Category Archives: Medi-Cal Attorney Walnut Creek CA

How Much Does The Surviving Spouse Receive In Social Security Benefits?

In a previous post, we discussed what you should do about Social Security benefits after someone dies. But with regard to married couples, how much will the surviving spouse receive? Generally speaking, the surviving spouse will receive 100% of the deceased spouse’s Social Security benefit, as long as that amount is greater than the surviving spouse’s […]

Consider a Line of Credit On Your Home

The home is usually our clients’ most valuable asset. For Medi-Cal planning purposes, we have discussed in previous blogs how you can set up your Long Term Care Plan to ensure that you can transfer your home to your spouse or to you children without Medi-Cal penalty, and at the same time protect your home […]

Plan For Incapacity Now

Planning for incapacity should take place now, while you still have good mental capacity. If you lose mental capacity, you will not be able to make good decisions regarding your financial and personal affairs. For seniors, incapacity can occur for instance, as the result of a head trauma, dementia or as a consequence of Alzheimer’s […]

What To Do About Social Security Benefits After Someone Dies

We are often asked what should be done about Social Security benefits after someone dies. When a social security recipient dies, the Social Security Administration must be notified as soon as possible. The funeral home will usually make the notification to Social Security.  If the funeral home does not provide this service, then another family […]

Help For Caregiver Burnout

Over the past years, practicing in the area of elder law and long term care planning, we have observed many cases of elder care burnout. The caretaker spouse or child is usually not equipped to adequately care for a loved one who is suffering from Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease, or other debilitating diseases. These diseases […]

Be On The Lookout For Sweepstakes Fraud

There are thousands of companies that use sweepstakes offers in an effort to lure people into sending them money. This has been reported by the Office of the Attorney General in California. The report says that many of these companies have been prosecuted by the California Attorney  General, attorneys general in other states, by the […]

Watch Out For This Scam Regarding Recorded Deeds

As part of our estate and long-term care planning practice, we regularly prepare deeds for our clients. These deeds can for instance transfer real property into or out of trusts, or between individuals. We send the executed and acknowledged deeds to the recorder’s office along with the required preliminary change of ownership reports. Thereafter, within […]

Our Estate Plans Change As We Age

Most people I meet have a basic estate plan that is designed for younger people. The plan typically consists of a revocable living trust, pour over wills, financial durable powers of attorney, and health care directives. These plans were typically designed some years ago. The emphasis on that planning was to ensure that if the […]

Alzheimer’s Disease – The 10 Warning Signs

Every 70 seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association has a list of the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, as follows: Memory changes that disrupt daily life. Challenges in planning or solving problems. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure. Confusion with time or place. Trouble understanding […]

Don’t Be A Victim Of Fraud and Financial Abuse

A 2013 study published by the MetLife Mature Market Institute estimated that elders are defrauded of approximately $2.9 billion dollars annually. The reason for this seems to be that older people are too trusting of strangers. My own father, who was in sales his entire life, was too easily talked into buying things he did […]