Kissing Newlyweds on the Beach

Taking the time to sit down with your spouse and update your estate plans will ensure that, should the worst happen, your new family is prepared to handle the unexpected. A recent Motley Fool article, titled “Estate Planning for Newlyweds,” says newly married couples should start their estate planning out small by changing their account […]

Doctor Examining an Elderly Patient

Many older people moving into a nursing home or retirement community are experiencing cognitive decline. In legal terms, they no longer have the capacity to make financial or medical decisions for themselves. So a trusted person—usually an adult child—will sign the entrance contract on their behalf as power of attorney. There tends to be a […]

bills and coins

Generally, there are four types of powers of attorney, or POA. A power of attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone you know and trust to make decisions on your behalf when you cannot make them yourself. A recent article in The Star-Ledger, titled “Your Money: The truth about ‘power of […]

Recently, we were forced to watch a painful family feud play out in the media over how Casey Kasem should be cared for in his final days.  This type of internal family strife is not uncommon even among non-celebrity blended families who may not have considered the consequences of naming one child, a new spouse […]

bills and coins

The public battle — always emotional and sometimes bizarre — began in October 2013 when daughters Julie and Kerri led a protest outside of Kasem’s Los Angeles mansion, holding signs demanding that their stepmom let them see their ailing father. With celebrity life comes a lot of media attention, and with that attention comes the […]

A proper Caregiver Agreement is essential when a loved one or friend wants to pay you to provide assistance and care for them. Here is a link to an article in which Michael J. Amoruso, Esq., Managing Partner of Amoruso & Amoruso LLP in Westchester County, NY and Howard S. Krooks, Esq., Of Counsel to […]

Portrait of a Gay Couple

While 19 states recognized same-sex unions, as of the end of May 2014, 31 still didn’t. The rift means that couples must take special precautions to have the right estate and emergency-health care legal documents in place – and often on hand. Whether already married or planning to tie the knot soon, same-sex couples need […]

family

Since for most of us, our children are our foremost priority in life, a Letter of Intent can be a crucial document. And anyone who wants to ensure special care for their children should consider including one with their estate documents; there are no real drawbacks to writing one. For parents, their children are the […]

family

Although death planning can be emotionally vexing, it is essential for families and survivors. They may not know your true intentions without written directives. By the time the will is read or estate plan executed, it will be too late. Planning for your final years is hard. It’s not an easy or fun subject to […]

dinner

In the case of Casey Kasem, no matter what happens, there are no winners here—everyone loses. Don’t let this happen to you. Plan and communicate! Celebrities make the news time and time again, and every so often we can all learn a lesson or two on their mishaps. A recent CNBC.com article, titled “What we […]