Category Archives: Estate Planning
Alzheimer’s Disease 2020 Facts and Statistics
There are over 400 types of dementia. While that number is staggering, the most common cause of dementia is due to Alzheimer’s disease, according to the 2020 Facts and Figures report published by the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org). Other better-known types of dementia include vascular, Lewy Body disease, frontotemporal dementia, and early-onset dementia. As of this… Read More »
Yes, Nosy Neighbor Nellie Can Find Out About Your Probate Case!
Most people think of probate (the process of collecting, managing, and distributing a deceased person’s money and property) as a private process. However, because wills are filed at the courthouse (in Maryland, Wills are filed with the Register of Wills and In the District of Columbia, Wills are filed with the Probate Division for… Read More »
No-Contest Clause: Does “No-Contest” Really Mean “No Contest”?
We live in a litigious society. Unfortunately, even family members sometimes file lawsuits because they are dissatisfied with what their parents or loved ones leave them in a will or trust. Some are so disgruntled that they decide to contest or challenge the validity of a will or trust, which can delay its administration… Read More »
Life Insurance: Do I Really Need It?
Recent events have made many of us think about our mortality and how to make sure our loved ones are taken care of especially if we die unexpectedly. Life insurance can be an affordable way to provide for our children, a spouse, a sibling, aging parents, and other loved ones. Life insurance can provide… Read More »
Seniors Are Changing Their Living Wills Due to COVID-19 Concerns
Kaiser Health News is reporting the coronavirus pandemic is prompting seniors to create or modify their living wills. Specifically, intubation is the topic that has many seniors crafting or rethinking their strategies amidst a wealth of disparate COVID-19 information that makes forming reliable conclusions for decision making, dubious at best. Why Seniors are Changing Their Living… Read More »
Estate Planning for Essential Workers: Finding The Right “Prescription”
To all front-line and “essential” workers: Thank you for all of your hard work – day in and day out (and often evenings, nights, and weekends). You tirelessly give of yourself to care for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Whether you are caring for them in a hospital, therapy room,… Read More »
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Senior Community
Around the first of the year, the lives of Americans changed forever. A new virus, CODIV-19, began to spread across our country. The virus, part of a worldwide pandemic, spread quickly and silently. Virtually all aspects of life changed – businesses closed down, social distancing became a new norm, and toilet paper and hand… Read More »
State Estate and Inheritance Tax: What They Are, If Your State Has Them, and How to Plan Accordingly
The federal gift and estate tax exclusion is currently very high—$11.58 million for an individual and $23.16 million for a married couple in 2020. As a result, only very wealthy people currently need to be concerned that their estates will be taxable at the federal level, at least until 2026, when the increased exclusion… Read More »
COVID-19: A Lesson in the Importance of Advance Directives
In this Covid-19 pandemic, a wrenching question demands an answer: if you or someone you love is taken down by a life-threatening illness, how far would you want extreme life-prolonging measures to be tried? In this context, we will discuss the importance of advance directives Importance of Advance Directives vs. DNR Orders For us… Read More »
A Guide to Estate Planning for Non-Citizens
The United States has experienced a surge in immigration since 1970, and there are now approximately 45 million foreign-born people living in the United States. Some of them have become U.S. citizens, but many non-citizens live in the United States as well. In 2019 alone, approximately 1,031,000 foreign nationals obtained lawful permanent resident status.[1]… Read More »
