tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44163262322433641582024-02-19T20:30:24.976-05:00The Peninsula Center BlogHelping People Protect What's Most ImportantThe Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-9852429589890685382021-03-29T07:16:00.012-04:002021-03-29T08:32:00.455-04:00CARES Act - Time's Up!<p></p><span style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedGSCwH0b6CIxp6guv06c1MjPoqDNJHC1eQx8TFrONhQrjhFVbb_FsVMy_onON-_FcZXY1YHMlI00wqmVFgK877vJh5BE8KgA10SxnzI28p5UYx1XErN-FwpNZyU8v1-hAJB6z7LFJFE/s2048/Cathy+Headshot.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Catherine E. Sears" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1463" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedGSCwH0b6CIxp6guv06c1MjPoqDNJHC1eQx8TFrONhQrjhFVbb_FsVMy_onON-_FcZXY1YHMlI00wqmVFgK877vJh5BE8KgA10SxnzI28p5UYx1XErN-FwpNZyU8v1-hAJB6z7LFJFE/w143-h200/Cathy+Headshot.jpg" title="Associate Attorney" width="143" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine E. Sears<br />Associate Attorney<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Believe it or not, we have been
living in a COVID-19 world for more than a year. For some, this is simply a
depressing thought, as they prepare to celebrate a second round of birthdays
and holidays amid the pandemic. For others, though, this anniversary could have
very significant impact on their income and health insurance.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Pursuant to the provisions of the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), recipients of
means-tested government benefits, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
and Medicaid, have one (1) year to spend the money they received as “economic
impact payments,” or “stimulus checks.” After a year has elapsed, any money
remaining from the stimulus payment will be treated as a countable resource,
which could result in the recipient having too many resources to continue
qualifying for government benefits. To learn more about this issue, please
click <a href="http://tpcestate.blogspot.com/2020/05/cares-act-recovery-rebates-interaction.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The first installment of payments
began being issued in April 2020, which means that this one-year deadline is quickly
approaching. SSI and Medicaid recipients should, therefore, be preparing to
provide proof to their caseworkers that the money which they received last
spring is no longer in their accounts. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I suspect this will be easier
said than done. Bear in mind, the federal government is now on its third round
of distributing stimulus payments. Seemingly, the one-year deadline applies to
each round of payments (so, if you received a payment in April 2020, the
deadline for spending that payment is April 2021; if you received a second
payment in January 2021, the deadline for spending that payment is January
2022, etc.). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Let’s say, for example, that a
Medicaid recipient has an excess of the allowable $2,000 in her bank account in
May 2021. Rather than simply saying that she is now over-resourced and, consequently,
ineligible to continue receiving Medicaid benefits, it would seem that further
analysis should be done to determine whether any of these excess funds can be
dated back to April 2020, or whether they are due to the second or third round
of stimulus payments. If there are still funds remaining from the April 2020
payment, then, theoretically, it would seem that she would be able to
re-qualify for Medicaid upon spending down just those funds, even if her bank
account remains in excess of the $2,000 limit due to the more recent stimulus
payments. Presumably, she would need to spend the excess funds on allowable,
non-penalizing expenditures in accordance with the regular Medicaid rules,
despite the fact that these stimulus payments are not contemplated anywhere in
the Medicaid Manual. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">With so much uncertainty, it is
crucial that those receiving means-tested government benefits do everything
they can to maximize their likelihood of receiving a favorable outcome when
their caseworker reviews their file. This is a moving target, and we truly do
not know what the caseworkers will do. However, seeking professional assistance
in spending the economic impact payments (and in documenting how you spent
them) before any of the one-year deadlines occur can increase the likelihood
that your Medicaid or SSI redetermination will go smoothly despite all these
unprecedented factors. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Please contact our office to
schedule a long-term care consultation if we can be of any assistance as you
navigate this complex area of the law.<o:p></o:p></p>The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-58231697966822619602020-06-10T09:22:00.001-04:002020-06-10T09:23:44.775-04:00Finding Joy Caring For Parents During the COVID-19 Outbreak<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYtc-54FLBDoXwa5aYXLs9jNUoXr5iRGfPoeKRkjesLa1LuT7rz4ZqaZxCoIbaCDISInBOH560A_hivwTFFgTquDSE91PVzZ4d2L5M1oETi786E84ITx6DYkNoCyvE8g7MB3ZyNaEXIQ/s1600/Teresa+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYtc-54FLBDoXwa5aYXLs9jNUoXr5iRGfPoeKRkjesLa1LuT7rz4ZqaZxCoIbaCDISInBOH560A_hivwTFFgTquDSE91PVzZ4d2L5M1oETi786E84ITx6DYkNoCyvE8g7MB3ZyNaEXIQ/s200/Teresa+Headshot.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teresa Clemons<br />
Office Manager</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My parents are 86 years old, live in a wonderful community
here in Williamsburg and are still quite active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they moved here over 10 years ago, the
plan was that I would be near by to take care of them as needed, and when they
could no longer do for themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never
in my wildest imagination did I think that I would be taking care of them
because of a pandemic that has somewhat paralyzed the Nation and has caused mandatory
quarantines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With both of them being in the “high risk” population, I do
everything I can to eliminate any possible exposure to the monster called COVID-19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am the only one allowed in the house. And
when I do, I where a mask, gloves and disinfect as I go. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have created a path from the driveway
through the garage and into the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are both on the other side of the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chat as I put away the groceries, wipe
down counters that have been exposed to the bags and then sterilize...me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom will text me with things she needs as she
thinks of them. I try to limit to one trip a week to the grocery store, again
to limit exposure. Sometimes I am not sure what she is going to do with some of
the items. But I don’t ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assume
like the rest of us she is getting bored and maybe going to create a new dish.
She is an amazing cook.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a modem failure at their house, I had to step up and
become an internet technician, which is so about my pay grade. I had tried for
days to call Cox Communications but they were not taking calls because of the
mass influx of calls, totally understandable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After four days, and countless hours and text
messages with my brothers, who do not live locally, trying to explain what to
do still no wireless internet. But did get the phone up and working. I thought
that was the most important, a way to communicate. Of course, they have cell
phones but do not always have with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I explained to my father that there a lot of people with emergencies and
thank God his was not one of them. They have a hard-wired computer so he did
have internet access just not wireless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He agreed but his face still said, I am annoyed. I couldn’t believe he
was being like about his laptop. Come to find out, it was more than that, he
couldn’t watch Netflix. Which when you are locked in the house, I guess is a
needed outlet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, was able to
schedule a service call with Cox. Their new protocol was the technicians were
not allowed to enter the home but could come into the garage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect, they would call me when they were on
the way and I would meet them at the house so my parents need not get involved.
I waited in the driveway. Not often does it happen but the tech was a little
early. As we walked up to garage there sits my father in the corner, 12 feet
away waiting to oversee the repair, as he always does with any work being done
on the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realized then, after I
scolded him for coming out of the house, that he felt like I was treating him
as if he could not longer do things for himself versus assisting him as to keep
him away from any possible contamination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Even though the time to help came sooner than later, I am so
glad that I am here to help them though this unprecedented time and….always
will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love you Mom and Dad.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-80298319472012400392020-05-08T16:48:00.000-04:002020-05-08T16:48:16.344-04:00CARES Act Recovery Rebate’s Interaction with Means-Tested Government Benefit Programs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdivc0Lbl0bSwx4TLJAlC4XeRGesi9jned6QfAgYYEf2uyMjL_lQCyyEJyAl0CeozeKInmvVNZw9aaDfeivfsFwRJ2CR29aJre1YMRubHPaPpz2WTtWB-4Rt-A3wxITPnjSi7EE55keQ/s1600/Cathy+Headshot+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdivc0Lbl0bSwx4TLJAlC4XeRGesi9jned6QfAgYYEf2uyMjL_lQCyyEJyAl0CeozeKInmvVNZw9aaDfeivfsFwRJ2CR29aJre1YMRubHPaPpz2WTtWB-4Rt-A3wxITPnjSi7EE55keQ/s200/Cathy+Headshot+2019.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine E. Sears</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Congress
recently passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act,
which is intended to alleviate some of the economic hardship which the outbreak
of COVID-19 has inflicted on the nation. This Act provides many examples of
relief, not only to individuals, but also to businesses and business-owners.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
For
many individuals, the most widely-anticipated benefit is the “recovery rebate,”
or a maximum of $1,200.00 for a single taxpayer or $2,400.00 for married
taxpayers who file jointly. This stimulus check is intended to help people
during this difficult economic time, especially those who may have lost their
job. However, as well-intentioned as this recovery rebate is, it could pose a
difficulty to those who, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, had already been
receiving means-tested government benefits, particularly in the form of
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Medicaid.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
These
means-tested benefits have very stringent rules regarding income and assets.
