Published Estate Planning
& Elder Law Articles
Palm Beach Post Ask the Legal Advocates
Surviving Spouse Thinks She’s Entitled to More of Deceased Husband’s Estate March 26, 2020
Help With Unreimbursed Medical Expenses Available for Certain Veterans March 19, 2020
Daughter Wonders How to Stop Dad From Sending Money to Online “Girlfriend” March 12, 2020
Questions About Florida Probate From Out-Of-State Personal Representative March 5, 2020
Too Late To Create Medicaid Asset Trust For Father, But Other Asset Protection Strategies May Exist February 27, 2020
Young Parents Question Need For A Will, Durable Power of Attorney February 20. 2020
Life Insurance Proceeds Will Go Through Probate If The Beneficiary Is The Estate Feb 13, 2020
Medicaid Benefits For Assisted Living Very Difficult to Obtain January 30, 2020
Wife Frustrated That Husband Won’t Do A Will, Won’t Discuss Planning January 23, 2020
Estate Planning Options Under the New SECURE Act: Preliminary Thoughts January 16, 2020
SECURE Act Makes Big Changes To Retirement Savings, Estate Planning Options January 9, 2020
Trustee Need Not Go It Alone When Handling Money For Irresponsible Cousin January 2, 2020
Recent Florida Transplant Asks About Function of Health Care Surrogate, Health Care Proxy December 26, 2019
Too Many Codicils Can Make A Will Confusing, Invite Estate Challenges December 19, 2019
Care giving, Rent Expenses Father Paid Adult Child Might Affect Medicaid Benefits For Nursing Home Care December 12, 2019
Brothers Want To Sell Mother’s Home But Don’t Know Date-of-Death Value For Tax Purpose December 5, 2019
Parents Wondering How to Provide For Children of Different Ages with Different Needs November 28, 2019
Man Wants Soon-To-Be Ex Wife To Continue As Health Care Decision Maker November 21, 2019
Siblings Arguing Over Paying For Elderly Father’s Care November 14, 2019
Veteran’s Widow May Qualify For Aid and Attendance Benefits November 7, 2019
Changing Estate Tax Laws Make Planning Complicated for Couple October 31, 2019
Successor Trustee Does Not Have Authority To Change Terms of Mother’s Trust October 24, 2019
Personal Representative Must Take Special Steps After Discovering Late Friend’s Will Not Self-Proving October 17, 2019
Adult Stepchild Wonders if Stepmother Left Her An Inheritance October 10, 2019
Medicaid Planning Advice From Non-Lawyer Could Spell Trouble October 3, 2019
Voluntary Guardianship May Be Solution For Still-Competent Father With Alzheimer’s September 26, 2019Angry
Angry Granddaughter Denied Inheritance Because of Husband’s Religion September 19, 2019
Parents Worry About Protecting Special Needs Child And Leaving Inheritance For Other Children, Too September 12, 2019
Mother’s Probate Avoidance Plan Could End Up Shortchanging Daughter September 5, 2019
Qualified Income Trust Can Help Establish Medicaid Eligibility of Applicant’s Income Too High August 29, 2019
Writer Worries That He Is Responsible For Late Brother’s Medical Bills August 22, 2019
Financial Institutions May Not Honor Older Durable Power of Attorney August 15, 2019
Living Trust Requires No Special Tax Treatment August 8, 2019
Widow Retains Life Estate Even If Not Living In Deceased Spouse’s Home August 1, 2019
Widowed Florida resident wants to move closer to family but worries about impact on estate taxes July 25, 2019
Making One Son Trustee For The Other Could Create Sibling Conflict July 18, 2019
Children Frustrated by Mom’s Long Term Care Insurance Company’s Denial of Benefits July 11, 2019
Daughter Expected to Inherit Condo, Discovered Her Brother Is On Deed. Can She Sell The Unit? July 4, 2019
