If you are over 70 ½ years old, you can donate some or all of your IRA to an eligible special needs charity or non-profit of your choice. Using a Qualified Charitable Distribution, you can donate directly from your IRA to the charity. Not only is this a great way to support your favorite organizations...

The words Top 5 written in vintage letterpress type[/caption It’s no secret that the elderly are a favorite target of scam artists. Criminals will troll the internet and phone lists looking for seniors that are easy to prey upon due to an illness, disability, or cognitive impairment. Another reason scam artists...

In a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation, Congress recently passed a law that will expand benefits to individuals enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans who have chronic illnesses. The Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act will cover certain supplies and services not previously covered such as telehealth services, at-home visits...

This may sound like a situation from a movie, but it happens more than you can imagine: a long-lost child appears after the death of their parent. This is an alarming situation for many reasons, but people often wonder if that child has a claim against the deceased’s estate. The answer is yes, but only...

If you are reading our blog, you have probably already decided that you want to create a living trust with a Trumbull will and trust lawyer to avoid probate and put a quick end to the estate administration process. You might also have decided that you want your estate and the decisions you made about...

Legal competency concerns can lead to issues for senior citizens, during both life and death. This is especially true for financial affairs and disputed inheritances. Milford Elder law attorneys must be able to determine a senior’s legal competency in both physical and mental areas because of the serious consequences it can have for long-term care...

There’s good news for vulnerable seniors in Connecticut and across the country. As part of a larger bipartisan bill on banking reform, the Senior Safe Act became law in the month of May. This legislation is an attempt to stop acts of financial abuse targeted at senior citizens by encouraging banks, credit unions, investment advisors,...

I know many people who love timeshares. That is, the option to be a part owner of a property which is used for getaways and vacations. Even though a deeded timeshare is an interest in real property, it is usually more of a luxury than an asset. Even if the mortgage is paid, there are...

A lot of parents come into our Trumbull estate planning law firm with mixed feelings about passing on the balance of their retirement accounts to their children when they die someday. On one hand they are proud of the money they have saved over their lifetime in an IRA; on the other hand, they worry...

The majority of people we see in our New Haven estate planning law firm name their adult children as beneficiaries of their estate plan. In most cases, this works well because children typically outlive their parents. But, what happens when a child dies before the parent? What becomes of the inheritance that a parent plans...

I’ve written many times about the importance of selecting the right person to serve as trustee for a Special Needs Trust. The trustee will need to make distributions, file tax returns, and carry out numerous other duties that go along with administering a trust. Families often consider a sibling for this important role. There are...

An executor is chosen by a testator to carry out the intentions of the will after the testator has died. It’s fairly easy to replace an executor when the testator is still alive – all the testator has to do is simply name a new executor. However, this becomes far more complicated and difficult once...

Here in New Haven, living will attorneys know full well the ramifications of not planning ahead for an unexpected disability.  Even those clients who understand the importance of estate planning tend to overlook what would happen if they should become unable to care for themselves.  It’s not the happiest thought, but the reality of not...

As a Milford will lawyer, I advise that it’s always best for a person to write down one’s intentions for their property when they die. However, many people still die intestate (without a will), and their intentions aren’t known. Often, however, these people’s heirs may make a claim that the deceased orally stated what their...

When it comes to estate planning, most people think of streams of income that are typical, such as current employment, retirement plans, and bank accounts. These obviously need to be included. But, there are other, less obvious types of income that some people forget. When you work with an experienced Stratford estate planning attorney, they...

I’ve worked with many Milford grandparents interested in leaving a legacy behind for their grandchildren. A lot of people are surprised when I tell them they could be causing more harm than good if they aren’t careful. Imagine this for a moment; what would you have done if you were given a large sum of...

Adding your child to your bank  account seems like common sense so they can help with paying bills. This is convenient, but what people often don’t realize is that the child will have more authority than to just sign checks. Adding your child to your bank account means that they legally own half of the...

It’s a common story among blended families: an aging parent becomes ill and the parent’s biological children clash with the parent’s spouse. While some of these disagreements are generally small, there are times when the disagreements are not only great, but the child also fears for the parent’s health and safety. Even though spouses have...

One thing that surprises many of my clients is that Powers of Attorney are necessary even for married couples. People automatically assume that their spouse will be able to handle everything on their behalf if they become incapacitated. This is not usually the case. A Power of Attorney is a legal document that appoints an...

Milford estate planning attorneys know, a divorce changes everything. If you are in the process of divorce or just finishing up, you are most likely busy trying to readjust to your new life. Although it’s a hectic time, it is important that you do not forget that you need to update your estate plan. Here...

When most people think about estate planning, they picture money and property. But, as a Stratford will and trust lawyer, I see more and more people adding intangible assets to their estate plan. Intangible assets might be things that have no monetary value, but are nonetheless important to the family. They may include personal letters,...

Picture this – you get an opportunity to spend some alone time with your spouse. What do you do to prepare for date night? You carefully select a babysitter. Then, you write detailed instructions; when to feed the baby, how often to change diapers, what snacks are allowed…and you leave a myriad of contact information...

Unfortunately, many parents of children with special needs wait until their child turns 18 to consider creating a Special Needs Trust. Sometimes, they even wait until their child eventually needs government benefits like SSI or Medicaid. However, Special Needs Trusts do a lot more than just protect the beneficiary’s access to government benefits and should...

The number of adult children caring for their elderly parents is growing at a very fast pace. If you are a baby boomer and not already caring for an elderly parent, chances are high that you might be facing this situation soon.  It isn’t always easy to know when, or how, to step in to...

Elder care lawyers in New Haven work with families to prepare for any number of situations in the estate planning process. One circumstance that is especially relevant to elder care law is dementia. Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are almost exclusively conditions which appear late in life. Along with the emotional turmoil on...