For example, an unmarried SSI recipient cannot earn more than $783.00 in
countable income each month in order to maintain his SSI benefits. The same
unmarried SSI recipient must also have less than $2,000.00 in countable
resources, or accumulated assets, in order to maintain the monthly benefit.
Therefore, though it may sound wonderful on paper, receiving an unanticipated
$1,200.00 check could have a significant negative impact on this SSI recipient.
Bear in mind as well that most SSI recipients are medically unable to work –
hence, their reliance on this program in the first place. Therefore, the
recovery rebate check would truly be an additional source of income which could
disqualify the recipient from his SSI payments, and not merely be a replacement
for lost wages which had already been factored into the recipient’s income for
SSI qualification purposes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">It is also
important to note that many SSI recipients also rely on Medicaid as their
health insurance, and a disqualification from SSI benefits frequently also
results in a disqualification from Medicaid. Once a former-SSI/Medicaid
recipient no longer has the excess income or has spent-down the excess
resources, she may re-qualify for SSI and Medicaid. However, the re-qualification process involves a copious amount of bureaucratic red tape and
may take several months, during which time the former recipient is likely not
receiving any form of monthly income or health insurance. Additionally, if the
recipient’s caseworker did not notice the excess income/resources in a timely
fashion, the recipient may find herself required to pay back SSI payments which
she had previously received (again, while not currently commanding an income).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There
are some safeguards in place to ensure that the CARES Act’s recovery rebate
does not put the recipients of means-tested government benefits into the
disastrous situation outlined above. For example, theoretically, the recovery
rebate will not disqualify recipients of means-tested benefits for twelve (12)
months after receiving the rebate. However, if any money in excess of the
resource limits remains at that time, then we know that the recipient <i>would</i>
definitely become disqualified from benefits. Furthermore, even if the
recipient does spend-down the rebate money within the 12-month period, the
caseworkers who process SSI/Medicaid applications and re-determinations have
never dealt with this type of widespread situation before, and will therefore
be navigating an uncharted territory, likely with very limited guidance to
help them. This increases the risk that the CARES Act’s exception to the
general SSI/Medicaid eligibility rules which exists on paper may not uniformly
be implemented in practice, resulting in unnecessary headaches and economic
difficulty for the recipients.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
If
you or anyone you know receives SSI or Medicaid benefits, consider seeing an
attorney with experience in special needs planning to ensure that you have a
plan in place for your recovery rebate and can continue to maintain your
government benefits seamlessly after this health crisis is over. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-63929640671201657932020-04-15T11:25:00.000-04:002020-04-15T11:32:04.245-04:00What Are Some of Your Tolerations? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMEZIHGGUOduS9AuR8-jPe4K7UViHbbY7LyOTdRwTV0NvSD-Af8PttkuaQnSsNuHOSnaCmHn1L29pPQWFpMyxYjzD4t7iQcO-tpRY8k_WhftS94b6bTFLBd5NoF4Ti-nK6nV5ISPZQWk/s1600/HSM+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMEZIHGGUOduS9AuR8-jPe4K7UViHbbY7LyOTdRwTV0NvSD-Af8PttkuaQnSsNuHOSnaCmHn1L29pPQWFpMyxYjzD4t7iQcO-tpRY8k_WhftS94b6bTFLBd5NoF4Ti-nK6nV5ISPZQWk/s1600/HSM+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: black; color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMEZIHGGUOduS9AuR8-jPe4K7UViHbbY7LyOTdRwTV0NvSD-Af8PttkuaQnSsNuHOSnaCmHn1L29pPQWFpMyxYjzD4t7iQcO-tpRY8k_WhftS94b6bTFLBd5NoF4Ti-nK6nV5ISPZQWk/s200/HSM+3.jpg" width="154" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: black;">Helena S. Mock, Esq.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Tolerations are the little annoyances we put up with on a daily basis. They are the things in our work and home lives, relationships, health, and finances that we simply accept because it would be too difficult, or too painful, or just take too long to resolve. Or so we think. And they really aren’t that bad, are they? After all, we’ve been living with many of them for years, and we’re still doing okay</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">My tolerations are not keeping me from being successful; they are not keeping me from being happy; and they are not keeping me from living my life to the fullest. Or are they? </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Studies show that tolerations drain energy, but we don’t usually notice it because we are so used to living with them. Some examples of tolerations include: </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">•My desk is so full of work that needs to be done, I feel overwhelmed; </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">•I haven’t been to the dentist in 3 years; </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">•My husband has been telling me he will clean out the garage for months; </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">•I never seem to get enough sleep; </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">•The kitchen faucet drips incessantly; </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">•My teenager is constantly staying out past curfew and doesn’t call to say he’ll be late; </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">•I really need to set aside some time for exercise; </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">•I hate spending weekends cleaning my house; I really need to hire someone to help me; </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">•Employee Y is creating office drama and disrupting the work environment. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">These are just a few examples, some of which were on my own tolerations list for quite some time before I finally tackled them. And I know you probably have quite a few on your list as well, some of which are not even your responsibility; or rather you don’t see them as your responsibility; and the fact that someone else hasn’t done them is just plain annoying. For example, I drive into that garage every day after work and just cringe at the mess. Why doesn’t he clean it, I ask myself every day… do I have to do everything myself? Now you don’t really mean that; you are just frustrated because you keep seeing the mess… or hearing the dripping faucet… or not getting that </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">phone call from your teenager. Sometimes we think we are dealing with things best by ignoring them, but they are still there, annoying you a little more every day, and getting harder and harder to ignore. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Note that none of these things are particularly difficult to deal with. Yes, some will take more effort, or time, on your part than others, but in most cases, the tolerations we live with are relatively minor. Start by identifying the items on your list that would take the least amount of time to resolve and work up to the biggies. For example, let’s take the dentist off my list. All I have to do to resolve that one is to make (and then keep) an appointment with my dentist. So why don’t I do it? I start by asking myself why I haven’t been to the dentist in 3 years. That’s the first question. Step 1 – Identify the “Why”. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Once you are honest with yourself about the why, the next step is to identify what’s standing in your way of resolving this issue now. Maybe my dentist retired and I just don’t know who I should see. Or, maybe the last time I had a checkup, the dentist told me I would be needing a root canal soon, and I definitely don’t want to do that. Is it a matter of taking the time? Is this something I need help with from someone else? Does it require an uncomfortable conversation with someone? Whatever the reason, stopping to identify, and then acknowledge, what’s holding you back, will help you move forward. Step 2 – Identify and acknowledge what’s standing in your way of getting this done? Once you have answered this question, you are one step closer to finally striking it off your list. