Second Marriages Might Complicate Long Term Care
When illness strikes you do not usually think of legal relationships but when a spouse needs serious care and is married to a second wife or husband, family relationships can bring with them unexpected problems and conflicts both for the second spouse and for children by a prior marriage. This is what sometimes happens. Suppose […]
Continue readingCreative Real Estate and Care Solutions
When seniors need to pay for care, they may be cash poor but living in a home with substantial equity. One immediate reaction might be to transfer the house to the children and then figure Medicaid would pay. That is usually wrong. Unless there is a clear exception such as a disabled child or Caretaker […]
Continue readingNew VA Regulation Threatens VA Benefit
On April 7, 2015 I submitted a column for publication in the Daily Local News alerting readers to a proposed change in qualifications for a Veterans’ benefit known as Aid & Attendance that would make it significantly more difficult for wartime veterans and their widows or widowers to obtain the benefit. That column and many […]
Continue readingUnderstanding Probate
When a family member dies in the midst of all the confusion and grief the person named as Executor or Executrix of the Will could be plagued with some additional questions. “Do I need to probate the Will?” Sometimes even “Is there a Will?” Then “If there is a Will, where is it?” “If I […]
Continue readingHow Easy Is It To Register To Vote
If you are a Pennsylvania resident and have not checked recently you might be surprised what is involved in registering to vote. Do you have a Smart Phone – an iPhone or Android? Do you have an Internet connection? Can you go on line? If so, there are easier ways to register than the paper […]
Continue readingReasons Why Medical Bills Are Out Of Control
If you ever wondered why you might receive a blockbuster medical bill even if you have health insurance, the reporting of Kaiser Health News can help. KHN, a nonprofit news service that reports on how the health care system works, is editorially independent of another well known nonprofit, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and not affiliated […]
Continue readingWhat Certification Means In Elder Law
Recently, I had the opportunity to review my Certification in Elder Law, a designation referred to as Certified Elder Law Attorney or CELA, and it occurred to me that many, probably most, people do not know what certification in elder law means or how attorneys receive that designation. There are only about 500 Certified Elder […]
Continue readingWhen Should You Stop Managing Your Own Money
Some time ago an article in Next Avenue, www.nextavenue.org, a trendy new website for seniors, reprinted with permission an article from MarketWatch.com, and addressed a common question with no easy answer – how do you handle your finances as you age? The article, titled “At What Age Are You Too Old to Manage Your Money?” […]
Continue readingWhy Revocable or Irrevocable Trusts for Estate Planning
In 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. Even with right answers, changes in laws, regulations and Court decisions could change the answer. Here are some ideas. Revocable (Living) Trusts. A revocable trust can be changed […]
Continue readingThe Worst Long Term Care Decisions
When it comes to illness, an old saying comes to mind “Denial is not a river in Egypt.” All kidding aside, chronic illness is a scary thing and, as people age, thoughts of it can take center stage. There are ways of thinking that can block rational decision making and here are some of them […]
Continue readingHow To Transition a Family Business
While family business owners often want to pass on their business to the next generation or, at least, to sell it for a handsome price to a willing, motivated and competent buyer, the reality is that it is not easy to transfer a business to the next generation or, for that matter, to another corporation […]
Continue readingRetire Without A Mortgage
Other than health care, one of the most substantial drains on retirement funds can be an outstanding mortgage. Years ago when homes were less expensive and older adults rarely moved, mortgage issues were less common. Today, mortgage debt among retirees seems more likely than in the past. Here are some plans, some of which take […]
Continue readingStan Lee Found Latest Victim of Elder Financial Abuse
If you follow the Marvel comic strips and now their many incarnations in movies, the most recent one being one opening now, “AntMan and the Wasp,” you might recognize the name Stan Lee as co-creator who with Steve Ditko, fashioned such characters as Spider Man and the Incredible Hulk, and began it all. Steve Ditko […]
Continue readingRotary Worldwide Meets and Inspires in Toronto
After having attended more than my share of conferences and conventions on many subjects and causes I have to say I have never experienced any convention as organized and inspired as the 2018 Rotary International Convention that just wrapped up in Toronto, Canada on June 27. With 24,000 registrants from 175 counties, the organization came […]
Continue readingHow To Avoid Power of Attorney Financial Abuse
One of the most common reasons seniors likely hesitate to sign a Power of Attorney appointing another person to act on their behalf is fear of loss of control and exploitation. In this respect, as an elder law attorney, I admit some conflict. On the one hand I have seen instances where an individual becomes […]
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