Siblings’ Fight over Mom’s Care Gets Violent It is no mystery that siblings often fight with each other. And while childhood presents many opportunities for disputes, conflicts are by no means limited to the younger years. We see in our practice a common scenario of adult children engaging in bitter arguments with each other over […]
When a family member dies, there are many legal and financial things that need to be taken care of. That process is commonly called “estate settlement.” It is also called Probate. There are costs involved with the estate settlement process. Taking care of all that needs to be done usually entails a lot of work. […]
When discussing estate planning with our clients, we always explain the need to prepare for the possibility of requiring long-term care, and the daunting costs of such care. As Americans are living longer, more and more of us are spending a significant portion of our later life in a long-term care facility. These facilities are […]
Winter brings holidays, chilly weather, and basketball season. In Connecticut, collegiate women’s basketball is a source of pride and joy for thousands of residents. Countless fans across the nation are familiar with the name Pat Summitt. She is known as one of the best coaches in collegiate women’s basketball, having led the University of Tennessee […]
Since the purpose of a Will is to document your wishes for who should be the executor and who should receive your solely-owned assets after you die, it should be a fairly straightforward matter to change that document if you later change your mind, right? Yes, and no. Like many types of legal documents, in […]
Witnessing the struggles of a loved one living with dementia is tremendously difficult. Emotions run high when experiencing the changes in a loved one as they move through the progressive stages of the disease. These are very relatable experiences among a growing community of caregivers. Another very relatable experience that most humans share is being […]
A recent court decision from the Nebraska Supreme Court shows the perils of not planning for long term care before there is a problem. For example: a now divorced 94-year-old must pay so much alimony that it brings his income below the poverty level and the only purpose of the alimony is to pay his […]
If you are a Medicare beneficiary receiving skilled care for a chronic condition, you no longer have to show improvement in order to have the care covered, but your provider (such as a doctor, home care agency, or nursing home) may not know this. Even though a recent lawsuit settlement mandated a nationwide educational campaign […]
Funerals rank among the most expensive purchases many consumers will ever make. A traditional funeral costs about $6,000, although “extras” like flowers, obituary notices, acknowledgment cards and limousines can bring the total to well over $10,000. Moreover, people often “overspend” on a funeral or burial because they think of it as a reflection of their […]
A living will is a legal document where a person proactively declares their wishes pertaining to end of life care. In order to be honored by third parties, the document will need to be executed with similar formalities as a health care power of attorney, including witnesses and a notary’s acknowledgement. Essentially, most living wills […]