If you are someone who likes to be prepared and to have your affairs in order, you may have an estate plan in place to address management of your medical needs and finances in case of incapacity and the testamentary disposition of your assets. In contemplating end-of-life issues, you may also have planned for your

A common estate planning goal is smooth administration of one’s affairs in incapacity and at death. People often create a joint bank account adding another person, typically a spouse or an adult child, so the other account holder can assist with bill paying and have uninterrupted access to the account for funeral and other expenses. 

Make

In August of 2020, during the first wave of COVID-19 cases, I advised readers to review their medical advance directive documents. These documents could contain language that prohibits intubation and/or use of a ventilator in all situations. Allowing intubation and ventilator use can be life-saving for some COVID-19 patients. There have been a few variants

Gun Trusts

The last article in this two-part series addressed the importance of proper management of  firearms when a gun owner becomes incapacitated or dies. This article discusses gun trusts as  an effective solution. 

John owns a collection of antique rifles passed down from his father. He names Daughter in his will as personal representative. Daughter wants

Recently, an investigative reporter interviewed a retired school principal who was a victim of a Jamaican lottery scam. Over time, she gave about $27,000 to the scammer. Other victims of these scams lost their entire life savings. The scam begins with a telephone call mailing or informing the victim that they have won a large

Pooled Trusts are supplemental needs trusts administered by a nonprofit for the benefit of disabled individuals on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a (d)(A) trust, and those over age 65, a (d)(4)(C) trust. Federal Medicaid and MassHealth regulations permit a deposit of any excess funds that exceed the