This year saw a number of tragic celebrity deaths, and some were complicated further with estate planning issues. Using these stories can be a good way to transition into discussing issues of estate planning with your own family. A look back on the celebrity deaths and estate battles of the…
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New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
Getting the Most from Your High Asset Divorce
Divorce is almost always an emotionally and financially draining experience, and high asset divorces come with an increased level of tension and drama. It is because of that emotion that some spouses in high asset divorce settlements make irrational decisions or financial errors that can cost them thousands or millions…
Efforts to Decrease Levels of Elder Financial Abuse
According to Kiplinger’s, elder financial abuse has been named the “crime of the 21st century,” and according to a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, as many as twenty percent of America’s elderly population may be victims. However, new efforts by attorneys are being made to train…
Tips for Discussing Estate Plans with Family
It is risky to leave your estate and financial affairs unattended or secret from the rest of your family. According to research released this year, over 64% of all Americans do not have a will, and half of the people included in that statistic have children. When you do not…
Balancing the Trustee & Beneficiary Relationship
Balancing the relationship between a trustee and beneficiary can be delicate, and if it is not handled properly the results can be costly problems and years of frustration. The beneficiaries are set to inherit valuables, homes, stock, and other assets. Yet it is the very nature of those assets that…
Developing Efforts to Curb Elderly Addiction
The increase in the number of elderly Baby Boomers has also meant an increase in the number of seniors abusing medication, other drugs, and alcohol. There are many delicate issues that arise in treating the elderly for addiction. However, efforts are now being made to screen and treat instances of…
Focusing on the Caregiver: Seeing the Invisible Patient
Very few caregivers are ever asked by their loved one’s doctors or other professionals how they are coping with the care of another. Questions like whether the caregiver is eating properly, exercising, sleeping enough, become depressed, or getting any free time is often overlooked. Thankfully, some physicians and other healthcare…
Financial and Estate Planning Moves to Make before Fifty
Each decade of life ushers in a new set of challenges and issues for financial and estate planning. In your 20s, you are trying to establish yourself as independently financial and pay off your student loans. In your 30s, the estate and financial focus typically turns to planning for a…
Estate Planning for Childless Couples: Assigning Power of Attorney
Couples without children have two main tasks when it comes to estate planning: the first is determining how to distribute the assets in the estate. The second, and arguably trickier task, is to assign a person or people who will handle your medical and financial affairs in the unfortunate event…
Bullying and Conflict in Nursing Homes
New research released last week reported that conflict and violence among nursing home residents is widespread and that extremely high rates of violence are common in some facilities. The author of the study, Karl Pillemer, is a professor of gerontology at Weill Cornell College of Medicine, and he presented his…