Recent Blog Posts
Is Mom Just Forgetful Or Is This Dementia?
When Dad died last year, Mom insisted that she could still manage to live in the house alone. However, for the past few months, you’ve noticed that things haven’t been quite normal when you’ve visited. Last week Mom couldn’t find her purse, and you found it in the freezer. Also, lately Mom has seemed… Read More »
Advice for Executors: How to Manage Final Medical Expenses
Most people die in a hospital; sometimes after a long and slow decline, sometimes after a quick and unexpected tragedy. If you are an executor of the deceased’s estate this is significant because it means that there are usually final medical bills to be paid. What most executors do not know is that these… Read More »
Estate Plan Forgery: How to Tell and What to Do
The question of will forgery or undue influence of a testator is not a common question, but one that does come up periodically in an estate planner’s office. The movies have given people certain expectations when it comes to a death in the family and probating a will: a book-lined office, the entire family… Read More »
Providing Care for Divorced or Remarried Parents
Divorce is difficult on a family no matter what the circumstances. Even when a divorce is best for all involved, there is always an amount of stress and emotional trauma involved. In fact, it has recently become apparent that the effects of divorce—stress, family upheaval, and tighter finances—can last years into the future. Our… Read More »
Aging In Place
As the number of people approaching their golden years grows, many people are becoming concerned about how they will stay independent and financially secure during their senior years. Rather than giving up their independence and privacy, these people plan to “age in place” – to remain where they are both financially and in the… Read More »
Elderly Daycare Can Help Prevent Caregiver Burnout
Many of our clients provide care for elderly loved ones; some even providing constant, around the clock care. Care giving is a demanding, overwhelming, and often grossly underappreciated job. In addition to giving up their own time and interests, caregivers have to watch someone they love slowly regress and lose the ability to do… Read More »
What To Do After A Death In The Family
Anyone who has lost a close friend or family member knows that what a difficult, painful, and overwhelming time it can be. We are often asked to help our clients through probate process when a loved one dies, but probate isn’t the only thing you’ll have to think about; in fact, it may not… Read More »
Are There Exceptions to the VA Aid and Attendance Eligibility Requirements?
One of the most basic rules when applying for the VA Aid and Attendance pension is that the veteran must have served in the military for at least 90 days, one day of which was during a time of war. This leads many people who served for less than 90 days to believe that… Read More »
How to Prevent Family Fighting Over Mom’s Will or Trust
Most people believe that creating an estate plan is a private and personal business; something you do alone or with your spouse, between you and your attorney, with your children, grandchildren, or other beneficiaries kept on a strictly need-to-know basis. In an ideal world this would be true: parents and their adult children would… Read More »
How Long Has It Been Since You’ve Updated Your Estate Plan?
Many people think that there’s no need to update your estate plan documents if none of your beneficiaries or fiduciaries have changed, but that’s exactly the kind of thinking that can lead to disaster. Estate planning documents are based not only on your own wishes, but also on federal and state tax laws. When… Read More »