Recent Blog Posts
How to Object to Probate in Florida
From all the advice online about how to keep your assets out of probate, you would think that probate was the stuff of nightmares. In fact, the probate process usually moves along smoothly, and all the heirs get their inheritance once the estate settles. The reason probate takes several months is that it has… Read More »
Can You Appoint Someone Who Lives Out of State as the Personal Representative of Your Estate?
Today, it is common to live hundreds of miles away from your closest relatives and most trusted friends. Every year many people travel from out of state to visit their grandparents in Florida; the flipside is that many elderly Florida residents do not have any family members living in Florida. You are wise to… Read More »
What Happens to the Money in a Trust When Someone Associated with the Trust Gets a Divorce?
Divorce is one of the most formidable foes of long-term planning, especially when it comes to finances. Most couples get married with the intention of combining their wealth and jointly passing it on to their descendants. If you and your spouse have delved deeply enough into estate planning to have set up a revocable… Read More »
Don’t Become a Victim of Florida’s Flawed Elder Guardianship System
It is hard to talk frankly with your family about the possibility of you becoming too ill to care for yourself and make decisions. It is even worse, though, if you don’t talk about it. Too many elderly people in reasonably good health have had their decision-making power taken away from them when the… Read More »
Candida Auris Is the Latest Scary Drug-Resistant Infection in Florida Nursing Homes
Even though the ads on TV might suggest otherwise, most cases of nursing home neglect do not involve nurses intentionally mistreating patients or withholding care from them. In most cases, nursing homes are simply understaffed, and the nurses do their best to care for more patients than they can reasonably be expected to handle. … Read More »
Signs It Is Time to Update Your Will
If you are old enough to think seriously about estate planning and to have written a will, you are probably used to young people telling you that various things of yours are outdated. If your children and grandchildren think your clothes, your phone, and your political views are outdated, you can agree to disagree,… Read More »
A Cautionary Tale About Professional Guardians and Do Not Resuscitate Orders
Doctors and hospital staff are required to make every effort to save the life of patients brought to them for treatment, no matter how hopeless the person’s situation may seem. Any person who survived a near-death experience after receiving CPR and lived to tell about it will tell you that it was worth all… Read More »
When Irresponsible Spending by an Elderly Person Is a Sign of a More Serious Problem
It is not possible to make blanket statements about the financial habits of elderly people; people’s attitudes toward money are unique, as are the life experiences that have shaped those attitudes. Many people who lived through lean times when they were young end up with a lifelong inclination toward frugality; therefore, if your parents’… Read More »
TOD and POD Provisions Can Help Your Heirs Inherit Assets from You with Less Hassle
In a will, you specify which assets will go to which of your family members or other heirs upon your death, but wouldn’t it be nice if the assets specified this for themselves? In fact, in some instances, they do. Transfer on death (TOD) and payable on death (POD) provisions can often keep assets… Read More »
Home Care Nurse Accused of Financial Abusing Holocaust Survivor
Losing one’s ability to live independently in old age is one of the most distressing events in a person’s life. Many elderly people resist depending on family members who once depended on them, and for some people, moving to an assisted living facility feels like turning their backs on their life’s accomplishments even while… Read More »
