Blog: Estate Planning
Who do I name in my estate planning documents? Decisions, Decisions
Who do I name in my estate planning documents? The hardest decision for some (once they’ve decided to do their estate planning) is who to name in the documents to make decisions. Who do you want to name as the personal representative (also commonly referred to as the...
Top 7 Elder Law, Senior Care Experts to Follow on Twitter
I thought it would be fun to create my own list of top Elder Law and Senior Care related twitter feeds that I enjoy following. These are people that I follow from around the country who are the top in their field of law or who have business that help the elderly. ...
Top 10 Reasons People Don’t Do Their Estate Planning
They are intimidated by the process. Estate planning does not have to be intimidating – you just need to know what to expect. Most attorneys will have you fill out a questionnaire that lists your assets and liabilities and asks you questions like, “Who do you want to...
Making End of Life Decisions
Making End of Life Decisions Whenever I talk to people about creating a living will (which outlines important health care decisions that you want – and, not to be confused with a Last Will and Testament, which specifies who you want to inherit your assets and who will...
Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples
Estate Planning for LGBT couples Estate planning for “non-traditional” families is a very relevant topic and one that I do not think gets enough attention. Same-sex couples have the same estate planning needs as do opposite-sex couples – probably more so, than...
Estate planning after a Divorce
So, you’ve gone through a divorce (and it’s probably taken an emotional toll) and you are thankful that the process is over….or is it? Prior to your divorce, you and your spouse may have taken the time to do your estate planning. Or perhaps you had listed your...
The 3 most important documents every parent should have for their college-bound teenager
Don’t you love that Office Depot jingle where the father is all excited because it’s time to go shopping for school supplies and get the children back to school? It always makes me laugh. It’s also an exciting time for those parents who have children about to go to...
Advance Care Directives – Taking control of your own medical care and destiny
Advance Care Directives are specific instructions about medical care if that person becomes unable to do so. An example is a Living Will, a document that explains the wishes of a person during a terminal illness. Do Not Resuscitate Order, for example: "No CPR if...
Why do I need long term care insurance?
I usually have a discussion with almost every estate planning client that I meet with about long term care insurance. Some clients respond by saying, “I’m too young to need that” to which I respond – ever heard of Terry Schaivo? She was only 26 years old when she...
My special needs child is about to turn 18 – Am I still in charge?
I have been receiving an alarmingly high volume of phone calls over the last few months from individuals who have children with special needs that are about to turn 18 and they are panicked because they have been told they will lose the ability to make legal, health...
What happens to my social media accounts when I die?
Back in 2009, I was featured on Bay News 9 as a reporter was working on a story of a mother who wished to maintain the online presence for her teenage daughter. This question comes up quite a bit as we become a more digital population and our lives play out...
A little estate planning can go a long way
A friend of mine passed away a few weeks ago. He was not married but had a life partner. They had done all of their estate planning and thought that everything was in order. The only problem? My friend’s parent was not very accepting of her child's partner, and,...
Ohall as featured speaker on estate planning for local retirement community
Each month, the Bridges Retirement community invites professionals to present information on various topics related to senior residents. Brandon elder law attorney, Laurie Ohall, will be the featured speaker on May 30, 2012 at 10:00 am discussing the importance of...
Autism at 18: What can a parent do financially and legally?
My child is autistic and is about to turn 18. Her doctor told me that I better look into a guardianship because I will not have any authority to control health care decisions or financial decisions once she turns 18. Is this true? I must receive at least five phone...
What is your religion’s view on Living Wills?
Last year, a couple came into my office to sign their estate planning documents. They were Catholic and when it came time to sign the Living Will, the husband refused to sign it because he was unsure of the Catholic Church’s view on Living Wills. He stated that he...