Handling Incapacitate Father’s Financial Affairs Does Not Require Living Nearby June 27, 2019
18-year-old Child Needs Health Care Proxy, Durable Power of Attorney So Parents Can Assist In Emergency June 20, 2019
Five Year Rule for Medicaid Is Often Misunderstood June 13, 2019
Securing Home Equity Loan On Home in Trust May Require Temporarily Retitling June 6, 2019
Recent DivorceeWho Had Joint Living Trust With Ex Seeks Advice on Next Steps May 30, 2019
Dad Is In A Nursing Home. Does His IRA Disqualify Him From Getting Medicaid Benefits To Help Cover Cost? May 23,2019
You Don’t Have To Be Wealthy For You and Your Family to Reap the Benefits of a Living Trust May 16, 2019
Contributions to Children’s UTMA May Affect Medicaid Eligibility May 9, 2019
Transferring Free Airline Miles Might Require Doing a Bit of Legwork First May 2, 2019
Daughter-in-Law’s Spending Habits Lead Mom To Remove Son As Attorney-In-Fact Under Her Durable Power of Attorney April 25, 2019
Caregiver Daughter Must Document Compensation To Protect Mother’s Medicicaid Eligibility April 18, 2019
Why Reviewing Your Estate Plan is Prudent, Even If Your Circumstances Appear Unchanged April 11, 2019
Medicaid Considers Transfers Made During Look-Back, Even if Transfers Are Not Taxable April 4, 2019
If Original Will is Lost, Many Steps Required For Photocopy To Be Accepted to Probate March 28, 2019
Son Frustrated By Parents Who Won’t Discuss Their Estate Plan March 21, 2019
Responsibility for Making Sister’s Health Care Decisions Causing Worry March 14, 2019
New Hybrid Policies May Provide Protection From Nursing Home Expenses March 7, 2019
Daughter Suspects Her Sister May Have Pressured Dad To Sign New Will February 28, 2019
Ability To Do Medicaid Planning For Uncle Depends On Powers He Gives Agent In Durable Power of Attorney February 21, 2019
Florida Law Says Ex-Wife Not Entitled To Annuity Unless Divorce Decree Required It February 14, 2019
Leaving Capitally Appreciated Property To Children After Your Death Affords Them Step-Up in Basis February 7, 2019
Deceased Parent’s Estate Responsible for Medical Bills As Long As Child Has Not Personally Guaranteed Them January 31, 2019
Florida Medicaid Benefits Not Automatic For Dad Receiving Benefits In A Different State January 24, 2019
Medicare Doesn’t Pay For Long-Term Nursing Home Care, Medicaid Might January 17, 2019
Parents’ Estate Plan Need Not Include Adult Child January 10, 2019
Under Last Will and Testament, Can Personal Representative Access Digital Assets? January 3, 2019
Florida Resident Worries Will Her Brother Drafted For Her May Not Be Valid December 27, 2018
As Probate Avoidance Measure, Mom Put Son on Deed – Now He Wants Mom to Pay Him For His Share December 20, 2018
Caregiver Needs More Than Verbal Reassurance Of Compensation If Significant Other Predeceases Her December 13, 2018
Are Medicaid Managed Care Program Changes Going to Jeopardize Mother’s Benefits? December 6, 2018
Giving Daughter Gift Not Likely to Impact Estate Taxes, Has No Effect on Income Tax November 29, 2018
Fear About Medicaid Recipient’s Treatment in Nursing Home Not Justified November 22, 2018
Spouse Wants Husband to Live in Condo If He Survives Her, But Wants Daughter to Inherit It November 15, 2018
After Completing Paperwork, Take Other Steps to Relieve Personal Representative’s Burden November 8, 2018
Estate Plan Must Include Plans for Life, Not Just Death November 1, 2018
Daughter with Disability, Mom Worried Son-In-Law Could Get Inheritance October 25, 2018
