The Basics of Organ Donation


March 28, 2013
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Many of us come across the thought of organ donation for the first time when we apply for a driver’s license. Usually at that young age, it is a topic difficult to consider and oftentimes disregarded. As we age we begin to consider the opportunity each one of us has to save another’s life with […]

The Tolls of Caregiving


February 12, 2013
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Given the prevalent role families play in providing long-term care, insurance may not always seem necessary. However, as briefly discussed in my last post on the basics of long-term care insurance, the true value of long-term care insurance involves protecting the wellbeing of loved ones. Even though spouses and adult children are often willing to […]

Use it or Lose It Long-Term Care Insurance? Not So Anymore


February 6, 2013
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Statistics have shown and there is little denying that long-term care will be in most of our futures at some time and to some extent.  It also seems to reason that the premiums/costs to insure against this almost inevitable risk are far less than the cost of paying these fees out of pocket.  We can […]

PROFESSIONAL FIDUCIARIES: WHO NEEDS THEM?


December 12, 2012
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People need fiduciaries for a variety of reasons, but this article is written with elderly people who are incapacitated by dementia in mind. Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a variety of diseases that affect memory, attention, language, and problem solving abilities to such an extent that daily living is seriously affected.   I […]

Long Term Care: Are You Prepared?


November 5, 2012
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One of the main goals at Epilawg is to help you plan your own epilogue to your life. Many of the posts here discuss passing on what you’ve accumulated during your lifetime to your loved ones. However, what if everything you accumulated throughout your life is lost because of your health? Because you did not […]

End of Life Decisions with a Guardianship


October 29, 2012
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Earlier this month, a Hennepin County District Court Judge addressed the questions, “Who has the power to decide if a person under guardianship should be allowed to die?  Should it be the guardian …?  Should it be the Court …?”

Digital assets and your fiduciaries


October 19, 2012
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Here on Epilawg, we already have great articles about the estate planning for social media accounts and the importance of having an estate plan that addresses ownership of digital art. This article will address the importance of giving fiduciaries information about digital assets for a smooth management of your incapacity plan and the proper administration of your estate plan. It makes […]

Guardianship Basics


October 17, 2012
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What is a Guardianship? A guardianship is a determination by the Court that a person (proposed ward) is incapacitated.  The judge must make this decision based upon clear and convincing evidence. “Incapacitated person” means an individual who is impaired to the extent of lacking sufficient understanding or capacity to make or communicate responsible personal decisions, […]

QR Codes … for Estate Planning?


August 3, 2012
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QR codes, those squares made of square dots arranged in a pattern that you scan with your smart phone, are popping up everywhere these days.  Consequently, I was not at all surprised when I saw a story on the local CBS evening news … QR Codes On Headstones: Preserving Personalities Of Those Passed.

Arresting Motion: Estate Planning for Artists


February 14, 2012
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“The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.” ~William Faulkner, Author and Nobel Prize Laureate. Part I: The Big Picture. As an estate planning attorney, […]

Young, Single, Childless and Broke? You Still Need an Estate Plan


January 10, 2012
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It is a common misconception that estate planning is only necessary for the wealthy or those with a spouse and children. However, all individuals, no matter what their financial situation may be, can benefit from preparing for the future with estate planning tools, too. An estate plan includes more than creating a Will or trust […]