In cases where parents name co-fiduciaries, siblings can agree on a general direction without agreeing on the specifics of how things should be accomplished.  If all parties don’t agree, disputes may ensue that can cause rifts among siblings and create disharmony in families. These are some challenges when co-fiduciaries are named: •    Getting everyone to […]

A Last Will and Testament is a legal document that declares how an estate or property will be managed after your death.  A Revocable Living Trust (RLT), on the other hand, is created as a guideline that determines the manner in which your estate or property is to be handled throughout your lifetime and also […]

Recently, a probe into do-it-yourself estate planning was conducted by the highly respected and objective magazine Consumer Reports.Members of the Consumer Reports team created three Wills using downloads and worksheets that you can purchase from three of the most popular websites that sell fill-in-the-blanks legal documents.  They presented these Wills to a panel of three […]

If you’ve started your estate planning, you’ve seen the legal term “Per Stirpes” in your documents. What does it mean?  “Per Stirpes” is Latin and means “by representation“.  In estate planning, it means that descendants of the next generation following a beneficiary will each receive an equal share of the beneficiary’s share if the beneficiary […]

The Living Trust Plus™ (LTP) is such an important development in elder law and estate planning, that Evan H. Farr, CELA has been flown down to Orlando to teach other attorneys about it. He will do so in a 4-hour webcast on Tuesday, live from the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios.  Whether you’re rich, […]

Elizabeth and Bill got married in their late 40’s and were having trouble conceiving. As Elizabeth was nearing menopause, they harvested and fertilized her eggs. They underwent cryopreservation (or preservation by freezing) because IVF resulted in more embryos than were needed.  More than half a million cryopreserved embryos are now in storage in the United […]

Jennifer’s mother, Katherine, lives with her, her husband, and their two children. Katherine is mentally fine, but physically she needs a lot of care; her needs are increasing, and she requires assistance from her daughter to lift things, bathe, and dress.  Jennifer’s children have lots of activities and homework that they need help with, as […]

For seniors with Alzheimer’s and other memory-altering diseases, the desire to accomplish things doesn’t vanish. Being able to engage in meaningful activities can go a long way to lifting the spirits of someone with Alzheimer’s, and can help stave off anxiety and depression. However, coming up with activities to keep a person with Alzheimer’s busy […]

Older Americans are being challenged to “Unleash The Power Of Age” over the next month as the nation marks the 50th anniversary of Older Americans Month this May. Older Americans Month was first established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. At that time, it was known as Senior Citizens Month and there were only […]

Adopting a child is a blessing that changes everything for any family involved, though it is often a complicated process. It can become even more complicated for same-sex couples, and can be fraught with financial and legal risks. Currently, an estimated 2 to 2.8 million children are being raised in families headed by LGBT parents […]

While it’s generally a good idea to supplement your Social Security income with a traditional pension or personal savings, millions of people count on Social Security as their primary source of retirement income. According to SocialSecurity.gov, benefits make up 90% or more of the income of 36% of the people receiving benefits.  So it is […]