NOVEMBER 25, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 21 In most cases writing a will is not terribly difficult. Making sure the will is effective can sometimes be more challenging. Involving a lawyer is supposed to make the process easier and the results more effective, but it does not always work out that way. Dr. Warren Sisson,…
NOVEMBER 18, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 20 Arthur Roccamonte was married, the father of two children and the owner of a trucking business in New Jersey when he met Mary Sopko. Ms. Sopko was also married, and had one daughter. Mr. Roccamonte, attracted to Ms. Sopko, pursued her and the couple embarked on an affair…
NOVEMBER 11, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 19 Medicaid, the federal/state partnership program providing medical care for disabled indigents, covers medical care regardless of the cause of the beneficiary’s illness or injury. A Medicaid recipient may file a lawsuit against the person causing an injury for which the beneficiary is receiving Medicaid benefits. In such a…
NOVEMBER 4, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 18 When Robert J. Furst wrote a new will at age 87, he probably thought he was taking the steps necessary to ensure that his two nieces would receive all his assets. The lawyer who prepared the new will, however, did not know that most of Mr. Furst’s assets…
OCTOBER 28, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 17 Allan Levine thought it was a good idea to set aside some money for his young grandchildren, Derek and Danielle Levine, and so in 1987 he established investment accounts for them. He used a popular and easy way of setting aside the money—he created accounts under the Uniform…
OCTOBER 21, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 16 Two weeks ago, Elder Law Issues reintroduced to its readers a discussion on driving skills for the aging driver. We suggested continuing our discussion by introducing strategies to deal with the impaired driver. We often hear stories like these: A client whose father gets lost driving in his neighborhood…
OCTOBER 14, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 15 Walter and Geraldine Brown had filed for divorce before first Mr. Brown and then Mrs. Brown became incapacitated. When guardianship proceedings were initiated for both of them, the divorce proceeding was simply dismissed. Mr. and Mrs. Brown lived in Indiana, where the language of guardianship is a little…
OCTOBER 7, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 14 Driving is an enormously important issue to our elderly (and disabled) clients, their family and friends. In the western U.S. and particularly in Tucson, transportation without a car is difficult and inconvenient. Safety of both the driver and the public is paramount, but the loss of independence and…
SEPTEMBER 30, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 13 Abuse of the elderly may be physical or financial. In some cases caretakers or family members may simply have failed to provide adequate care and that neglect may have lead to injury (or even death). Most elder care professionals recognize that all three kinds of misconduct are seriously…
SEPTEMBER 23, 2002 VOLUME 10, NUMBER 12 Like other states, Florida is experiencing runaway cost increases in Medicaid, the federal/state program which provides medical care for the poor. One particular area of concern has been the cost of prescription drugs (unlike the Medicare program, Medicaid covers medication costs). Last year the Florida legislature took steps…