Estate Planning Blog

It is normal for any parent of a special needs child to want to plan out their future and give them the best life possible. Figuring out what they will need throughout their lifetime (and making sure they get that) is crucial. Children with special needs require more care and attention as their livelihood takes a bit more planning.

As soon as your child has their 18th birthday, they are legally seen as an adult in the state of California. This change in legal status results in a large shift as to what you can and cannot do as a parent.

Unfortunately, elder abuse is a common occurrence in everyday life, but the threat has increased substantially during the pandemic and could become more frequent due to the lack of visitation opportunities and the stress levels of current situations.

April is National Autism Awareness Month which encourages and promotes acceptance and support for the Autism community throughout the nation. 

When should you check if you need to update your estate? If you already have an estate plan in place, it’s a good idea to update it every three to five years. 

If you are a parent whose child has special needs, your job as a parent gets more complicated the day they turn 18. On that day they magically become an adult in the eyes of the law.

While it has benefited millions of people, using Medicare can be overwhelming. For many, it may even be difficult to figure out if you qualify for Medicare in-home care and know what is and isn’t covered. 

There are many misconceptions about what the legal document called a power of attorney does and what it involves. It’s important for you and your loved ones to know what these misconceptions are so you can be prepared for the process of getting a power of attorney as well as how to use it. 

To prevent financial pressure due to unexpected long-term care and medical costs, you need to create a plan of action to help you and your family in the future.

CalABLE is a tax-advantaged account where any earnings on funds in the account are tax-free. Distributions are also tax-free, as long as they are used towards disability expenses.

Celebrated every October, National Special Needs Law Month is that time of year when families, caregivers, attorneys and estate planners across the country are encouraged to explore the long-term needs of those who require specialized, ongoing care.

In this article I want to dispel the common myth regarding the school emergency cards we all fill out at the beginning of each school year.

There’s an extremely important, but poorly publicized, VA program we wanted to share with you today.

If you have an elder in your life, chances are you’ve felt the need to keep an eye out for them. With scams galore these days, it’s increasingly dangerous to trust anyone.

It's not uncommon for families to come to us with an interest in Medi-Cal planning for themselves or a loved one.

Proper planning for a loved one, be it a child or adult, with a disability or degenerative disease is critical to provide for the time when you can no longer be here.

Recently a client came in to change her estate plan. Among the reasons was that one of her children had recently filed for bankruptcy and she didn’t want the inheritance to be taken. Smart client!

Plenty of everyday Americans own property or assets in other countries, and it may become part of their estates when they pass on. There are special considerations to keep in mind when including foreign property and assets in one’s estate.

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.

If you are over 70 ½ years old, you can donate some or all over 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.