Last Updated: 10/28/2009 10:45:01 AM Everyone has heard the terms “will” and “trust,” but not everyone knows the differences between the two. Both are useful estate planning devices that serve different purposes, and both can work together to create a complete estate plan. One main difference between a will and a trust is that Read Full Article
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Medicare Part B Premiums to Rise 15 Percent for Some, or Maybe None
Last Updated: 10/23/2009 10:48:02 AM After not rising last year, the basic premium for Medicare Part B will shoot up 15 percent to $110.50 a month in 2010 from $96.40 in 2008 and 2009. But most beneficiaries will be exempted from paying this increase. Whether the rest will be able to avoid it as Read Full Article
Protecting Marital Assets From Recovery: Using the “SPA” To Solve A Tax Problem For The Non-Citizen Spouse
By, Gene L. Osofsky, Esq., CFLS, Hayward, CA. Published By California Advocates For Nursing Home Reform, “Legal Network News” , Volume 20, No. 3, Fall, 2009, (Reprinted Here With Permission) When planning to avoid Medi-Cal recovery against marital assets where one spouse is in a Skilled Nursing Facility and receiving a Medi-Cal subsidy, a common technique Read Full Article
Beware of Generic Health Care Proxy Forms
Last Updated: 6/23/2009 4:22:19 PM Hospitals often give patients a health care proxy form to sign on being admitted. While it might seem easy to sign a generic health care proxy form, having a document that is specifically tailored to your needs is important. A health care proxy allows you to appoint someone else Read Full Article
Can We Talk? A Financial Guide for Baby Boomers Assisting Their Elderly Parents
Last Updated: 6/23/2009 4:59:40 PM Robert Mauterstock Jr. Can We Talk? A Financial Guide for Baby Boomers Assisting Their Elderly Parents. Soar with Eagles. Rogers, AR. 2008. 131 pages. $20 from Amazon (click on book to order). Although talking to your parents about money can be difficult, not discussing finances now could mean more Read Full Article
Don’t Fall for the ‘Certified Copy of Your Deed’ Swindle
Last Updated: 6/15/2009 10:18:30 AM Would you pay $60 for something you could get for as little as $1 and probably don’t need at all? A company called National Deed Service is hoping to persuade homeowners to part with the extra cash to purchase a “certified copy” of the deed to their home. Officials Read Full Article
Mediation Can Facilitate an Amicable Senior Divorce
Last Updated: 6/23/2009 2:23:49 PM As people live longer, the divorce rate among seniors is growing. Older couples confront different problems than younger ones do when getting divorced, and a mediator can help sort through these issues and facilitate an amicable settlement. While divorces among younger couples usually focus on child support and visitation Read Full Article
Web Site Aims to Take the Rancor Out of Dividing Up an Estate
Last Updated: 6/26/2008 As ElderLawAnswers has reported, dividing up family heirlooms can be a difficult business. Wills often deal only with financial assets, not personal possessions, and infighting between family members over who gets which personal item can damage relationships for years to come. Now there is a Web site that may help families Read Full Article
Disinheiriting a Relative Can Be Complicated
Last Updated: 6/26/2008 You may feel that you have given one child more during your life, so he or she should get less in your will. Or you may want to cut out an heir altogether. Whatever the reason, disinheriting a close relative–especially a spouse or a child–can be complicated. It may not be Read Full Article
Coping with Dementia
Last Updated: 7/31/2008 Rosemary De Cuir. Coping with Dementia: What Every Caregiver Needs to Know. Trafford Publishing. 2007. 182 pages. $16.95 from Amazon (click on book to order). Having a family member with dementia is extremely stressful and presents unique caregiving challenges. Coping with Dementia is designed to help families of individuals with dementia Read Full Article