Recent Blog Posts
Can You Disinherit a Spouse or Child?
When people think about putting together an estate plan, most focus first on how to adequately provide for their spouse and/or children. However, for a number of reasons, a person may desire to leave his/her spouse or child out of the estate plan. Not only is this approach against societal norms, it is also… Read More »
Taking Over the Affairs of Declining Elderly Parents
With the ease of communication and travel, people are no longer tied to a desk or a particular location for work. This reality means more and more people are moving away from family and friends, creating significant relational and legal issues if an elderly parent starts to decline, and is no longer capable of… Read More »
Federal Court Decision Could Sink Florida’s Medicaid Plans
Healthcare is expensive, regardless of the stage in life in which a person finds him/herself needing medical care. For those that need around the clock care in a nursing home, Medicaid is the source most turn to in order to pay the extremely high cost. Health being unpredictable, knowing when admittance to a nursing… Read More »
Financially Protecting a Disabled Family Member
When a family member with a disability renders him/her unable to work and/or perform the daily needs of life, measures need to be taken to protect this person in case the caretakers are no longer available or die. This effort involves careful advance estate planning to ensure the disabled individual is left with sufficient… Read More »
Avoiding the Stress of Probate
When someone dies, typically, they will have some amount of property that needs to be distributed to new owners, hopefully through an established estate plan. Depending on the type of property involved and the overall value, the law may require the family to go through the probate process before a transfer of assets is… Read More »
Nursing Home Planning When a Crisis Hits
No one has the goal of entering a nursing home when a major health crisis hits, but such events can occur at any time. Prudent planning in advance of this need, i.e., before a person meets the medical qualifications, can make it possible to qualify for Medicaid immediately upon learning that long-term care is… Read More »
Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples
Wanting a companion to share life with is a common desire held by everyone, as well as the wish to provide for his/her financial security after death. Estate plans are a mechanism created by the law to transfer property after death, but for unmarried couples, putting together a plan that fully and adequately addresses… Read More »
Estate Planning for Non-U.S. Citizens
Moving to the United States to build a new life and leave a legacy for one’s children is the dream of many immigrants to this country. America is known for giving people greater opportunities to advance their situation in life than most other countries, and the acquisition of property is the principal way most… Read More »
Why Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning Is Not the Answer
As the deadline for filing income taxes fast approaches, people are forced to take stock of what they own, and perhaps start to ponder what to do with this property once they are gone. Proper estate planning takes careful consideration of one’s goals and legal options, which can only be fully understood under the… Read More »
The Method and Purpose of Freezing Trust Assets
Trusts are an increasingly popular way to protect and distribute assets to loved ones after death. Once a trust is established, the person charged with managing the trust property, the trustee, holds a high level of responsibility to treat these assets in a manner that best protects the interests of the beneficiaries. Given the… Read More »
