Patricia Hardy Johnson was the mother of three daughters: Kathy Wolens, Deirdre Mistri, and Carol Alexander. Prior to her death, Patricia Johnson maintained several investment accounts with Citibank worth nearly $850,000 that were managed by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (MSSB). Ten years ago when she fell ill, Ms. Johnson sent a typewritten letter to her […]
Yikes! Our Top 10 Scariest Articles of 2018
Believe it or not, in Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Special Needs Planning, there are some news stories that sound more like the scary plots of horror movies than real life. The topics can be so horrifying that suddenly, you need to turn on all the lights just to read the news stories and do […]
A New Docubank Feature — My Medical Snapshot
Dear Bebe, I carry around my DocuBank Card, and love the peace of mind of having it in my wallet. I have one concern, however. What if I was too incapacitated and in the emergency room. How would doctors know about my medical history, including the specialists I go to and the medications I take? […]
The Biggest Misconceptions About A Power of Attorney
Q. My lifelong friend, Peter, has an aunt who was never married and never had children of her own. Peter was the closest family member she had, but she was not a very trusting person, and didn’t trust Peter or anyone, especially when it came to money. When she was beginning to experience memory loss, […]
Your Last Wishes Can be as Unique as You Are
Katie was born on July 4th. She got married on that day also and gave birth to her son on July 6th (he was due on the 4th). She was in the military and is a proud American. For her, Independence Day and fireworks have special meaning. So, when she indicated her wishes in her […]
The Graduation Gift Every 18-year-old Really Needs
Q. My daughter, Becca, is graduating from high school next week and attending college in Richmond in the fall. We couldn’t be more proud of all of her accomplishments. We are thrilled that she is just a little over two hours away, and that she can bring a car to school, so she can come […]
When Should I Make Changes to My Incapacity Plan?
Dear Ribbit, I saw the unthinkable happen to a friend of mine in college, and like most college students, he didn’t have incapacity planning in place. I saw it as a sign and got my own planning in order. Now that I graduated, I am wondering– is an incapacity plan something that stays the same […]
Estate Planning for the Modern Family
Q. My family is not what many would consider “ordinary.” I am divorced and have been remarried for five years. I have a 40-year-old stepdaughter, a 25-year-old daughter, and a 10-year-old grandson, all of whom reside with us. My mother lives with us, as well, in a large home that I purchased with her, my brother, and his husband. Any suggestions when it comes to estate planning for my “modern” family? […]
Update Your Estate Planning Documents Now!
Dear Magic, My husband and I came to Evan’s office to do our estate planning several years ago. We have had some family changes since then, such as our children got married and had children of their own. With all this happening and with the new tax plan going into affect, does our estate planning […]
Dementia and the Right to Die
Q. During her last two years of agony, my mother would look at me and her doctors and nurses often and say, “Can’t you just give me a little black pill?” It was obvious to all of us what she meant and, of course, all we could say was that we couldn’t do that, but […]
Top 17 Articles of 2017
From the passing of the RAISE Family Caregivers Act to offer much-needed support to caregivers, to Trump’s tax overhaul, we covered a lot of ground in 2017. It was a year that included a massive data breach, the ACA almost being repealed, and amazing new technological innovations to help seniors age-in-place. At the Farr Law […]
What’s in Your Estate Plan, Mom and Dad?
Q. Our daughter, Melanie, recently came to visit us. She told us that she and her husband will be meeting with your firm to do their estate planning and incapacity planning. Then, she inquired about what we put in our estate plan. We were taken aback by the question, and luckily, the time wasn’t ideal […]
Keeping Emotions Out of the Estate Planning Conversation
Dear Ribbit, I understand that discussing estate planning with adult children can be an emotionally charged conversation. However, I know it’s a critical topic to address with family members. In my situation, my daughter is very sensitive and has always thought my wife and I favor her brother. It’s not true. We honestly don’t favor one child over the other. We do, however, want to leave him certain things, such […]
Her Parents Were Kidnapped by a Professional Guardian
Rudy North was an avid reader, who had a sharp mind and liked to write down quotes from his favorite books. Rennie, his wife of fifty-seven years, was recovering from lymphoma and suffered from neuropathy so severe that her legs felt lifeless. Yet, she spent her mornings prettying herself up for her husband, who referred […]
575,000 People Are Using This Medicare Benefit. Are You?
Q. My friend Kate’s 93-year-old mother, Sue, was recently in palliative care. Sue had her Advance Medical Directive in place and the doctor had access to them. The documents clearly conveyed that she didn’t want aggressive measures to prolong her life. Sue also signed a HIPAA Waiver allowing the doctor to share confidential medical information […]
Plan Your Lifespan: A No-Cost Tool for Planning in Advance
Phyllis Mitzen, a 72-year-old semi-retired social worker, has worked with seniors for many years and understands the value of planning for future healthcare needs. Yet, she herself has put off the task. Phyllis’s husband is turning 76 this year. And although she and her husband are both still quite healthy, who knows what might happen […]
TED Talks: New Ways to Think About Death
Most people don’t like to think about dying. We’d rather focus our energy on the people and the things we love, happy times, and things that bring us joy. But, as we all know, death is inevitable, and shouldn’t be ignored. Despite what most think,these conversations don’t have to be sad and depressing. They can be positive and thought-provoking. As […]
Overcoming the Fear of Death
Q. My mother always said that there are two topics to avoid in conversation, whenever possible: religion and politics. Unlike some of my Facebook friends and others I have known, I took this advice to heart and don’t have many enemies. Now that she is in her 80’s, and I am in my 60’s, and my daughter is nearly […]
How to Choose a Health Care Agent
Dear Angel, I have an appointment to do my incapacity planning, and I’m a little indecisive about who I should choose as my health care agent. What qualities would make someone a good choice for a health care agent? I’m hoping this will help me make my choice. Thanks, Dee Sissions —– Dear Dee, A […]
Have You Prepared for Your Digital Afterlife? Most People Haven’t.
Q. My mother is very tech savvy. She is always on Facebook posting pictures, articles, and recipes. She uses online bill pay to pay most of her bills, and Microsoft Office 365 to keep a daily diary in Word and her monthly budget in Excel. She uses different passwords for everything, since she feels like […]