Power of attorney, estate planning, advance directives, and elder-law guidance.
49 articles · Page 2 of 3
As we age, the possibility of needing assistance with daily activities becomes increasingly likely. Long-term care insurance can provide financial support in these situations, ensuring that you receive the care you need without exhausting your savings. In this guide, we’ll delve into the specifics of long-term care insurance, offering you the knowledge you need to…
December 10, 2023
As seniors navigate through the later stages of life, they often encounter legal issues that require professional help. Unfortunately, the cost of legal services can be prohibitive, especially for those on a fixed income. Luckily, various organizations offer free and low-cost legal services for seniors. This comprehensive guide will explore the available resources to ensure…
December 6, 2023
A Comprehensive Guide for Retirement Planning Retirement planning is a crucial aspect of life that requires careful consideration and strategic planning. For many, the legal aspects associated with retirement planning can be complex and overwhelming. This is where the expertise of Elder Law Attorneys becomes invaluable. These legal professionals specialize in navigating the intricate landscape…
September 27, 2023
Things you should ask before you buy Times are changing. Fifty years ago, long-term care insurance wasn’t even really thought of. For one thing, few people lived past their late 60’s and so long-term care wasn’t as much the norm as it is today. The second thing is that extended families tended to stay closer…
August 23, 2023
Life Insurance Made Simple In all its forms life insurance has one core benefit – it pays an income-tax-free death benefit directly to your beneficiary when you die. Life insurance also gives you options that can reduce taxes immediately, build tax-advantaged income for retirement and/or provide assets to offset estate taxes. The two major types…
March 24, 2023
Financial Advice for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren For many people who have already raised their children, becoming a grandparent is a welcomed new era. However, many grandparents who are approaching or are already in retirement are suddenly finding themselves reliving parenting and the associated financial challenges. This time, however, they are responsible for raising their grandchildren.
March 24, 2023
Age discrimination is against the law and employers have often tried to get around age discrimination claims by holding severance pay as a hostage to signing an age discrimination waiver. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has issued regulations regarding severance agreements that are signed by people who could file an age discrimination claim. The employee now has an easier…
March 24, 2023
Contract Elements – Contract Formationby: Fran Przyblewski An introduction to contracts The term “contract” can sound a bit ominous to many people. Because of this, salespeople often use the term “agreement“, instead of the word “contract” because it is less intimidating. However, whether you are signing an agreement or a contract, it still boils down to the same thing.
March 23, 2023
Personal Injury “Personal Injury” is physical damage to your body. If you are like most Americans, you will probably be involved in an auto accident at some time in your life. Fortunately, few of us are routinely involved in such accidents, but that means that most people are not sure what to do or how to handle…
March 23, 2023
WHEN IS A PERSON COVERED FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY CLAIMS? By: Pitt Dickey – Attorney Social Security Disability Eligibility – This column will examine how the Social Security Administration determines the time period during which a person is eligible for Disability Insurance Benefits. Previous columns have looked at the medical criteria used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to determine disability resulting from illness and…
March 23, 2023
Senior guardians over minor children Grandparent guardians – Thirty years ago, there was probably little concern over whether seniors should have to name guardianship for minor children in their will. Today, many grandparents are raising grandkids and even have full and legal custody. Often the child’s parents are incapable of raising the child(ren) for one reason…
March 23, 2023
The Death Tax Not Gone The death tax? Sounds funny, but it’s anything but. There are still a great number of questions about estate taxes. Unfortunately, many people believe the sound bites that have pronounced the death of the death tax. These have been greatly exaggerated, to say the least. Many people have the mistaken impression that the federal…
March 23, 2023
Settling Legal Wills The last will and testament will not settle over night. Beneficiaries often find themselves at odds over the disbursement of property after the death of a decedent. Sometimes it’s over the property or the value of the property itself. Sometimes it’s just that fact that it cannot happen immediately. Most beneficiaries think that once the…
March 23, 2023
Terminating your rights under a will for the better statutory provisions Why would you renounce a will? If there is a Will, the surviving spouse can renounce it and the inheritance it contains (if any), and instead elect to take a share of the estate specifically provided by state law. This is a legal device originally intended for…
March 23, 2023
When a person has a “life estate” in a piece of property (most commonly, a house and the contents within it), he/she enjoys almost the same rights in that property as would an “absolute” owner – but only for his/her life. The idea of a life estate is best illustrated with a typical example, the “subsequent marriage”…
March 23, 2023
Last will and testament and legal considerations How does a will and the law treat an estate when both people die at the same time? The answer, of course, depends on whether any planning has been done. The most important planning, however, is practical, not legal. First, have you found a capable and willing guardian…
March 23, 2023
Fraud is arguably the most prevalent scourge against seniors today. That’s a pretty strong statement and there are certainly those that would argue that such a dubious honor more aptly belongs to any one of a number of various diseases or medical conditions. All arguments aside, fraud is perpetrated at various levels on thousands of seniors a…
March 21, 2023
By: Pitt Dickey – Attorney Preface: Since Social Security Disability is directed under Federal law, the information in this column will apply anywhere in the United States. However each Office of Hearings and Appeals and District Office have their own ways of doing things as does the various Federal District and Circuit Courts. I have kept this…
March 21, 2023
Requirements of a will A will is a legal instrument that will direct a court or other administrator as to what your wishes are with regard to your property after your death. A will is your words and in most cases, these words are binding on the administrator unless there is a law that supersedes your will, the will…
March 21, 2023
Filing an age discrimination claim By: Roger Braddock Age discrimination is against the law and employers have often tried to get around age discrimination claims by holding severance pay as a hostage to signing an age discrimination waiver. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) has issued regulations regarding severance agreements that are signed by people who could file an age…
March 21, 2023
Elder Abuse – From time to time, news reports will chronicle large cases of elder abuse where there are particularly heinous cases or a given nursing home is suddenly thrown into the spotlight because of a serious elder abuse situation or where there have been some recent deaths. Other than that, few cases of elder abuse make the headlines and the news media…
March 21, 2023
Grandparent Visitation Rights with minor children Grandparent rights and grandchildren – There have always been those special cases where problems exist between parents and grandparents over the right to see and spend time with grandchildren; there are more cases now than there have ever been. The increase in the number of cases where grandparents are seeking court-ordered visitation rights is probably…
March 21, 2023
Whether Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Airforce, veterans have fought battles and wars for Americans’ freedom. These fearless sons of American soil risked their lives for America’s autonomy, safety, and prosperity. The U.S government and the Department of Veteran Affairs have made substantial efforts to establish programs/packages to streamline veterans’ lives. Military veterans…
November 21, 2022
A Guide to Medicaid Programs If you’re reading this, you likely already recognize just how expensive medical care can be these days. From prescription drugs to surgeries to care in an assisted living facility or nursing home, healthcare costs can have deleterious effects on your family’s finances. But Medicaid can often take care of most…
September 7, 2021
The legal documents that protect an older adult's wishes - durable power of attorney, healthcare proxy, advance directive, will, trust - are most useful when they're already in place before they're needed. Setting them up after a cognitive decline becomes much harder, sometimes impossible. Our legal library covers the documents every family should have on file, the difference between general and durable powers of attorney, the role of elder-law attorneys (and when DIY tools are fine versus when you need one), Medicaid planning, and the often-overlooked digital-asset planning (passwords, social media accounts, online financial logins).
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