Many people live with their significant other, but for any number of reasons, choose not to get married.  Even though cohabitation may be legal, unmarried cohabitants face unique estate planning challenges regarding incapacity, inheritance, and estate taxation. Estate planning is especially important for people in this situation, if they expect their significant other to inherit […]

As a parent, receiving news about a difficult diagnosis, such as autism or any other special need or disability, can induce feelings of anger, grief, and stress. A thousand questions race through the mind: What does it mean to have a child with special needs? What will the future hold? If something happens to me, who […]

In a recent blog post, we discussed death cafes, which present a comfortable way to talk about death. In this post, we will discuss another type of café, a memory café, which offers a venue for caregivers and people with memory loss to focus on life and memories with loved ones. A memory café is […]

Video games are not just for kids anymore. Seniors have become among the most enthusiastic users of video games and studies show that certain games can strengthen and improve cognitive and physical abilities of seniors as they age.In a recent study, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have found that a driving video […]

Elder Law Evan H. Farr is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA)*.  What does that really mean? The National Elder Law Foundation describes the CELA certification as “the gold standard” for elder law and special needs practitioners. Why?  There are only around 400 CELAs in the country that meet the stringent criteria (see list below), […]

Since the Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Windsor  to strike down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in June, several federal agencies have revised their policies to bring them in line with the Windsor decision. These are some of the notable changes that bring equality to couples […]

dementia This month marks the second global World Alzheimer’s Month, an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s disease. This year, Alzheimer’s associations across the world will focus their activities on the care required by people with dementia throughout the course of the condition. The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month […]

Agencies tracking Americans older than 65 and baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) agree that scams aimed at seniors are on the rise. However, exact numbers are hard to come by because of underreporting. The few statistics available show seniors are disproportionally affected by financial scams. About 20% of Americans older than 65 — […]

In some assisted living communities, dogs and cats can accompany their owners, and sometimes there are pets in assisted living communities (and in nursing homes) that are owned by the facility and enjoyed by the residents. A growing consensus among assisted living residents and staff alike is that pets bring health, connection, and a sense […]

Several of the world’s billionaires want to spread as much of their wealth as possible before they die, leaving much of their fortunes to charity. Not everyone stands to gain from such selflessness — namely, the children of these generous donors. The children of these billionaires won’t be living large off their inheritances: 1. Warren […]

Many people want to discuss death but feel uncomfortable trying to bring the topic up around friends. A growing trend in gatherings, called Death Cafés, is gaining attention for presenting a comfortable way talk about death with others. Death Cafés bring strangers together in a public setting to increase awareness of death, while sipping coffee […]

A recent study found that nearly 15% of people age 71 and older (3.8 million people in the U.S.) suffer from dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s and other mental disorders. For caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s, understanding the side effects and how to deal with them is incredibly important, especially when it comes to sleeplessness. A […]

Certified Elder Law Attorney Evan H. Farr has been named to the 2014 list of Best Lawyers in America, for the practice area of Trusts and Estates.Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession. Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect […]

Jonathan is 20 years old, has autism, and is currently receiving government benefits. He is still living at home with his parents, receiving SSI equal to $628 per month, as well as a monthly stipend of $30. His parents want to make sure he is provided for should something happen to them and are considering […]