In today's blog entry in our ongoing series on basic questions about estate planning, we are going to look at the self-proving affidavit. Last week we looked at video wills and why, though they are not a valid substitute for a last will and testament, they play a potentially important role in your estate plan. Self-proving affidavits play a similar role. Though they are not absolutely necessary, … [Read more...]
Basic Questions About Estate Planning – Do I Have to Register my Estate Plan?
Estate plans are important, so it makes a lot of sense to think that you have to file or register your plan with a government office. After all, don't courts have to determine if you have created a legally valid last will and testament? Doesn't this mean that you'll need to file your will with a court?While these questions are understandable, the idea that you have to file or register your … [Read more...]
Don’t Fall For These Power of Attorney Myths
An indelible piece of every estate plan is a carefully drafted and executed power of attorney. Most estate plans in Florida will include at least two of these vital documents, while some people might decide to create more. The great thing about a power of attorney is that it is both useful and incredibly flexible.However, there is a lot of misinformation floating around about these vital legal … [Read more...]
Four Estate Planning Tools All Young Adults Should Consider
If you are like most young adults, you probably have not devoted much time to planning for what will happen to your estate when you die. Why should you? You’re young and have a lifetime in which to do your planning, right? Wrong. Just because you are young it doesn’t mean that you can afford to put this off until later. So what estate planning tools should you consider?Healthcare Power of … [Read more...]
Showing Your Support to Hurricane Sandy Victims
Florida residents are no strangers to the realities of disaster relief and assistance in the wake of a hurricane, and those in the New York and New Jersey area who were most affected by Hurricane Sandy are now in need of your support. ABC news.com has recently released a good list of charities and support organizations that you can donate to to assist in the hurricane relief and recovery efforts. … [Read more...]
Report: Medicaid Fraud Settlements Makes Billions for Governments
A report issued in late September says that state and federal authorities have made billions of dollars in recent years by settling Medicaid fraud cases. The report from the consumer group Public Citizen states that in the first half of 2012 alone the federal and state governments have recovered an estimated $6.6 billion.Many of these cases involve drug makers accused of defrauding Medicaid by … [Read more...]
Celebrating the Generations with Grandparents Day
This September 9th, families can get together and celebrate Grandparents Day, an officially recognized date, even though it is not considered a holiday. Grandparents Day was officially recognized on August 3, 1978, when President Jimmy Carter signed a proclamation declaring that the holiday would fall on the first Sunday following Labor Day.The proclamation which recognized Grandparents Day … [Read more...]
Veterans Job Assistance Program Changes Announced
After more than two decades, the program designed to assist military personnel leaving the service with finding employment in the civilian world is getting what many believe is a much-needed, and long overdue, overhaul. In late July, President Obama announced that the Transitions Assistance Program, known as TAP, will soon be revitalized to provide new services to personnel leaving their military … [Read more...]
2 Health Scares That Aren’t
It can be easy to get caught up in all the media reports of new scientific studies and health scares. While you should always speak to your doctor about any health and dietary concerns you have, some recent health scares have been widely overblown. Let's take a look at a couple of these and why you do not need to worry about them.Health Scare 1: Cell phones and brain tumors.Even though … [Read more...]
The Strange Language of Wills – Ademption
Estate planning attorneys must be very precise in their language. Part of this precision often involves using language that most people never come across. For example, the property left behind by a deceased person and addressed in that person's Will is sometimes said to have adeemed, or has failed by ademption. Let's take a look at what this means and how it might affect an estate.Property that … [Read more...]
