Q. As a part of our “bucket list”, my wife and I have decided to purchase cemetery plots for each of us in advance of need. But in doing our inquiries to cemeteries, we were quite surprised by the prices of these plots. We heard that that there may be a way to purchase plots… Read More »
Blog Posts Page 13
An Approach to Handling Legal Affairs When Your Spouse Can’t Sign
Q. My husband suffers from dementia and we have significant expenses for care in the home. In order to help with these expenses, I have been thinking about selling our vacation property which we no longer use or cashing in one of his annuities. I would also like to set up a Living Trust and… Read More »
“I Owe It All To My Grandmother “
Q. Do you mind if I ask how you got started working with seniors and doing the kind of long-term care estate planning that you do? A. Not at all. In a word, I owe it all to my grandmother. After my grandfather died in the 1960s, my grandmother, Lena Ponsky, became the head of… Read More »
Cal Fresh Food Stamps Will Soon Be Available to SSI Recipients
Q. We have a dear, elderly neighbor who lives on SSI and, to my surprise, I learned that she is not eligible for food stamps. However, I hear that a new law was passed that will soon make her, as well as other persons on SSI, newly eligible for food stamps. Is that so? A…. Read More »
Will Medi-Cal Count Dad’s Assets Even Though They Cannot Be Accessed Due To His Dementia?
Q. Our father is 90 years old and is being cared for in a nursing home, which costs about $10,500 per month. We need to apply for a Medi-Cal subsidy to help with the cost, but Dad has an old insurance policy with accumulated cash value which puts him over the $2,000 Medi-Cal resource ceiling… Read More »
Setting The Incapacity ‘Trigger’ in Your POA & Trust: Two Doctors or One?
Q. I am in my late 80’s and am updating my estate plan. I find I have an important decision to make: in my Power of Attorney (“POA”) and my Trust, if I ever lose mental capacity should I require the opinion of two doctors, or just one, to certify my incapacity before duties transfer… Read More »
Planning an Inheritance for A Child or Grandchild on Public Benefits: The Special Needs Trust?
Q. One of my grandchildren has a disability and receives SSI and Medi-Cal. I would like to leave him a bequest from my estate when I pass. But won’t doing so cause him to lose his public benefits? A. Not if you plan correctly. As you probably know, your grandson cannot have more than $2,000… Read More »
New Law Designed To Facilitate CA Organ Donations
Q. My wife and I are about to prepare Advance Health Care Directives, with an option to donate our organs. I hear there is a new law that touches on this. Do you know anything about this? A. Yes. The new law is AB 3211, effective January 1, 2019, and designed to make it easier… Read More »
Do I Need to Cash in My Annuities If I Go Into a Nursing Home?
Q. I have three annuities. If my wife or I need to go into a nursing home, do we need to cash them in to be eligible for a Medi-Cal subsidy? A. Well, like many things in life, it all depends. If your annuities are held inside an IRA owned by you or your wife,… Read More »
Selling or Refinancing Your Home When Your Spouse Can’t Sign
Q. My husband has dementia and I wonder about my ability to refinance or even sell the home, as he cannot sign. The home is held in a Living Trust. Can you advise? A. The short answer is that, under these circumstances, it may be easier for you to sell the home than it would… Read More »