In the United States, all states have enacted some version of the Uniform Anatomical Gifts Act which governs the process of organ donation for the purpose of transplantation. Any adult may choose to become an organ donor. You make this choice by either registering with the MVA or indicating your intentions in your estate planning documents.
Both aging parents and adult children may be apprehensive about broaching topics related to long term care, incapacity and/or estate planning. Children may not want to appear greedy while aging parents may not want to show any vulnerability.
If you have a loved one currently in a nursing home, you may be concerned about the care received, risk of exposure to COVID19 and other deadly illnesses, and precautions being taken to ensure safety.
Many seniors rely on caretakers to assist them with daily living. These caretakers may be paid or unpaid, family or no relation. Regardless of the situation, many caretakers give so much time and energy to those in their care that they often neglect their own needs.
Lending money to family members can be a very effective way for wealthier family members to help less wealthy family members buy homes, start businesses or get out of debt without the burden of outright gifting. There are rules they must be followed or the loan could be treated by tax authorities as a gift.
The United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) offers financial assistance for burial and other related costs for veterans, their spouses and their dependent children.
The process of building a family through adoption creates new legal family ties while simultaneously severing old ties. These legal ties create a host of rights and interests in the context of estate planning which impact more than just the parties involved in the adoption.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an alert recently warning residents of long-term care facilities and their families that some facilities may unlawfully require residents who are on Medicaid to sign over their $1,200 pandemic relief checks. This is unlawful and those payments should be returned to the patients.
An advance directive is a set of instructions someone prepares prior to illness that sets out healthcare wishes. A living will, a type of advance directive, is a legal document that instructs your health care providers on the types of treatment you want or do not want should you become incapacitated.
