For those who think that researching estate law is dull, the answer is that the conclusion is usually true. However, with some effort, I have been able to uncover what might be considered an almost tabloid version for the curious at an unassuming site titled the “Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog.” The Blog reports […]
Continue readingThe year 2012 brought some surprises and some changes in healthcare and senior issues. Here is a recap of the top ten in my list. The Affordable Care Act was upheld. The ACA, otherwise referred to as Obamacare, was upheld by a divided U.S. Supreme Court. For the audience that I serve most directly this […]
Continue readingOften at the end of the year I reflect in my columns on a New Years’ Eve experience I shared with my mother which was the last one we knew together. Even in a nursing home we were able to recognize and celebrate the coming of the New Year in our own way. Recent events […]
Continue readingAs American taxpayers wait for the champagne bottles to pop and the first refrain of Auld Lang Syne for the 2013 New Year, we are no closer to knowing whether we can gift only up to $1 million without being subject to gift tax or up to $5.12 million or some other amount yet to […]
Continue readingAn old song “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” brings to mind the pleasure and the conflict inherent in this time of year from Thanksgiving through Christmas, Hannukah, New Years, and the related holidays for many groups and religions. Pleasure comes with reestablishing old ties. Conflict might come with reminders why some old […]
Continue readingNow that the 2012 elections are blessedly over, our attention has been directed to another roller coaster ride popularly named the “fiscal cliff.” This would be the time, when the clock strikes 12 for New Years Day, 2013, a series of laws, including but not limited to what are referred to as the Bush tax […]
Continue readingSenior living arrangement choices have changed dramatically in the sixteen years since I first began practicing elder law. Back then, there was generally a single choice between assisting parents at home or their going to a nursing home. Now there are multiple variations. The choice in the past was difficult with almost all home care […]
Continue readingOne piece of advice I might give to readers is not to engage in heavy yardwork at home while preparing for a major storm or hurricane. It could be that or it could simply be what one person said to me which is that I am “just a klutz.” In any event, as Hurricane Sandy […]
Continue readingSometimes we become so accustomed to things as they are we cannot conceive of them differently. At this point we have become so accustomed to believing that government will contribute to the cost of serious care if we need it that we take it for granted. This could change. Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan’s budget […]
Continue readingSeniors who are cash poor but high in real estate equity may have more options than they realize when dealing with long term care – and they might not always be the obvious ones. A common immediate reaction is to want to transfer the house to the children and then immediately apply for Medicaid either […]
Continue readingWhen moving to a Continuing Care Retirement Community or Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing facility, one of the last things that families might consider is the legal effect of documents signed on admission. This is not surprising. Between scheduling the movers and cleaning out the home, remembering to pack the glasses, medications and hearing aids […]
Continue readingAs the country readies for the 2012 Presidential election, stark differences emerge between the parties on some of the most basic programs affecting Americans. One of these is Medicaid. Although most of us are not affected by Medicaid, the medical program designed primarily for the poor, one striking exception for middle America is Medicaid since […]
Continue readingSome notions are so ingrained in our consciousness that we cannot imagine them being handled differently. One of them is that, if we run out of money paying for long term care in a nursing home, even if that is after years of private payment, the government would pick up the cost under Medicaid. Suppose […]
Continue readingOne of my clients noted as I explained the Medicaid spenddown that, logically, the result did not necessarily make sense. Actually, the review of a Medicaid spenddown will likely be the most illogical financial exercise clients have ever encountered. It does not make sense to most financial planners or investment advisers and, frankly, advice given […]
Continue readingSuppose you are a parent with children close in age but one is addicted to alcohol or drugs. You have tried, over the years, to encourage rehabilitation but have generally been unsuccessful. He may have even served time in prison or you maybe even looked for a federal prison consulting firm to show them what […]
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