Florida Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog


estate tax
Federal Estate Tax: How It May Impact You and Your Family
November 27, 2020

The federal estate and gift tax has long been the cause of confusion, due in part to frequent changes in the law over the past decades. Whether you have an estate plan in place or are just embarking on your…

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long-term care insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance Can Safeguard Assets, and Premiums May Be Tax Deductible
November 13, 2020

The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance reports that as of January 1, 2020,  7.5 million Americans have some form of long-term care insurance. If you are thinking about purchasing a long-term care insurance policy, you should take into consideration…

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elder abuse
Elder Abuse Not Always Easy To Spot: The Art Dealer And The Deli Owner
October 29, 2020

How can you protect yourself from exploitation and financial abuse if you become incapacitated?  These crimes can be hard to spot. After all, perpetrators go to great lengths to present themselves as helpers, not hustlers. Fortunately there are steps you…

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Florida Durable Power of Attorney
Want Florida Medicaid Benefits For Nursing Home Costs? First You’ll Need The Right Power of Attorney
October 21, 2020

Every Florida adult needs a valid Durable Power of Attorney. This essential legal document gives one or more people – your “agents” – the authority to handle financial matters on your behalf. It provides you with important protections, one of…

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lending and giving money
Consider Loans and Gifts You’ve Made To Your Children When You Create Your Estate Plan
October 17, 2020

Most parents do their best not to favor one child over another. That’s the case when the kids are young, and continues when they are grown. So when you are planning your estate, you probably want to be fair when…

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Social Security Card
Social Security Announces 2021 Cost of Living Adjustment
October 14, 2020

The Social Security annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2021 has been announced: 1.3%. This is among the smallest increases ever, and the smallest since 2017. According to the Social Security Administration, the 1.3% increase will translate to an additional $20 for…

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personal property in Florida estate plan
How Floridians Can Pass Tangible Personal Property to Loved Ones
September 29, 2020

For most people, the ultimate goal of estate planning is to promote family harmony. If your family members get along well, you want your plan to encourage more of the same. If they don’t, you want to avoid adding more…

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Veterans homestead exemption
Florida Amendment Would Pass Homestead Exemption to Widows of Some Veterans
September 25, 2020

Veterans and their families have access to several Florida tax exemptions for homestead property.  One more is on the ballot this November: Florida Amendment 6 –  Ad Valorem Tax Discount for Spouses of Certain Deceased Veterans Who Had Permanent, Combat-Related…

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alzheimer's disease
Sons Remember Fathers Taken By Alzheimer’s
September 24, 2020

With our attention focused on COVID 19, we remain mindful that another plague continues to stalk us. Alzheimer’s Disease currently afflicts over 5 million Americans age 65 and up.  Many of our clients and their families are among them, and…

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University graduate – at age 96
September 16, 2020

Age? Just a number for Giuseppe Paterno. On July 29, he became the oldest person ever to graduate college in Italy, reports Reuters. Paterno is 96. Born in Sicily in 1923 into humble circumstances, higher education wasn’t in the cards…

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