Last week we discussed a study that found African Americans were less likely to have certain estate planning documents in some situations. Specifically, they were less likely to have advance directives or living wills when they were residents of a nursing home or...
Is a reverse mortgage a good financial move? Well, the answer to that question is the same as just about all legal questions - it depends. For some people, a reverse mortgage may turn out to be a good estate planning decision that allows them to use their home equity....
When someone famous passes away, it is still possible for his or her estate to continue earning money. Consequently, the deaths of many celebrities give rise to litigation based on estate planning documents, such as wills and trusts, because their beneficiaries often...
A recent study seems to indicate that a growing number of people are utilizing documents such as living wills and advance directives. However, in an interesting twist, there also seems to be a gap between black individuals and white individuals when it comes to using...
Some Massachusetts pet owners breathed a sigh of relief last week after Governor Deval Patrick signed a much anticipated piece of pet trust legislation. The legislation authorizes trusts to be created for the care of a pet or pets after if pet owner were to die or...
The federal government recently released new federal state tax exemptions for 2011 and 2012 that benefit the wealthy more than some state legislatures anticipated, with exemptions available up to $5 million per estate and $10 million per couple. Though...
In our last post, we began discussing some of the issues surrounding paying family members to provide caregiving services. Here, we want to continue that discussion by talking about potential tax implications and how these arrangements may affect Medicaid...
A confluence of factors are presenting many people with some interesting and complex problems related to Medicaid planning and estate planning. An aging population, high unemployment, and the rising cost of long-term care have combined to present many with the...
