Assisted Living vs. Aging in Place: How an Elder Care Lawyer Can Help
For those of us who are still relatively young and in good health, it can be difficult to understand how frightening it can be to grow older, and experience the feelings of helplessness as various parts of your once-strong body begin to betray you. If you have a senior in your life who is beginning […]
When Should You Speak With an Elder Law Attorney in Bucks County?
You may be young – or at least young at heart – but that doesn’t mean you won’t someday require the services of an elder law attorney. In this blog post, we’ll outline the many ways an elder law attorney can help you or your loved ones prepare for your golden years, so that you […]
5 Steps to Help You Plan for Your Future
When you hear the word “retirement,” what do you picture yourself doing? Traveling the world? Catching up on all the books you were too busy to read? Spending time with your children and grandchildren? Those are all fine, noble goals, and we want to see you achieve them. But first, there’s work to be done, […]
Is It Better to Remarry or Just Live Together?
Finding love later in life may be unexpected and exciting, but should it lead to marriage? The considerations are much different for an older couple than for a young couple just starting out. Before making this decision, you should consider consulting your elder law attorney to review your situation, including the following: Estate Planning Getting […]
When Do I Need a Living Will?
People have been leaving wills since the days of Ancient Greece, but living wills have only come about in the last 50 years. The living will was first created in 1967 by Luis Kutner, the attorney who helped found Amnesty International. Half a century later, there are living will laws in every state. But what […]
Understanding Probate of an Estate in Pennsylvania
In the early 1850s, Charles Dickens published his popular serialized novel Bleak House, which deals with the British court system. At the center of the book is a court case called Jarndyce v. Jarndyce, a battle over an inheritance that drags on over several generations. Dickens used the plot to satirize the court system of […]
What Type of Trust is Right For You?
Whenever we elect a new president, we hear a lot of talk about something called a “blind trust.” This term refers to a financial arrangement in which a person in elected office sets aside their business interests to avoid a conflict of interest. It’s one of many types of trusts, all of which are designed […]
IRS Announces 2017 Estate Tax Limits
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the 2017 Estate and Gift Tax limits. The exemptions will increase in 2017 to $5,490,000 ($5.49 million) from $5,450,000 ($5.45 million) in 2016. Therefore, if you die in 2017 and your estate is less than $5,490,000, your estate is not required to pay Federal estate tax. If you […]
Avoid This New Medicare ‘Trap’
When Judy Hanttula came home from the hospital after surgery last November, her doctor’s office called with bad news: records showed that even though Judy had signed up for original Medicare, she was nevertheless enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. Original Medicare would not pay for the surgery because she now had an Advantage plan, […]
Planning Your Digital Afterlife
Most of us, young and old, have moved to the digital age in one way or another. You have a smartphone, bank online, use email to communicate, text your grandchildren or children, or have an online presence like Facebook. What happens with all of this digital data once you have departed this life? How will […]