By: Nikki M. Vasconez, Esq. If your estate plan is 10-20 years old or you don’t have an estate plan at all, you are inviting the sharks in the water to come in and take a bite out of your cash accounts, eat up all your stock, and divvy up the rest of your goods among their shark friends! By having a solid, up-to-date estate plan, you are avoiding the sharks and ensuring that everything you’ve worked so hard to Read More
The 1 Key Step to Protect Your Minor Children
By: Nikki M. Vasconez, Esq. Q: “Hey, Mom. Can I skateboard to Johnny’s house in the City? It’ll only take me 45 minutes!”A: “No, honey. You’re 12 years old. I will drive you. “Q: “What if I take the train?”A: “No, I will drive you.”Q: “How about Max’s older brother? He just got his license! He said he’ll drive us anywhere!”A: “No.”Sometimes our kids think we are stuck on repeat by our seemingly consistent Read More
Learning More about Wills and Trusts Lawyers in Pennsylvania
Will vs. Living Will Most people probably get that “will” and “living will” are two different things, but a whole lot of them couldn’t actually tell you what exactly makes them different. The term “will” is likely most familiar, as we’ve all seen them discussed on TV and in the movies. It’s that document that is used to tell the courts what should be done with a person’s assets after he or she dies. Read More
The Three Most Important Steps to take BEFORE sending your Kids off to College this Fall
By Peter J. Gilbert, Esq. It's almost that time of year again when the kids are off to college. While we are all very excited for them, we are also concerned about the "what ifs". You hear so many stories of tragedies on college campuses, from drinking binges to fraternity hazing, and we're all confident that will never happen to our kids. But because we love our children, and their health and Read More
The Rising Instances of Alzheimer’s and its Effect on the Family, by Peter J. Gilbert
June is Alzheimer’s Awareness month and the number of families who will be involved with care of a senior with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia is staggering. In 2016, more than five million Americans were living with the debilitating disease, and the numbers are only rising. For loved ones, the reality of managing the care and financial affairs of a senior with diminished mental capacity can be an extremely Read More
Who Will Care For Your Pet If Something Happens To You?
By Peter J. Gilbert, Esq. Many people own and care for animals, but to be honest, it’s pretty common for people to overlook the need to plan for them after their death. It’s not surprising that more and more people are recognizing that taking care of their pets is an integral part of their own estate plan. Most of the time, a person just assumes that their children or a friend, Read More
Plan for your Adult Special Needs Child and Your Retirement
We see clients every day that are thinking about retirement. But for parents of special needs children, the advancements in medical science that allow for greater longevity for those with special needs also creates a planning issue. Parents of special needs children need to think about long-term planning for their child as a part of their retirement planning. In my experience, here are five things Read More
“My wife and I did an estate plan with a revocable living trust back in 2003, we’re good right?”
By Peter J. Gilbert, Esq. I recently met with prospective clients who had moved to Bucks County from Georgia and they wanted to be sure their estate plan was still “good”. You’d be surprised at how many people don’t have an estate plan at all, so I was happy to see they had something in place. For some, it’s because they think that only wealthy people or those with complex tax issues require estate planning. But Read More
Add Tax Planning to the List of New Parent Tasks
The last thing most new parents are thinking about is taxes, but the addition of a new baby to your family has some nice tax perks, according to "The Most-Overlooked Tax Breaks for New Parents" from Kiplinger's. Read on to learn about the opportunities that can save on new parents on taxes, and those to avoid. Social Security Number. The first step is to make sure your new Read More
VA Closing the Door on Benefits
For several months, the VA has let it be known that it’s going to get much harder for Veterans to receive help with their long-term care expenses. For many years, this “Aid and Attendance” benefit has been a godsend to thousands of veterans and their spouses. With this VA help, they’re able to afford helpers coming to their home, going to Adult Day Care, or living in an Assisted Living facility. For many, this Read More
