Guardianships and Conservatorships
Conservator
Conservator
Trusts
In General
There are a variety of situations in which other people may make decisions for you.
Health Care Documents, Finances and Business, Guardianships and Conservatorships
There are a variety of situations in which other people may make decisions for you.
Health Care Documents
It can be very important to have a valid Advance Directive for Health Care in place, so that if you are unable to direct your own health care, the person you want to make health care choices for you will be able to direct doctors and hospitals, and will be able to have access to your health care information.
Time for First Contact
Consider contacting an Elder Law attorney before you, your spouse, or your parents make any significant transfer of property. Consider getting the advice of an Elder Law Attorney:
Elder Law includes a wide range of subjects, including matters relating to Medicaid, including asset protection, Medicaid spend down, look back periods, avoiding or dealing with disqualification for Medicaid, and planning for a situation where one spouse needs to enter long term care, but the other may be able to remain in the home.
Many people chose to have trust based estate plans, instead of relying only on Wills.
There are many good reasons to do a trust.
One reason is that a trust will often allow you to avoid probate after your death.
Sometimes people put off applying for Medicaid far longer than they should.
This can result in far more money being spent paying for long term care privately than was necessary, if Medicaid could have stepped in earlier.
Something that some people don’t think of relates to money passing to their children.
If you do not have a Will and are not married at the time you die, your children WILL get your assets (if you have children).
Some people believe that if they only have a small amount of assets they do not need a Will. While it is true that some assets can (with proper planning) pass outside of probate, and that other assets can pass with a small estate proceeding or affidavits of heirship, it is often difficult to