Sometimes we come across news stories that are relevant to elder law and estate planning, and one of these has been circulating recently. At the beginning of December in 2018, a 26-year-old woman was placed under arrest at Tampa International Airport in Florida. She was charged with fraud and money laundering, and the victim was her husband.
Richard Rappaport is a 77-year-old man of some means, and he married this young lady, Lin Helena Halfon, about four months before she was arrested. She is charged with cashing two checks that were drawn on Rappaport’s account. They totaled over $660,000.
After the arrest, Rappaport answered in the affirmative when investigators asked him if he was a victim of fraud. This is very significant, because according to reports, he didn’t contend that she had his permission to cash the checks.
Communication With Family Members
There is no sweeping statement that can be made about way that families interact with one another, because countless different scenarios can exist. This being stated, communication can prevent potential problems in the bud.
With regard to this case, members of Rappaport’s family said they were not informed about the marriage. Yes, there could be some hard feelings for whatever reasons, and no one is making any value judgments.
The point is, if it is at all possible, you should recognize the value of honest communication with your family members when you are getting up there in years.
Pragmatic Planning
When you hear the story, a few different things may come to mind. To be blunt, the vast majority of 26-year-old women are not seeking true love among the septuagenarian set. You should certainly be clear eyed about this fact of life when you are a senior citizen.
If you are aware of the risks and the implications, but you still want to move forward, there are steps that you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones. You could ask your potential spouse to enter into a premarital agreement, and a trust of some kind could also be part of the plan.
The ideal course of action will depend upon the circumstances. There are honest people that make arrangements that they are both comfortable with in these situations. If you are in full control of your faculties when you make a decision to get remarried, you can take the right legal precautions in advance.
Incapacity Planning
Before we continue, we should emphasize the fact that we are not contending that Mr. Rappaport was in any way incapacitated, because we have no information about his condition. However, generally speaking, it is wise to consider this possibility when you are planning ahead for the future.
A very significant percentage of elders contract Alzheimer’s disease, and this is not the only cause of cognitive impairment. There are steps that you can take to make sure that a person that you trust that is of fully sound mind is empowered to handle your affairs if incapacity was to strike.
Attend a Free Seminar!
We are very excited about the fresh material that we will presenting at our 2020 estate planning and elder law seminars. You are here on this page because you are interested in learning more about these topics, and this is an ideal opportunity to interact with a licensed attorney in person.
There is no charge at all, so you have everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose. To see the dates and obtain registration information, visit our seminar schedule page. Once you identify the session that works for you, click on it and follow the simple instructions to reserve your seat.
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If you know that you are ready to discuss the future with a licensed elder law and estate planning attorney, our doors are open. You can send us a message to request a consultation appointment, and we can be reached by phone at 310-337-7696.
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