Category Archives: Pleasant Hill Senior Law Attorney

Start Walking for Your Health!

People are living longer and are enjoying healthier lives for longer periods of time. George Burns, who lived to be 100 said, “I’m going to stay in show business until I’m the last one left!” I see attorney friends at the courthouse who are over 80. When I talk to them, I discover that they […]

Now Is The Time To Plan For Incapacity

My mother, who was a WWII veteran and the mother of five wild boys and a composed girl, used to tell me that the only thing that she really feared in life was losing her mental capacity. When I was a younger attorney, and my parents were younger, I prepared their estate plan, which was […]

Can The State Take My Home If I Die After Having Been On Medi-Cal?

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive as an elder law attorney in Walnut Creek, CA is, “Can the State of California take my home if I die after having been on Medi-Cal?”  The state will not actually take your home. But your home, if it is in your estate when you die, […]

Getting Your Ducks In A Row Before a Crisis Occurs

You should get your ducks in a row long before a crisis occurs, especially where your health and finances are concerned. Many of our clients come to see us when a crisis is occurring. For instance, their spouse or loved one is in the hospital or has just entered a skilled nursing facility. At this […]

Protect Your Home From a Medi-Cal Lien With a Reserved Life Estate

Medi-Cal can pay for your stay in a skilled nursing facility if you qualify. Under the state’s regulations, your home can be confirmed as an exempt asset in the Medi-Cal application. This means that you can keep your home, if you are otherwise qualified, and still receive Medi-Cal. This is true whether you are single […]

The Importance of an “Elder Law” Durable Power of Attorney

     Does your Financial Durable Power of Attorney (financial DPA) contain asset protection and government benefits qualification language? It probably does not, unless it was prepared by an elder law attorney. If you lose mental capacity, your spouse or children may be prevented from gifting your assets to themselves, in order to help you qualify for […]

What Is The Difference Between Elder Law and Estate Planning?

I practice Elder Law and represent the older client and their families. When clients come to see me, their concerns are not so much about what happens when they die, but more about ‘What happens if they don’t die.’ Of course, they want to make sure that their assets pass to their family with a minimum of expenses and taxes. But […]

Elder Law is Alzheimer’s Planning

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 5 million people in the U.S., and is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. today. This disease is expensive for the families of Alzheimer’s patients. And, it is the families who absorb much of the cost of care. There are government resources […]

Life Expectancy and VA Aid & Attendance

The VA Aid and Attendance Improved Pension Benefit can help pay for the costs of in home care, assistant living facilities and board and care homes for the older wartime veteran. A single veteran can receive up to $1,644 per month, or $19,736 per year. A widowed Spouse can receive up to $1,056 per month […]