How is Medicaid Eligibility Impacted by Spouse’s 401K? October 18, 2018
Can’t Contest Will Pre-Death October 11, 2018
Putting IRA in Stretch-Out Trust Protects Spendthrift Daughter September 20, 2018
Dad’s Medicaid Benefits Not Jeopardized if Testamentary Trust Set Up September 13, 2018
Durable Power of Attorney Agent Has No Authority Over Trust Account September 6, 2018
For Probate Avoidance, Trust Often Preferable to POD/TOD Accounts August 30, 2018
Probate Avoidance Not Guaranteed by POD/TOD Designations August 23, 2018
Estate Planning Can Ensure Care for Pet August 16, 2018
HIPAA Restricts Parents’ Ability To Help College Student August 9, 2018
Avoiding Probate By Making Child Co-Owner of Account Not Advisable August 2, 2018
Medicaid Deems Home Deeded to Child to Be a Gift July 26, 2018
Bank Does Not Need Full Revocable Trust To Retitle Assets July 19, 2018
Trustee Has Duty, Despite Beneficiary Complaints July 12, 2018
Home in Living Trust Can Still Get Homestead Exemption July 5, 2018
Younger Couples Needs Estate Planning, Too June 27, 2018
Children’s Expected Inheritance From Dad Goes To Stepmother Instead June 20, 2018
QIT Can Protect Medicaid Eligibility if Applicant’s Income Over Cap June 14, 2018
Upcoming Marriage Has Couple Worried About Estate Plan June 7, 2018
Is An Older Power of Attorney Still Valid? Part Two May 31, 2018
Is An Older Power of Attorney Still Valid? Part One May 24, 2017
Florida Medicaid Eligibility Potentially Impacted by Home Rental May 17, 2018
Child With Disability Can Be Beneficiary of Pooled Special Needs Trust May 10, 2018
Significant Other Can Take Steps to Ensure Girlfriend Can Live In Home May 3, 2018
V.A. Pension With Aid and Attendance May Help Cover Care Costs April 26, 2018
Uncle Refuses Health Care Planning, Worrying Niece April 19, 2018
Life Insurance Proceeds Go to Estate If No Living Beneficaries April 12, 2018
Home Refinance May Involve Temporarily Removing It From Living Trust April 5, 2018
Trustee of Friend’s Estate Overwhelmed, But Need Not Resign March 29, 2018
Children’s Health Decisions Can Be Temporarily Left To Grandparents August 17, 2017
Boomer Times & Senior Life
No, Medicare Doesn’t Pay For Long-Term Care. So What Are Your Options? March 2020
Congratulations on Getting Your Estate Plan Done…Now Let’s Double-Check the Details December 2019
The Hidden Risks of Payable on Death Accounts November 2019
I Didn’t Know That! Part 3 October 2019
I Didn’t Know That! Part 2 September 2019
I Didn’t Know That! Part 1 August 2019
To Discourage Challenges, How You Create Your Estate Plan Is As Important As What’s In It June 2019
There May Be Money Out There With Your Name On It (No Kidding!) May 2019
A Plan You and Your Family Need – But Hopefully Won’t Use April 2019
Spouse Going Into Nursing Home? Why Estate Plans of BOTH Spouses Need Review March 2019
Don’t Confuse Federal Tax Law With Florida Medicaid Law February 2019
Why Your Old Estate Plan Could Mean Trouble, And What To Do Now January 2019
Will You Lose Your House If You Get Medicaid Benefits For Nursing Home Care? December 2018
Understand What Your Legal Documents Mean November 2018
Don’t Ignore Your Estate Planning: A Lesson From the Queen of Soul September 2018
Who Should You Choose As Your Trustee? August 2018
When Older Couples Do Not Want To Tie The Knot July 2018
Discussing Your Estate Plan With Adult Children Can Avert Future Discord June 2018
The Importance of Advance Directives May 2018
Are You Neglecting Your Estate Planning? These Might Be The Reasons April 2018
Life Insurance is An Excellent Protection and Important Asset March 2018
