Recent Blog Posts
Ancillary Probate: When Is It Used, Where It Occurs, and How to Avoid It
Many people own property in more than one state—perhaps a vacation home in Florida, a rental property in a former home state, or even a car titled in another state. It is important to think about how that property will be handled as you create an estate plan. It may be necessary for there… Read More »
Does Inheritance Affect Medicaid?
Inheritance can only be a good thing, right? Wrong. You know what they say… more money, more problems. In this case, few people stop to think: does inheritance affect Medicaid? The answer is … YES! Say your spouse is living in a nursing home because of advanced Parkinson’s. Your spouse is currently receiving Medicaid… Read More »
Will Medicaid take my house if I can’t afford to pay for a nursing home?
Home ownership is the American Dream. People work hard all their lives to own a home, and it is often their most valuable and significant possession. So, when your health begins to fail and the need for long-term care arises, we often get this fear-filled question from our clients: will Medicaid take my house… Read More »
Benefits of a Hybrid Long Term Care Insurance Policy
You have probably heard about the astronomical costs of nursing-home care if you become seriously ill or injured. You might also know that Medicare would cover only a minimal amount of those costs. Private insurance doesn’t seem like a good bet either, if you’ve heard horror stories about skyrocketing premium costs and difficulties in… Read More »
Ways to Hold Title to Property in Maryland and the District of Columbia
For many people, real property, including their home, is a big part of their overall net worth. How the home and other pieces of real property is titled deserves careful consideration. Real estate constitutes the land and any structure, including vegetation, crops, and other natural resources that sit on the land under the state’s… Read More »
What You Need to Know About Estate Planning for Blended Families
The structure of families has changed in the United States: According to statistics cited by the Pew Research Center, six out of ten women who remarry are in blended families, and in about half of those remarriages, stepchildren live with the remarried couple. If you or your grown children are part of a family… Read More »
Your Divorce Decree: The First Step in Estate Planning
You have recently divorced your spouse and the judge has signed the divorce decree. Now what? Although you may feel as though you have spent enough time and money on lawyers, there is one last attorney you need to talk to: an estate planning attorney. Failing to update your estate plan after divorce can… Read More »
Why a Living Will is Important
A living will is a legal document that lays out your preferences for life-sustaining medical treatment. It is often accompanied by a health-care proxy or power of attorney, which allows someone to make healthcare decisions for you when you are incapacitated, and the living will does not have specific instructions for the situation at… Read More »
Can adult children be held responsible for parents’ nursing home bills?
The astronomical expense of long-term nursing care is no longer news. Costs can run around $7,000.00 or more per month, depending on location. Hundreds of thousands of people presently need that kind of care and the numbers are rising. Ten thousand “baby boomers” a day turn 65, and it’s projected that seven of ten… Read More »
The Risks of Co-ownership of Property
Many individuals believe that co-owing property with relatives is a cheaper alternative to drafting a will or trust. While this may be true, this strategy has some inherent risks. While owning property with family may let you pass on the asset without going through probate, there are several risks – including taxes, creditor exposure,… Read More »
