What Do I Need to Know about a Power of Attorney in WA State?
A power of attorney gives a loved one the legal authority to handle your healthcare, financial, or other important decisions for you if you’re unable to. This can help you both during major life events when you need extra help or if you’re physically or mentally unable to make decisions on your own. What Exactly…
How Should I Plan for Temporary Guardianship in My Family Protection Plan?
A temporary guardian assumes the role of a guardian for a limited amount of time. You may need sudden medical care, or if you’re no longer able to care for your children, you may need someone to step in while the permanent guardian prepares to take on their role. To ensure that everything goes smoothly,…
Disinheriting a Child and Other Considerations of a Last Will and Testament
Leaving your children out of your will is not a decision that is taken lightly. But sometimes there are considerations that you need to make that make it the more prudent decision to leave them out of your will. If you decide to disinherit children, it is something you should do as soon as you…
What to Know During the Guardianship Nomination Process
If something happened to you and you were unable to take care of yourself or your children, who would step in? Ideally, it would be someone you chose. Nominating a guardian before something happens allows you to do just that. What Is a Guardian? Think back to school forms asking for a parent or legal…
The Importance of Power of Attorney During Estate Planning
Your estate planning has many different parts that all need to move in the same direction in order to be successful. A vital part of this process is how to disseminate the various powers of attorney (POA). The POA will be one of the most important estate documents that you create, so you owe it to…
Maximizing Tax Umbrellas for Estates
You have made it your life’s work to leave your family with substantial assets to provide for them after you are gone. Legacy is extremely difficult to build, but the estate tax law in the United States does not seem to take this into consideration. Estate tax can rip as much as 40% of your…
Medicare vs. Medicaid: What’s the Difference?
Do you feel confused when people start talking about the difference between Medicare and Medicaid? If so, you are not alone. One study found that only 4% of Americans could correctly explain the basic terms of their health insurance policy. The thought of navigating the world of health insurance on your own may seem overwhelming. This is…
Is Your Last Will and Testament Legally Binding?
According to a recent survey, 60% of people in the US do not have a will or a plan to make one. Accidents happen and you do not want to leave your loved ones with nothing. But your will must be legally binding if it is to be enforced. You are no lawyer, though, so it can…
10 Tips to Find an Elder Law Attorney You Can Trust
There are people in this world that will take advantage of anyone for their own gain. They target people unable to care for themselves or that suffer dementia. 1 out of 10 older people experiences a form of abuse. This problem does not stop at law offices. Lawyers know the intricacy of the law. They can use…
5 Hacks for Setting Up a Living Will and Trust
Age is a slippery slope. The older you get, the more dependent you are on others. At some point, you cannot depend on yourself at all. Around 60-years-old, there is a 7% chance you will suffer from dementia. Two decades later, and it is more likely you will have dementia than you will not. By then, your…