Estate Burdens & Opportunities
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Here is my well-worn phrase of the day: “It is not what you say, but how you say it.” Family conversations infused with humanity and...
- Mar 19
- 2 min
Medicaid Marvels
I knew a guy. In the late 1990s, as a young elder-law-clerk-soon-to-be-attorney, the Medicaid system was wildly different than today. The...
- Mar 5
- 2 min
Probate Poetry: Clarifying Legal Complexities
My first clue that the study of law was not going to match my imagination began with the LSAT. Law school’s official standardized test...
- Feb 21
- 2 min
Navigate the Month of Love with Financial Finesse
Connecting Medicaid Planning to matters of the heart may seem unconventional, but the law is surprisingly sympathetic to your primary...
- Jan 30
- 2 min
Understanding Social Security Benefits
Living has its benefits. Stay alive long enough and the government pays you back some of the money you loaned it during your working...
- Jan 8
- 2 min
Reevaluate Your Estate Plan in 2024
I owe a big-time apology to the officials of Ellis Island. In all of our lives, there are little myths that masquerade as facts: Names –...
- Dec 26, 2023
- 3 min
If a Loved One Dies Without a Will
“I am not ready yet!” A Will is a very important document and the process should not be hurried. If the client wants to wait to make a...
- Dec 12, 2023
- 2 min
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Part of an elder law attorney’s job is to turn festive and fun holidays into opportunities for serious, analytical reflection. Christmas...
- Nov 28, 2023
- 2 min
Estate Planning Talk at the Thanksgiving Table
Is there anything more heartwarming than the tradition of a turkey being pardoned by the president before Thanksgiving? Of course not....
- Nov 7, 2023
- 3 min
Estate Planning for Baby Boomers
Boomers do this and Millennials do that. Gen X, who knows? Ascribing personality traits to an entire generation has become a parlor game...
- Sep 26, 2023
- 3 min
Scary Estate Planning Mistakes
The arrival of fall is a special time for people who love to be scared. Haunted hayrides, fright nights and jack-o-lanterns aplenty...
- Sep 13, 2023
- 3 min
Estate Plans for Young Adults
As a professional, I rely on “scientific method” for determining societal views on aging. In common parlance, my “scientific method” is...
- Aug 28, 2023
- 2 min
Do College Students Need an Estate Plan?
Which of these three sentences is true? My pet octopus likes to be walked three times a day. An 18-year-old is an adult. Hudson Valley...
- Aug 18, 2023
- 3 min
Probate: Basics of the Process
You were warned. Lawyers, accountants, bankers, financial advisors, neighbors and Cousin Bernie all warned you. It has to be avoided. Not...
- Aug 1, 2023
- 2 min
Retirement Planning in New York
Sitting in his cushiony, beige rock-and-swivel easy chair, my dad proudly proclaimed his plan for the future: “Alan, only 3,600 days...
- Jul 21, 2023
- 2 min
What to Do When Your Spouse Dies
An estate and elder care attorney’s mission is to introduce practicality into one of life’s elemental tragedies. Losing a life-long...
- Jul 4, 2023
- 2 min
Plan for Your Child With Special Needs
We worry. It is not just the doctor visits, the drumbeat of tests and follow-ups. It is the future. How will my child manage? What kind...
- May 25, 2023
- 2 min
Hire an Elder Law Attorney for Your Medicaid Application
Although the context is slightly different, in my best Liam Neeson voice I want to call attention to elder law attorneys’ “very...
- May 13, 2023
- 2 min
Elder Abuse: Be Part of the Solution
When an aging adult finds it difficult to perform basic tasks, a caregiver may be needed. Caregivers, whether they are family members,...
- May 13, 2023
- 2 min
Having the Right POA When Applying for Medicaid
“I can just download one off the internet,” is a phrase every eldercare and estate planning attorney has heard at one time or another. It...
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