Medicaid has strict qualification requirements, which means you need to plan ahead and protect yourself from losing out on this healthcare option. You can protect assets from Medicaid in a trust, but only if you select the right type of trust. What Is a Medicaid Trust and How Does It Protect Your Assets? A Medicaid trust is an irrevocable...
Continue ReadingWhether it was part of your New Year’s resolutions, or you just want to avoid paying too much in taxes this year, there are ways to save on your income tax for 2020. Not only is it good practice to implement these ideas right away (so you are not scrambling just before filing next year), but you can integrate...
Continue ReadingIn addition to creating a will, you must designate beneficiaries to receive any assets that you owned. In the state of New York, the intestacy laws will apply if you do not designate a beneficiary. It is important that you name your beneficiaries, because without anyone named specifically, the state will dictate how your assets are distributed among surviving...
Continue ReadingA trustee is a party who has a fiduciary obligation to any property held by the trust. While the trust holds the legal title to all property and assets within it, the trustee is responsible for following the instructions left in the trust documents, including ensuring the best interests of the beneficiaries are considered. The role of the trustee...
Continue ReadingWhether you have been named the executor of a will or a trustee of an estate, you have just been appointed a major role. This rule comes with strict guidelines and expectations that you must follow as a fiduciary duty. Failing to follow these duties could not only result in you being removed as the executor or trustee, but...
Continue ReadingElderly guardianship occurs when the court appoints one individual to care for an elderly party who can no longer care for themselves. The guardian will then assume duties and responsibilities for that elderly person. The individual appointed does not always have to be a family member, but usually a family member is appointed for this role. When Would an...
Continue ReadingMost people use the terms “estate planning” and “elder law” interchangeably. If you find yourself curious whether they are the same or not, you are not alone. Estate planning deals mostly with helping plan for disability, death, and taxes. The purpose of estate planning is to make sure loved ones receive their inheritance and are taken care of after...
Continue ReadingProbate is a normal process that occurs after someone passes away, and the courts verify that their assets are distributed to the proper parties. Some assets, such as insurance policies and retirement accounts, do not have to go through probate. That is because these assets usually have a designated beneficiary who is named at the time the account is...
Continue ReadingA personal representative of your will, also known as the executor, is the party responsible for carrying out your final wishes, evaluating your estate, filing proper documents, and distributing assets to beneficiaries. It is a role that you should not fill with the first person that comes to mind. Instead, you must carefully think about who you can trust...
Continue ReadingGetting ready for estate planning requires you to not only gather the right documents, but also to create a list of what you want, to determine your expectations, and to be ready to answer important questions during the estate planning process. To ensure you are ready at your estate planning appointment with your attorney, ask for a checklist of...
Continue ReadingA common question asked is how much estate planning will cost. Unfortunately, this is not easily answered by any attorney. Numerous factors play into the cost. Not only do attorneys have set rates and hourly fees that vary, but then there are those factors that can increase the complexity of an estate plan and cost more. Instead of scouring...
Continue ReadingMost seniors and their loved ones apply for Medicaid themselves rather than use an attorney. While you don’t need an attorney to file your application, doing so provides you and your loved ones with numerous benefits. One of the biggest reasons seniors do not use attorneys is not because they don’t need one, but because they are afraid of...
Continue ReadingProbate requires that property you own goes through the court before it can be distributed. When you create a trust, you no longer own the property because you transfer ownership into your trust. Therefore, probate is not necessary. If, however, you leave a piece of property out of the trust, your loved ones may have to continue through probate...
Continue ReadingToday we are in a do-it-yourself society. You fix your plumbing. You perform your vehicle maintenance. You might even self-diagnose on the web versus visiting a doctor when you’re feeling unwell. While there are some things you could do yourself, legal paperwork is not one of them. You might find yourself tempted to write your will and have it...
Continue ReadingProbate is a legal process where a person’s estate is administered and officially closed out. All real property owned by the deceased is assessed by the court and then distributed to interested parties. While it sounds simple, probate is much more than reviewing a person’s assets and handing them over to beneficiaries. The process can take several months –...
Continue ReadingA will might be part of an estate plan, but it is not estate planning. All too often these terms are used synonymously, but in reality, they are quite different from one another. A will is a single drafted legal document, while estate planning dives deeper with multiple documents to protect your estate and your loved ones. Wills and...
Continue ReadingWe live in the digital era. Most of your assets are online, including your bank accounts, social media, and personal data. If you think that you do not need digital estate planning, then you may want to consider just how much of your life and assets are online and stored in computers – not in physical form. Digital estate...
Continue ReadingYou plan for retirement, you plan for significant expenses, but what about Medicare planning? Most individuals under the age of 65 do not think of Medicare until it is too late. Ideally, you want to start planning for Medicare benefits long before you need them. Doing so can ensure you are not only approved but have access to the...
Continue ReadingMedicaid’s application process is extensive, and it includes a detailed review of your assets. Certain assets can disqualify you from this federal and state program. But with the right planning, you might still qualify if you know which assets are countable and which are not. Medicaid and Medicare of often used synonymously, but these are different programs entirely. While...
Continue ReadingConsider how much information you keep on your social media profile before dismissing the idea of including it as part of your estate. Adding it to your estate plan could ensure that the right family member controls those photos, fond memories, and even videos that would be lost forever if no one inherits them. If you are active on...
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