Long Time Partners but Never Married
A recent call we received started with an increasingly common problem.  Mary had called because her partner, Bill had a stroke which landed him in the hospital.  He failed to make enough progress to be able to go home and would need to stay in a long term care facility. Mary told me
Binding Arbitration and Admissions Agreements
We frequently review long term care facility agreements for our clients.  We want to be sure they understand what is contained in these agreements which can be 30 pages or more with multiple attachments and exhibits.  It is a legally binding contract that contains rights and responsibilities for each party but the
NJ Response to COVID’s Impact on Long Term Care Facilities
Approximately half of New Jersey’s coronavirus related deaths occurred in long term care facilities. A state funded health report has made some recommendations on how to improve facilities’ responses to the virus, especially with the potential of a much talked about second wave this winter. The Manatt Health report found that the
The Power of the Power of Attorney – Part 2
In my post last week, I wrote about 2 recent calls from former clients of ours that highlight the importance of a power of attorney. Our power of attorney is very detailed and designed to cover as many different situations as possible - even though as I always say that as to any one
The Power of the Power of Attorney – Part 1
Two recent calls to our office highlight once again the importance of the power of attorney - a deceptively simple document that can be obtained off the internet but which, if it is to be at all useful, must be carefully tailored and specific to the anticipated tasks that the agent may be called
Alternative Care Facilities (Part 1)
    I recently made a visit to see a new facility opening in Livingston. The Society House is a single family home built to house 15 seniors in a group home type setting. The owners have applied but not yet received approval for licensing as a residential health
New Jersey Passes Assisted Suicide Law – Part 1
You might have missed it but in April, Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill making New Jersey the 8th state in the country to enact an assisted suicide bill. The other states that have such bills are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. The law
Required Minimum Distributions – Part 1
               This week’s blog post topic is one I touched on briefly at the end of last year, required minimum distribution. It is something that applies to retirement or nonqualified accounts and comes up frequently with clients who sometimes misunderstand it. IRAs, 401ks and other retirement accounts are tax deferred
Searching for a Support System (Part 2)
    Last week I was talking about the hypothetical client, Jane Doe. Jane does not have a family and friend support system to turn to when she can no longer handle her own financial and medical affairs and decision making. What options does she have?     Trusted
What the New Tax Bill Means for Seniors
    Ok, now that the new tax bill has been passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump how will it affect us? Will it mean paying more or less in income tax? The answer depends on many variables but one thing is for sure. These