Transferring one’s assets prior to applying for Medicaid can create several problems. The government does not want individuals transferring all of their assets to children and relatives in order [...]
Senate Bill 494, also known as the Florida Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, took effect July 1, 2016. The act allows fiduciaries to manage digital assets and communications in the same way [...]
In the last blog, we discussed the issue of financial institutions refusing to honor powers of attorney and making clients sign their own institutions’ legal forms. In order to prevent this from [...]
In a recent New York Times article titled “Finding Out Your Power of Attorney Is Powerless,” the author discusses an issue that frustrates families and elder law attorneys alike —financial [...]
Yesterday a historic bill was signed into law by President Obama. It allocates over $1 billion to fund Alzheimer’s research to find a cause and a cure, and methods of prevention. Since so many [...]
Advance directives are documents that allow individuals to express their preferences and instructions regarding their healthcare and finances. Some advance directives include living wills, [...]
While joint bank accounts can be a convenient and appropriate way for some individuals to title their bank accounts, joint ownership is not the best option for others. There are alternatives to [...]
In 2013, changes were made to estate taxes and now few people are subject to federal estate taxes. For those who die in 2016, the first $5.45 million of an individual’s estate is exempt from [...]
An estate planning tool that couples have utilized for years is the bypass trust. The trust is a long-term planning device that allows a spouse to leave property that will not be subject to [...]
An Incentive Trust is a tool used to encourage certain positive behavior in beneficiaries. Some of this behavior may include earning a college degree, maintaining employment, or abstaining from [...]
