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02 Sep Contemplating Divorce? An Incentive to Finalize by Dec. 31
If you and your spouse are thinking about Divorce, and if there’s a likelihood that your Divorce will include an alimony payment, it’s time to get busy. Last winter’s GOP Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will eliminate a tax break for alimony payments finalized after Dec. 31. Americans who finalize or...23 Jul 4 Ways Unmarried Couples Can Protect Themselves
These days, it’s become the norm for couples who’ve been dating for a period of time to move in together. They generally share their bills and lives without any kind of formal agreement. Seniors are as likely to move in with each other as 20-somethings, and they’re often motivated by...24 Jun New Healthcare Directive: Facing Dementia with a Plan
Dr. Barak Gaster is a Seattle internist who spent three years working with specialists in geriatrics, neurology, palliative care and psychiatry to create a dementia-specific advance directive. The document maps out the stages of dementia: mild, moderate and severe; it asks patients to specify which medical interventions they would want...27 May Barbara Bush: End-of-Life Care Decisions
Former first lady Barbara Bush had been in declining health for several years. Just days before her death at age 92, we read that she was seeking “comfort care” for her terminal conditions of congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Comfort care translates to preventing or relieving suffering, providing...31 Jan Countdown for a Stress-free New Year
End-of-life planning can be an unsettling process. No one wants to think about death, much less plan for it. Yet while the majority of our Living Trust clients are older, often retired or thinking about it, anyone who has assets and a family should have a Trust. It documents how...
26 Dec Initiating Difficult Family Conversations about End-of-Life Planning
Posted at 19:43h
The reluctance or downright unwillingness to talk to parents and grandparents about the difficult topic of end-of-life planning is one that frequently arises in our offices. It ranges from “Mom’s a terrible driver and shouldn’t be behind the wheel, but nobody will confront her” to “Dad’s health is deteriorating, and...
26 Dec Tales From the ER: The Man with the DNR Tattoo
The following story from The New England Journal of Medicine illustrates the importance of not just creating an Advance Healthcare Directive and a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, but making sure your family and healthcare providers are advised of and committed to your decisions. An unconscious man with a DNR...30 Nov Plan While You Can: Now is the Time to Make Critical Life Decisions
Clients frequently come in to our offices seeking to get a Power of Attorney and Advanced Healthcare Directive for a parent who is suffering some degree of dementia. In many cases, one parent has died, and the remaining parent is no longer able to manage his/her financial matters or make...29 Nov Getting Divorced? Have You Reviewed Your Estate-Planning Documents?
Divorce has become a reality for many couples, and for most, the details of dividing property, developing a parenting plan and helping their kids adjust to what will be a new family situation are consuming. There are often additional challenges, including selling the family home, packing, moving to a new...
14 Sep Trust Update: 25 Years Later, a Completely New Document
Posted at 18:02h
Oakland resident “Henry” came in to update his Living Trust after his wife died. Their Trust was amendable by the survivor, and he wanted to make some changes. Henry and his wife had created their Trust 25 years ago, and while it named their five children as beneficiaries, it did...
22 Aug A Limited Conservatorship for Child About to Turn 18
Posted at 16:21h
“Susan”, the mother of a high-functioning 17-year-old child on the autism spectrum, came in to begin the process of creating a Limited Conservatorship for her daughter, “Jane”, who was just months away from turning 18. Decision-making was stressful for Jane, often exacerbating her symptoms, so Susan made decisions as much...