The process of estate planning typically involves a wide range of goals that require a variety of tools and strategies to accomplish. For the average person it can be confusing just trying to figure out what components to include in their estate plan. For example, do you need to include disability planning in your estate plan? As with all other decisions you make during the creation of your estate plan, you should discuss you need for disability planning with your New Hampshire estate … [Read more...] about What Is Disability Planning?
How Long Is the Probate Process?
A comprehensive estate plan should do much more than simply decide who will receive your assets when you are gone. Exactly which additional components you will add to your estate plan will depend on your specific needs, wishes, and goals. One popular goal, however, of estate planning is probate avoidance. In order to know why so many people include probate avoidance strategies and techniques in their estate plan though, you need to know why avoiding probate is so desirable. The simple … [Read more...] about How Long Is the Probate Process?
Why Avoiding Probate Is Important
You have likely heard people talking about how important it is to try and avoid probate when possible; however, unless you have a firm understanding of the probate process itself you may not understand why it is so important to avoid probate. The simple explanation for why avoiding probate is such a common estate planning goal is that probate costs your loved ones both time and money. As a general rule, the longer the probate of an estate takes, the more the estate assets are diminished as a … [Read more...] about Why Avoiding Probate Is Important
Can a Medicaid Attorney Help Me Qualify for Benefits?
Like many people, you may have made it all the way through your working years without ever giving the need to qualify for Medicaid benefits a second thought. Either you were covered by employer sponsored health insurance or earned enough to purchase your own private plan. Medicaid, at any rate, was never an option nor a concern. Now, however, you are firmly into your “Golden Years” and the likelihood that you will need long-term care has become a real possibility. Considering how expensive … [Read more...] about Can a Medicaid Attorney Help Me Qualify for Benefits?
Alzheimer’s Disease– the Cost to Caregivers
By now, there are few people in America who are not affected, in some way, by Alzheimer’s disease. Although the disease itself is not new, it prevalence has risen to almost epidemic proportions in recent years. If you have ever spent time with someone afflicted with the disease it becomes apparent rather quickly that they are suffering. What may not be as apparent is how much the patient’s caregivers are also suffering – both emotionally and financially. The Alzheimer’s Association decided to … [Read more...] about Alzheimer’s Disease– the Cost to Caregivers
How a Special Needs Trust Can Protect Government Benefits
Every parent worries about providing for their child in the event they are suddenly taken away from the child. The parent of a child with special needs, however, typically feels a more urgent need to plan for that possibility. In addition, as the parent of a child with special needs you are undoubtedly planning for the day when your child reaches adulthood. You already know that the costs involved in caring for your child can be high. Fortunately, there are numerous state and federal … [Read more...] about How a Special Needs Trust Can Protect Government Benefits
Can Revocable Trusts Provide Asset Protection?
When you sit down to create your comprehensive estate plan you will want to include estate planning goals above and beyond simply deciding who will receive your assets when you are gone. Protecting your assets while you are here, for example, is a common estate planning goal. You may have heard that trusts are often used as asset protection tools in an estate plan; however, you may not know whether irrevocable or revocable trusts can provide you with asset protection. Consulting with an … [Read more...] about Can Revocable Trusts Provide Asset Protection?
How Medicaid Planning Can Save Your Nest Egg
If you have worked hard all your life, saved and invested your money wisely, and planned carefully to be able to live comfortably during your retirement years, you certainly don’t want to see something interfere with your financial plan. If you are not careful though, all of your heard-earned money could be threatened during your “Golden Years” by the high cost of long-term care. Unfortunately, people often fail to plan for the likelihood that they, or their spouse, will incur a hefty long-term … [Read more...] about How Medicaid Planning Can Save Your Nest Egg
Choosing the Executor of a Will
For most people, a Last Will and Testament serves as the cornerstone of their comprehensive estate plan. If you are just now creating your Will, you will need to make a number of important decisions during the creation process. While those decisions will predominantly focus on deciding who will receive your estate assets when you are gone, there is another decision you must make that is of equal importance, yet is frequently given very little thought. You will need to appoint someone as the … [Read more...] about Choosing the Executor of a Will
Why Would You Need a Medicaid Attorney?
Like most of your peers, you have likely gone your entire life without ever giving the need to qualify for Medicaid a second thought. After all, you probably had employer sponsored health insurance coverage throughout your working years and may now be depending primarily on Medicare to cover healthcare costs. Why then would you be concerned with qualifying for Medicaid? Moreover, why would you need a Medicaid attorney? The answers to those questions can be found in the likelihood that you, or a … [Read more...] about Why Would You Need a Medicaid Attorney?