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The next step is to determine what you need to do or who you need to talk to in order to resolve the situation. Do I need to ask friends about who they would recommend as a new dentist, or do I simply need to make the call and schedule the appointment? Again, we are just determining what needs to be done here; we are not yet taking action. This step is important if the project requires some planning first. For example, if I need to have an uncomfortable conversation with someone, this step in the process will allow me to think about the best way to approach the subject with the other person. Obviously, with the dentist example, there’s nothing to do here except decide which dentist to call. That may take some time for research, checking patient reviews, talking to friends, etc. But it’s certainly not as involved as deciding how best to discuss the garage situation with my husband or how to approach an employee who is not working up to expectations. These situations take more time and more consideration to decide the best approach. Step 3 – Identify what needs to be done to resolve the situation? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The tolerations that involve other people can be the most frustrating and the most difficult to resolve because marking them off your list requires you to confer with someone else. This is why Step 3 is so important. Step 3 gives you time to analyze the situation and determine the best approach. Without Step 3, you may wind up simply getting angry and blowing up, which creates other problems. Taking time to analyze the situation and prepare for a potentially uncomfortable conversation will likely produce a better result than simply exploding from frustration. This step also gives you time to consider the situation from the other person’s perspective. Why isn’t he stepping up to clean the garage? Doesn’t it bother him as much as it bothers me? Maybe it’s just as overwhelming to him as all those files on my desk are to me. Once I can calmly look at a situation from another’s perspective, suddenly it doesn’t seem like such a big deal anymore. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The final step is to move forward. It doesn’t do any good to go through steps 1, 2, and 3 above if I still never make the call to schedule the appointment. You might think this step is the hardest part because it requires you to take action. But once you have gone through the first 3 steps, this part really isn’t as bad as you imagined. Sometimes there is a lot involved in taking action. Scheduling an appointment with my dentist may only take a few minutes, but sitting down with an employee to address job performance will definitely take more time. But after you have gone through the first 3 steps, you are on a roll and it’s not that difficult to just roll into Step 4. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel by now. One more step and you get to cross that annoying toleration off your list. You’ve come to far to stop now. Step 4 – just do it! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">A toleration generally refers to the conditional acceptance of a situation, and we all have them. But living with a lot of tolerations can zap our energy and negatively impact our well-being in a variety of ways. Take the opportunity now to cross just one toleration off your list. I guarantee it will feel so good, you will want to tackle another, and then another. Watch how your mood and energy improve as your list of tolerations gets smaller and smaller. </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span style="color: white;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-88867589119182611142020-03-30T09:15:00.000-04:002020-03-30T09:15:04.501-04:00Scams and the COVID-19 Epidemic<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MMMBdPKNSJU5ObAZZk4By-SsYMkNHkSptrkCwRC6oRasQ3Y1CUR6HEyzGMQYif92FKMuUJoK519HfHQvAnwq1AySTcugBaUOFdvT-FJ3wDDKgDmIgqwJUiY7hfoE7O36y5aeVTrXxow/s1600/Leslie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MMMBdPKNSJU5ObAZZk4By-SsYMkNHkSptrkCwRC6oRasQ3Y1CUR6HEyzGMQYif92FKMuUJoK519HfHQvAnwq1AySTcugBaUOFdvT-FJ3wDDKgDmIgqwJUiY7hfoE7O36y5aeVTrXxow/s200/Leslie.jpg" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leslie Salvo<br />
Paralegal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As we attempt to adapt to our “brave new world” with
COVID-19 at the center of our attention, let’s not forget to be vigilant for
those individuals who are always ready to take advantage of a bad
situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regrettably, there are people
using this pandemic to line their pockets with your money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a few scams to be aware of:<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
(1)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Receiving a call,
email or text message that there is a vaccination available for COVID-19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> At this time, t</span>here is no vaccination available at any cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You should also avoid responding to calls regarding home test
kits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Hopefully these will be available soon, but for now, beware.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
(2)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Services offering
to clean your home but requesting prepayment for the service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Also b</span>e wary of online retailers selling cleaning
products claiming to kill the virus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
(3)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charity scams offering
assistance to those affected by the virus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to contribute to a charity, please contact the “tried and true”
charitable agencies - The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, or even your local
United Way chapter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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(4)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If someone offers
to do your grocery shopping for you, that’s wonderful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you’re going to give someone money upfront to do so, make sure you know the person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There may be some honest strangers out there offering to help, but this
is a situation ripe for taking advantage of your vulnerability.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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Please take care of yourself and your community during this
difficult time.</div>
</div>
The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-78765601863525076022020-02-25T12:00:00.001-05:002020-02-25T12:00:29.881-05:00Banks vs. Lawyers: The Best Way to Access a Loved One’s Bank Account<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdivc0Lbl0bSwx4TLJAlC4XeRGesi9jned6QfAgYYEf2uyMjL_lQCyyEJyAl0CeozeKInmvVNZw9aaDfeivfsFwRJ2CR29aJre1YMRubHPaPpz2WTtWB-4Rt-A3wxITPnjSi7EE55keQ/s1600/Cathy+Headshot+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdivc0Lbl0bSwx4TLJAlC4XeRGesi9jned6QfAgYYEf2uyMjL_lQCyyEJyAl0CeozeKInmvVNZw9aaDfeivfsFwRJ2CR29aJre1YMRubHPaPpz2WTtWB-4Rt-A3wxITPnjSi7EE55keQ/s200/Cathy+Headshot+2019.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine E. Sears, Esq.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Frequently, clients tell me that
they have certain assets (often, a checking or savings account) titled jointly
with one or more of their children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“This way,” they tell me, “my
daughter can step in and pay my bills if something happens to me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Nearly always, when I ask whose
idea this was, the client informs me that an employee at the bank said that
this was the best way to allow family members to help in case of a crisis.
However, at the risk of irritating any bankers reading this blog, I can say
with complete certainty that naming someone as a co-owner is NOT the best way
to give another person access to your finances. Instead, you should name your
child as your agent under a Durable Power of Attorney.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When a bank account is jointly
owned, legally, that bank account belongs to both of the co-owners. This means
that your child can do whatever he or she wants with that money, and is not
bound by any legal obligation to use the money in your best interests. Even if
you trust that your child would not go on a shopping spree with your money,
your account can still be subject to your child’s creditors if, for example,
your child gets into a fender-bender and gets sued, or if he goes through a
divorce. Additionally, co-ownership often creates a “right of survivorship.”
This means that, upon your death, the entire bank account will belong to your
co-owner child, regardless of the provisions in your will or revocable living
trust which may state that your assets are to be divided equally among all of
your children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I recently had a client who had
named her adult child as co-owner of her checking account many years ago. In
fact, this happened so long ago that the bank no longer had records showing
that the account had, at one time, been titled in my client’s sole name.
