Elder Law 101

End-of-Life Care Decision Making

Just as we create estate plans for our eventual demise, we also need to plan ahead for the possibility that we will become sick and unable to make our own medical decisions. ...

Gifts to Grandchildren: Gift Trusts

There are some serious drawbacks to many options for giving gifts to grandchildren. Either there are no tax or estate planning advantages, or you have no control of the funds (or lose control after a certain point), or the money...

Gifts to Grandchildren: 529 Accounts

This type of account, named for Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, enables you to reduce your taxable estate while earmarking funds for the higher education of a grandchild (or any other family member). ...

Gifts to Grandchildren

Gifting assets to your grandchildren can do more than help your descendants get a good start in life; it can also reduce the size of your estate and the tax that will be due upon your death.

The Durable Power of Attorney

For most people, the durable power of attorney is the most important estate planning instrument available -- even more useful than a will. ...

Estate Administration: The Basic Steps

Estate administration is the process of managing and distributing a person’s property (the “estate”) after death.

Long-Term Care Insurance and Medicaid Planning

While in large part people who purchase long-term care insurance and those who plan to qualify for Medicaid coverage of long-term care costs fall into separate groups, there are at least two situations where they overlap.