Take Advantage of Gifting to Reduce Your Estate  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys For some of us, one reason we earn money is to provide the extras, the “non necessities” to our loved ones. Few things are more exciting than seeing a child or grandchild unwrap an eagerly anticipated gift. The expressions on their faces, the delight in their voices: it’s priceless. But did you know that gift giving also one of the time-tested strategies in … [Read more...] about Take Advantage of Gifting to Reduce Your Estate

My Attorney Just Retired – What Now?  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Over your lifetime, you’ve established lasting relationships with professionals like dentists, doctors, and attorneys. It’s hard to think that these professionals who have always been available to help us may someday leave their firm or practice. They may retire, move to a new state or pass away. So if your estate planning attorney is no longer available, it opens … [Read more...] about My Attorney Just Retired – What Now?

My Attorney Just Retired – What Now?  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Over your lifetime, you’ve established lasting relationships with professionals like dentists, doctors, and attorneys. It’s hard to think that these professionals who have always been available to help us may someday leave their firm or practice. They may retire, move to a new state or pass away. So if your estate planning attorney is no longer available, it opens … [Read more...] about My Attorney Just Retired – What Now?

As many of you know, May is National Elder Law Month. The National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) has declared this month the time for Elder Law attorneys across the nation to take time out of their busy practices to help educate the public about Elder Law and how an Elder Law attorney can help seniors and their families by offering solutions to the unique issues that come with aging. This issue of The ElderCounselor™ will discuss a debilitating condition that many Americans … [Read more...] about Helping Families Deal With the Financial and Emotional Costs of Dementia

The Affordable Care Act: How It Impacts Our Senior Population Since its passage in 2010, the Affordable Care Act has been the subject of many heated debates and a cause for some confusion among most of the population. In order to assist you in serving your senior clientele, this issue of the ElderCounselorTM will attempt to shed some light on how the law affects the elderly. No doubt, there will continue to be debates over healthcare reform. Regardless, the law of the land is the ACA. Its … [Read more...] about The Affordable Care Act: How It Impacts Our Senior Population

Fair Does Not Always Mean Equal: Avoiding Conflict in Inheritances  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Let’s face it, even in the closest-knit families, money and assets can still create problems. For example, resentment can show up when one sibling has seen greater financial and career success than his siblings and trying to “balance” that in your estate plan can cause further friction in the future. So what do you do when you’re estranged … [Read more...] about Fair Does Not Always Mean Equal: Avoiding Conflict in Inheritances

The Ties that Bind: Grandparents and Grandchildren  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys The memories made with grandchildren are some of the best. Still, it’s understandable to want to leave them with a bit more than great stories to someday pass down to their own grandchildren. Fortunately, there are many ways to accomplish this. The key is to ensure there’s no ambiguity in your will and other estate planning documents. Even better, there … [Read more...] about The Ties that Bind: Grandparents and Grandchildren

The Role of Legacy Planning  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys You may have many fond childhood memories of lively family gatherings. And it was probably not unusual to hear older family members remark how happy they were when everyone gathered for those special meals and how proud they were to see their legacy living on in their loved ones. Think of legacy planning as an extension of that sentiment. Different from estate planning, legacy … [Read more...] about The Role of Legacy Planning

By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys www.aaepa.com · blog.aaepa.com   Many of us believe we have the “planning for the future” space covered. We’ve worked hard and saved. Our homes are paid off by the time we go into retirement and as far as we’re concerned, life now consists of living well in the way we define. In a perfect world, that’s true. In reality, there are a few things which can quickly annihilate our sense of independence. Planning is key, but knowing … [Read more...] about Your Independence, Rising Medical Costs and Retirement

Estate Planning When You’re Child Free  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Between 1980 and 2010, the number of women over the age of 40 who opted to forego motherhood doubled from 10 percent to 20 percent. That trend is expected to continue. The reasons for remaining childless are as varied as the men and women who have chosen to skip parenthood. Many are involved in their careers, others may have married and divorced early on and have no … [Read more...] about Estate Planning When You’re Child Free