A guardianship is a legal arrangement created by the courts that puts one individual in charge of making certain types of decisions for another individual. While a family can petition the court to have a specific person named guardian over a family member, it is ultimately up to the court to make the final decision. (more…)
Estate planning covers a wide range of legal subjects including elder law and guardianship. Planning your estate and making all of the necessary arrangements for your loved one is not something you should take lightly. Estate planning is something that should only be done by a lawyer, and there are several qualities you need to look for in the Bonita Springs estate planning lawyer you choose. (more…)
Estate planning is a process by which you protect your right to determine how your net assets are distributed after you pass away, and you take care of other aspects of your estate. It can be a long process, but it is worth it when you get the peace of mind that estate planning offers. (more…)
When you talk to an estate planner about your needs, you will often discuss elder law issues to care for your aging relatives and guardianship issues to care for your dependent children. But when you really start thinking about your estate, you begin to realize that you have some uncommon assets that you want addressed in your final wishes. As you make up your list of assets to discuss with your estate planner, you should also think outside the box and remember your unusual assets as well. (more…)
According to the Florida Health Care Association, the average yearly cost for a private room in Florida nursing homes is $94,000 while the average yearly cost for private rooms in Florida assisted living facilities is $37,000. How do Fort Myers residents pay for nursing home care expenses? The FHCA says that 40 percent pay using private funds and Medicaid, if they qualify for Medicaid. Medicare only covers rehab services after a person is discharged from the hospital and a small portion of long-term care health services. (more…)
In 2018, the average cost for a semi-private room in an American nursing home was $120,000.00 per year. With costs like that, it is easy to see why so many families have trouble getting their elderly loved ones into a decent facility. The federal insurance program called Medicaid can help with the expenses, but it takes time to get Medicaid in place before your loved one enters a nursing home, and it takes plenty of effort to keep Medicaid going after their stay has begun. (more…)
Probate is a process that goes into effect when someone passes away to administer their estate. The laws of probate vary from state to state, but there are some common practices that link all of the states together. If a loved one passes away, then you will probably be involved in the probate process in some way. (more…)
When you mention estate planning to people, there are all kinds of misconceptions that immediately pop up. Estate planning is an important process to anyone who has assets they would like to see distributed in a particular way after they have passed on. Before you can truly appreciate estate planning, you first have to get past all of those very common misconceptions. (more…)
There can come a time in your life when you need to speak for yourself but you cannot. Whether you have just been involved in an serious accident or a disease has suddenly struck, medical personnel are going to need you to make decisions regarding your treatment. It is at times like this where you really need to have a healthcare proxy on file with your estate planning lawyer. With this document in place, you will have someone speak for you and make the decisions that could save your life. (more…)
In North Fort Myers, passing away without an estate in place leaves your family at the mercy of the Florida probate courts. Any instances where elder law statutes would apply would follow the letter of the law and not your personal wishes. If you have guardianship issues you did not take care of with an estate, then the probate court will use state laws to make those decisions for you. Instead of leaving your family’s future up to the state, you should take matters into your own hands and make sure your estate planning is individualized. (more…)