by Christine | Apr 8, 2015 | Asset Protection, Elder Law, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Incapacity, Living Trust, Power of Attorney, Probate, Trusts, Wills |
Ernie Banks died on January 23rd at age 83 from a heart condition. Interestingly, his death certificate listed dementia as a “significant condition contributing” to his death. Why is that important? Well, three months before he died, Banks signed a new...
by Christine | Apr 7, 2015 | Asset Protection, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Estates, Living Trust, Long Term Care, Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal Long Term Care, Nursing Homes, Trusts |
One attorney calls it the "Get out of Dodge plan"—the best way to keep your assets intact before applying for Medicaid (Medi-Cal in CA) to cover nursing home costs. New Jersey is one of the most restrictive states when it comes to permitting residents to...
by Christine | Apr 6, 2015 | Asset Protection, Divorce, Durable Power of Attorney For Finances, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Estates, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Living Trust, Probate, Trusts, Wills |
Failure to do so — or to alert all relevant parties to the changes — could result in certain assets and benefits unintentionally going to your former spouse or his or her family upon your death. A MarketWatch article, titled “Just divorced? Don’t forget to separate...
by Christine | Apr 3, 2015 | Advanced Health Care Directive, Asset Protection, Durable Power of Attorney For Finances, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Estates, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Living Trust, Probate, Trusts, Wills |
While not all encompassing, these guides serve as a starting point to help your parents. There are many family dynamics at play when these types of planning conversations arise, so you need to be cognizant of patterns and relationships. Starting earlier will reap...
by Christine | Apr 2, 2015 | Asset Protection, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Estates, Living Trust, Long Term Care, Long Term Care Insurance, Medi-Cal, Medi-Cal Long Term Care, Medicaid, Nursing Homes, Trusts |
Seniors need to have a plan in place for long-term care, should they need care assistance in the future. A recent article in The Victoria (TX) Advocate titled “How does Medicaid factor into financial planning?” recommends that seniors need a strategy to pay for the...
by Christine | Apr 1, 2015 | Asset Protection, Estate Planning, Living Trust, Trusts, Wills |
People have many options today for creating their own estate planning documents. Forms can be purchased quickly from websites and books. However, trying to create your own estate plan can actually be more expensive than hiring an attorney. Everyone knows that...
by Christine | Mar 31, 2015 | Advanced Health Care Directive, Asset Protection, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Estates, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Living Trust, Trusts, Wills |
Once estate planning documents are in place, they should be revisited periodically. If there is a major change in your circumstances- good or bad, your attorney should know. How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming along for your finances and estate plan?...
by Christine | Mar 30, 2015 | Asset Protection, Conservatorships, Estate Planning, Estates, Guardianships, Living Trust, Probate, Trusts, Wills |
In the book The Charles Schwab Guide to Finances After 50, author Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz poses the following scenario: “I’m confused about how to divide my estate between my children, who have different needs and financial resources. Is it best to divide it into...
by Christine | Mar 27, 2015 | Asset Protection, Estate Plan, Estate Tax, Estates, Farms, Inheritance, Living Trust, Tax Planning, Trusts, Wills |
People who own as little as three acres and engage in agricultural practices such as hay harvesting, bee keeping, chicken raising, and designating land for grazing animals may find themselves rewarded by localities with an enormous discount of up to 95% on property...
by Christine | Mar 26, 2015 | Asset Protection, Elder Law, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Estates, Inheritance, Living Trust, Probate, Tax Planning, Trusts, Wills |
Have you thought about dying lately? Most of us don't. Make sure you do some estate planning today before things get complicated. End-of-life planning is not a fun topic to think about. Nobody wants to think about passing away, but is that going to change the...
