In the fall of 1990, some thirty-four years ago, your writer first heard of the proposition that if you set up a living trust your estate doesn’t have to go to court to settle – the so-called probate court proceeding for wills. Having spent the previous eleven years as a…
In second marriage planning, a co-trustee is sometimes recommended on the death of the first spouse. While both spouses are living and competent they run their trust or trusts together. But when one spouse dies, what prevents the other spouse from diverting all of the assets to their own children?…
Gratitude has to do with appreciation. Appreciation means to add value to. Things that appreciate tend to grow, just as being grateful for something or someone raises its or their value in our estimation. Even though, at any given time, countless more things are going right than going wrong in…
Adapted from author Doug Armey, the following are keys to keeping your brain “lit” as you age. Flow. A sedentary life causes brain deterioration. Blood flow to the brain keeps oxygen in your brain cells which gives them life. Keep moving, walking and get some exercise. Energize. Junk food clogs…
For the ever-increasing number of those who become legally incapacitated later in life (i.e. unable to handle their legal and financial affairs) having a legal guardian appointed looms as a distinct possibility. A guardianship proceeding may be commenced by a hospital, nursing home, assisted living residence, family member or a…
Estate planning varies substantially between individuals and is influenced greatly by a person’s goals. Each individual also has a unique situation as well as a background to consider. Two individuals with similar kinds of assets are worried about protecting property from future elderly care centers that might sound like they…
The states currently resisting Medicare are currently falling behind in job-market strength as well as the growth of income. Meanwhile, even the states that later signed up for Obamacare are witnessing more prosperous economies. Obamacare created a substantial debate in the country before it was passed into law. One question…
A possible palliative care demonstration care model recently got substantial support from the House Ways and Mean Committee. Ten members of the committee wrote a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service Administrator requesting either a new community-based palliative care demonstration model or building on the Medicare Care…
Our lawyers recently heard of a divorced individual who passed away and left two children below the age of 18 years. When the person passed away, the individual had no will in place. As a result, it was uncertain who the deceased individual wanted to appoint as a personal representative…
If you receive an inheritance but are also married, the person who passed on an inheritance to you likely intended only to benefit from these funds. If you end up getting divorced, you’re probably left wondering how you can guard the inheritance. Most assets gained by a couple during a…