Janet Reno, the nation’s first-ever female attorney general, died a little over three years ago (on November 7, 2016) following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Ms. Reno was born and raised in a small cottage home her mother built with her own hands in the 1940’s in Miami, Florida. She spent much of her […]
Getting Loved Ones the End-of-life Care They Deserve
Q. My mother is in her 80’s and has been in the hospital several times this year with pneumonia and urinary tract infections and has been suffering with Parkinson’s for decades. There have been times when I’ve visited her and a doctor hadn’t been in in a couple of days, other times when she is […]
SECURE Act is Signed into Law: Five Ways it will Change Retirement
Q. I heard that the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was recently signed into law and that it includes taxpayer-friendly measures designed to boost retirement savings. What are some of the ways the SECURE Act affects retirement savings? A. Currently, 25% of working Americans have no retirement savings at all– including […]
Happy Holidays from the Farr Law Firm
Be Careful Who You Choose as Your Trustee
Q. One of my top priorities for 2020 is to get my estate planning documents in order. Before doing so, I plan to discuss my wishes with family members over Christmas, although as a single woman without children, I don’t have too many of them. I know that when I begin my planning, I need […]
Happy Thanksgiving from the Farr Law Firm
Electronic Wills: Replacing Ink Signatures with Digital Ones
Q. I recently did my estate planning with your firm and the peace of mind I feel makes it completely worth it to me. I have convinced my sister, Erica, in Charlottesville, to do the same, as well as my daughter who is a millennial. My daughter, who does everything online these days, asked me […]
Living Together Without Tying-the-Knot? Why Estate Planning is Imperative!
Marjorie (66), a widow, and Stan (67), a divorcee, have lived together for six years. A decade before, Marjorie watched her husband suffer from Frontotemporal Dementia, which caused him to be violent towards her, until he entered a nursing home and died three years later. Stan also had a difficult marriage and an even tougher […]
The Dangers of Joint Bank Accounts
Emily, 67, is seriously thinking about adding her adult daughter, Katie, as joint owner of her bank account. She is considering this because she wants to ensure that Katie would have easy access to her money in case of an emergency. Adding a family member to a bank account seems like it might not be […]
When Safe Deposit Boxes Aren’t Even Safe
Q. I read an interesting article about safe deposit boxes in the New York Times recently. It is focused on a man who had a valuable watch collection stored in a safe deposit box managed by Wells Fargo, possibly worth millions, who was hoping to auction it off to fund his retirement. Wells Fargo evicted […]
An Advance Directive Specifically for Dementia
Dear Angel, I recently read about Advance Directives that deal only with dementia. What is included in them and is it a good idea to create them in addition to other incapacity planning documents? Thanks! Dee Rectiffs — Dear Dee, An Advance Medical Directive is a legal document that outlines your specific wishes regarding medical […]
Live a Legacy for Your Grandchildren; Then Leave One for Them
Q. The discussion of leaving a legacy recently came up in conversation among our friends and family. It seems our friends are way ahead of us on what they will leave future generations and how they hope to instill values in their grandchildren. My husband and I aren’t getting any younger, and with six grandchildren, […]
What it Really Means to Be an Agent Under a Power of Attorney
Q. My lifelong friend, Declan, has a family that has a history of early-onset Alzheimer’s. Declan is worried that he will get sick when he is still young and will not be able to pay his bills or make other decisions about his savings, his house, or his wishes when it comes to healthcare. Declan […]
Is a Handwritten Will Ever Valid?
Q. My brother, Larry, doesn’t like to spend money on anything. His family never went on vacation, never bought a new car, or never remodeled their 1970’s kitchen (or any other part of their home, for that matter). His attitude is that if something is functional, there is no need to replace it. He is […]
It’s Vacation Time — Are Your Children Protected?
Q. My husband and I are finally taking our dream vacation to visit Greece this summer. Our children, Mason (11) and Emilie (9), will be at sleepaway camp, and then at their grandmother’s house, so they will not be going with us. While we should be thinking about sun, fun, and relaxation, I keep having […]
Five Steps to Plan for Digital Assets, such as Online Passwords
Q. My father, Daniel, is a techie and an environmentalist. In other words, any type of banking, including bill payments, he does online (no paper statements for him!) He also invests online and is an avid user of Facebook, where he records just about everything he and my mother, his children, and grandchildren do. According […]
10 Intriguing Things to Do with Your Cremains When You Die
Pictured: Forevurn Kaleidoscope Urn Steve Munt is a cat lover with a keen interest in outer space. While most grieving pet owners keep their furry friends’ remains at home in an urn or buried in the yard, Munt wanted to do something special for his cat, Pikachu, who passed away after a long battle with […]
A Moon Landing, an Anniversary, and a Reconciliation
Fifty years ago, Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, and lunar module pilots Michael Collins and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin to the first lunar orbit. Many of us remember Armstrong describing the event on television as “…one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” A recent documentary was released […]
Miss Your Grandmother?. . . Then Rent One!
Anna’s mother died when she was six, and she was raised by her grandmother, Betty. Anna had a close relationship with Betty and has many fond memories of their time together. Betty lived a long life and died at the age of 92. Anna misses her grandmother immensely and is sad that her children will […]
What’s the Difference Between Retirement Planning, Financial Planning, and Estate Planning?
Q. My wife and I are hoping to retire in 12 years. We have already done our estate planning but have been told by friends and relatives that we need to also do financial planning and retirement planning. Aren’t financial planning and retirement planning the same thing done by the same person, or are they […]
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