Medicaid application trial and error creates big problems for nursing home residents. Unfortunately, it is a common practice that creates financial nightmares for nursing home residents’ families. This article explains common Medicaid application problems and suggests when people should seek professional help from experienced elder law attorneys. Medicaid Application Trial and Error – Repetition Doesn’t […]

A “free” power of attorney is very much like free firearms, free explosives, and free hazardous chemicals. Each item may be useful when someone uses it properly, but it would be irresponsible to deliver such things to people randomly. This article explains why it is dangerous for people to sign an off-the-shelf, “free” power of […]

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) published a new final rule on September 18, 2018. The new rule radically alters eligibility requirements for need-based VA pensions.  This article summarizes and explains new need-based VA pension eligibility requirements that take effect on October 18, 2018. Affected Veterans & Family Members The revised pension requirements […]

When an estate plan depends on someone to “do the right thing,” someone will inevitably dispute

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Clients and people that attend our estate planning presentations during our tours around Southern Indiana often ask whether they can give money to their family members. A common version of the question is, “Is it true that I can give $10,000 (or slightly larger value) […]

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] New clients often ask us to prepare wills and we prepare wills for most of our estate planning clients. We tell clients that wills are important to deal with the business of dying, but death is not usually the biggest issue. A debilitating stroke or […]

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] We began writing about estate planning and elder law topics almost 13 years ago because we kept hearing people recite laws and rules that either did not exist or did not work the way people thought. Even some lawyers have misunderstood rules about gifts and […]

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] Congress passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE Act) today. The ABLE Act says that its purpose is to: (1) To encourage and assist individuals and families in saving private funds for the purpose of supporting individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence, and quality […]

[See our Disclaimers page about relying on this website’s contents.] We think about gift-giving during the holidays, but many people miss  opportunities to give taxable dollars to their favorite tax-exempt churches, colleges, and poverty relief organizations. An entire segment to estate planning is dedicated to the process of helping people give money to charities and […]