Your parents have no doubt had difficult conversations with you over the years. Talks about academic or social problems, conversations about your unacceptable behavior, discussions about dating and sex. Now, as you see them aging, if they are not preparing for the future, it’s your turn to bring up the challenging topic...
Estate Planning Blog – Surprenant, Beneski & Nunes
How Expertise in Elder Law Benefits your Estate Plan
Written by Attorney Daniel M. Surprenant, Esq., CELA
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Within the larger subject of estate planning is the concept of elder law. Essentially, elder law is estate planning that deals with issues more common amongst the senior population. Because they regularly address these issues, elder law attorneys are not...
Why it’s Important to Estate Plan in an Economic Downturn
Planning for the future during an economic boom is fun. Optimism and joyful speculation give your estate plan a rosy glow, and it may seem the sky’s the limit. Nonetheless, there is much to be said for the realistic, protective mindset that accompanies estate planning during an economic downturn. In either case,...
5 Things to Know about Estate Planning for Pets
As part of our family, pets typically get their needs well met and receive an enormous amount of care and affection. Unlike children, however, they do not grow up and become independent. For this reason, we remain concerned about their well-being for as long as they live and sometimes worry about how...
Exempt Assets and Countable Assets: What Can you Keep and What is at Risk?
To qualify for Medicaid, applicants must pass fairly strict tests on the amount of assets they can keep. To understand how Medicaid works, we first need to review what are known as exempt (non-countable) and non-exempt (countable) assets.
Exempt assets are those which Medicaid will not take into account...
Telemarketing and Internet Scams that Target the Elderly
It is well-known that seniors are especially vulnerable to scam artists. The reasons are quite clear: seniors are often retired and available, having the time and interest to be responsive to a stranger’s proposition. They are also much more likely to talk on the phone or reply to an email that piques...
Estate Planning for LGBTQ Families
While it’s true that since 2015, when same-sex marriage became legal throughout the country, life became increasingly manageable for more than a million couples and families in the United States. Nonetheless, there are still complexities relative to LGBTQ estate planning that require the services of a skilled estate planning attorney. At Surprenant...
MassHealth Estate Recovery: New Rules You Should Know
Written by: Atty Michelle D. Beneski, Esq., CELA, LLM in Taxation
Here’s the issue: The Federal government mandates that if you receive MassHealth benefits after age 55, or if MassHealth pays for nursing home care for you at any time during your life, MassHealth must attempt to recover the...
Bob Surprenant Reminds us of the Value of Time
https://youtu.be/Vxz3JkEVnQ8
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February 10, 1990
Dear Michelle, Michael and Daniel:
You are receiving a photocopy of the original letter because I don’t have time to write original letters to each of you. Enclosed is a...
Mom Needs Nursing Home Care… Now What?
It’s a horrible situation faced by so many families. A loved one, husband, wife, mom or dad, is slowing down and can’t live at home any longer. The doctor says mom needs nursing home care. What do you do? Your neighbor tells you that nursing homes cost $12,000 per month and that...