See the 2019 UPDATE below Suppose you own a home, have life insurance, own a business or have a substantial retirement account with your employer. Without knowing it, you may need a lawyer. It’s not because you are on the verge of being sued, rather it’s because your net worth may be more than you […]
IS THE DEATH TAX DEAD?
See the 2019 update at the end of this article. On June 7, 2001, President George W. Bush fulfilled his campaign promise to reduce taxes by signing a much ballyhooed $1.35 trillion tax cut package known as the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. The good news is that the new law […]
MEDICARE TO PAY FOR MORE SKILLED CARE
More than three years ago, I wrote about a class action lawsuit called Jimmo v. Sebelius, where the government agreed that the “failure to improve” standard should not be the deciding factor in terminating an individual’s Medicare skilled nursing benefit. When the case was settled in 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) […]
PLANNING FOR A BENEFICIARY WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
When it comes to estate planning there is never a “one-size-fits-all” solution. There are many tools and the estate planner’s job is to determine which one makes sense for each person’s particular circumstances. When that person’s estate plan includes a beneficiary who is disabled, quite often the right tool is a “special needs” trust. Otherwise, […]
LIFETIME GIFTS
As the proverb goes, “It is better to give than to receive.” The sage who coined this phrase was no doubt speaking in terms of the good we can do by making gifts. Little did he know that following this same advice can lead to tax-savings as well. However, another wise man instructed us to […]
