Blog: Estate Planning
Florida Probate Questions Answered: What about Homestead Property?
Florida Probate Florida law recently changed in October, 2010 with respect to how a homestead passes from the decedent to his or her surviving spouse and descendants. Under the old law, if the house was solely in the name of the decedent who was survived by a spouse,...
Florida Probate: What if there is no Will?
If a person dies without a Will (or if the Will is invalid), then the estate is “intestate”. This simply means that Florida law dictates the decedent’s heirs and who is entitled to administer the estate, i.e., be the personal representative/executor. If someone dies...
Florida Probate & Estate Planning: What is a Will?
A will in Florida is a writing, signed by the decedent and two witnesses, that meets the requirements of Florida law. Additionally, to save your estate costs at your death, the Will should have a “self-proving affidavit” where both the decedent and the witnesses sign...
What is Probate? Florida Probate Answers Revealed
What is probate? Probate in Florida is a court-supervised process where assets of a deceased person (the decedent) are identified and gathered by the personal representative/executor (means the same thing). Essentially, the personal representative pays the decedent’s...
Is a Durable Power of Attorney useful after someone dies?
Durable Power of Attorney: can it be used after death? I had a client call me last month after her mother passed away. She wanted to know why she couldn’t use the Florida durable power of attorney (DPOA) she had for her mother to close out a bank...
Important 2010 Tax Info Every Teacher Should Learn
If you are a teacher, student or someone who itemizes on their tax return, don’t plan on filing your tax return early. Because Congress waited so long in passing the Tax Relief Act of 2010, the Internal Revenue Service will be not be begin processing some tax returns...
The Tax Relief Act of 2010 – How Does it Affect You?
On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law the 2010 Tax Relief Act which has provisions dealing with income tax, estate tax and unemployment insurance provisions. What is important about this new law is that it is a temporary measure and, for the most...
Dad, Can We Talk? Answers to 9 Top Questions About Discussing Long-Term Care Planning
Recently a reporter asked ElderLawAnswers founder and president, Harry S. Margolis, some questions for an article on talking with aging parents or other family members about sensitive issues such as wills, funeral arrangements, assisted living or medical treatment...
Elder Law Attorneys Specialize in Helping the Elderly
Many elderly persons rely entirely on their children, family members or other trusted individuals to help them. This dependence upon caregivers or family members makes an older person more vulnerable to abuse and financial exploitation. Legal arrangements and...
Employer Support for Care Giving Employees
“There are only four kinds of people in this world. Those who have been caregivers, those who are caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.” Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that in the year...
Are your parents financially healthy?
The Financial Health of Aging Seniors With our current economic challenges, those of us looking forward to retirement need to be well-informed about our financial needs in coming years. And not only pre-retirees, but individuals already in retirement need to be wise...
The conversation nobody wants to have…
PreNeed (Pre-Paid) Funeral and Burial Plans Advantages and Disadvantages of Prepaid Plans One way to plan in advance for the end of one's life is to sign a formal contract called a "preneed funeral plan." With this plan, money to pay for a funeral and/or burial is...
Can’t Afford Long-Term Care Insurance? Consider These Creative Strategies
By Steve Vernon | Aug 23, 2010 Original Article Found Here This post continues my ongoing series on the threat of big bills for long-term care, starting with my first post Should You Buy Long-Term Care Insurance? Last Monday I provided tips for buying long-term care...
Helping Your Elderly Parent with COPD Related Depression
Experts say that over a million people in the United States have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a chronic lung condition that includes bronchitis, emphysema or both. COPD affects the airways and air sacs within the lungs, which makes breathing...
The Third Generation Connection
Written By : Eleni McDermott Original Article found at Seniors List: Click here "Your first child is your last doll and your first grandchild is your first baby" Russian ProverbToday we are witnessing a new breed of grandmother. She is energetic, better educated,...