Having a Will Is Necessary A new survey finds that the majority believe having a will is necessary while less than half the population possess an estate plan. People are understandably conflicted when it comes to the end of life estate planning. We are forced to confront our mortality and consider the future of those…
Life Insurance Trust If done accurately, you can let your life insurance be in a life insurance trust. Once that life insurance trust is in existence, that life insurance, if you die, is payable to the trust beneficiaries, which may be the same people you were going to leave that life insurance to anyway. Because…
Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT) is probably the most effective tool for protecting the home, but did you know the Medicaid Trust can protect more than just the house? Medicaid Trusts can also hold cash assets, and as long as they’re in the trust for five years, those assets cannot be…
Elder Law Attorney Attorneys without the right training can negatively impact you in ways that are very difficult to repair. So what should I look for in selecting just the right elder law attorney? First of all, be sure that this is an area of practice the attorney specializes in and focuses on, as well.…
What’re the Differences? There is a difference between a power of attorney and a durable power of attorney, or DPA. The “durable” occurs when the POA is not affected by your subsequent incapacity, and to be durable, it must be explicitly stated as such. That’s what the durable part means, and we use it for…
What Are the Definitions of Elder Abuse According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, elder abuse is an intentional act or failure to act, by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult. (An older adult…
What Does A Homeowners Association Management Company Do? If you live in a homeowners association, you have probably learned about or maybe even received a non-compliance notice from the association management company. If you have reported common area maintenance problems, this will end up handled by the management company. This means that the management company…
Will & Estate Planning Every state has statutes and laws to create a Will if someone passes away without creating a Will themselves. Those laws are called intestacy laws, and you can be said to have died “intestate” if you have no Will. There are misconceptions about what happens if you die without a Will.…
On October 12, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law, California Senate Bill No. 323, which was sponsored by State Senator Robert Wieckowski. This Bill made many changes to the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act (Davis-Stirling Act). The following is a summary of the changes. This summary is not meant to be relied on…
Depression It is easy to succumb to the dark clutches of depression at any stage of life. Life is full of surprises and twists, and not all of them have a positive effect on the psyche. However, once a senior is in the grasp of depression, it is often difficult to find release. More than…