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A headline-grabbing story last week in the New York Post offers a good reminder of the need to be crystal clear in certain estate planning situations to avoid drawn-out legal battles. According to reports, two siblings are engaged in a dispute over how to divide up an inheritance that they…
The New York Medicaid program is a critical lifeline for millions of residents. Unfortunately, many remain confused by some of the complex details. It is common to have only a fragmented understanding of how Medicaid works from random discussions with friends and neighbors or by hearing snippets of news clips…
The face of New York nursing home care has been changing in recent years. The traditional model of individual counties throughout the state owning and operating facilities to provide care to ailing seniors is being phased out in may places. Instead, the counties are selling the homes to private companies…
Most legal matters have built-in complexities. Anyone who has purchased a home, for example, can appreciate the mountain of paperwork will dense legalese that must be filled out . Things are only made more challenging where there are significant emotions tied up in the dealings–like when the home was owned…
Of the many estate planning lessons pulled for the tragic death of Philip Seymour Hoffman in New York last month is the need to properly update your documents. Hoffman’s will was drafted nearly ten years earlier. It had not been changed to reflect his new life circumstances, particularly the birth…
Nursing home horror stories abound, and everyone has likely heard some tale of seniors suffering neglect at a New York long-term care facility. It is for that reason that elder care advocates always suggest doing your homework before making a final decision about where to receive skilled nursing care. One…
Art Collector Disappointed Her Kids Don’t want her Collection: Makes Backup Plan A recent Wall Street Journal article discussed how estate plans protect art collections. The feature focused on a widowed woman with an art collection worth $250,000. The woman and her late husband traveled extensively and amassed the collectibles…
Messages about elder care, selecting a nursing home, securing Medicaid support, and similar matters are often directed not at the seniors themselves but their adult children. This is a cultural adaptation that recognizes the role that adult children play in caregiving for their parents. While the rate of child-caregivers may…
A quick Google search reveals about 10,000 articles providing 5, 10, 15, or more reasons why everyone needs an estate plan. While that makes a catchy headline, it may not be technically correct. After all, in most instances, it is impossible for minors under 18 years old to enter into…
Earlier this week we discussed the tragic death of New York actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. There are many estate planning lessons to take away for Hoffman’s situation, including the need to update a will after every life event. Hoffman unintentionally left out two of his children by not updating his…