Recent Blog Posts
Using Trusts to Provide for Minor Children and Disabled Adults
Most people worry about providing for their children after death. Wills and trusts offer unique vehicles through which people can provide financial security for future generations. However, for those with disabled adult children or minor children, there is the added concern about who will care for those children and how. Some of the big… Read More »
Why Having an Estate Plan is Not Enough: The Top 3 Things You can do to Protect Yourself and Your Heirs
From Anna Nicole Smith to Archie Bunker, there have been dozens of high profile celebrity probate disputes in the past two decades. Many of these legal battles center around abuse, neglect, or poorly drafted legal instruments. Often, these cases also involve nontraditional family arrangements and late life marriages. When Anna Nicole, 26, married J…. Read More »
Spendthrift Trusts not Just for the Wealthy
Research tends to show that people who come into large sums of money often burn through it pretty quickly. Consider these examples of people who won millions only to have their lives completely deteriorate. From drugs and lavish lifestyles to reckless gambling and ruined marriages, new money can be a very dangerous thing to… Read More »
Medicare Changes May Lead More Seniors to Stay at Home
Nationwide, there is a growing movement among state legislatures to push for reforms aimed at keeping seniors out of nursing homes. This push comes from a lot of places. For some, concerns about abuse and neglect make people avoid admission as long as possible. Others simply feel dehumanized by being taken out of their… Read More »
What is Florida’s Medically Needy Program, and How Does it Work?
With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, many states have enacted laws expanding Medicaid coverage by offering insurance to more people than were previously eligible. However, not all states participate in Medicaid expansion. Florida remains one of several states that have opted out of expansion; therefore, it is very difficult for adults to… Read More »
March 8, 2016 Government Report Warns of Looming Drug Price Increases
With the 2016 elections well under way, many older adults are wondering how the candidates will shape the future of Medicare, Social Security, and other programs that help seniors. And while the future of health care in America may not be certain, one definitely is going to change – drug prices. The 2016 report… Read More »
5 Reasons Not to Put Off Your Estate Plan
Many Florida residents have chosen to retire in the sunshine state to avoid cold winters and to partake in the host of sunny outdoors activities that are in such abundance here. People come from all over to enjoy the moderate temperatures and year-round accessibility of Florida’s beaches. Yet, every summer, many of these same… Read More »
Obesity Rates Higher in Southern States: Florida a Significant Exception
A project partly funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation keeps track of obesity and disease rates in the U.S. One of the most significant health risks of this century is type-II diabetes. According to one source, obesity rates are escalating out of control and many policymakers wonder what can be done to stop… Read More »
Elder Exploitation Sometimes Subtler Than Expected
We have all heard the horrifying stories of seniors being ripped off by deadbeat con artists or dishonest contractors. But exploitation goes far beyond business dealings with strangers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ special Agency on Aging provides regular statistics tracking the prevalence of elder abuse in America. According to reports… Read More »
When Families Fight in Probate Court
In a world where elder law attorneys seem to make more money representing feuding siblings than from providing skilled preventative advice to seniors, it should come as no surprise that probate has become one of the most controversial and contentious areas of practice in recent years. Will contests, trust disputes, and adult children fighting… Read More »
