Decades ago in America, it was prevalent that extended family members lived near to one another, providing a system of general support and care for the family young and old. Now many families live far out of reach from the daily lives of their elderly parents save for the internet and internet ...

The astronomical expense of long-term nursing care is no longer news. Costs can run around $7,000.00 or more per month, depending on location. Hundreds of thousands of people presently need that kind of care and the numbers are rising. Ten thousand “baby boomers” a day turn 65, and it's project...

Americans are facing an escalating long-term care (LTC) crisis. Industry driven, massively underpriced policies are playing fiscal catch up with hefty premium rate increases. This price increase is forcing some aging Americans to abandon their policy while others struggle to reduce their amou...

The gift tax is a tax on the transfer of assets, cash or property, to another without receiving something of equal value. The asset has to be of a certain value for the tax to apply; otherwise, it falls under the gift tax exclusion, either annual or lifetime. If the gift is above a certain valu...

Welcome to the new decade, replete with new challenges to protect yourself against ever-inventive scam artists. One concern has a simple fix but requires your commitment to add two additional digits when signing or writing documents, letters, emails, and more. The National Association of Consum...

Being named as a successor trustee in someone's revocable living trust document can be considered a great honor. But with that honor comes responsibility. Whether you were appointed to this role due to someone's death or incapacity, we are here to assist you with understanding your role in th...

On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act), which became effective on January 1, 2020. The Act is the most impactful legislation affecting retirement accounts in decades. It will have a positive impact for many older...

Discrimination comes in various forms – race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, and even age. Age-related discrimination has become more and more apparent with the growing number of baby boomers inching into the class eldest to our population. The attention to the mounting pres...

There is great news for clients with certain family members or other beneficiaries – this year brought with it a huge change in the law that benefits beneficiaries who are disabled or chronically ill. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was integrated into the...

Planning for Blended Families - Couples often bring children into a marriage from a prior marriage or union and then have children together. This is often referred to as a blended family. Blended families highlight the need for careful estate planning to make sure the needs of each spouse are met, as well as the needs of each parents' children.

Caring for a seriously ill spouse can trigger relationship challenges.  In the process of change, you can lose your best friend, your love, and your future as you both had imagined it. Promises will change from words spoken in oath on your wedding day to deeds of care in your mostly, but not ex...

Elder abuse scams are everywhere, but they are reaching a new level of sophistication in targeting their potential victims. Forbes is reporting about the problem that unscrupulous scam artists are contacting veterans and service members pretending to collect money to aid other vets or enlist th...

Congress has passed a bipartisan appropriations bill. In the contents of this spending bill is a piece of legislation known as the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE), the first significant change in retirement legislation since the Pension Protection Act in 2006....

Although owning property with family may let you pass on the asset without going through probate, there are several risks, including taxes, creditor exposure, and loss of control. So when dealing with property, it is important to consider these risks and how to manage them, or to consider oth...

Americans aged 50 or more are experiencing gray divorce more than ever. The term gray divorce generally refers to the baby boomer generation and affects all classes and education levels. Research shows that splitting during middle age is particularly damaging to your financial well being. Accor...

If you're in a position where it's time to make some decisions about caring for an aging parent or other relative, you may be feeling pretty overwhelmed with all of the available options. Ideally, your elderly parent had the opportunity to make their own wishes known with a Marietta elder law a...

There is an entire senior industry built around preventative measures and responses to protect older people from falling, and with good reason. According to the National Council on Aging Falls Prevention Facts, “falls remain the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries for older Americans.”...

Although it can be useful to have another party available to keep track of bills when you're sick or away, adding a child's name to a bank account may be more of a hassle than it's worth. Doing so may have unintended consequences for both you and the child. First of all, the money in your acco...

Well managed money brings with it a freedom of lifestyle in retirement. Sadly, reports say that less than 5 percent of Americans will be financially free by the age of 65. Changes in the U.S. economy coupled with increased health care costs and lack of personal savings have put millions of Amer...

The internet of things (IoT) is responsible for many conveniences via embedded electronic devices, and many seniors are making use of these technologies. It is becoming increasingly common for everyday items like refrigerators, thermostats, and doorbells to be internet-connected making our ho...

In the United States, turning 65 years of age is a milestone on many levels, but before this birthday, there is a hefty checklist that you need to address to continue aging successfully. Overall the most crucial thing to do before turning 65 is to invest your time wisely crafting the best appro...

Federal spousal impoverishment protections were set to lapse in March 2019. Two bills were proposed to deal with that issue. H.R. 1343 is still sitting in the House, but H.R. 3253 was enacted on August 6, 2019.  H.R. 1343, or the Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act, would have...

The First Steps Towards Enjoying Your Golden Years | Marietta Estate Planning Attorneys  Marietta estate planning attorneys know that what are supposed to be considered the "golden years" are often filled with stress, health issues, and financial problems. Knowing that you've got your proverbial ducks in a row will give you the chance to relax and enjoy your golden years.

At some point in your life, you may have heard about someone's estate being tied up in probate. It may have included awful stories involving relatives fighting over money or property to the point where family bonds were forever broken. The reality is that probate isn't always a grueling and emoti...

It is essential to bring up a parent's aging expectations and set goals together even though initial discussions may be uncomfortable. Often, an exploration into a parent's future thoughts about health, finances, and residential plans can make the difference between reacting to a crisis or foll...