When you die, your family will have to settle all of your accounts and pay off your debts before they get to enjoy the assets you bequeath to them. The executor for your estate has a legal obligation to handle your debt before they distribute property to anyone else....
Elder Law
How New Jersey’s Medicaid recovery system affects your estate
If you reach a point in your life where you need Medicaid benefits in order to obtain care for yourself, your financial circumstances will affect your ability to qualify. For most adults, it is necessary to diminish their personal assets almost completely before the...
How important is a health care proxy, and what does it do?
As you start planning for your end-of-life care or for emergencies that may arise, something you’ll want to add to your estate plan is a health care proxy. A health care proxy is a document that gives you the ability to appoint another person to make decisions about...
How a trust can help you protect your family home later in life
For many families, their home is the most valuable asset. That means you have an interest in protecting your house regardless of what else happens in your life and likely have a desire to pass it on to someone specific when you die. Whether you want to ensure that...
Finding the right nursing home is important
Caretakers want to ensure their elderly loved ones are placed in good hands when they can no longer provide for themselves. When an older adult has their medical, social and emotional needs met, it can give them a smoother transition into the end stages of their life....
Will Medicare cover any nursing home costs?
Once you hit eligibility for Medicare at age 65, you may think you’ve got it made and you don’t have to worry about saving for future long-term care costs. However, that’s not the case. First, in 2019, the average monthly cost for skilled nursing home care in New...
The costs of long-term care can be expensive
Young New Jersey residents in the throes of their careers and the midst of raising their children may not be able to see far enough into the future to a time when their lives are relaxed. The frenetic pace of everyday life can absorb individuals and cause them to lose...
Tips for executing a nursing home contract in New Jersey
When a person in New Jersey decides to put a loved one in a nursing home, they will have to execute a contract with the facility. It is important that people understand what to include and what not to include in such contracts. This is for the benefit of their loved...
Don’t wait until it’s too late to address elder law issues
As a person ages, their mental and physical health eventually begin to wear down. Activities that may have been easy when a person is in their 50s or 60s may become more difficult once they reach their 80s or 90s. Therefore, it is important that people in New Jersey...
Did your loved one have legal capacity to execute a care plan?
Estate planning is important for anyone in New Jersey of any age. However, for those who have Alzheimer's disease or dementia, it is important to begin estate planning as soon as possible, so they can advocate for themselves before their disease makes it impossible to...