in the process. In general, once you have identified and collected the dead person's belongings, including their money, property, and other assets, you pay the person's debts and taxes. Once all debts have been paid, you distribute their money and property according to the language of the will. If there is no will, the laws of the state where the dead perso

42 years | 850 cases

15%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in New York for 40 years

State: New York

Acquired: 1985

Currently Registered

No misconduct found

Licensed in New Jersey for 41 years

State: New Jersey

Acquired: 1984

Resigned Without Prejudice

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Joseph Allen Bollhofer

291 Lake Ave, Saint James, NY, 11780-2221

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Joseph Allen Bollhofer's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

16 Client Reviews

5 star (15) 4 star (1)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Joan | December 10, 2025 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

A True Elder Care Legal Expert!

When we think of one word to describe Joe Bollhofer and his firm, it is “trustworthy”. From our first encounter in 2017 when we researched an elder care attorney to help my brother, who was very sick and had NO WILL, we contacted Joe. He quickly put all the documents together so we could be the spe...aker for my brother if he couldn’t speak. Then, in 2024, we needed to contact Joe when my brother was ill again and passed away. We retained him to navigate the complicated paperwork that was necessary to settle my brother’s estate. We couldn’t have gotten through this without him and his wonderful paralegal, Catherine. So, when it came to finalizing our estate in anticipation of our final days, there was no doubt in our minds that Joe was the one and there should be no doubt in yours. We retained Joe once again; he patiently walked us through the process of setting up a trust. The result was outstanding. We now have a clear and comprehensive path to preserving our estate for our beneficiaries. We would never hesitate to ask him for legal advice in the future.

Posted by Maureen Sandford | March 4, 2024 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Excellent Elder Planning

Mr. Bollhofer prepared Estate Planning and Powers of Attorney for us and we are very pleased with his experience and knowledge. He was extremely thorough and answered any and all questions we had.

Posted by Marie | November 15, 2022 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Friendly, knowledgeable, great experience

We used Joseph Bollhofer for my mother's Estate Planning. He was a pleasure to deal with, patient and comprehensive, with the experience and foresight to include aspects of the documents that we had not even considered. Having everything in place before we need it has been a relief and it was a far m...ore pleasant experience than anticipated. The 1st meeting covered everything we wanted, and a draft was in our hands shortly thereafter. There were no edits required and signing was the next week. Knowing we now have a family lawyer who is just a phone call away and right in town lets us move forward knowing that when the sands of time shift, we're not alone in moving forward through unknown geography. Highly recommend!

Posted by Edward Dobres | December 13, 2018 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

recommendation

My wife and I hired Mr. Bollhofer to set up an irrevocable trust and we are glad that we did because everything went very smoothly and efficiently. Mr. Bollhofer explained everything to our satisfaction and we concluded the work knowing that everything was in order. We would recommend Mr. Bollhofer... with hesitation to anyone in need to any legal work.

Posted by Anne | December 10, 2018 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Great attorney

I used Joe for several real estate transactions. He is thorough and has been a great advisor. I highly recommend him.

See All Client Reviews

Joseph Allen Bollhofer's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Joseph
Keith H. Weidman headshot
Keith Weidman

Real estate lawyer | Aug 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Michael Leo Potter headshot
Michael Potter

Estate planning lawyer | Jan 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I've read a number of Mr. Bollhofer's answers on Avvo.com and found him to be practical, professional and thoughtful in his answers. He is a credit to the legal profession and I'm proud to give him my peer endorsement."

View All Endorsements
Michael Leo Potter headshot
Michael Potter

Estate planning lawyer

Experience

Rating:  7.2 (Very Good)

Honors

1984

Inclusion in Publication, Who's Who Among American Law School Students

1983

Full Academic Scholarship, Senior Year, Fordham University School of Law

1977

Inclusion in Publication, Who's Who Among American High School Students

Work Experience

1997 - Present

President, Downstate Title Agency, Inc.

1989 - Present

PRESIDENT, JOSEPH A. BOLLHOFER, P.C.

Associations

2011 - Present

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

Member

2003 - Present

Smithtown Alumni Association, Inc.

President

1998 - Present

Suffolk County Bar Association, Elder Law Committee

Member

1998 - Present

New York State Bar Association, Elder Law Section

Member

1994 - Present

Rotary Club of Smithtown

Past President

1989 - Present

St. James Chamber of Commerce

Past President

1985 - Present

New York State Bar Association

Member

1985 - Present

Suffolk County Bar Association

Member

1985 - Present

Suffolk County Bar Association, Real Property Committee

Member

1985 - Present

New York State Bar Association, Estate and Trust Administration Committee

Member

1995 - 2000

Smithtown Township Arts Council

Past President

Education

1984

Fordham University School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1981

Stony Brook University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Publications

2017

NY State Bar Association Trusts and Estates Law Section Newsletter (Winter 2017, Vol 50, No. 4) "Digital Assets and Accounts - Can Life Get More Complex?"

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution