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Eldercare Lawyer Blog

Eldercare

One Lawyer, One Client

When I first opened my law practice twenty-five years ago, I knew that I would concentrate in one area—elder law. There are many benefits to...

Marriage Is a Partnership

Recently, the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, issued an interesting decision concerning New Jersey’s Medicaid program.  Medicaid...

How Much Tax Do I Owe?

“How much tax do I have to pay on my inheritance?” the client asked.  The lawyer said, “It depends on what you inherited.” When a person, called the...

Can You Refuse an Inheritance

When a person dies, he leaves his property—called his “Estate”—behind to be distributed to certain people.  Who those people are depends on various...

Keri Supreme Court

THE ELDERLY SCORE BIG-TIME IN COURT I barely want to say it out loud, but if you've noticed, my recent columns have been about court victories for...

Income First

WHOSE INCOME IS IT ANYWAY? The United State Supreme Court will soon decide one of the hottest issues in Medicaid planning. Must the community spouse...

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Recent Posts

The Step Up in Basis Myth

After more than 26 years practicing elder law in New Jersey, I have noticed that misconceptions tend to arrive in waves. The same misunderstanding will surface from multiple clients in a short span of time, often with near-identical wording. Recently, a new wave has...

The Medicaid Spend Down

When a family faces the staggering cost of long-term care, Medicaid often becomes the only realistic way to pay for nursing home, assisted living, or in-home care. But qualifying for Medicaid requires meeting strict financial limits, and that is where the Medicaid...

Not All Trusts Protect Assets the Same Way

When clients come to my office asking about living trusts, they often arrive with the assumption that a trust is a trust. That any trust will protect their assets, simplify their estate, and spare their family from the headaches of probate. The reality is more...

A Trust Isn’t Always the Default Answer

When people begin the estate planning process, they often hear that they “need a trust.” The truth is more nuanced. Trusts can be extremely useful, but the right kind of trust depends entirely on your goals, your assets, and your family circumstances. For most people,...

Understanding the Medicaid Five-Year Lookback Period

When someone applies for long-term care Medicaid, one of the most important rules is the five-year lookback period. This rule determines whether the applicant made any gifts or transfers of assets that could delay eligibility for benefits. Despite frequent...

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Sea Girt  (732) 974-8898         Middletown  (732) 706-8008