Many Medicaid applicants are unaware that transferring assets for less than fair market value or as a gift can directly impact their eligibility for the government program due to the five-year look-back period. The intricacies of Medicaid rules are significant, and their implications on long-term care planning are substantial. Advanced planning and awareness of these rules can significantly benefit individuals and Read More
Plans > Documents
Many people approach us with a common misconception: the belief that estate planning is simply about signing documents. Although you will have to do that, this perspective is shortsighted and misses the essence of what accurate estate planning entails. Understanding the fundamental difference between having a plan and possessing legal documents is vital. Looking Beyond Documents Estate planning is a highly Read More
Why Is a Trust So Valuable for Transferring Property?
You may have the best of intentions with passing on property to other people directly, but it can create unexpected consequences if you’re not careful, Instead, you may turn to a range of tools to help ensure your wishes are followed, and one common strategy is to use a trust either during your life or in plans after you pass away to provide more control and clarity. The most substantial transfer of wealth in our Read More
You Must Understand How Divorce Impacts Your Estate
Getting a divorce may be one of the biggest life changes you undertake. It can feel overwhelming, confusing, and emotionally taxing. Those are big reasons why making estate plan updates post-divorce get overlooked, putting your intentions for asset transfer at risk if something happens to you. Depending on where you live, your soon to be ex-spouse may be entitled to assets under your estate. This is because if your Read More
Should We Use Joint Ownership of Property with Adult Children?
Exploring strategies to make your estate plan as optimal and strategic as possible is highly recommended. Finding an experienced and qualified estate planning lawyer is very valuable to help you decide the best ways to own property or even share property with children in NH. Gifting a piece of property outright may not be the right choice for you, which could lead you down the path of deciding how best to approach Read More
How Long After My Death Will My Heirs Need to File for Probate?
Once you pass away, the court must be notified about the death in order to open probate. While not all assets pass through probate, many do, and this requires an official procedure to open and close probate proceedings in NH. How long your estate representative has to open probate depends on the individual jurisdiction. When you pass away, the court process of probate is required in order for the court to Read More
Are Assets Moved To A Revocable Trust Protected From Creditors?
There are many different myths out there about how trusts can be used in the estate planning process, and it is very important to educate yourself as well as to work with a qualified estate planning attorney. A knowledgeable estate planning attorney can tell you a lot more about how this process works and how best to use a revocable trust as part of your estate plan. It is also important to identify whether or not a Read More
How to Keep Your Estate Plan Up to Date
Have you already done the work of sitting down with an estate planning attorney in your area and pulling together these important documents? Congratulations, because you've done more than most people when it comes to their estate plan. But the truth is that your work doesn't stop here. Establishing the initial estate plan is only half of the process. Your estate plan should evolve over the course of your life much Read More
