Recent Blog Posts
The Top 5 Reasons Planning Ahead Could Save Your Family and Your Wallet
I was reading a Forbes magazine article the other day entitled “Make a New Year’s Resolution to Give Your Estate Plan a Checkup” by Deborah L. Jacobs, and I was reminded about how much people dislike going to visit their estate planning attorney (I think we’re right...
Ohall named speaker at Medicaid, Medicare and Long-Term Care Seminar
Tampa Attorney, Laurie Ohall, was named one of three instructional speakers at the upcoming National Business Institute Seminar "What Every Attorney Needs to Know About Medicaid, Medicare and Long-Term Care" on January 25, 2012. About the Course: Understand How the...
What you should know about estate planning
(ARA) – If you don’t make $1 million a year, only own one modest home and are still driving the same car you bought six years ago, you might think you don’t need to engage in “estate planning.” Or you may think your family accountant or attorney will be the only...
Financial Safety Nets Important, but Difficult to Achieve
A new American Dream that is less conventional and more personalized is emerging, according to the fifth annual MetLife Study of the American Dream. Specifically stated within the nationwide survey is a look at attitudes toward financial safety nets. A financial...
Social Security Cost Of Living Increase is Good News for Seniors
Some good news for Seniors Social Security announced a 3.6 percent increase in benefits for 2012. This is the first cost-of-living increase since 2009. What does that mean to you? If you are receiving social security, your increase will start with checks issued in...
Cost of Living Adjustment increases aid for Veterans
President Obama signed the Veteran’s Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2011 on November 9, 2011 which increases the rates of veterans’ disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans,...
VA Benefits you might not know existed
Did you know that if you or a family member served in the armed services during a time of war that there may be a benefit available to help pay for nursing home care (or assisted living or other medical expenses)? A little known pension benefit payable to veterans...
Can I Get Paid to Care for an Elderly Family Member?
As the number of family members providing care for aging parents increases, the solutions to find help with loss of income because of time off from employment for caregiving has become a major concern for many. The demands on both the time and energy needed to provide...
Comparison between Florida & Ohio as it relates to estate planning, elder law
As an attorney with license to practice law in both Florida and Ohio, I find that many people I come in contact with either live in Florida and have family in Ohio or vice versa. If you or someone you know happens to fall into one of those categories, you may want to...
The benefits of using an elder law attorney for Medicaid Planning
I had a phone call today from a lady who was concerned about some “Medicaid planning” she had received through a non-elder law attorney firm. The nursing home in which her father resided had suggested she go to this firm of non-attorneys to discuss obtaining Medicaid...
What is a geriatric care manager and how could one help my family?
I am a big advocate of using geriatric care managers to help families, especially when the elder’s children live out of state or far away. A geriatric care manager (GCM) can help families cope with the challenges such as helping the family to identify problems or...
What is the difference between a living will and a DNR?
A DNR order is not the same as a living will. A DNR is an order signed by a doctor which indicates that the patient should not be resuscitated. This has to be signed by both the doctor and the patient (or their healthcare surrogate, healthcare proxy or court...
Florida Guardianship: What is the Role of Guardian?
Guardianship is a very serious matter. A Florida guardian is expected to report to the court on an annual basis regarding how the Ward is being cared for, where the Ward is being cared for and the guardian is expected to provide an accounting to the court regarding...
Florida Guardianship: Who may be appointed as guardian?
Who may be appointed as guardian? Florida statutes state that any resident of the state who is sui juris (legally competent) and 18 years of age or older may act as a guardian of the ward. Non-residents may also serve as guardian as long as they are related by...
Why is a Guardianship Necessary?
Why is a guardianship necessary? A guardianship is a legal proceeding whereby an individual (the “ward) is determined to be incapacitated, their rights are taken away, and a guardian is appointed to take care of the ward and exercise the legal rights of the ward. ...