Sometime after adding her child as co-owner, the client’s child developed a
disability, could no longer work, and began receiving Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) and Medicaid. Both of these programs are means-tested, which means
that the child could only receive these benefit programs by meeting certain
financial eligibility requirements. The child had been receiving these benefits
for several years, and these programs were the child’s sole source of income
and health insurance coverage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Recently, though, the Social
Security Administration learned that the child was co-owner on my client’s
checking account. Though my client was by no means wealthy, she had money in
the account in excess of the low limits which are required to maintain SSI and
Medicaid coverage. The child’s benefits stopped, which was problematic because the
child had a home-health aide, who had been paid through the Medicaid coverage,
and this left my frail, eighty-something year-old client in charge of providing
very physically-demanding care to the child. Additionally, the child received
word that he owed tens of thousands of dollars to the Social Security
Administration because, due to this co-owned account, he should never have been
eligible to receive these benefits. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was heartbroken to learn of
this situation, because the family’s problems would have been solved if the
client had not listened to the bank employee all those years ago and had simply
executed a Durable Power of Attorney naming the child as her agent. Then, the
child would not have any legal claim to the money in the client’s account. If
the client had needed assistance, the child could simply have paid bills by
showing a copy of the Durable Power of Attorney and by signing “<i>Child’s Name</i>,
POA for <i>Client’s Name</i>.” This also would have held the child to the
fiduciary standard, which means that, if he had happened to misuse the client’s
money, he would have gotten in trouble for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, please learn from this
family’s mistake. Nobody knows what the future will hold; clearly, this client
thought that <i>she</i> would be the first family member to need help, not her
child. If you ever have any doubts about the proper way to title any type of
asset, consult an experienced estate planning or elder law attorney – not just
the person sitting behind the counter at the bank.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-59547303729794969572020-01-21T10:08:00.002-05:002020-01-21T10:08:47.070-05:00Happy New Year!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7cpkH5P5iTFEHekT0NwViBvjDg-g2JtqA45nQkcGUGXvEf-U47t3AGaHrQ1VxOhFE8Kz6s8dzSbQY4nxze-hlvoWjWRylWsVBQCOB8Cuwdxiz5ZvYhRDMuzAf4yJDjgNN-jCZabni2w/s1600/Barbara+Headshot+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7cpkH5P5iTFEHekT0NwViBvjDg-g2JtqA45nQkcGUGXvEf-U47t3AGaHrQ1VxOhFE8Kz6s8dzSbQY4nxze-hlvoWjWRylWsVBQCOB8Cuwdxiz5ZvYhRDMuzAf4yJDjgNN-jCZabni2w/s200/Barbara+Headshot+2019.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara Armstrong<br />Paralegal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Happy New Year!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Here we are already into the
middle of January. Where does time go? Before you know it, daylight savings
time will be upon us, daffodils and tulips will be blooming, and of course, allergies
will be thriving!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Last year was a whirlwind. The
year started out uneventful, but in July, tragedy struck our family. Our
youngest granddaughter nearly drowned. She was saved due to the fast work of
her other grandmother, who knew CPR, the police officer that arrived next and took
over, and then the EMTs. She began breathing on her own, but the prognosis
wasn’t good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
After two MRIs while at CHKD, it
was discovered that she had suffered major brain damage. The little girl we
knew was no longer with us. She was in CHKD in the PICU for almost two months
and on a ventilator for a month. She suffered severe “storms” during this time.
The doctors inserted a feeding tube. She and her family suffered greatly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
During that time, a GoFundMe page
was set up. Through the generosity of folks, her parents were able to take
family leave from their full-time jobs and took turns staying with her so that
one of them would always be with her and the other with the other two girls.
They were able to do some remodeling so that they could bring her home when the
hospital finally released her. When she was released, it was a happy day. She
was smiling when she heard a familiar voice. She started tracking with her
eyes. She began moving her legs and arms so much more, although she couldn’t
sit up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Fast forward to this year. Our
little one is now sitting up, and the other day, tried to stand! What tenacity
she has. Through the diligence of her parents, she is continuing physical
therapy and was accepted into a school program which she just started this
month.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Although the doctors told us that
we would never have our little girl back in the way she was before the accident,
we are eternally grateful for the fact that she is still with us and I truly
believe that she will walk again one day and begin to dance like she used to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A new year brings new hope! God
Bless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-10797573101604071492019-12-18T12:30:00.003-05:002019-12-18T12:30:49.279-05:00Gaining Perspective<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MMMBdPKNSJU5ObAZZk4By-SsYMkNHkSptrkCwRC6oRasQ3Y1CUR6HEyzGMQYif92FKMuUJoK519HfHQvAnwq1AySTcugBaUOFdvT-FJ3wDDKgDmIgqwJUiY7hfoE7O36y5aeVTrXxow/s1600/Leslie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7MMMBdPKNSJU5ObAZZk4By-SsYMkNHkSptrkCwRC6oRasQ3Y1CUR6HEyzGMQYif92FKMuUJoK519HfHQvAnwq1AySTcugBaUOFdvT-FJ3wDDKgDmIgqwJUiY7hfoE7O36y5aeVTrXxow/s200/Leslie.jpg" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leslie Salvo<br />
Paralegal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have worked in the area of elder law and estate planning
for many years, but until the last 3 years, my perspective of having a parent
with dementia was shaped only through clients’ stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then it hit home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just before my father died, he and I were
having a conversation about how we were going to take care of him once he came
home from the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was quick to
tell me he was not worried about himself but was concerned about my
mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said “something isn’t right,
she can’t cook things like she did before”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While that seems like a simple (and maybe silly) thing for him to say,
it spoke volumes to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom had
always been a good cook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, my dad
did not live very long after his discharge, and I had moved home to take care
of him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I was now living with my
mom, it didn’t take long for me to see that Daddy had been correct – something
wasn’t right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a visit to a
neurologist and some follow up tests, we had the diagnosis of dementia, likely of
the Alzheimer’s type. My sisters and I were devastated. And now, I have the
first hand experience of watching my mother slip away from us piece by
piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother was always smart,
witty, and kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every once in a while,
she will say something funny and it catches me off guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a minute, I think “Mom’s back” but sadly,
it’s just a glimpse of her old self. I hope that through this personal
experience with my mom, I will be better able to help our clients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least, I have now walked in those shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am thankful that my parents listened to me years ago when
I asked them to get all of their estate planning documents in order, purchase
long term care insurance, and pre-plan their funeral arrangements. Working in this area of law has taught me a lot.They did all of that and thus, have made the events of the last few
years a little easier to navigate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
encourage everyone, young(ish) and old, to make things a little easier for your
loved ones to handle the aging process by getting your legal affairs in order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t bring your loved one back or make
the disease progression go away, but in a small way, it helps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one less stressor for the caretaker(s)
and believe me, that can make a big difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-8926552630656755122019-10-30T14:43:00.000-04:002019-10-31T08:55:06.872-04:00Happy Fall, Y'all! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpSKlZwu_G97zi-ZYOsg6nkkaJgxmAc2aXLYYyfQapl7tGrbHtvWWufIpVPd40knzROr9c-xwgRSZ-TDOfZUAiUa2DkoDVN29qp7PuPTOHbEar40EGQLsxPb1mB1VHILO2QsVNgzBW8U/s1600/RNJ+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpSKlZwu_G97zi-ZYOsg6nkkaJgxmAc2aXLYYyfQapl7tGrbHtvWWufIpVPd40knzROr9c-xwgRSZ-TDOfZUAiUa2DkoDVN29qp7PuPTOHbEar40EGQLsxPb1mB1VHILO2QsVNgzBW8U/s200/RNJ+1.jpg" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">RaShanta Jennings<br />Legal Assistant</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time to grab your jackets, boots and cozy socks: Autumn has
arrived! I absolutely love when the season changes. Out of the four seasons, I
have to say that Fall is my favorite. There are so many reasons to absolutely
love this season, the weather is near perfect, and a couple of my favorite
holidays (Halloween and Thanksgiving) are celebrated. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, this time of year is when I get to pull out my
crock-pot recipes; plan fun, crafty, fall-ish things with my kiddos; and spend
some time in my kitchen baking a few of my favorite desserts such as cobblers,
