Cheryl L. Fratello

For over 20 years, Cheryl L. Fratello has been helping Long Island families navigate some of life’s most challenging moments—protecting aging parents, planning for the unexpected, and ensuring loved ones are cared for with dignity. Whether you’re facing a nursing home crisis, planning your estate, or navigating Medicaid’s complex requirements, Cheryl brings both legal expertise and genuine compassion to every family she serves. As the founding attorney of Fratello Law, she understands that behind every legal question is a family member who needs help, reassurance, and a clear path forward.

What She Does

Cheryl focuses her practice in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, and asset protection for families throughout Suffolk and Nassau Counties.

She helps:
• Adult children protect their aging parents’ assets and find dignified care solutions
• Families navigate Medicaid applications and nursing home planning
• Create comprehensive estate plans that protect families from probate complications

Her practice areas include:
• Wills and trusts
• Powers of attorney
• Guardianship
• Probate and estate administration
• Medicaid crisis planning and applications
• Asset protection strategies
• Veterans benefits
• Real estate matters

Her Story

Cheryl’s dedication to elder law isn’t just professional—it’s personal. Growing up in a small family practice where she worked alongside her father and aunt, she saw firsthand how the right legal guidance could transform a family’s future during difficult times. That experience shaped her approach: listen first, educate always, and treat every client like family.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, while her father served in the U.S. Navy, Cheryl’s family settled on Long Island when she was young. She fell in love with Long Island’s waters while working the gas docks at Stony Brook Yacht Club (where she’s now a proud member) and spent years teaching dance at the Long Island Academy of Dance. It was this combination of hard work and dedication to helping others that led her to law—and ultimately to founding Fratello Law in 2012.

Why Families Choose Her

Families throughout Long Island choose Cheryl because she makes complex legal issues understandable. She’s known for her patience in explaining Medicaid’s confusing rules, her availability during family crises, and her ability to guide families through difficult decisions with clarity and compassion. Whether you’re planning ahead or facing an urgent situation, Cheryl provides the expertise and support you need.

Professional Background

Prior to founding Fratello Law, P.C. in 2012, Cheryl was a partner at Fratello & Fox, P.C., where she practiced in the firm’s Elder Law, Trusts & Estate, and Real Estate departments alongside her father and aunt in their small family practice.

She is admitted to practice law in the State of New York and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Cheryl is an accredited attorney for the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for Veterans benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and completed the Alzheimer’s Association accredited AD Training Program.

Cheryl regularly lectures to local communities about important legal issues in trusts & estates, elder law, real estate, and wine law. She has taught legal studies to college students at Brooklyn’s CUNY Kingsborough Community College as an adjunct professor and has lectured at Touro Law School, Hofstra Law School, and C.W. Post – Long Island University.

Beyond the Office

When she’s not helping families, Cheryl enjoys exploring the worlds’s wine regions and has earned her Wine & Spirits Education Trust Level 3 certification and a Diploma in Wine Law from Université Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France. She’s an active leader in the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association (serving as Vice President of Membership), sits on the Suffolk County Bar Association Judicial Screening Committee, serves on the Nassau Suffolk Law Committee Advisory Council, and regularly teaches community seminars on estate planning and elder law topics. Her commitment to excellence has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Herald Premier Business Women of Long Island Award (2026), the 50 Top Women in Business Award from Long Island Business News (2023), and the Leadership in Law Award from Long Island Business News (2014).