It’s Medicare Open Enrollment Time – MEDI Can Help
It is that time again – the time to remind anyone who wants to review or change their Medicare coverage that Medicare Open Enrollment is here. The Annual Open Enrollment Period for 2022 coverage runs from October 15, 2021 to December 7, 2021. This year free health insurance counselors are available through the MEDI (PA […]
Continue readingElection Time – Information for the General Election
It might seem like just yesterday when you voted but it is time once again to relearn everything you experienced about mail in ballots and voting at the polls. Election day for many major local elections and for judges is just around the corner on November 2. If you forgot the process for mail in […]
Continue readingBusiness To Know When a Family Member Dies
When you are dealing with illness and grief you might not be able to pull together what to do when your husband, wife, parent or sibling dies. You might look for a Will or the location of bank accounts but decisions likely pass in a blur. This column is to help when tragic events happen. […]
Continue readingPennsylvania ABLE Program Heralded As a Success
One of the problems affecting disabled persons in the Medicaid and Supplemental Security (SSI) systems has been extreme limitations on the amount they can carry in savings and still continue to qualify. A national program adopted by Pennsylvania in 2014 helps to deal with this to some extent particularly as it affects individuals who became […]
Continue readingQuestions to Ask Before Becoming a Trustee
At some point as family members, neighbors, or friends are planning their estates you might be asked whether you would be willing to serve as a Trustee. Especially if you have not had this experience in the past it would be reasonable to ask for further information. A source to which I belong, Elder Law […]
Continue readingPlanning When You Own A Vacation Home
If you own a vacation home this may be the time when you begin the trek back home, wave goodbye to the summer and early fall, and return to work at home or sit back and enjoy retirement. It might also be the time finally when you take a hard look into the future and […]
Continue readingWhy Was Britney Spears Placed Under Conservatorship?
Thirteen years ago Britney Spears, a young, immensely popular American rock star, was placed under conservatorship in California, a term roughly equivalent to guardianship in Pennsylvania, under the control of her father, Jamie Spears, for both her person and estate (finances). That arrangement has been modified somewhat over the years and her father lost some […]
Continue readingHow to Deal With An Estate That Does Not Have Enough Money
Being appointed Executor of an estate is often considered an honor. When the assets do not match up with the bills or with required distributions, the position can, however, result in headaches. An experienced elder law or estate attorney can help you through with sound advice. However, here are some things to know. Probate assets […]
Continue readingWhat Do Elder Law Attorneys Do?
In an age of specialization it is not uncommon to wonder specifically where one professional category begins and another ends. This can especially be true in the matter of defining “elder law” and understanding what an elder law attorney can or cannot accomplish. An easy answer sometimes used to differentiate elder law from estate planning […]
Continue readingWays to Protect Yourself When Appointing a Power of Attorney
Whether to appoint someone as your Power of Attorney (technically speaking your “Agent under Power of Attorney”) is a personal decision but one, as an elder law attorney I generally recommend. Experienced lawyers from The Law Office of Deidra N. Haynes LLC serving Indianapolis says that sometimes, though, seniors especially can experience difficulty deciding who […]
Continue readingShould You Move To A Senior Community?
This is the time, if you are a senior, when you begin to receive multiple flyers espousing the benefits of senior communities and inviting you to visit. The photographs are tempting. You probably also noted receipt of postcards, flyers and even phone calls asking you to sell your house “as is” making no repairs. Admittedly […]
Continue readingA Business Checklist of Things To Know When Your Loved One Dies
The most difficult time of your life might also be the time when you most need to pull everything together businesswise for gaming and forge ahead. If your husband, wife, mother, father, child or sibling dies you need to know your rights and responsibilities and what to do next. Here is some information to help. […]
Continue readingIs Income Tax Due on Inheritance?
To avoid suspense and provide a spoiler alert I can say, generally speaking, federal income tax is not payable on inheritances. This should come as a relief to potential beneficiaries concerned that a prospective inheritance would move them to a higher tax bracket. Not so. However, there are other taxes that, depending on the jurisdiction, […]
Continue readingThe Trials of Administering a Hoarder’s Estate
Suppose when your great uncle Jim died you did not know you were appointed executor of his estate or that he was a hoarder. You had heard of hoarding as a national problem and maybe even listened to the television series. If you found yourself in this situation or it might occur in the future, […]
Continue readingCombined Families – When Does It Work?
COVID-19 changed many things – not the least of which may be how and where we live. In working with clients I noticed repeated patterns of children moving in with parents and grandparents, where adult children often bring along their own extended families. While in the earlier days of COVID much was made of how […]
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