Sometimes people consider estate planning to be a fairly simple thing to do themselves without the need to consult an attorney. After all, estate planning documents are merely paper, right? Well, although estate planning documents are indeed merely paper with printed words, there is an important thought process behind what should or should not be […]
When people think about estate planning, and specifically about who they would like to receive their assets when they are gone, they tend to concentrate on the things that have a high monetary value, like bank accounts, investments, or real estate. But dividing up cash or other liquid assets is the easy part. What is […]
In our last post we provided a brief overview of Care Agreements. This week we consider a recent Louisiana court decision that illustrates a big problem that arises when relatives are paid for providing care services to a loved one and that arrangement is poorly documented. See Widley David v. State of Louisiana Dept. of […]
“Wondrous is the strength of cheerfulness, and its power of endurance – the cheerful man will do more in the same time, will do it; better, will preserve it longer, than the sad or sullen.” -Thomas Carlyle The benefits of a positive attitude are talked about a lot, but today’s research shows evidence that having […]
The Good News and the Bad News Prior to January 2013, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) required recipients of non-service connected benefits to make a mandatory annual filing in order to maintain benefits eligibility. By filing of its so-called Eligibility Verification Renewal forms, beneficiaries provided VA with updated information on the amount […]
As individuals get older, they often need more and more help with their personal and financial needs. It becomes harder to do a whole host of things ranging from paying bills and balancing a checkbook to keeping track of medications, transportation to medical appointments, and bathing. While that help may be delivered by a home […]
This week we will look at an example of a celebrity who appears to have made a number of wise decisions in her lifetime estate planning. In contrast to the complicated, acrimonious and all too publicly scrutinized process of settling the Estate of James Brown that we looked at last week, the estate planning of […]
Alzheimer’s disease typically strikes adults age 65 and over. Cognitive decline currently affects 5.2 million Americans and 30 million individuals all over the world. The future is especially bleak, with 16 million Americans over 65 projected to experience cognitive decline by 2050. In the absence of new developments that offer a cure or at the […]
A recent New Jersey court of appeals case illustrates some of the pitfalls of the Medicaid rules and the problems that can result without proper planning. See S.L. v. Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (N.J. Super. Ct., App. Div., No. A-3520-11T4, Sept. 2, 2014). In December 2009, “S.L.” was a 95 year old […]
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 […]