FARR LAW FIRM

Protecting Seniors and their Families by Preserving Dignity, Quality of Life, and Financial Security.

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Problems with Beneficiary Designations Part 2

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Q. Last week, you wrote about why inheritance sometimes goes unclaimed, and how it’s a lot less likely when you have a trust in place. I read something about the downsides of beneficiary designations naming individuals and how they do not always solve the problem of probate and can actually cause many more problems than […]

April Is Organ Donation Month: What You MUST Do if You Are Considering Organ Donation

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Q. I have heard so many stories about organ donation, mostly positive. I’ve read about how many people need organs and how many lives just one person who is an organ and/or tissue donor can save. I think I may want to sign up, and I’m figuring out the next steps to take. Can you […]

Divorce Rates for Couples 50 and Older Have Doubled Since 1990 — What This Means for Estate Planning and Medicaid Planning

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Years ago, the vast majority of couples who weren’t happy in their relationship chose to remain married out of convenience or routine, a sense of familiarity, or for their children. This has changed in recent years for many Americans ages 50 and over who are deliberately choosing to part ways. In fact, the divorce rate […]

Farr Law Firm Now Filing Tax Returns for Our Clients

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Q. My sister and her husband set up an irrevocable asset protection trust with your firm as part of their estate planning. She was trying to explain this type of trust to me, but I still don’t understand, so I signed up for one of your upcoming seminars. She is a very prepared person and […]

Apple’s New Right of Survivorship Update Eases Access to Your iCloud Digital Assets

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Q. I’ve read a few of your articles on planning for digital assets and have found them to be very helpful. As a grandmother, I take tons of photos and have found that I am using the cloud more often to store them, important documents, and lots of other things. I heard that it’s really […]

What Happens to Your Health Savings Account (HSA) After You Die?

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Dear Angel, I contribute to a Health Savings Account regularly for prescriptions, medical appointments, supplies, and other medical expenses that aren’t otherwise covered. It ends up being a hefty amount after a while. What’s the best way to distribute the money in my HSA if there’s money left in it when I die? Thanks for […]

A Not So Happy Mistake Leaves Bob Ross’s Son with Nothing

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  Star Trek fans will surely remember Lieutenant Uhura, the communications specialist aboard the Starship Enterprise. Her role was played by Nichelle Nichols, who is currently embroiled in a highly-publicized guardianship drama. In the incredible publicity over her situation, some of you may have missed another pop icon, artist Bob Ross, whose business partners got […]

What You Can and Can’t Do With a Power of Attorney

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Q. My brother, Larry, who never married or had any children, asked me to be an agent under his Medical and Financial Powers of Attorney. Before I accept, I’ve been reading about what my role would entail. I am also considering getting my own estate planning in order. I was wondering if you could clarify […]

This Harry Potter Publisher Blindsided His Family When He Left Them Nothing

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Maurice Richard Robinson, Jr., died suddenly on June 5, 2021, while on a walk in Martha’s Vineyard. From 1975 until his recent death, Robinson was the chief executive officer of Scholastic Corporation, a publishing company founded by his father. During his tenure as the CEO of Scholastic, his company published many a hit series including […]

Will U.S. Estate Planning Documents Work in Other Countries?

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Q. My parents and my husband and I are all considering relocating to Lake Chapala in Mexico, which is a very popular retirement location for Americans because of the low cost of living, sunshine, accessibility, established expat communities, and diversity of living options. Even though my parents will be going there as retirees, my husband […]

What Happens When You Inherit an IRA from a Non-Spouse?

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Marty’s brother, Ed, passed away suddenly. He never got married or had children, so he passed everything, including his Individual Retirement Account (IRA), to Marty. During one of the most difficult times in his life, while grieving for his deceased brother, Marty had no idea about everything involved when it came to inheriting his brother’s IRA. Losing […]

How Much Compensation is a Fair Amount for an Executor of an Estate in Virginia?

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Dear Oakley, My mother passed away last March in Fairfax. My brother, the estate executor, has been the one to navigate the estate administration process. The estate is still not completely settled 15 months later because of a time share that was not included in her trust and needs to go through probate court. Both […]

How to Avoid Unnecessary Pain and Expense When a Loved One Dies

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Q. I recently read in a Virginia publication about a man who was grieving the loss of his mother, who died during the Coronavirus pandemic, while experiencing what he referred to as the “awful business of settling the estate.” He goes on to describe the headaches involved with closing her investment accounts and nightmare of […]

Is it a Violation of HIPAA to Ask Someone if they’ve Been Vaccinated?

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Josie shared on social media that she and her teenage son and daughter just got vaccinated against COVID-19. In a conversation at the school, Mary shared that she saw Josie’s post and that the three of them got their first dose. Was Mary violating Josie’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rights by sharing […]

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