Showing 10 posts from 2018.
Estate Planning Potholes
Michigan roads are notorious for being rough, unsteady and full of potholes. Sooner or later, your car may hit one that you didn’t see coming, costing you precious time and money. However, potholes are avoidable if you know where they are. The same is true with estate planning. Read More ›
Categories: Elder Law, Estate Planning
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Tips for Avoiding Conflict with Family
No family is perfect. Families will fight, not speak to each other for extended periods, or in some extreme cases, face each other in court.
This is especially true as parents advance in age and as they become more dependent on their children for assistance, old conflicts can come back to the forefront, leading to quarrels among siblings as well as between parents and their children.
Often these disputes begin not out of greed but for a variety of other reasons:
- Internal difficulty in coping with a parent in decline
- Conflicts, power struggles and rivalries that are dug up from the past
- Disparities and inequities in the burden of care
- Disagreements in both medical decisions and in living arrangements
- Financial concerns over the care of a parent
Categories: Did you Know?, Elder Law, Powers of Attorney
Planning for a Vacation Home?
I’m sure you’ve spent a wonderful vacation at a unique and dreamy location and thought to yourself, “I wonder what it would be like to live here?” If you answered that question by investigating the details of purchasing a vacation home in that perfect spot, it would be wise to consult with an attorney early in the process to avoid getting into hot water later on. Read More ›
Categories: Elder Law, Financing, Personal Property Tax
An Introduction to Medicaid
Elder clients often approach attorneys with questions about Medicaid and often are not even sure what it is. Read More ›
Categories: Elder Law, Medicaid Planning, Medicare/Medicaid
Financial Elder Abuse: Awareness and Prevention
10,000 Americans turn 65 every day. With an aging population, come a variety of new issues for society to address. One of those issues is elder financial abuse, which has been a growing problem over the past decade. According to a study in the American Journal of Public Health, 1 in 18 older “cognitively intact” adults falls prey to financial fraud or abuse in a given year. Read More ›
Categories: Did you Know?, Elder Law, Fraud & Abuse, Senior Exploitation & Abuse
Are Reverse Mortgages Wise for Seniors?
It would be wonderful to give you an absolute yes or no but like so many things, it is important to analyze how your specific circumstances factor into the answer. Read More ›
Categories: Did you Know?, Elder Law, Financing
Three Concerns for Your Estate
When it comes to transferring possessions upon your death, you can either make it easy on your loved ones through proper estate planning or you can leave it up to the court system. Prior planning is the more efficient and effective option. There are a variety of planning methods available depending on your unique situation.
For example, Revocable Living Trusts are commonly used to transfer assets after death, independent of the legal system in many states. Read More ›
Categories: Elder Law, Estate Planning
Legal Preparation for Leaving the Nest
As spring winds down and summer sets in, many parents and students look forward to graduation day. After the celebrations, parents get ready to send their children, many of whom have never been away from home, off to college. Read More ›
Categories: Digital Assets, Elder Law, Estate Planning, HIPAA, Powers of Attorney
How to Have “The Talk” with Your Aging Parents
As children grow into adults, they often rely upon their parents for guidance when facing tough life questions. Sage advice from mom about career paths or from dad regarding relationships, garnered from their own life experiences, helps soften the pinball-like transition into adult life. Read More ›
Categories: Did you Know?, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Safety
Top Two Concerns for Your Estate
If you think estate planning is just for the wealthy, think again. Everyone has an estate worth planning for; some are just more complex than others. Facing one’s own mortality can be an uncomfortable subject, but ignoring the inevitable can cause unnecessary pain and conflict for your loved ones. Read More ›
Categories: Elder Law, Estate Planning
Survivor's Checklist:
Due to the shock of the death of a spouse or a loved one, the steps of what needs to be done first can be an overwhelming process for the survivor(s). To aid in the breakdown and to act as a tool amidst the emotional days ahead, estate planning Jonathan "Jay" David has assembled a "Survivor's Checklist" of some of the important things that need to be addressed when a spouse or loved one dies.
Resources and Support for Older Adults Living Alone: A Comprehensive Guide (2024):
Below is a comprehensive guide of resources for older adults living alone, empowering them to thrive independently and access essential services. This guide was created and provided with permission by the National Council on Aging (NCOA).
Resources and Support for Older Adults Living Alone: A Comprehensive Guide (2024) (ncoa.org)
Elder Organizer Tool:
Foster Swift has created a free ‘Elder Organizer’ digital notebook to provide seniors and their caretakers with a toolkit that helps organize doctors’ appointments, medications, and more that can be shared online. The tools below are also available on the Elder Law Resources page.
*For those trying to access these links by smartphone, it is best practice to copy/open the link in a separate tab and download the free Google Sheets app from Google Play or the Apple Store.
COVID-19 Checklist:
For adult children responsible for their elderly parents and other senior caretakers concerned about protecting loved ones as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, below is a free downloadable checklist of steps to follow to prepare for any possible COVID-19-related illnesses among the most-vulnerable.
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E-book Covers Estate Planning Essentials
Engaging in estate planning, while essential, is often emotional and generates many questions. How do I protect my spouse and my children if something happens to me? What happens if I become disabled before I pass on? Who will take care of my pet after I'm gone? How do I pass my business on to my children? These questions and more are addressed in Jonathan David’s recently updated e-book, “Estate Planning: You Have to Start in Order to Finish.”
Need Help Planning?
For more tools, visit our Elder Law Resource page for additional content. Click here to view/download the Foster Swift estate planning brochure to see what our experienced team of attorneys can do for you.