ARTICLES

Trusts are often used to describe beneficiaries of trust funds, but they are also common and useful tools in the creation of estate plans of all sizes. They are used to manage and protect assets, control the distribution to beneficiaries, and continue family legacies.

It can be emotionally and mentally challenging to consider financial matters and make long-term life decisions. However, it is crucial to wisely manage your assets while aging and provide for the family members who will survive you. Your elder law attorney knows how to create an estate plan strategy that addresses these concerns.

The challenges of banking and bill-paying can increase with age, but incapacitation by accident or sudden illness can strike anyone at any age. Incapacity is not just about mental cognition, accident, or illness. You may have a loved one who cannot drive themselves to the bank or has a distinct visual or hearing impairment.

It's likely that whether you're in the middle of estate planning or just starting to consider your options, you've got questions about how your assets should be distributed and who should handle it. A trust can be a great tool in your estate planning tool kit.

Senior citizens are admired for their wisdom, but long lives can also be associated with grief because they outlive their families, friends, and sometimes even their children. If they can’t maintain and make new meaningful connections as they age, they are at risk for crippling loneliness.

The major disqualifiers for federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) should be reviewed before submitting an application. Eligible individuals can benefit from both programs though they have distinct differences.

One of life's most emotionally draining experiences is losing a close relative. In addition to the emotional burden, one is also responsible for handling the deceased's estate. This part can be especially overwhelming.

You may be wondering what estate planning and elder law entail and how they differ as you begin planning for your future, both financially and in terms of health care needs. Even though these two types of law are for different stages in life, they are often handled at the same time.

It is common for an aging parent to lose the ability to think clearly and make informed and meaningful decisions about their life as they age. This growing inability may occur due to Alzheimer’s disease, other forms of dementia, mental illness, stroke, brain injury, or other severe health or disability conditions.

A person electing you to be the executor of their estate believed that you would be trustworthy to handle their assets and affairs after their death. Even though the decedent nominated you to be their executor, you will still need to be appointed to that role by their local probate court.