I am pleased, and proud, to let you know that I have recently been accredited as a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA)* by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF). Achieving this designation was not easy, but I knew that by taking part in and completing the rigorous certification process, I would be able to continue… Read More »
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Estate Planning: Don’t Forget The Life Insurance
People put a lot of thought into their Wills and Trusts – particularly the part about who will get what after they die. Specific gifts are carefully drafted, percentages are tweaked, and special needs beneficiaries are addressed using special documents. But there may be other assets that slip through the cracks of this careful planning. … Read More »
Estate Taxes: How Much and What States?
For many people, the “Fiscal Cliff” deal done in January 2013, resolved potential estate tax issues: the Federal threshold for taxable estates was permanently moved to $5,000,000.00 per person (indexed for inflation, so the actual 2013 amount is $5,250,000.00). If the total estate is below that amount, there are no Federal taxes on the estate…. Read More »
May Is Elder Law Education Month
The Massachusetts Bar Association and the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys have joined together to sponsor “Taking Control of Your Future: A Legal Checkup.” Qualified attorneys will be giving presentations throughout the month of May at local Councils on Aging. I will be speaking at the Arlington Council on Aging… Read More »
College Students Need “Estate Planning” Documents
Estate planning is not the first thought most parents have when their child is accepted to college. But it should be addressed before your child goes off to school. Once your child turns 18, they are no longer a minor. Legally, they are an adult. Because the child is no longer a minor, parents do… Read More »
Granny Pods: An Alternative To A Nursing Home?
Officially called a MEDCottage, these are modular units that can be placed in a family members yard and may be an alternative to nursing home placement. The company that manufacturers them, N2Care, says their mission is to “to design, create and deliver products that will enable families the opportunity to directly participate in the extended care… Read More »
Aid and Attendance Benefits
On December 6, 2012 I will be giving a presentation at Atria Longmeadow Place, 42 Mall Rd., Burlington, MA on the Aid and Attendance benefit available for qualified veterans. This presentation is free and open to the public. The presentation starts at 6:30 and refreshments will be served. No reservation is required, but if you… Read More »
Medicare Payment: Improvement No Longer The Standard
For decades, the decision on whether Medicare would pay for coverage for chronically ill patients has been based on the whether the patient’s condition would improve with additional care. That was a very high bar. Many patients undergoing needed physical and occupational therapy would be notified that Medicare would no longer pay because they had… Read More »
Joint Ownership Is NOT An Estate Plan
In an effort to make their children’s lives easier when they pass away, many people use joint ownership as a method for distributing their estate. They believe that this will be the simplest way for their heirs to inherit. In some cases, very few cases, this may be true. In most cases, however, joint ownership… Read More »
How to Avoid Probate
Many people want to avoid Probate Court oversight of the transfer of their estate. In Massachusetts, all the Probate Laws changed on April 2, 2012. Although the new probate laws were supposed to make the process easier, faster, and cheaper, it seems to have had the opposite result. I am sure that in a year or… Read More »