When a loved one dies, you are likely going to go through a variety of emotions. When it is time to deal with the person's will, you might end up going through a host of emotions again. In some cases, the reading of the will occurs as expected. In other cases, the...
Elder Law Attorneys Helping You Plan For The Future
Year: 2015
Life expectancy rises, but some death rates also climb
On the whole, life expectancy has been rising steadily, and people are even expected to live significantly longer today than they were just 20 years ago. There were two main things that contributed to this: Fewer deaths from both cardiovascular disease and from...
Comprehensive estate plans are vital for all estates
We recently discussed some of the reasons why people ignore making an estate plan. As we discussed, it is vital to not put off making an estate plan because you never know when something is going to happen to you. Sadly, some people do wait until it is too late to...
Why do so many people ignore estate planning?
You'll probably find a common theme if you start asking your friends in Texas if they're doing any estate planning -- odds are that they're not. People tend to avoid writing wills, creating trust funds, and turning over the medical power of attorney to a family member...
Tom Benson’s estate being dragged through the probate process
The owner of the Saints has been in the middle of a media frenzy lately regarding his estate plan because of his family's claim that he is unable to make decisions about his own estate. Tom Benson's daughter is asking that her 87-year-old father be removed from his...
What is an estate executor?
When a person passes away, the estate of that person is often handled by an executor. The executor has very serious responsibilities to the estate. With that in mind, it is important for anyone who is creating an estate plan, as well as to those who are named as...
Make your wishes known with life care planning now
As we discussed last week, your life care plan is a very serious consideration for you as you age. By creating a comprehensive life care plan, you set forth the expectations for your end-of-life and long-term care needs and create the plan that will allow those...
What should I know about long-term care needs?
When you are thinking about your future, do you think about what will happen if you need supportive care when you are older? Long-term care, which includes a wide range of services, is something that many people don't think too much about until they get older. Despite...
Veterans’ benefits serve a variety of purposes
With the recent updates about the Veterans Affairs programs, it is a good time for us to discuss some of the ins and outs of the VA programs for veterans. One of the allowances that some veterans might qualify for is the Aid and Attendance Allowance. This is a program...
Filing for veterans’ benefits is now fully standardized
Up until recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs had an informal disability claim program. That program was recently stopped, but the VA didn't have a true handle on how much stopping that program would impact the agency. All in all, there seems to be some...