With cases of financial exploitation of the elderly on the rise, advisors who work with older clients are looking for ways to head off the abuse before it happens. Enter the “Emergency Contact Authorization Form,” a document in which clients can list a trusted person who should be contacted if an advisor suspects a client […]
Read More »Wrongful Death Settlement Talks Can Now Proceed in DuBose Case
The aftermath of a high-profile police shooting incident in Cincinnati illustrates a central tenet of estate law when a person passes away without an estate plan. The death of Sam DuBose received massive media attention and sparked national outrage. In July, DuBose was shot and killed by a University of Cincinnati police officer as […]
Read More »Aging.gov: A New Resource for Older Americans and Their Families
More than 10,000 people turn 65 in the U.S. every day according to Aging.gov (http://www.hhs.gov/aging/), a new website recently launched by the Obama administration. The goal of this website is to act as gateway for older Americans and their families, friends and caregivers to locate information about leading a healthy lifestyle, options for health care, […]
Read More »Preventing Long Term Care Policy Lapses
Long term care in a nursing home is extremely expensive. One way to mitigate that expense is to purchase a long term care insurance policy. Unfortunately, many of the people most in need of long term care insurance let their policies lapse before they need them.
Read More »An Odd and Bitter UK Estate Battle
An estate battle in the United Kingdom pits four large charities against the son of a 95-year-old Alzheimer’s patient whom the charities accuse of fraudulently creating a new will for another woman.
Read More »Single Estate Planning
People who have never been married often face more difficult estate planning decisions than people with families. For married people, the basics of who gets what after they pass away is usually fairly obvious. Most married people want the bulk of their estates to go to their spouses, children and grandchildren.
Read More »Declaring Lord Lucan Completely Dead
In the United Kingdom Lord Lucan was officially declared dead by High Court order in 1999. However, that does not mean that he is considered legally dead for all purposes. In 1974 a nanny in the employ of the 7th Earl of Lucan was found murdered at the Earl’s home. His wife was found severely […]
Read More »Leaving an Intellectual Inheritance
Most people who amass wealth do not do it so that their heirs can squander it. However, that is what happens in most cases. One way to help prevent this from happening to your wealth is to leave your family with an intellectual inheritance.
Read More »What Did the Scaife Trustees Know?
The contentious battle over the trust of the late Richard Mellon Scaife has taken an interesting turn as new court filings make it appear that at least one of the three trustees may have suspected the trust was being mismanaged. Richard Mellon Scaife’s mother created a multi-million dollar trust for his benefit. When he passed […]
Read More »How Probate Can Get Expensive
There are many reasons to want to avoid probate for your estate. One of them is that probate can get very expensive. One doctor’s bill in a case in New Hampshire illustrates just how expensive. The story of Geraldine Webber’s estate has been followed closely on estate planning blogs.
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