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“What may have seemed like something to take care of ‘one day,’ has turned into a basic necessity that makes it essential and necessary for you to encourage your clients to act now.” The Covid-19 pandemic has brought estate planning front and center to many people who would otherwise dismiss it as something they would […]

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“In other words, family members who are not named to inherit anything in the will may still see the list of all of the assets. If you don’t want that result, you can avoid it by establishing a trust.” Privacy is just one of the benefits of having a trust created as part of an […]

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“Adults with disabilities are living much longer than in the past, which means their aging parents must plan for the day when their dependent children outlive them.” One in four Americans has some kind of disability, and an increasing number of children are being diagnosed with some form of autism. The life expectancy for people […]

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“Linda Smyth has spent more than 20 years fighting her way through a complicated maze of paperwork, assessments and denials in the attempt to secure services for her son, who is on the autism spectrum.” Working to get her son assessed to qualify for support programs, fighting to get benefits and finding therapists became a […]

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“As our children with disabilities grow older, and we ourselves grow older, the future can seem daunting. The future can be overwhelming.” Taking steps to plan for the future when loving parents will not be there to help their disabled child as they age is a hard thing to confront. However, planning in advance for […]

Senior Couple on Computer

“Thanks to the Internet, everyone has the ability to draft wills, trusts and a variety of other legal documents. Many documents can be produced for less than $100, requiring only a few mouse clicks and filled-in blanks.” While the simplicity and low cost of online legal documents is appealing, the results are all too often […]

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It will most likely be difficult or impossible to complete the tasks if all the facts are not available. When you go to visit an elder law and estate planning attorney, it is important to tell the truth about all aspects of your family members and other potential heirs. If not, it is possible the […]

silhouette of a man on a wheelchair

Seek out an estate planning attorney with knowledge of special needs planning. If you do not have good guidance, it is possible that leaving assets to a disabled family member will cause them to lose their benefits, according to The Ledger in “Crafting an estate plan to include disabled family members“. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) […]

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The basics of estate planning can deal with various situations. Since family situations differ greatly, there can be challenges and opportunities as the members deal with estate planning basics, according to the Chicago Tribune in “Dealing with property transfers and gift taxes“. In a situation in the article, the family home was rented to a […]

silhouette of man on a wheelchair

Working and saving without risking benefits. Achieving a Better Life Experience, or ABLE accounts, now allow children or adults with disabilities to save as much as $100,000 without risking their benefits, according to Consumer Reports, in “ABLE Accounts Can Help People with Disabilities Save Tax-Free“. For many years before ABLE accounts were set up in […]