Assisting an elderly parent with the Medicaid application process can be quite complicated. The New Old Age blog recently published an article by an experienced Elder Law attorney. In the article, Craig Reaves provides basic information on how Medicaid benefits may affect an applicant’s ownership of his or her primary residence. Mr. Reaves notes that […]
A recent article published by Forbes, entitled “How to Protect Your Spouse Financially After You Are Gone,” provides a great roadmap for organizing your affairs in order to assist grieving loved ones after your death. See also my past post, entitled “Get Organized,” which provides an outline for creating an “Emergency Binder.” Taking the time […]
It is a fact of life that not every marriage will last until the death of either spouse. Thus, it is important to understand the effects of divorce on inheritance. Commencement of Divorce Proceedings In Minnesota, many believe that simply the commencement of a divorce will revoke any disposition to a soon-to-be-ex-spouse. This is not […]
Selection of the appropriate trustee is often an emotional decision. While many grantors may feel that naming someone outside the family to act as trustee may be seen as a “vote of no confidence” for their family, they should instead view that decision as both loving and prudent. Simply put, when a grantor names a […]
So often clients come to us for help with an estate plan, convinced that a living trust is necessary because they have heard that it is the ideal tool to assure avoidance of a ‘dreaded’ probate proceeding. Many believe that probate is expensive, time-consuming and overwhelming. Therefore, a living trust, coupled with a pour-over will, […]
I knew it was coming. The dreaded question: “Can I use a will-maker software program rather than have an attorney draft my estate plan?” My explanation of the risks and pitfalls does not always satisfy the friend or family member inquiring about why they cannot use the cheaper option for their extremely simple estate plan. […]