cheesecakes and everything pumpkin-flavored! Needless to say, cheat days in my
diet are most common during the fall. During this time of year, the comfort
food is so rewarding. Believe it or not, it’s the perfect, yet easy way to
entice the entire family over for dinner, not just on Thanksgiving Day. Sharing
these moments with family and indulging in comfort food and desserts allows you
to reminisce on the most enjoyable periods of your life. As they say, some of
the greatest pleasures in life are simple, and what could be as simple as
cooking a delectable meal and spending time with those you love most. I truly
hope your Autumn is a memorable and happy time. Happy Fall, Y’all!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
Check out a few of my favorite fall recipes below!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://divascancook.com/easy-pumpkin-pie-recipe-creamy-homemade/">https://divascancook.com/easy-pumpkin-pie-recipe-creamy-homemade/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://divascancook.com/old-fashioned-glazed-fresh-apple-cake-recipe/">https://divascancook.com/old-fashioned-glazed-fresh-apple-cake-recipe/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-alfredo-stuffed-shells/">https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/chicken-alfredo-stuffed-shells/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-35992561338515784832019-10-09T12:26:00.001-04:002019-11-13T15:30:46.391-05:00It’s Never Too Early for Life Care Planning<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdivc0Lbl0bSwx4TLJAlC4XeRGesi9jned6QfAgYYEf2uyMjL_lQCyyEJyAl0CeozeKInmvVNZw9aaDfeivfsFwRJ2CR29aJre1YMRubHPaPpz2WTtWB-4Rt-A3wxITPnjSi7EE55keQ/s1600/Cathy+Headshot+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdivc0Lbl0bSwx4TLJAlC4XeRGesi9jned6QfAgYYEf2uyMjL_lQCyyEJyAl0CeozeKInmvVNZw9aaDfeivfsFwRJ2CR29aJre1YMRubHPaPpz2WTtWB-4Rt-A3wxITPnjSi7EE55keQ/s320/Cathy+Headshot+2019.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine E. Sears, Esq.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
I regularly meet with clients who
would be perfect candidates for TPC’s Life Care Planning program but just
aren’t willing to accept it yet. For those who don’t know, Life Care Planning
is a holistic approach to the concerns of aging that has the law firm at the
center of your aging process. So often, families who are helping a loved one
through the aging process make the same common mistakes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Perhaps the estate planning
documents are not in place, or, even if they are in place, the fiduciaries in
the documents do not properly understand their role. Maybe long-term care
planning or asset protection planning starts too late, many years after a
diagnosis occurs. There might be misunderstandings regarding what the senior’s
rights are when a hospital is getting ready to discharge him after a medical
event, or a long-term care facility is getting ready to admit the senior as a
resident. This might cause the senior’s care to be compromised, or for the
senior to be moved from one location to another far more than is necessary,
which can be very detrimental to the senior’s health. Or, perhaps the senior is
experiencing isolation (and, therefore, more rapid cognitive decline) because
she is trying to “age in place” in her own home, but has lost the ability to
drive. Maybe loved ones are becoming burned out or are compromising their own
health and wellbeing by trying to provide in-home care for the senior.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
With a Life Care Plan, the law
firm can help. Our Elder Care Coordinator, who has a background in geriatric
social work, will visit with the senior and her family regularly to get to know
the senior’s unique goals and wishes for her aging process and make sure that
these goals are not compromised despite whatever changes might happen in the
senior’s life. Additionally, the law firm provides the services necessary to
ensure that all legal options are explored which could maximize the senior’s
quality of life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Additionally, with a Life Care
Plan, the law firm can serve as the senior’s decision-maker for legal,
financial, and medical affairs, which provides great peace of mind if the
senior never had children, or is estranged from his children, or doesn’t
believe that his children would make good decisions for him. Alternatively, if
the senior <i>does </i>have family he would trust to make these decisions for
him but the family members live far away or do not have sufficient time to
devote to attending medical appointments or making regular visits, the Elder
Care Coordinator can make these visits and report back to the family member to
allow her to make an informed decision.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When I tell clients about Life
Care Planning, they are usually excited about the program and feel it would be
a good fit for them. However, they often tell me that they don’t need Life Care
Planning yet because they are still able to take care of themselves and make
their own decisions. However, this doesn’t mean that Life Care Planning is
irrelevant to them; it actually means that it is the perfect time to begin Life
Care Planning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
To utilize the program best, you <i>should</i>
clearly still be able to make your own decisions. An important benefit of the
program is that you have already created a plan, while you are healthy, to
govern what decisions will be made while your health declines. If you wait
until your health or your cognition begins to decline before starting Life Care
Planning, there are still ways we can help, but you are limiting our ability to
help. By allowing us to get involved once decline has already begun, you may
already have compromised some of your standard of living or may already have
fallen into some avoidable pitfalls. Just as you purchase a life insurance
policy long before you think you will die, or you might purchase long-term care
insurance many years before you anticipate needing long-term care, you can best
utilize Life Care Planning by signing up before you need any help.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So, even if you don’t think you
need Life Care Planning yet, consider scheduling a free Life Care Planning consultation
with me and with our Elder Care Coordinator so you can learn more about the
program and all the benefits it can provide you. Additionally, contact our
office to RSVP for a special seminar about Life Care Planning on November 14<sup>th</sup> at the Holiday Inn & Suites Historic Gateway on
Bypass Road. We look forward to seeing you soon!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-4040294652822478902019-09-13T16:05:00.000-04:002019-09-13T16:06:04.787-04:00Caregiver Agreements<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeW8CHdLc6I3Czkx93lyNxyqmybp5ry_coceMvSchMYGVS2EpodxdA8J7qpobxAz-Qh-51nsGQnQtFScjao5GjT1-2sv6KfU4D-Ep4IbrTgQxuSHwRaTLIn5YE2poadzcYTKm2QMJqxM/s1600/Cathy+Headshot+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeW8CHdLc6I3Czkx93lyNxyqmybp5ry_coceMvSchMYGVS2EpodxdA8J7qpobxAz-Qh-51nsGQnQtFScjao5GjT1-2sv6KfU4D-Ep4IbrTgQxuSHwRaTLIn5YE2poadzcYTKm2QMJqxM/s320/Cathy+Headshot+2019.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine E. Sears, Esq.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Just as you have the opportunity to
choose your own mechanic or your own attorney, a Medicaid applicant has the
opportunity to choose who to hire to provide caregiving services. Of course,
the applicant may choose to hire a professional in-home caregiving company;
however, if certain criteria are met, the applicant may, alternatively, hire a
trustworthy family member to serve as a caregiver. The applicant and the family
member might understand between themselves that the family member would ordinarily
provide such caregiving services out of the goodness of her heart for no cost,
and that being part of a family means helping your loved ones without expecting
anything in return.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">However, by paying a family member to
serve as a caregiver, the Medicaid applicant can still spend-down his resources
in order to qualify for Medicaid, and, instead of having that money go to a
professional company, can keep the money in the family. Additionally, even
though this money will now legally belong to the family member and not to the
Medicaid applicant, there can be an acknowledgement within the family that
these funds are still the applicant’s money because the family member would
have been willing to provide assistance free of charge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once a senior actually receives
long-term Medicaid, all of her income, with the exception of the $40.00
“personal needs allowance,” will go towards paying the cost of her health
insurance premiums and the patient-pay responsibility at the long-term care
facility. Therefore, any other expenses which go beyond the scope of the cost
of the long-term care facility (including new glasses or hearing aids, new
clothes if the senior’s clothing size fluctuates due to her medical condition,
tasty snacks to supplement the food provided by the long-term care facility,
etc.) must be paid from the personal needs allowance or out of the goodness of
family members’ hearts. These expenses can add up, and having family members
pay for these “supplemental needs” out of their own pockets can have a significant
impact on family members’ own finances. However, if a family member had
previously been paid for serving as the senior’s caregiver, then that family
member can use that “extra” money to pay for these supplemental expenses
instead of using her personal assets. Then, if there is any money left over
after the senior dies, the remaining funds can be distributed to the senior’s
family members to pass some assets on to the next generation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are some practical factors to
consider in determining whether a caregiver agreement between a parent and a
child is an appropriate strategy for your client. First, the caregiver child <i>must</i>
be trustworthy to maximize the likelihood that he will, in fact, use these
funds for his parent’s supplemental needs. It is wise for the caregiver child
to create a separate bank account and deposit the funds into that account
instead of commingling the assets into an existing joint account with a spouse.
