Law Office of Neil Thompson Legal Blog

A letter of intent (LOI), also referred to as a letter of instruction, communicates important information to your loved ones that may not be covered in the general estate planning documents. Your LOI is a valuable piece in your estate planning, and although it is an informal letter, it can more fully represent your intentions…

Hotel heiress Leona Helmsley left a trust fund for her Maltese dog named “Trouble” to the tune of $12 million dollars in 2007. Unfortunately, pet inheritances ever since have enjoyed a dubious reputation. The Value Of An Animal Trust For Your Pet For those who care about the well-being of their animals or livestock, animal…

Attorney’s prepare powers-of-attorney documents for clients in order to communicate their wishes and delegate an entrusted person to make decisions on the clients’ behalf when their clients no longer can. But when it comes to actually using those documents at the time of a healthcare crisis, clear and powerful documents are just the beginning. The…

Veterans have several educational and health care benefits offered through the Tricare and GI Bill by The US Department of Veterans. Even with these programs that help veterans and their families, other little-known services can improve their lives and ease the financial burden of medical care and other expenses. Check your veteran status to see…

When a family member has passed, the family sometimes ends up arguing over personal property. Arguments can take place over things like a coffee mug, a piece of jewelry, or a painting. These types of arguments can be eliminated by filling out a personal property memorandum and keeping it with your will or trust. A…

Imagine a pair of aging parents that have been farmers and own their farm. Now, though, they’re getting on in years and they’re considering moving into a smaller place. One of the daughters and her husband help run the farm, but the rest of the siblings have moved away and they aren’t interested in returning.…

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that triggers difficulties with memory, thinking, and behavior according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Alzheimer’s affects a growing number of people. There are several factors known to play a role in Alzheimer’s.…

In-home care is the preferred living arrangement for many aging seniors. However, many medical conditions and personal care needs as adults age can cause this to become more difficult due to cost. The cost of in-home care varies from place to place, but generally follows the cost of living. Places where the cost of living…

Big Tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Apple are investing heavily in the healthcare tech field. Some of the businesses are underway, like storing medical records in the cloud for a fee or using patient forms that have been “anonymized” to create new tools. Some products already cater directly to patients, such as wearable medical…

Many older Americans are willing and able to work, however, in April 2020 the unemployment rate for eligible workers 55 and older increased to 13.6 percent. COVID-19 restrictions and associated layoffs account for some unemployment increases, but so does the lack of employment opportunities among older Americans. A coexisting challenge in the US is that…