Clients are often unpleasantly surprised to learn that having a Last Will and Testament does not negate the need for probate. And they are sometimes annoyed when they learn that even though they are named as the Executor in a Will, that alone does not give them authority to access the decedent’s assets. Yet both of these statements are true.
FALSE FACTS FRIDAY Issue 11: “I’m Happy with My Medicare Plan, So I Don’t Have to Review It for Next Year.” The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (“AEP”) began in October 15th and extends until December 7. AEP is the time that Medicare recipients can review and change their Medicare plan if they should choose to…
FALSE FACTS FRIDAY Issue 10: When A Loved One Dies, I Will Be Invited to a Reading of the Will I consider myself an intelligent person with a good education, but I do not spend my days working in a hospital. So admittedly, what I “know” about hospitals, I learned by watching ER and Grey’s…
FALSE FACTS FRIDAY Issue 9: “If I Sell My Home, I Have to Reinvest in a More Expensive Home to Avoid Taxes” As a lawyer who is passionate about educating the public, I find that a lot of people are unaware of certain laws that affect them. At the same time, certain laws seem…
What is a DNR? “DNR” stands for Do Not Resuscitate and means that if you stop breathing, you will not be resuscitated. Most, otherwise healthy people, would want to be resuscitated if they collapsed and stopped breathing, for example, if they had a heart attack. Those who are terminally ill and are suffering may choose…
In the past week, we have received calls from two different clients whom we had helped in the past. Each of them called because they were in the process of probating their parent’s estates and both were quite frustrated and wanted our advice regarding the probate attorney they had to use. They each said that…
The Fall of 2017 brought uncertainty to the Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) in Connecticut when they were unexpectedly slashed by the state budget. After several months of negotiations, a bipartisan effort was able to revive the program that affects so many seniors. What Is Medicare Savings Programs? The Medicare Savings Programs in Connecticut are benefits…
Will You Owe Taxes On Your Spouse’s Estate? Currently, the estate tax exemption in Connecticut is $7.1 million per person. So although an Estate Tax Return must be filed for every decedent, tax is due from very few estates. And even if the decedent’s assets exceeded $7,100,000, there is an unlimited marital deduction, so if…
In our estate planning, probate, and elder law practice here at Reed Wilson Case we often see family squabbles that erupt because of unmet expectations. Many of these expectations involve emotionally valuable personal property. And many of them erupt after the passing of a loved one. In many instances, had the family disc used these…
FALSE FACT Vol. 1, Issue 1: If you don’t protect your money, the State will take it. This is probably the most common “inaccurate” statement that I hear in my elder law practice. We do help clients protect their assets, but not because the State will take them if you don’t protect them. Welcome to…