In the News: Iowa’s Highest Court Rules Against Medicaid Applicant

Trusts can be a highly effective tool in nursing home planning. Certain types of trusts are effective even when a nursing home stay is imminent or even ongoing. But the list of viable trust options got smaller when the Iowa Supreme Court decided the Cox v. Iowa Department of Human Services case and ruled out pooled trusts in November 2018. … Read More

Confused about Trusts? Let’s Talk About Buckets Instead

Across the board, legal documents can be confusing. Just think about the paperwork needed to take out a mortgage – the legalese is overwhelming. And the same is true about trusts. Even the best document drafters can’t eliminate all the technical language in a trust document. Add to that all the different types of trusts – RLT, ILIT, IDGT, GRAT, … Read More

Most People Focus on Estate Plan Documents. Instead, Focus on Goals

So often, we meet with clients who want to “get a will” or “talk about trusts.” And we’re more than happy to talk about those things! But as we work our way through the nuances of wills and trusts together, our conversations always turn to one simple question: “What do you want your estate plan to do?” Why Start with … Read More

Watch Your Language: Intestate

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice (“Freewill” by Rush). Estate planning is based on a single choice: will you plan or will you not plan? If you choose to plan, you get to design all the details surrounding management of your property after your death. If you choose not to plan, then you are … Read More

New Year, New You: How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Here’s a shocking statistic: according to Scranton University, only 8% of people keep their New Year’s resolutions. Some years I’ve been successful with my resolutions, other years are utter failures. In my experience, the times I’ve been able to keep my resolutions have had a few things in common. Here are three ways to stick with your resolution.