We meet the lifetime legal needs of children and adults with disabilities, the elderly, and their families.
This summer may be the time to answer that one nagging question that you may have or develop a deeper understanding of certain issues that affect your family. It is important for families and caregivers to understand the fundamental concepts in managing their loved...
Question I am a new mom of a son with Down syndrome. Our pediatrician’s office gave me some information about resources available to our family and I have become involved with our local Down Syndrome Association chapter. I met some other parents who have shared some...
If you or someone you know has needed long-term care or nursing home care, you have probably heard horror stories about Medicaid applications. Unfortunately, reports of how difficult, lengthy, and burdensome applying for long-term care Medicaid are often all too true. Long-term care (nursing home, assisted living, and in-home care) Medicaid has strict financial limits, and requires providing up to…
Before Sharing Your Concerns with the School District, Create a Non-Emotional Timeline Different family members have different versions of the same story. Grandma may tell avery different tale from Mom or Dad. My job is to listen for the underlying thread, and pinpoint the base of the concern, helping them to see things through each other’s perspective. Then, I give…
If you or a loved one need nursing home care or long-term care in the home, the thought of applying for Medicaid to secure that care is daunting. Try Googling “Medicaid Application” and you’ll find thousands of results that are essentially worthless. Here are some points to know, if you are faced with applying for long-term Medicaid to pay for…
For any meeting on a child’s education to be successful, parents must be prepared. The first step is to understand both the basic terminology and process of how documents such as IEPs are created. The following are some suggested steps to help you be prepared for these meetings. In Special Education, there are 13 categories of eligibility. The categories are…
A durable power of attorney for finances is an essential part of every estate plan. A POA document allows you (the Principal) to give permission to another person (your agent) to act on your behalf. Your agent can act and speak for you when it has become difficult or impossible for you to do so yourself. A properly done POA…
November is Alzheimer’s awareness month, so I thought I would take the opportunity to talk about dementia and the importance of planning for your future. First and foremost, some forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging. We have all misplaced our keys or put our wallet in a different place, forgetting momentarily where we left it. When forgetfulness becomes…
For most people, the home is their most important asset, for many reasons, but primarily because it might be their largest valued asset financially and sentimentally. Whether you want the home to stay in the family or want the value of the home to pass on to family, this is a discussion I often have with clients who are contemplating…
Trusts are great tools for you to pass assets to your heirs, whether that be to children, other family members, or charities. However, not all trusts are created equally. Sometimes, we use revocable trusts for one client, while another client established an irrevocable trust. When does it make sense to use a revocable trust compared to an irrevocable trust? A…