Elder law and estate planning serve two different — but equally vital — functions. The main difference is that elder law is focused on preserving your assets during your lifetime, while estate planning concentrates on what happens to your assets…
When applying for Medicaid’s long-term care coverage, in addition to the strict income and asset limits, you must demonstrate that you need a level of care typically provided in a nursing home. Whether you are applying for nursing home coverage…
Many companies sell online forms, such as powers of attorney, wills, and trusts you can download and execute yourself. Creating these “fill-in-the-blank” forms online is only appropriate in limited circumstances. If you have assets or loved ones, online forms or…
Many clients ask about doing their own Will online and most clients think their estate plan needs are “simple.” Since we rarely see a truly “simple” plan, we created this comparison to show some of the differences between do-it-yourself, fill-in-the-blank…
This is a common question that comes up when planning for the future. Let’s look at one all-to-common scenario. Your spouse has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. What will happen when you can no longer care for him and…
It may seem confusing when attorneys start listing the important estate planning documents you should have, but there’s an easy way to remember what you need and when… 3 by 23 and 5 by 55. 3 x 23 Did you…
If you’re like most people, you have the best of intentions regarding how you want your estate distributed when you die or your affairs handled should you become incapacitated. Unfortunately, without proper planning, your best intentions may not be enough.…
Most people want to pass their assets to their children or grandchildren, but naming a minor as a beneficiary can have unintended consequences. It is important to make a plan that doesn’t involve leaving assets directly to a minor. There…
Do you have a will? A durable power of attorney? A health care proxy? If so, no reason to read on. If not, why not? Failure to create an estate plan risks causing discord in your family for generations to…
More and more of the music, movies, and books we own exist only online, in digital form. What happens to these collections after the owner dies? Surprisingly, while you may want your heirs to have access to the books, music…