It is also wise for the caregiver child to update his own estate planning
documents to say what will happen to the assets in case the caregiver child
predeceases his parent. Additionally, because the money from serving as a
caregiver will be considered earned income for the caregiver child, he will
need to report and pay income taxes on the income. Since the money will legally
belong to the caregiver child, there will be gifting ramifications for any money
he returns to the parent during the parent’s lifetime and any money he gives to
his siblings or other beneficiaries after his parent’s death. Depending on the
amount gifted to a particular individual within a calendar year, he may need to
file a gift tax return, and any amount gifted could create a penalty period if
the caregiver child himself needs long-term care Medicaid within five (5) years
of making the gift. If the caregiver child is also serving as Agent under the
parent’s durable power of attorney or as Trustee of the parent’s revocable
living trust, then it is also important to make sure that the power of attorney
and/or trust document give the caregiver child the power to engage in
self-dealing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are also a number of factors
that need to be met to ensure that a caregiver agreement between a parent and a
child will be treated as compensation for services and not as an uncompensated
transfer which will create a penalty period. The rules that govern these
requirements are extremely detailed, so it is important to have an experienced
elder law attorney draft a precise, custom-tailored contract for your family to
avoid accidentally failing to meet one of Medicaid’s many criteria.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If a family member is providing
caregiving services to a Medicaid applicant, this can be an extremely effective
way of transferring assets to such family member without creating a penalty to
the applicant. However, for this strategy to work correctly and not penalize
the Medicaid applicant, it is imperative that all parties treat the arrangement
as the formal, legal matter it is and not as an informal arrangement simply
because it involves family members.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-89653535960827328252019-06-28T08:27:00.002-04:002019-06-28T08:27:48.583-04:00Mosquito Magnets<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYtc-54FLBDoXwa5aYXLs9jNUoXr5iRGfPoeKRkjesLa1LuT7rz4ZqaZxCoIbaCDISInBOH560A_hivwTFFgTquDSE91PVzZ4d2L5M1oETi786E84ITx6DYkNoCyvE8g7MB3ZyNaEXIQ/s1600/Teresa+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYtc-54FLBDoXwa5aYXLs9jNUoXr5iRGfPoeKRkjesLa1LuT7rz4ZqaZxCoIbaCDISInBOH560A_hivwTFFgTquDSE91PVzZ4d2L5M1oETi786E84ITx6DYkNoCyvE8g7MB3ZyNaEXIQ/s320/Teresa+Headshot.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teresa M. Clemons, Office Manager</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My
son and I are both “mosquito magnets”! We can be sitting outside with my
husband and the only ones getting bitten … are us! </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -0.15pt; line-height: 107%;">Bites
get better within a few hours for most people. But if you’re highly sensitive,
like we appear to be, symptoms can last for several days.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With years of itching and
scratching, I wonder: why us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt; text-decoration: none;">Studies</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"> suggest that about twenty percent of people are "high attractor
types" who are especially appealing to the female mosquitoes seeking out
blood for the extra protein they need to lay eggs. There are </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt; text-decoration: none;">150
different species</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"> in the United States of these blood-sucking
creepy crawlers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Is it the color of
our clothes? Could be. Mosquitoes have discerning fashion taste. Or at least,
they're more likely to spot you as a target if you stand out from your
environment. Dark colors, especially, will attract more of the insect. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Do we
squirm too much? Could be. The more you move, the easier you are to identify as
a living receptacle bursting with delicious blood. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Are we too hot? Could be. As
they get closer, it’s your body heat that draws the mosquito in. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Do we drink
too much? Could be. People are not sure how mosquitoes sense the presence of
ethanol, but drinking as little as one can of beer will significantly increase
the attention you receive from the pests. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Is it genetic? Could be. A very high
percentage of your susceptibility to mosquito bites has nothing to do with what
you're drinking or wearing, it's genetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The composition of your skin bacteria that naturally and healthily exists
can be the attractor, as can acid and other substances present in your sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Is it the wrong blood types? Could be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People with blood type O are more prone to
mosquito bites, than those with type B, with type A folks bringing up the rear.
Picky little bugs, aren’t they?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Well, we fall into
most categories so, mystery solved… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-64880411640553597142019-06-10T15:19:00.002-04:002019-06-10T15:19:45.259-04:00The Family Limited Partnership<span id="goog_1083400149"></span><span id="goog_1083400150"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs8iCjX52kmFus7s0o2QMgtVZXWngRJHz5MUDarXKxzRR9o73OuuxG-9fA03qFI6bG7c4ssclmgtpH2mOZLuTpWElmSQekkKZddx_gnWiX8rTl9Nk0Q_i8jzFt-uIU82CmiuCEpT6JOg/s1600/HSM+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs8iCjX52kmFus7s0o2QMgtVZXWngRJHz5MUDarXKxzRR9o73OuuxG-9fA03qFI6bG7c4ssclmgtpH2mOZLuTpWElmSQekkKZddx_gnWiX8rTl9Nk0Q_i8jzFt-uIU82CmiuCEpT6JOg/s1600/HSM+Headshot.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helena S. Mock, Esq.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Estate Planning is a complex area of the law because
it deals with so many different issues, from asset protection to taxation and
almost everything in between. There are a variety of different legal strategies
and tools that have been developed and are regularly used to assist in reducing
the value of an estate for estate tax purposes while maintaining control and keeping
the assets in the family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">One of these strategies is the use of the Family
Limited Partnership (“FLP”) or Family Limited Liability Company (“FLLC”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this strategy, a property owner can give
away the underlying equity interest in an asset while still retaining
managerial control over that asset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FLPs
are most commonly used as vehicles for making gifts of interests in real estate
and family-owned business interests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With an FLP, you title assets in the name of the FLP and then gift partnership
interests in the FLP to others. It is like giving away pieces of a pie.
However, because each piece is valued individually, the sum of the parts does
not necessarily equal the whole. The fractional ownership of property by
multiple individuals allows for the artificial “discounting” of the value of
each individual’s share upon their deaths, thereby reducing estate taxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">But why are discounts for these interests
available? </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Very simply, it’s </span><span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">because no buyer would
pay full price for a fractional interest in a closely-held FLP since profits
are shared with the other partners, and the buyer may not have control over how
the FLP is managed or when it will be dissolved or the assets sold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The overall value of the property is only
artificially diluted by this process, however, because at any time, the partners
can agree to dissolve the FLP, and upon termination of the partnership, the
assets almost magically return to their full underlying value. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">This can also be a way of giving interests in
property to beneficiaries who may not yet have the ability to manage assets
wisely. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the FLP allows for
centralized management, the individual owners of the separate interests have
little to no say in management, development, or sale of partnership property. It
is also more difficult for creditors to get at the assets when they are in the
FLP than if they were held outright by the beneficiaries. In fact, many experts
believe this one document has more important lawsuit and asset protection
features than any other estate planning strategy. It can be the fortress
protecting your hard-earned wealth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">The result of this strategy is that the family’s
assets have greater protection from a personal judgment against any family
member. If the limited partnership had not been used, all the family’s assets,
including the business or property in the FLP, would have been lost. The laws
protecting partnership assets from the reach of creditors of individual
partners have been around for many years. In fact, these provisions date back
to the English Partnership Act of 1890 and were later adopted by the Uniform
Partnership Act which has been the law in America since the 1940s.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">There is always the possibility that a judge may
not like the fact that a legitimate creditor can’t get paid because of the
partnership rules and may take it upon himself to find a way to satisfy the
judgment. Perhaps in close cases, a judge may rule that the partnership was set
up to defraud creditors and thereby ignore the protection. Or the legislature
may decide to change the law. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several
years ago, the IRS cracked down on this strategy; however, more recent cases
have upheld FLPs as a viable estate planning strategy when they are properly
structured and administered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">While FLPs and other advanced planning strategies
may not be for everyone, they can be a good tool to minimize estate taxation
and maximize asset protection. However, you should seek the advice of an
experienced estate planning attorney in determining whether an FLP is
appropriate for you and for assistance in setting up and administering the FLP.</span></div>
The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-75748611406456666172019-04-17T16:46:00.003-04:002019-04-18T16:47:29.993-04:00The Ethical Attorney<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlp_j8hUx-3LGYOXMEP1hk0amtBeIYxVq439-4uaaa5LVLhDabOB3Cxx4qDZGb1Ierbyg-ggAGRVgft1Z63X0QOce4oMDADHgjf9lfRJEwR80NhsdvIIsKP0Qi0GCOoBNZmC8nxFgkh0/s1600/MHM+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="560" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlp_j8hUx-3LGYOXMEP1hk0amtBeIYxVq439-4uaaa5LVLhDabOB3Cxx4qDZGb1Ierbyg-ggAGRVgft1Z63X0QOce4oMDADHgjf9lfRJEwR80NhsdvIIsKP0Qi0GCOoBNZmC8nxFgkh0/s200/MHM+Headshot.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meredith H. Maust<br />
