Most adult children feel the need and responsibility to take care of their aging parents if they become unable to care for themselves. Family caregivers are often unpaid, which seems fine initially, but this role can become more difficult as time goes by. If the parent’s needs cause the child to miss work or have…
Britney Spears’s legal fight to take back control over her personal and financial affairs has put a spotlight on the issue of guardianship. While full guardianship may be necessary for many individuals who are incapable of managing their own affairs due to dementia or intellectual, developmental or mental health disabilities, the Spears case underlines the…
What Is Per Stirpes? “Per stirpes” is a legal term (which in Latin means “by branch”) usually included in the Last Will and Testament or beneficiary designations for individual retirement accounts (IRAs). By branch, as in down the family tree branches. If a beneficiary (someone who would receive an inheritance), predeceases (dies before) the testator…
When someone who owns individually-titled assets with no beneficiary designation passes away, with or without a will, the deceased person’s estate has to go through probate. The fiduciary (called an executor if there is a will, and an administrator if there is not) is in charge of paying off creditors and distributing the inheritance to…
As a soon-to-be parent, you want to make sure that your little human is completely taken care of, from the minute you hear that first cry. The preparations begin months before the arrival of your bundle of joy, and the internet is full of all kinds of advice for parents, checklists, to-dos, tips & tricks,…
The federal government has expanded access to protections for spouses of reverse mortgage holders who are not named in the loan document, allowing more such spouses the ability to stay in their home if the borrowing spouse dies or moves to a care facility. Reverse Mortgage Protection Prior To 2014 A reverse mortgage allows homeowners…
