Inheritance Advice: The ‘Times’ Got It Wrong
The New York Times is wrong. In a recent “Social Q’s” column, a reader asked for inheritance advice. The response was off the mark. (For the purposes of this article, we’ll call the questioner “Reader.” And though the column didn’t reveal Reader’s gender, for easy identification, we’ll assume Reader is female.) Reader describes the circumstances: […]
May Review: Aging, Taxes, and Betty White
It’s almost June, so it’s time to survey elder law news and commentary and share interesting developments. For the May review, we have news about Arizona’s elders, taxes, and Betty White’s estate sale: Challenges of Aging Arizona’s Auditor General issued a scathing report that suggests the Department of Health Services is doing little to protect […]
What About Planning for Your Crypto?
In our recent article about digital assets, we skipped over planning for your crypto. We encouraged getting your digital affairs in order by doing an inventory of all digital accounts so your estate administrators can manage your affairs without additional stress. Crypto requires even more care. The Crypto Basics Cryptocurrency and other “blockchain” assets such […]
Summer Project: Get Your Digital Life In Order
Need a summer project? We have one for you: Get your digital life in order. An increasingly large part of our everyday lives happens the digital space. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated our use of digital tools across the board. We use e-mail, apps, social media, and more every day. Plus, more people and institutions are […]
April Review: Surveys Show We Could Plan Better
That’s May just around the corner, which means it’s when we like to survey elder law news and commentary and share interesting developments. For the April review, we learn (again) that a lot of people don’t have estate plans, that a lot of people want to “age in place,” and that the George Harrison estate […]
Things Change: Your Estate Plan Should Change, Too
Clients know things change. And one common question in an estate planning meeting is: “Can I change my mind?” Quickly followed by, “Will you charge me for that?” Yes, probably. And yes. As we all know, life goes on. Every person should, from time to time and after a major life event, review their estate […]
March Review, From Cryptocurrency to Purple Rain Wine
We’re near the end of the month. That’s when we like to survey the elder law landscape and share articles and developments of interest. For the March review, we touch on everything from cryptocurrency to Purple Rain Wine. March Review: Estate Planning It seems like everyone is investing in cryptocurrency these days. Many investors, however, […]
Stop Helping: Why Helpers Should Leave the Room
When an aging person creates or changes their estate plan, children, caregivers, friends often tag along to “help.” Most of the time, an estate planning attorney will request that the helper stop helping–not participate at all. A new court decision out of New York illustrates why. Battle of the Wills In the Matter of the […]