Recent Blog Posts
How Does a Spendthrift Trust Protect Heirs from Themselves?
This is not an unusual question for most estate planning lawyers—and in most cases, the children aren’t bad. They just lack self-control or have a history of making poor decisions. Fortunately, there are solutions, as described in a recent article titled “Estate Planning: What to do to protect trusts from a spendthrift” from NWI.com…. Read More »
What’s the Difference between Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts?
A trust is an estate planning tool that you might discuss with an experienced estate planning attorney, beyond drafting a last will and testament. KAKE.com’s recent article entitled “Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts” explains that a living trust can be revocable or irrevocable. You can act as your own trustee or designate another person. The… Read More »
Use a Personal Property Memorandum in Conjunction with Your Will or Trust
Family members often end up arguing over mom or dad’s favorite items when that parent dies. Arguments can take place over things like a coffee mug, a piece of jewelry or a painting. These types of arguments can be eliminated by filling out a personal property memorandum and keeping it with your will or… Read More »
The Hardest Question: Who Draws the Line?
In this Covid-19 epidemic, a wrenching question especially demands an answer: if you or someone you love is taken down into life-threatening illness, how far would you want extreme life-prolonging measures to be tried? For us who are particularly vulnerable – seniors, those with compromised immune systems, those already struggling with medical conditions –… Read More »
Writing a Letter of Intent For Your Special Needs Child
Writing a letter of intent (LOI) for your special needs child can help bring them family continuity and comfort after you are gone. As a parent, the most valuable asset your child has is you and your ability to care for them. You, like no other, fully understand the nuances of your child’s coping… Read More »
Alzheimer’s Disease Medicare, Medicaid, and Out of Pocket Costs
The Alzheimer’s Association has published its 2020 report entitled Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures (alz.org). The findings give pause when contemplating the future of many Americans who will be living with crippling dementia. Health care and long-term care costs for individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) are staggering as dementia is one… Read More »
Telehealth Replaces Many In-Person Medical Appointments
Through the use of videoconferencing over wireless devices and remote health tech monitoring, telehealth can connect patients to vital health care services. According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), fully 76 percent of US hospitals are using some form of telehealth for their patient groups. During this COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has freed… Read More »
Elder Abuse Continues as a Billion-dollar Problem
Aging baby boomers are a giant target for scammers. A report issued last year from a federal agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau highlighted the growth in banks and brokerage firms that reported suspicious activity in elderly clients’ accounts. The monthly filing of suspicious activity reports tied to elder financial exploitation increased four times… Read More »
How Does Planning for a Special Needs Child Work?
Funding a Special Needs Trust is just the start of the planning process for families with a family member who has special needs. Strategically planning how to fund the trust, so the parents and child’s needs are met, is as important as the creation of the SNT, says the article “Funding Strategies for Special… Read More »
What Is a Testamentary Trust and Do You Need One?
A couple doing some retirement planning has an updated will and a medical power of attorney in place, prepared with the help of an estate planning attorney. They own some rental property, a small business and life insurance, but their estate is not large enough for them to worry about the federal estate tax…. Read More »