Trustees of special needs trusts shoulder an incredible amount of responsibility. In addition to providing care for the individual with special needs, they must also make sure the assets in the trust are spent wisely and will not disqualify the person from any benefits they may be receiving.
Family homes and other real property are usually the most valuable assets in an estate. While homeowners may want to leave these properties to children or other beneficiaries as part of an inheritance, tax burdens can throw a wrench into those plans. Unfortunately, without proper planning, most beneficiaries cannot afford the taxes that come along with inheriting property, which usually forces the sale of a family home or other property after the homeowner dies.
Just about everyone knows or loves someone with a substance abuse problem. The detrimental effects impact many facets of American society. Sadly, we are seeing an upswing in the number of clients that have to deal with a loved one’s substance abuse in their estate planning.
Many people believe that when they create an estate plan and sign an Advanced Health Care Directive document, they’re also signing a Do Not Resuscitate order, or DNR. However, a DNR is actually a health care document and is not provided by attorneys as part of an estate plan. This means that you won’t sign a DNR in an attorney’s office; instead, it will be signed with a doctor or in a hospital. An Advanced Health Care Directive can impact a DNR, and the documents are sometimes used together to make sure your health care wishes are fulfilled.
