After more than 26 years practicing elder law in New Jersey, I have noticed that misconceptions tend to arrive in waves. The same misunderstanding...
Eldercare Lawyer Blog
Estate Planning
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,...
Living Documents
For more than 26 years, I have practiced elder law in New Jersey. Over that time, I have drafted tens of thousands of estate-planning documents—last...
Gift and Estate Tax: The Boogeyman
Beginning in 2026, the federal lifetime exclusion against gift and estate tax is scheduled to increase to $15,000,000 per individual. In simple...
Why a Power of Attorney Matters More Than You Think
Few legal documents offer more practical protection than a Durable General Power of Attorney (POA). It ensures that someone you trust can manage...
The Hidden Tax Break
When it comes to real estate, most people focus on the obvious—mortgage rates and neighborhood values. But there’s a quieter financial reality...
Legal Documents Every Parent Should Have
All three of my children are in college and over eighteen. Though I still think of them as kids, the law sees them as adults. The moment a person...
Do I Really Have to Pay Mom’s Credit Card Bills?
“My mother died recently. She had about $20,000 in credit card debt. I am the executor of her estate. Do I have to pay that credit card debt or did...
A Reasonable Flat Fee
I have been practicing elder law for twenty-five years. Most of my practice is transactional law, as opposed to litigation. I draft estate planning...
A Poorly Drafted Will Can Create Big Problems
A last will and testament is a document through which a person passes his assets on to others after his death. A Will is also a document through...
Do I Need a Trust?
“Do I need a trust?” I hear this question all the time from clients. There is no easy answer because the reason a person may need a trust varies....
Having an Estate Plan
In my lifetime, several United States presidents have passed away, and one thing I notice about presidents is, each of them planned out their...
Estate Planning Resolutions You Might Actually Keep
It’s another new year. Many of us will enter resolutions with ourselves—either spoken or unspoken—things we want to accomplish in the new year. I...
Will I Pay Estate Tax?
The new year is upon us, and with that, the federal government has issued new numbers for the credit equivalent against federal estate and gift tax....
Where Did My Money Go? Understanding What Happens to Assets After Death
Many families are surprised to learn that assets do not always pass according to a will. Accounts with named beneficiaries, jointly held property,...
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Recent Posts
Long Term Care Planning and IRAs
The cost of long-term care in New Jersey has reached levels that most families are simply not prepared for. Over the past five years alone, costs have risen dramatically, and they show no signs of slowing down. A nursing home in New Jersey now costs between $14,000...
The Step-Up in Basis Myth Can Be Costly
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,...
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