Why Does Estate Administration Take So Long? (Part 2)
In my post last week I addressed a common question concerning the process of administering the estate of someone who has died. Why does it take so long? On average it can take 9 to 12 months for most estates to be completed although I did explain last week that easier estates
Why Does Estate Administration Take So Long? (Part 1)
When I explain the estate administration process, I am usually asked, “how long will it take?”  The person will often preface that question by first stating that “it’s a simple estate” or “all the heirs are in agreement”. I tell people that, on average, an estate can require 9 months to a
The Types of Long Term Care Facilities and Why It Matters – Part 3
In this third post of three, I continue to discuss why understanding the type of facility you are considering is so important.  Last week I talked about long term care insurance policies that may apply differently to nursing home care vs. assisted living care or home care. The type of facility also
The Types of Long Term Care Facilities and Why It Matters – Part 2
In my blog post last week I addressed the differences between types of facilities and the confusion I see when someone tells me the type of facility they are looking at for a loved one - or they think they are looking at. This matters, for example, when someone has a
The Types of Long Term Care Facilities and Why it Matters – Part 1
Searching for care options for a loved one can be very confusing.  When you add to the mix the possibility that there may not be enough money to cover the cost of that care - in other words when government benefits such as Medicaid may be needed - it adds another
Is There Ever an Easy Medicaid Application? Part 4
In last week’s post I continued to tell you about a Medicaid application which our client characterized as easy but turned out to be not so much.  One check deposited into an account we were aware of, then led us to 2 other accounts in another bank that we had
Is There Ever an Easy Medicaid Application? Part 3
Continuing the topic of my last 2 blog posts, I was discussing a snag we hit with a Medicaid application - the discovery of at least one account of which our clients had no recollection. When we identify the bank in these situations, that has always been enough for the bank
Is There Ever an Easy Medicaid Application? Part 2
In my post last week I began to tell you about an “easy” Medicaid application that suddenly became not so easy.  A deposit in one of the applicant’s known accounts led to the revelation that there had been at least one other account unbeknownst to the applicant’s daughter. What this means is
Is There Ever an Easy Medicaid Application? Part 1
When I speak with people for the first time about the Medicaid application process - specifically about the 5 year look back and the amount of documentation required - they often tell me that in their case it should be easy. “Mom never had much,” they’ll tell me. But is that necessarily
Yet Another Real Estate Problem – Part 3
In this third post of three, I finish telling you about an executor’s sale of real estate that hit a snag. As I explained last week, the Buyer’s title company concluded that the decedent didn’t own 100% of the property. Instead they said he owned only 50%. The confusion arose from that the