I will sometimes get clients who are leaving, or have left, their current attorney due to a problem with the attorney/client relationship. Sometimes they will meet with me before they have formally ended their relationship with their other attorney, and they have questions about how to do that. This post is to guide you through… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Elder Law
How To Work Best With Your Attorney
Working with an attorney is like any other relationship, what you put into it goes a long way towards what you get out of it. These are some of the things that I and my clients have found that can make the relationship and the work go much smoother: 1. Keep your attorney in the… Continue Reading
How To Avoid Nursing Home Costs (and admissions)
I gave a talk recently to a group of older folks (the 70 year old told me he was the baby of the group) about Medicaid and MassHealth, which is pays for long term nursing home care for some people. This was a wonderful group of people with lots of questions and stories and concerns,… Continue Reading
Power of Attorney & Executor: What’s The Difference?
I’m sometimes asked by people “if I have an executor named in my Will, why do I need a power of attorney?” I like this question because the answer is easy, and isn’t “it depends” like many answers to legal questions are. An agent under a power of attorney is someone who has the authority… Continue Reading
Staying Healthy (and Keeping Others Healthy) When Visiting Nursing Homes or Hospitals
It’s almost winter, which means colder days, preparing for snow and an increased risk of colds and other illnesses. While most of us can recover after a couple days of rest, common illnesses can take a toll on the elderly and infirm. Illnesses can spread rapidly throughout a patient population even in the best and… Continue Reading
Action Item – Get A Shredder & Use It
Some people get overwhelmed with the idea of getting their affairs in order and as a result find it easier to do nothing. To help people with that inertia, I’ll be posting occasional Action Items – little steps that take an hour or less that will move you forward in the process and make it… Continue Reading
Resources for Senior Drivers & Their Families
Are you concerned about your driving skills as you get older? AAA offers resources to test your reflexes and help you improve your driving skills. They also have tips for buying a vehicle that will remain accessible as you age and what to look out for when driving if you take medications. Check out their… Continue Reading
Links of Interest: Dementia
The New York Times had a recent article on money issues and Alzheimer’s disease. New research shows that one of the first signs of impending dementia is an inability to understand money and credit, contracts and agreements. It is not just families who are affected — financial advisers and lawyers say they are finding themselves… Continue Reading
Good Gifts Gone Bad – The Hidden Dangers of Giving Property to Your Children
I often have clients (or client’s children) who ask me – “can’t I just give my property to my child?” Or who say “My mom wants us to inherit her house, isn’t the easiest way to just have her sign a life estate deed?” Sometimes it’s “I’m allowed to give away $10,000.00 per year, right?”… Continue Reading
Is Your Attorney Nosy? You Should Hope So
I was bitten by a tick last summer and went to the doctor to have it checked out. The first thing they did, as always, was weigh me and take my blood pressure. I wondered how either of these things were relevant to my tick bite, so I asked. The response, “the doctor likes to… Continue Reading