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Can You Do Estate Planning Yourself? We hear this question all the time: “Can’t I just grab a will off the internet, do a transfer-on-death deed for my land, put my kids on my bank account, and be done with my estate plan?” It’s just not a good idea. For the plan to work as...

Coronavirus has left little untouched, especially when it comes to our values and priorities- most specifically our health. The little COVID-19 clinical information relating to treatment options and likely outcomes based on personal health history should lead all of us to the same conclusion; hope for the best, be prepared for the worst. If you...

We lawyers prepare powers-of-attorney documents so that when our clients can no longer act for themselves, the documents will convey on other trusted people the authority to act on our clients’ behalf. But when it comes to actually using those documents at the time of a healthcare crisis, clear and powerful documents are just the...

As your parents age, it is essential that you have conversations with them about their finances. To broach the topic, you might bring up current events like the coronavirus pandemic, its effect on economic conditions, and how it relates to the security of their financial future. The conversation should come from a calming place of...

Family systems have a natural habit of stepping in to provide health care to their aging relatives. The love and care many adult children receive growing up become reciprocal, particularly in the case of their aging parents. But with the advent of longer lives, it is not atypical that a senior parent may still be...

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program available to individuals who meet certain asset requirements that help them pay for long-term care (LTC) costs. Long-term care often creates devastating financial impacts on Americans, particularly the elderly, and for those family members who lose hours of income (and more) while providing care for their loved...

Mistakes can be made when it comes to inheritances and Medicaid. Those mistakes can be costly. When a person is drawing Medicaid benefits and inherits money or property, that inheritance jeopardizes the benefits. The inheritance must be handled carefully to minimize expensive penalties. What “careful” means, though, can be misunderstood without the necessary expertise. The...

When a medical crisis arises, there are many questions asked about the potentially serious decision-making needs that arise. Is there a: Health care directive? Health care proxy? Medical power of attorney? Do not resuscitate? What about HIPAA? What do all of these terms mean? And what are the differences? Some have heard of these types...

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a financial toll on Americans over the last year. We saw the unemployment rate exceed 14 percent in the spring of 2020. Since then, it has gradually declined to a low of 6.3 percent in January 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We previously discussed the possibility of...