Steve’s continuing education class for professionals on special needs planning was well received by the CPAs, Insurance and Financial Professionals in attendance. Some of the information received that was most meaningful to the attendees included: “The ability to keep the challenged child on SSI and Medicaid if properly done.” “Special Needs Trusts clarification.” “The relationship... [Read More]
Tag: Mental Disability
You Have to Prepare for Storms
In the same way that you have to prepare for physical storms of life, such as hurricanes, high winds, and snow storms, you have to be prepared for the other storms in life. Those storms can include stroke, dementia, heart attack, mental disability, your children’s divorce, car wreck law suits, and law suits by tenants... [Read More]
Plan for Mental Disability
You are six times more likely to become mentally disabled in a year than to pass on. Estate Planning is about planning for as many contingencies as possible. Mental decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s, or some other version of mental decline seems to be growing as we age. In a Revocable Living Trust a/k/a Living Trust, you... [Read More]
You Have to Know the Truth
If you do not know and understand the truth about how different estate planning vehicles work and are administered, you cannot make good, informed decisions on what you want. If you do not understand that certain estate planning vehicles push your assets through Probate Court, the result will not be what you or your loved... [Read More]
Access to Aged Parents
Sometimes there will be friction between adult children or step parents and an aged child which will preclude access to an adult child’s parent, especially if that adult parent is in a weakened condition mentally or physically. I had a friend call me recently where the octogenarian “wicked step mother” was limiting this middle aged... [Read More]
Ready or Not, Here It Comes
Studies show that 75% of us do not even have a current Will, let alone the needed legal planning in the event we become sick and our loved ones are unable to authorize medical treatment for us. Nor do we have the proper legal planning in place for loved ones and friends to ask medical... [Read More]
Adult Guardianship Is a Custody Case
Adult incompetency proceedings, also know as guardianship cases, consist of two parts. Both parts are court proceedings in Probate Court or before the Clerk of Superior Court in North Carolina. The Clerk of Superior Court is also the Probate Judge in North Carolina. There are two major parts of the guardianship case. The first is... [Read More]
Your Living Trust and Dementia or Alzheimer’s
You can plan within your Living Trust to remain in control in the event you become mentally incapacitated by dementia or Alzheimer’s. You can plan for Mental Disability in the form of having a panel which would consist of a physician and family members or friends to decide if they need to turn on the... [Read More]
Redo Your Estate Plan If You Separate or Divorce
We see many, many situations where a person has become separated from their spouse or divorced, but still has their estranged or ex-spouse as their Trustee and Beneficiary under their Living Trust, or Personal Representative and Beneficiary under their Will. Further, they forget to change out the Death Beneficiaries on many of their financial vehicles. ... [Read More]
Mike Wallace Died Saturday—He Had Dementia
Most people don’t want to plan for their inevitable death, let alone dementia. You can plan within your Living Trust for mental incapacity. You set the panel who decides when it is needed. You choose the doctor and which trusted loved ones turn on the mental disability provisions. Who do your assets pay for if... [Read More]