Articles and Videos With News and Thoughts on Issues in Georgia Regarding Wills, Living Trusts, Guardianship, Advance Directives, Living Wills, Healthcare Powers of Attorney, Probate, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Special Needs Planning, Guardianships and Conservatorships, and More by Marietta and Atlanta, Georgia, Estate Planning Lawyer Smith Barid LLC
For most people, thinking about estate planning means focusing on what will happen to their money after they pass away. But that misses one pretty significant consideration: the need to plan for long-term care. The last thing any of us want to contend with when a health issue arises later in...
It's official — the Electoral College voted on December 19, 2016, essentially completing the 2016 presidential election cycle. With that bit of uncertainty behind us and a fresh year starting out, here's what you need to know about planning your estate under the incoming Trump administration ...
Every one of us receives and passes on an inheritance. The inheritance may not be an accumulation of earthly possessions or acquired riches, but whether we realize it or not, our choices, words, actions, and values will impact someone and form the heritage we hand down. — Ben Hardesty Succes...
George Carlin would have been a great pitchman for estate planning. You may remember his stand-up routine on "stuff." We all have stuff, and we're pretty particular about our stuff. We move it around with us, it's hard for some of us to get rid of it, and some of us don't like our stuff mixed u...
5 Estate Planning Moves to Make Before Year End Wrap up 2016 with five smart estate planning moves that will help you protect your assets, your family and start 2017 off on a solid foundation. Have you experienced a notable life or financial change in 2016 such as the purchase o...
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer | An East Cobb Wills Lawyer's Tale It's Christmas time and as an East Cobb Wills Lawyer, I look for fun ways to relate legal concepts in popular media. The novelty Christmas song, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” written by Randy Brooks and f...
East Cobb Trusts Lawyer: Everything You Need to Know About Irrevocable Trusts Irrevocable Trusts are an integral part of most asset protection planning strategies. They are used to protect property and assets from nursing homes and other predators, and, depending on your individual...
5 Steps to Settling a Probate Estate in Cobb County Settling a probate estate in Cobb County requires quite a bit of time and a lot of organization. It has the potential to be a long, drawn-out process depending on the state of affairs of the deceased and how easy it is to work wit...
Is it time to stress test your estate plan? | Marietta GA Estate Attorneys If you have a properly executed will or trust in place, good for you! You've taken a great step toward protecting your assets for future generations. But, establishing an estate plan is only the first step. ...
When it Comes to Estate Planning in East Cobb, You Get What You Pay For You have probably seen so-called “standard” (a.k.a cheap) living trusts advertised all over the Cobb County area. Seminars, direct mail, and telemarketing are all common marketing techniques for the companies th...
Caregivers – Here Are 10 Critical Things You Should Do to Take Care of YOU! If you are a frequent reader of our Marietta, Georgia, elder law blog, you know that we talk a lot about how to take care of your older and/or disabled loved ones. We are passionate about helping people spe...
What Benefits is my Autistic Child Eligible For in Cobb County? If your child has been recently diagnosed with autism, you are probably feeling overwhelmed with this new direction your life has taken and inundated with information about how to care for your very special child. The ...
Tips for Parents of Special Needs Children from a Marietta Special Needs Attorney October is Special Needs Planning Month! Many parents of special needs children do a great job attending to their children's daily needs, but haven't given any thought to planning for the day when t...
Planning for Blended Families | Marietta Estate Planning Lawyer Many people are familiar with this common horror story: a parent remarries later in life to a person with a family of his or her own; when the parent passes away, their estate goes entirely to their new spouse through ...
What Has Happened to Long Term Care Insurance? Over recent years, many people have purchased long term care (LTC) insurance to protect themselves against the rising costs of care in their final years. But lately, policy holders have seen their premiums rise and/or benefits decrease...
Who Will Make Decisions About Your Health Care If You Cannot? A Health Care Power of Attorney, also called a Health Care Proxy or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, lets you give legal authority to another person (a proxy or agent) to make decisions about your health care i...
Revoking a Power of Attorney | East Cobb Estate Planning Lawyer If for any reason, you become unhappy with the person you have appointed to make decisions for you under a durable power of attorney, you may revoke the power of attorney at any time. Here are a few steps From your nei...
Atlanta Special Needs Lawyer: Basics of a Special Needs Trust For families with special needs individuals, ensuring the care for their loved ones once the caretakers are gone is of the utmost priority. The loss of specialized care and Medicaid or SSI benefits is a very real danger ...
Beware! Estate Planning Fraud in Atlanta is on the Rise Identity theft is the fastest rising crime in America today. Criminal syndicates located overseas are gaining access to your personal information through a variety of tactics and using that information to open credit cards an...
Presidential Candidates on Social Security, Medicare and Home Health Care? With the election inching closer every day, voters are starting to pay more attention to the issues. Of great concern to millions of retirees is what the candidates' plans are for Social Security and Medicar...
What Is Undue Influence? | East Cobb Estate Planning Lawyer As an East Cobb Estate Planning Lawyer, I occasionally deal with charges or concerns about undue influence over a person signing a will or other estate planning documents. Saying that there has been “undue influence” is of...
New Study Finds Shortcomings of Medicare Advantage Plans A growing number of Medicare beneficiaries receive their care through HMOs and PPOs, known as Medicare Advantage plans. Yet little is known about the size and scope of the provider networks available to them, and participants...
Top 10 Reasons Everyone Needs a Comprehensive Power of Attorney in Georgia The benefits of a highly detailed, comprehensive power of attorney in Georgia are numerous. Unfortunately, many powers of attorney are more general in nature and can actually cause more problems than they so...
Estate Planning Glossary & Acronym Decoder Annual Gift Exclusion: This is the amount that someone can give to another person during the calendar year without having to pay gift tax. Under IRC Sec. 2503 the annual gift exclusion is $10,000, but that amount is inflation adjusted peri...
Atlanta Asset Protection Lawyer : 5 Strategies to Protect Your Treasures It is an unfortunate fact of life that lawsuits are generally brought against those who have “deep pockets.” Litigators don't want to go through the time and cost of a drawn-out trial if there is no money to b...
