We will never know what the father really intended.

Trust-based planning requires your active participation in the planning process as well as in funding the trusts we create.

The court case  (Alexander v Azar) speaks to the fact that patients have no easy way to challenge the observation status designation – and many patients would save thousands of dollars if they could change the designation. 

Using the settlement to fund a Special Needs Trust (SNT) is a way to maintain access to government benefits (Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income) and have access to settlement funds.

The right place will feel like a home, rather than an institution. Finding the right place will give you peace of mind that your loved one will continue to lead a happy, healthy and safe life.

Even siblings often don’t appreciate  what their parents do every day for their brother or sister with special needs.

In general, the Medicaid transfer rules prohibit a person from transferring money to someone else exclusively to qualify for Medicaid benefits. But the child caretaker exception allows a parent to transfer his/her house to a child who has been living in the house with the parent for at least two years and providing care that has kept the parent out of a nursing home.  

If your adult child is traveling abroad and decides to stay, who will sell his car and cancel his lease? You don't have the authority to act for him without preplanning. 

The big takeaway here is that property titled to an UTMA account belongs to the minor. If the father had established a trust, the property in the trust would belong to the trust, not to Marcus, and would have been shielded (under Delaware law) from bankruptcy proceedings. It would also have protected against divorce, personal injury claims, etc.

Special Needs Trusts allow these who are dependent on public benefits to receive these benefits and maintain some level of financial independence

I once had a client who needed full-time care and had 10 nurses among her children, grandchildren and nieces who were candidates to provide that care. However, full-time care translated into 21 separate eight-hour shifts to fill every week -- they couldn't do it!

Since Medicaid is likely to be in the mix if you need to pay for long-term care, it’s important to sort out fact from fiction. Here are some common misconceptions.

In very broad terms, ABLE Accounts are similar to certain types of Special Needs Trusts (SNTs). They both aim to allow an individual with special needs to save money in a tax-free environment and remain qualified for government benefits from Social Security and Medicaid.

Here are some of the differences between an ABLE Account and a SNT which you should keep in mind as you prepare your child for an independent financial future.

There is confusion about what long-term care is and how to prepare to access care when you need it.

Keep in mind, that you may need help gradually. Your plan may start with assistance at home and include a move to a program or facility later.

Often people with dementia are considered incompetent to make important decisions about their finances and care which is not the case in the early stages of the diseases. 

A trust is more protective for your pet because it spells out what happens to your pets if you become ill or die, and it reduces the likelihood that the funds will be misused.

If you are a Millennial, get ready! Baby Boomers are expected to transfer close to $30 trillion to Millennials and Gen Xers over the next two or three decades.

While anyone can apply for Medicaid, advice and representation of a qualified elder law attorney has many advantages for seniors hoping to protect their assets as they plan for long-term care costs they may face in the future. Your alternatives are to go it alone, rely on recommendations from well-meaning friends, use a non-lawyer recommended by a nursing home, use an elder law attorney or use a lawyer certified and accredited by the American Bar Association.

Here are some things to consider as you begin to plan.

We advise our clients to review their estate planning document regularly for many reasons. New babies need to be included, divorces should be taken into consideration, people who expected to be a trustee may move or have changed their mind. Another reason has to do with student loans for college students.