Associate Attorney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If I were to say “ethical attorneys” in front of a group of people, I am likely to hear a joke or two that will, inevitably, conclude with the idea that this phrase is an oxymoron. Oh, the discomfort that comes when I casually remind the jokester that, not only am I an attorney, but not all attorneys are corrupt. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So, you have suspended reality to consider that not all attorneys are corrupt, but the jokes about attorneys exist because there are unethical attorneys out there. You know the type: lawyers who perform unnecessary tasks to create more billable hours from their clients; those who are dishonest and misrepresent the reality of a case to their clients; those who fail to communicate once they have your retainer; and those who seem more focused on representing their personal interests and financial gain rather than those of the clients’. I am not unfamiliar with attorneys who fall into these categories.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Well, if I can admit lawyer jokes have merit, why is it that I am so unwilling and unable to graciously accept the humorous denigration of my chosen profession? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It is as simple as this: a lot of attorneys dedicate their practice to upholding a tradition of integrity, client loyalty, honesty and a commitment to ethical standards. We work hard to fight for our clients, for an outcome that we believe in and we do so without exploiting the system and those whom we represent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">We work hard to stay true to ourselves, to maintain our ideals and ethical practice of the law. As such, the generalization hurts. Not all lawyers are created equally. Not all doctors deserve a license to practice medicine, not all mechanics are trustworthy and, well, perhaps I should altogether stay away from commenting on politicians at any level. There are bad apples in every lot, in every profession, but that should not affect those of us who take genuine pride in their commitment to providing the best service to those in need. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Ask an attorney why they decided to become a lawyer. The attorneys with whom I associate will provide a genuine response that has nothing to do with making money. Many of us chose this profession to make a difference and to help others. Many of us have personal reasons for choosing our specific practice area. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the lawyers that put time and effort into providing individualized service and attention to clients, who maintain ethical standards of practice despite going up against opposition that pays no heed to the regulated codes of conduct to which all lawyers are required to adhere. It takes true commitment to provide zealous representation of our clients without devolving into the lawyer who condones the unprincipled tactics of unethical opposition by choosing to retaliate with similar practices. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I can admit most attorneys are competitive know-it-alls. We are constantly engaging in some sort of challenge or debate. Whether it is over the interpretation of the law or a simple dispute over the facts, attorneys want to be the one with the answers, want to be right, and want to win. The difference is, there are lawyers who will resort to any means necessary to win and those of us who want the win for our client; those of us who believe we can achieve a positive outcome without sacrificing our integrity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I advise people looking for legal representation to meet with a few different attorneys before retaining counsel. You will be able to tell who is a good fit for you and, by reserving judgment, you will find those of us who are here to help.</span></div>
The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-9809160594049177972019-03-27T15:18:00.002-04:002019-04-17T16:52:22.822-04:00Losing a Loved One <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs8iCjX52kmFus7s0o2QMgtVZXWngRJHz5MUDarXKxzRR9o73OuuxG-9fA03qFI6bG7c4ssclmgtpH2mOZLuTpWElmSQekkKZddx_gnWiX8rTl9Nk0Q_i8jzFt-uIU82CmiuCEpT6JOg/s1600/HSM+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="159" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs8iCjX52kmFus7s0o2QMgtVZXWngRJHz5MUDarXKxzRR9o73OuuxG-9fA03qFI6bG7c4ssclmgtpH2mOZLuTpWElmSQekkKZddx_gnWiX8rTl9Nk0Q_i8jzFt-uIU82CmiuCEpT6JOg/s200/HSM+Headshot.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helena S. Mock, Esq.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Change is always difficult, but a death in the family can be especially traumatic. It may feel as though the world should stop to mourn your loss, but it doesn’t. The world keeps turning, the day still follows night, people around you continue to go about their normal routines as if nothing has happened. For those suffering, this can seem callus until you realize that your loss is not theirs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">When the loss of a family member occurs, whether sudden or expected, your world can feel as if it has been turned upside down. This loss is combined with the additional burdens of settling the decedent’s estate. Thus, it is helpful to have a “to do” list handy so that you do not overlook anything in the panic and grief of the moment. The following is a list of “action items” that will help guide you following the loved one’s passing:</span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the hours immediately following the death, make sure family members have friends or loved ones with them. Arrange care for any children or adults needing assistance.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Call the funeral home and clergy to set up appointments to discuss final arrangements. Before the meeting, be sure to check and see if the decedent left behind any memorial or burial instructions.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obtain several copies of the death certificate, at least 5; you can always get more later.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let people know what has happened. Notify immediate family members and close friends. If the decedent was employed, notify his employer and any important business colleagues.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the days immediately following the death, gather the decedent’s important papers, including the Will or Trust, deeds, bank and brokerage statements, tax returns for 3 years prior to death, all life insurance and/or annuity contracts and retirement plan documents. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Schedule an appointment with an <i>experienced</i> estate planning attorney – one who <u>focuses</u> her practice in estate planning. Working with someone who is knowledgeable about estate and tax issues will avoid potential problems. The person named as the executor (“Personal Representative”) or trustee should attend this conference. The employment of legal counsel is an expense of administration. Failing to retain competent counsel can result in the fiduciary being personally liable to the decedent’s estate.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Trustee and/or Personal Representative will then take over the decedent’s assets and finances and manage them throughout the administration period. Be mindful of the Prudent Investor Rule. Just because the decedent held a certain asset does not mean it is appropriate to maintain that asset in the estate; it might be time to restructure the investments.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the decedent was still working, contact his employee benefits department to begin processing any benefits that are due. They will likely need an original death certificate. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contact the local Social Security office. If the decedent was married, his spouse may be eligible for benefits. A disabled child of the decedent may also be eligible for benefits. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there was any life insurance, determine the beneficiaries. Only the beneficiaries can claim any death benefits (the insurance company will usually refuse to speak with anyone other than the beneficiary.) Each insurance company will require an original death certificate in order to process the claim.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the decedent was <u>ever</u> in the military, contact the Veterans Administration to see if surviving family members are eligible for any benefits due to the death.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep a record of any expenses you or anyone else pays on behalf of the estate (funeral expenses, qualification fees, etc.) for purposes of reimbursement and possible deductions on the estate or trust tax returns. Do not pay any debts until you are sure the estate is solvent enough to be able to pay all debts.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inventory the decedent’s assets and note how each asset is titled (individually, joint with someone else, in trust, etc.).<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">File the decedent’s final personal income tax return (IRS form 1040) and corresponding state income tax return, if any, by April 15<sup>th</sup> of the year following the year of death. A tax return for the estate and/or trust will also be due but may be filed on either a calendar or fiscal year. Consult with your attorney to determine which is best.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do not change the title to assets, claim any benefits, or roll-over any retirement accounts without consulting with your estate attorney. Changing a title can have unexpected income, estate, and property tax consequences.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The process of administration of a loved one’s trust or estate is complicated considerably by emotion. In addition, there can be difficult and complex family and financial issues that arise during this time. However, there are resources available to help you navigate through the rough waters. Most important, don’t delay. Although normally there is nothing that needs to be done immediately, delaying too long can cause problems which may be difficult or impossible to fix later.</span></div>
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The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-65923797885080057362019-02-06T09:50:00.001-05:002019-04-17T16:52:38.404-04:00Lacie <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_yipIZIxW7GzT-5JiR2bqthRogwQ6AAaRgnmdwPgirEwsUVTX5DlZHdfiED5tkfDjLW5gKMRW2Q-CvBDha584sdg-_OC5wIhRa8ovriktwBzWAjPbZkL44sPYSPnadVXPpUAcliqggo/s1600/BKA+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_yipIZIxW7GzT-5JiR2bqthRogwQ6AAaRgnmdwPgirEwsUVTX5DlZHdfiED5tkfDjLW5gKMRW2Q-CvBDha584sdg-_OC5wIhRa8ovriktwBzWAjPbZkL44sPYSPnadVXPpUAcliqggo/s200/BKA+Headshot.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara K. Armstrong<br />
Senior Paralegal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">My husband and I adopted our sweet beagle, Lacie, over 12
years ago. We fell in love with her
picture first and when she met us, she put her little head in my husband’s lap
and that was all it took. She was
coming home with us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">As the years have gone by, Lacie has seen it all. She’s seen our children grow up and move out
of the home. She has witnessed a couple
of marriages in our backyard, not to mention plenty of cookouts with friends
and family. She has seen new little
faces added to the family. She’s been so
much a part of our family that it goes without saying that everyone loves her
and looks for her when they come over if she hasn’t already come to greet them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Recently, I noticed Lacie was behaving strangely. She was having trouble walking, which at first,
I thought was due to her nails needing a fresh cut. But as the morning wore on,
she was walking in and out of the house and she was very restless. I realized something was truly wrong when she
had her nose poked out the door, not moving and her eyes were moving side to
side at an alarming rate. I had to take
her to the vet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">The vet came in and with the initial exam said it was most
likely vertigo or vestibular disease due to an inner ear infection. She was given a couple of shots, ear medicine
and put on motion sickness medication and sent home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">The next few days were rough as we had to carry her
everywhere. After about a week she
became more confident in her walking and we have been able to take her for
short walks in the neighborhood. We
thought that she would come through this with little to no complication. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Well, we discovered that she is now completely deaf. Poor thing!
