Law Office of Neil Thompson Legal Blog

Clients are often unaware of what is important in the estate planning discussion. They do not volunteer information that the attorney should know. The attorney should have a checklist or agenda for meetings with the client to ensure they are eliciting all information that is relevant to the planning process. This includes information concerning the…

As aging relatives need care, family members have a natural tendency to step up and provide health care. The love and care many adult children receive growing up become reciprocal, particularly in the case of their aging parents. But with the advent of longer lives, it is not atypical that a senior parent may still…

Many people have the misconception that executing and filing a Transfer on Death Deed (TODD) on their property or a homestead, protects the property from being included as an available asset for qualifying for public assistance like Medical Assistance and/or Long Term Care coverage by the state for a nursing home stay.  Actually a TODD…

Research suggests that approximately 60 percent of U.S. adults have no estate plan, and that having a plan is often influenced by age and socioeconomic status. A Gallup poll conducted in 2016 indicates that 68 percent of Americans aged 65 and older have a will, compared with 14 percent of those younger than age 30.…

A will provides your instructions, but it does not avoid probate. A will only directs how assets titled in your name and without a beneficiary designation or other governing contract will be distributed. The assets must still go through your state’s probate court before they can be distributed to your intended beneficiaries. (If you own property—usually…

Your parent is getting older and you are uncertain if there is a plan in place for their future care. It is a difficult topic to broach; no one wants to talk about death and the financial realities that come with aging. Instead of having a proactive conversation early in a parent’s aging process most…

You should review your estate planning documents every so often, to make sure they’re still good, especially with big life changes like births, marriages, divorces, and moving to another state. Children grow up, marriages dissolve, property gets sold, residences change. That’s why we recommend that you consult us for an estate-plan check-up every five years…

An elder law attorney or certified elder law attorney (CELA) specializes as a legal advocate for aging adults and their loved ones. Elder law encompasses a wide range of legal matters affecting an older or disabled person. Issues related to guardianship, retirement, health care including advance directives, long term care planning, Social Security, Medicare and…

Families with loved ones who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus, yet still require caregiving have new challenges to meet. Family caregivers that use to aid their family directly, now find themselves learning how to be long-distance providers during this pandemic. US News reports that before the coronavirus, thirteen percent of Americans provided long-distance care.…