With software programs today like LegalZoom and doyourownwill.com, consumers might get the idea that anyone could prepare a Will. Truth be told, almost anyone can prepare a Will. Whether it will accomplish the objectives of the person drafting it is another matter. Usually people want to know that their assets will pass to the people […]
Continue readingSuppose you are a senior struggling to pay the montly bills but have been wise enough to have paid off your house entirely. Your monthly income is limited to Social Security and you have, in addition to the obvious regular bills such as groceries, utilities, the various insurances, and routine home maintenance, the larger issues […]
Continue readingA very recent change in the law for qualifying for PACE and PACENET prescription drug assistance from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania can make many thousands more Pennsylvanians eligible for help. PACE and PACENET are well-known programs administered by the State that help seniors faced with high prescription drug costs. One of the main qualifying factors […]
Continue readingOne message I did not expect to find recently in browsing through Twitter postings was a link to Ryan Holmes of Hoot Suite fame and his commentary on work-life balance and seeing your elder parents more often. After all, Twitter is a social media networking and microblogging service and Hoot Suite is a social media […]
Continue readingTo listen to and read about care for seniors and the seriously disabled, you might develop the impression that everyone can be cared for at home with only a few minor adjustments. While it is safe to say that, as an elder law attorney, I rarely hear people coming to my office saying “Everything is […]
Continue readingHaving worked with families for many years who are confronting long term care, I have to admit I see some changes. The most significant have to do with some of the myths surrounding care. What has not changed is denial. Here are some of the major myths today. I’ll never get sick but if I […]
Continue readingSometimes people wonder what difference it makes to belong to a national organization in your field. I would answer for elder law attorneys that the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the grandfather of elder law organizations to which I belong, it does matter. It matters because the national organization gives the “broad view” […]
Continue readingIn dealing with Medicaid structuring and estate planning, I am often asked whether a trust could be the answer. Trusts are not an easy subject to understand. There are different kinds and the laws and regulations keep changing. Even when we have the right answers, Congress or a state legislature or a Court decision may […]
Continue readingSo, it is after the beginning of the New Year and you have decided to redraft your old Will and Financial and Health Care Powers of Attorney along with your Living Will or Advance Health Care Directive. The next question to ask yourself is “Should I tell my children?” The question is not as easy […]
Continue readingDid you check my blog because you have queries about business succession? Well, business succession planning issues have finally reached prime time television attention with a new comedy this season on CBS, “The Crazy Ones,” starring well-known Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar as a father and daughter team holding a long-time advertising agency, Roberts […]
Continue readingOn returning from probating a new estate at the Lancaster County Courthouse with a client, I made a point last week to stop by an old favorite location of mine in Gap, Pennsylvania in the midst of “Amish country”. My special stop in Gap was to determine whether an old custom of mine was still […]
Continue readingFrom time to time I hear people exclaiming that an idea is a “no-brainer” meaning, of course, that you do not have to think about it, it is so obviously true. I sometimes find myself on the other side even with some “no-brainers” but here is one that I think a listener would be hard […]
Continue readingWhen clients ask me to review an agreement to enter a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), the most frequently asked question is “what happens if I run out of money?” The issue may be presented in another way such as “what are the major risks?” or “Will I have to move if I run out […]
Continue readingSuppose you were an attorney or an accountant and your client with net worth of over $300,000,000 decided she did not feel like writing a Will. Worse, she has no children, has had minimal or no contact with multiple distant relatives who would inherit without a Will, and has no tax planning by way of […]
Continue readingThe turkey is in the oven and you are ready to join the madness of Black Friday shopping or maybe you decided to avoid the rush and try to relax at home. The operative expression is “try” to relax if you are a caregiver for an elderly or disabled family member. You might even be […]
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