Lawyers are among the most reviled service professionals in American culture. We’re so disliked that even lawyers don’t have a lot of friends who are lawyers. I mean, who doesn’t love a good lawyer joke? Q: What’s the difference between a good lawyer and a bad lawyer? A: A bad lawyer makes your case drag on for years. A good … Read More
FAQ: What Happens if I Die without a Will?
You’ve heard the statistic: 55% of Americans don’t have a will. And there are lots of reasons why – check out our Path of Most Resistance blog series. If you’re one of those no-will Americans, it might interest you to know: “What happens if I die without a will?” Leaving it Up to Your Congressmen If you choose not to … Read More
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
Watch Your Language: Beneficiary
The beneficiary is what it sounds like: the person who receives the benefit from a trust. [Read More]
Watch Your Language: Trustee
A trustee has legal title to assets subject to certain conditions and requirements that are spelled out in the trust document. [Read More]
Watch Your Language: Grantor
The grantor is the person who creates a trust. No matter what type of trust you have, the grantor is always in charge because they set the trust’s terms. [Read More]
A Young Parent’s Guide to Estate Planning
For many parents, estate planning is primarily about their relationship with their children. But it’s hard to know where to even start thinking through the many decisions you need to make to set up an effective plan. Never fear; we’re here to help! If you’re a young parent (or even if you’re not), read on to find a few thought-provoking … Read More
3 Myths About Medicaid for Nursing Home Care
Nursing homes are incentivized by the state to perpetuate the hoax because the daily nursing home rate paid by the state is lower than the private pay rate. Lawyers who don’t know anything about the Medicaid regulations are telling people they have no options for planning for Medicaid eligibility. How do you overcome misinformation or a lack of information? You get educated. Here are three myths, rooted in the Medicaid Planning Hoax, that are all wet. [Read More]
