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,...
Eldercare Lawyer Blog
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...
Protecting Your Home from Long-Term Care Costs
For many families, the home is their largest and most meaningful asset. It represents a lifetime of work and is often what parents hope to pass on...
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...
Understanding the Role of a Guardian in New Jersey
Planning for the future is something many people postpone until it is too late. In New Jersey, when an individual becomes unable to manage their own...
Why Everyone Should Have a Power of Attorney
Few legal documents offer more practical protection than a Durable General Power of Attorney (POA). It ensures that someone you trust can manage...
Why a Revocable Trust Can Save You Headaches
When people hear the term “trust,” they often think about taxes, wealth, or complicated legal maneuvers. But the most practical reason for creating...
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...
Putting Your House in Trust: A Key Step in Medicaid Planning
When it comes to protecting assets from the high cost of long-term care, few strategies are as powerful—or as misunderstood—as placing your home in...
Why Every Adult Should Have an Advance Health Care Directive
One of the most essential documents every adult should have—regardless of age or health status—is an advance health care directive, also commonly...
Putting Your House in Trust: Planning Ahead for Long-Term Care
When it comes to Medicaid planning, the sooner you start, the better. A large part of my legal practice focuses on helping clients qualify for...
Delayed Medicaid Decisions Threaten Long-Term Care Access
A colleague of mine recently won a Medicaid appeal that highlights an increasingly common problem: excessive delays in processing applications....
How Medicaid Protects the Spouse at Home
When a family member needs long-term care—such as care in a nursing home or assisted living residence—it can be devastating. It is emotionally...
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...
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Recent Posts
Do You Really Need a Trust?
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...
Protecting Your Home from Long-Term Care Costs
For many families, the home is their largest and most meaningful asset. It represents a lifetime of work and is often what parents hope to pass on to their children. Unfortunately, rising long-term care costs put that goal at serious risk. In New Jersey, nursing home...
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 wills and testaments, financial general durable powers of attorney, and advance health care directives. These documents...
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 terms, this means that a person can give away—or die owning—up to $15 million in assets without paying any federal gift or...
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