In most every last will and testament that I have drafted, I draft a clause into the Will that essentially says, “If a beneficiary of my estate...
Eldercare Lawyer Blog
How Much Does Long Term Care Cost
Long-term care is expensive and, well, can last for a long time. There are a number of long-term options. In this article, I’ll discuss the...
Should I Designate a Beneficiary?
A beneficiary designation on a financial account directs how the assets in the account will be distributed after your death. For instance, if Mrs....
What Planning Did You Do for Your Parents
What type of planning did you do for your parents? It is a question I get from my clients quite often. Both of my parents are deceased. Both lived...
Experience Teaches
I am not a handy person. I have no training or knowledge in the traditional “trades”—electrical, plumbing, carpentry. But the other day, I noticed...
Increase in Medicaid Divisor Figure
The New Jersey Medicaid office recently increased the penalty divisor used for calculating periods of ineligibility for Medicaid benefits. This is...
The Devil Can Be in the Details
Medicaid is a health payment plan for needy individuals. If you qualify for Medicaid benefits, the program will pay for most of the costs...
Filing an Application for Medicaid
I’ve been filing Medicaid applications for clients for nearly a quarter of a century. In that time, I’ve filed hundreds, if not thousands, of...
Second Marriages Can Be a Minefield
I’ve been practicing elder law for nearly a quarter of a century. In the past five years, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of clients who are...
Are Lawyers Expensive?
I had two people come to me this past week and say something to the effect of, “That’s a lot less expensive than I thought you were going to charge...
Could Your Parent’s Nursing Home Bills Become Your Problem?
Is a guardian financially responsible for his ward? Is a power of attorney agent financially responsible for his principal? Assume that your mom...
How Gifting Money Can Trigger Taxes Sooner Than You Think
In 2022, the annual gift tax exclusion rose from $15,000 to $16,000. This means that you can gift $16,000 to an unlimited number of people without...
Medicaid Misconceptions
I have been assisting clients with applying for Medicaid benefits for over twenty years. In that time, I have helped hundreds (probably thousands)...
Nursing Homes Have Opened Their Doors
The global COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on many people. One group of people who have suffered greatly are residents of long-term care...
Marriage Is a Partnership
Recently, the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, issued an interesting decision concerning New Jersey’s Medicaid program. Medicaid...
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Recent Posts
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 documents (financial powers of attorney, advanced health care directive, last wills, and trusts) and assist clients in...
A Timely Medicaid Application
Filing for Medicaid benefits is a complicated process. Medicaid is a federal and state health payment plan for needy individuals. In order to be eligible for Medicaid benefits, an applicant must have an extremely limited amount of assets (typically, less than $2,000)...
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 which a person nominates the person who will manage his estate after his death, called the executor. When a person leaves...
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. There are three roles involved with any trust—the grantor, the trustee, and the beneficiary. The grantor is the person who...
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 concentrating your practice in one area, but to me, the biggest benefit is that everything I do helps me hone my skills in this...
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Sea Girt (732) 974-8898 Middletown (732) 706-8008