When a family member dies, the last thing your family wants is to get bogged down in estate details. But there are some things that you absolutely need to be aware of regarding Probate and Estate Administration. Here are some of these important items. After the death of a loved one, all of his […]
What would happen if loved ones suddenly could not make decisions for themselves? Who would make these decisions? What kinds of decisions would they be able to make? These are overwhelming questions to think about, but they are important ones. Texas residents thinking about these questions may want to consider making an advance directive. What […]
Clients often ask us which documents, records, and papers they need to keep in their homes. When determining which documents to shred and which ones to keep, it is important to point out that one should always be careful to destroy any documents that may include sensitive personal information before discarding them. Those who ascribe […]
Detroit Elder Law Attorney – One of our 500 experts available to help you with Elder Care Matters Attorney Sanford (Sandy) J. Mall is the founder and senior partner of Mall Malisow & Cooney, P.C. – The Holistic ElderCare Special Needs & Estate Planning Law Firm located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Sandy is a past Chairperson of the […]
Houston Elder Law Attorney – One of our 500 experts available to help you with Elder Care Matters Serving Greater Houston including Sugarland, Katy, and Bay City Growing older is not something you have to initiate — it just happens. Planning for, and coping with, your later years is another matter, necessitating your active participation. […]
The VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit provides eligible veterans with tax-free income. This benefit also extends to surviving spouses of eligible veterans. A married veteran can receive up to $2,903 per month to help with the cost of long-term care while a surviving spouse can receive up to $1,176 per month. Aid and Attendance can be used to pay anyone, including […]
Many people believe that joint ownership of bank accounts and real estate are an effective way to avoid probate and transfer money to loved ones. But while joint accounts can be useful in certain circumstances, they can have dire consequences if not used properly. Adding a loved one to a bank account can affect your […]
What is elder abuse? Elder abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of sex, social status or ethnic background. It wears many faces and, alarmingly, typically occurs at the hands of the people who are most trusted by the victims – like their spouses, children, grandchildren, caregivers or financial or other advisors. California’s laws set forth […]
While advances in medicine allow people to live longer, questions are often raised about life-sustaining treatment terminally ill patients may or may not want to receive. Those who fail to formally declare these wishes in writing to family members and medical professionals run the risk of having the courts make these decisions. For this reason, […]
Baby boomers are classified as a group of people born between the years of 1946 and 1964. As many as 75 percent of baby boomers are planning their own retirement while juggling family responsibilities. Due to increased life expectancy, as many as 71 percent of baby boomers have at least one living parent, according to […]
Sadly Aging Happens! And, change is a part of the aging process. Changes in eyesight, hearing, bone density, the brain and other physical and psychological functional loss become more severe as people age. Many seniors start to need more care as they experience health problems, or suffer from chronic illness, heart disease, cancer and dementia. […]
Many people understand the importance of developing a comprehensive estate plan for the purpose of administering their assets upon their death, but far fewer understand the equally, if not greater, importance of incapacity planning. Incapacity Planning, also referred to as life planning, is planning for the unfortunate circumstance of becoming unable to control your finances […]
Without question, the core strategy to succeed in having enough for retirement is living well within your means. Keep in mind, there are significant differences in approach depending on your priorities, age, circumstances, income, and tax bracket. One size does not fit all. But generally speaking, you gain more flexibility and choice the earlier you […]
As you might expect, there are several benefits available to assist wounded or disabled Veterans. But unbeknownst to many, there are also pension benefits that exist for men and women who served and were not injured. Lack of knowledge leads veterans to miss out on the important assistance they have earned. However, it is essential to […]
Individuals who obtain health insurance coverage through Medicare may change their 2019 plan selection from October 15, 2018, to December 7, 2018. This is called the Open Enrollment Period and it is the only time during the year that Medicare allows such changes to be made. During the Open Enrollment Period you can make changes to […]
“Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty four?” When Paul McCartney penned those lines he was in his 20s. 64 must have seemed ancient to him. He is well past the 64 mark now, but the tune still resonates. Not quite hidden beneath the clarinets is a serious question […]
As we get ready to turn the page from 2018 to 2019, it is not a bad time to focus on your Rule Book (the set of documents in which you lay out your estate plan) and make sure that the rules you have in place are still consistent with your wishes and your needs. How often you […]
In many families, the situation is familiar: As your loved ones grow older, they need help with daily and routine tasks. Often, a family member steps in and takes care of the elder. Over time, the elder needs more help, so the family caregiver’s responsibilities grow. As the caregiver spends more time with the elder, […]
Long-term caregiving has significant financial consequences for caregiver agreement, particularly for women. Caregivers face the loss of their own income, loss of employer-based benefits, shrinking of savings to pay for caregiving costs and a threat to their retirement income due to fewer contributions to retirement vehicles. One way to compensate an adult child willing to […]
Creating an estate plan can seem to many like an unpleasant chore. Reminders of a person’s mortality are rarely enjoyable, so many people put the task off for “later” — sometimes never getting around to doing it at all. Not creating an estate plan is just one of many common estate planning mistakes that cause […]
When families reach the point where it’s evident that a loved one needs in-home senior care, one of the first problems to solve is the budget. Whether you need round-the-clock care or hourly companionship assistance, there are several budget items that will collectively comprise the cost of in-home care for elderly parents or loved ones. Before […]
Most, if not all, funeral homes offer pre-need funeral arrangements. Pre-need simply means you pay for your funeral arrangements in advance. The allure of the pre-need arrangement is the sense of security it provides to those who wish to leave as little of a burden as possible on their loved ones — including the financial […]
Estate Planning vs Elder Law We are often asked about the difference between estate planning and elder law. Although we believe that the two go hand-in-hand, there are important distinctions between them. One notable similarity, however, is that they are both more universal than they may seem at first glance: estate planning is not only […]
Medicaid law imposes a penalty period if you transferred assets within five years of applying, but what if the transfers had nothing to do with Medicaid? It is difficult to do, but if you can prove you made the transfers for a purpose other than to qualify for Medicaid, you can avoid a penalty. You […]