Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Theresa (Terri) Marie Schindler was born on December 3, 1963, to Mary and Robert Schindler. Terri grew up in Pennsylvania, and by all accounts had a normal, happy childhood. After graduating from high school, Terri enrolled in Bucks County Community College where she met Michael Schiavo in 1982. Two years later, on November 10, 1984, the two were married. When Terri’s parents moved to Florida in 1986, … [Read more...] about The Importance of Advanced Directives – The Terri Schiavo Story

Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys A comprehensive estate plan should accomplish a number of estate planning goals and take into account various estate planning objectives. For example, planning for the possibility you will one day need to pay for long-term care (LTC), referred to as “Medicaid planning,” is a common estate planning goal. The overall objective of Medicaid planning is to reduce your “countable resources” so you will be … [Read more...] about The Role of Compensation in Estate and Medicaid Planning

Taking Care of Your Spouse After You Are Gone Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Family often ends up providing the bulk of care to those who suffer from incapacitating illnesses and injuries, with the AARP’s Public Policy Institute estimating that one in five family caregivers is a spouse. These spousal caregivers provide assistance with things like medical and nursing care, wound care and medication management. For example, there are … [Read more...] about Taking Care of Your Spouse After You Are Gone

Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys The end of the holiday season can sometimes bring families both sadness and relief. While the holidays are a time when loved ones get together to enjoy each other’s company, holiday stress can certainly lead to trivial arguments and miscommunications. Imagine the disagreements that can arise if something more serious were to happen like leaving your loved ones behind to divide up property if you didn’t plan properly. A dispute … [Read more...] about Family Feud – Don’t Let This Be Your Legacy

The Ties that Bind: Grandparents and Grandchildren  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys The memories made with grandchildren are some of the best. Still, it’s understandable to want to leave them with a bit more than great stories to someday pass down to their own grandchildren. Fortunately, there are many ways to accomplish this. The key is to ensure there’s no ambiguity in your will and other estate planning documents. Even better, … [Read more...] about The Ties that Bind: Grandparents and Grandchildren

The Role of Legacy Planning  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys You may have many fond childhood memories of lively family gatherings. And it was probably not unusual to hear older family members remark how happy they were when everyone gathered for those special meals and how proud they were to see their legacy living on in their loved ones. Think of legacy planning as an extension of that sentiment. Different from estate planning, … [Read more...] about The Role of Legacy Planning

Passing Down the Family Farm or Ranch  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Family-owned farms and ranches were once the backbone of the American economy. Just a century ago those farms and ranches were still going strong throughout the U.S. Over the last few decades of the 20th century, however, most family-owned farms and ranches struggled to survive, much less compete with corporate farming and ranching. However, in recent years, small … [Read more...] about Passing Down the Family Farm or Ranch

Estate Planning Lessons – Wesley Snipes and the “Pure Trust” Argument  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys You have likely heard the old adage “The only sure things in life are death and taxes.” In the United States, the adage certainly applies. Without a doubt, most Americans pay their share of taxes. Americans also like to find creative ways to reduce their tax burden. Using legitimate tax reduction strategies is perfectly legal; … [Read more...] about Estate Planning Lessons – Wesley Snipes and the “Pure Trust” Argument

How to Lend a Hand and Save Taxes  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys With the proliferation of 24-hour news, it seems impossible to turn on the television, chat on social media, or pick up a newspaper without hearing about yet another natural disaster that has left people hurt, hungry, homeless, or worse. Whether the cause is a tsunami in Indonesia, a deadly disease epidemic in Africa, or a hurricane here in the United States, the pleas … [Read more...] about How to Lend a Hand and Save Taxes

How Likely Is That To Happen?  Compliments of Our Law Firm, Written By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys “How likely is that to happen?” You have undoubtedly heard these words spoken many times. You have possibly said them yourself when a well-meaning friend or family member tries to warn you about a risk that you perceive as unworthy of consideration. You may have even used this same logic to explain why you have yet to create a comprehensive estate plan. After all, what are … [Read more...] about How Likely Is That To Happen?