This was a realization that Lacie will not be around forever. We obviously knew she wouldn’t but the years
go by so fast and before you know it, you have a senior in the family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">As our Lacie gets older, we know that one day she won’t be
with us anymore and that there will be a big empty place in our hearts. Anyone that loves a pet knows that they are
a part of the family and their loss is great.
For now, we will enjoy our girl for as long as we can until we know we
cannot anymore</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">. </span></span></div>
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The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-8903176854007962362019-01-04T12:27:00.003-05:002019-04-17T16:52:49.915-04:00The Rise of The Green Burial<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCVHWtLMYYgG3izVwYn27Je6QH4ASfTXGgP-qCxU4nhEoYmLMb3XD5zaHhdoDIMSlLQp-pKHNfwu5afAo3raZs4buJMKkl6vBfr7eie_VMKRCAVTOKBAEHT_dTmdZZXTx9rNtRIprPEM/s1600/EDJ+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="960" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCVHWtLMYYgG3izVwYn27Je6QH4ASfTXGgP-qCxU4nhEoYmLMb3XD5zaHhdoDIMSlLQp-pKHNfwu5afAo3raZs4buJMKkl6vBfr7eie_VMKRCAVTOKBAEHT_dTmdZZXTx9rNtRIprPEM/s200/EDJ+Headshot.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth D. Johnson<br />
Paralegal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Imagine taking a walk through a garden or forest, admiring the wildlife, flora, and fauna. Maybe there is a lake or stream that you can sit by and collect your </span>thoughts<span style="font-size: 13pt;"> while absorbing the natural beauty around you. Now imagine that this place you’re in is a cemetery. Hybrid, natural, and conservation burial grounds are popping up all over the country, focusing on green alternatives to the burial and funeral process. The Green Burial Council describes green or natural burial as a way of caring for the dead with minimal </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, and the restoration or preservation of habitat. It is also a way of reconnecting with and having our final purpose be giving life back to the earth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Funerals in the United States are the most resource intensive in the world, with 53 million gallons of toxic embalming fluid being buried every year. Most people believe the way to combat this is to be cremated, however, the cremation process consumes fossil fuels and releases more than 23 million pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere annually. While just having yourself or a loved one cremated seems small in the grand scheme of things, about 40% of Americans receive cremation. Among the most significant noxious emissions produced by cremation are carbon dioxide, hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide, mercury, and of course, formaldehyde.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">For those who would still rather have a more common funeral service including an open casket and the works, there are now formaldehyde-free embalming fluids and some are made entirely of nontoxic and biodegradable essential oils. Aside from formaldehyde being bad for the earth, the National Cancer Institute released in 2009 that funeral directors and embalmers have a much higher incidence of myeloid leukemia and cancers of the brain and colon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Green burials may seem like a radical idea but they actually share many similarities with Muslim and Jewish traditions – no embalming, the body is usually laid to rest within a 24-hour period, and the body is touching the earth. They also involve the use of a shroud or a nontoxic, biodegradable casket. During the 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> Centuries, burials in the U.S. involved, at most, a pine casket and a plot of land. The “green death movement” essentially takes us back to those practices, when we were more connected to death and the land - a true “ashes to ashes, dust to dust, earth to earth” burial. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">If none of the reasons above are resounding enough to think about a green burial for yourself, there’s always the cost difference. Typical funerals cost between $7,500 and $10,000 and cremations cost around $2,000 – not including the service and any other bells and whistles. The price of a burial plot at a green cemetery, including a marker, ranges from $800 to $3,500, with some of that cost going toward conservation and restoration. Some people also opt for a home funeral (being buried on your land), which is allowed by almost all counties, but most require a minimum number of acres and the filing of a plat map with the local planning department. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">In this day and age, there are tons of things to consider about your life and your death. It seems like there are a thousand decisions to make and add-ons for everything that you want to do, whether buying a car or planning your own funeral. Perhaps a green burial will allow you to take solace in knowing that your final act is providing nourishment for the earth and conserving what we have left for the people you leave behind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">For more information on green burials, go to: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="https://greenburialcouncil.org/home/what-is-green-burial/">https://greenburialcouncil.org/home/what-is-green-burial/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="http://www.awillforthewoods.com/#home">http://www.awillforthewoods.com/#home</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/i-dug-a-green-grave-and-learned-the-truth-about-the-dir-1831175305">https://earther.gizmodo.com/i-dug-a-green-grave-and-learned-the-truth-about-the-dir-1831175305</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-6774708345061240472019-01-04T12:24:00.005-05:002019-06-10T15:27:34.865-04:00Organizing your Digital Footprint in the New Year<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XHjh1knoZ4V-sfMDF0PCjZHsqm8z58LOwhEMa3_DatXEeA9EhXBX7xSmCFTvpyBicmDCvF1YnKFs_7bVpOzdKVjDbxT4WFZhf1woHYhwopBJlDxTmDbNmB4tX98d_DnNTN1Uz4UKTIs/s1600/Valerie+Headshot+2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XHjh1knoZ4V-sfMDF0PCjZHsqm8z58LOwhEMa3_DatXEeA9EhXBX7xSmCFTvpyBicmDCvF1YnKFs_7bVpOzdKVjDbxT4WFZhf1woHYhwopBJlDxTmDbNmB4tX98d_DnNTN1Uz4UKTIs/s320/Valerie+Headshot+2019.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valerie M. Hollar, Paralegal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but I always look to the start of a new year as a way to get organized in some area of my life. Just like you organize your closet or your cabinets, your digital assets also need to be organized. It seems like there are online accounts for just about anything these days. From banking, social media, networking, etc., there literally are online accounts for everything. Do you have a list of all of your online accounts and passwords? More times than not, the online account host has rules pertaining to a decedent’s account, and the powers granted in your estate planning documents do not always allow your agents to manage or close these accounts upon your death. The following article will give you a little more insight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Digital assets are any type of personal property which are stored in digital form, such as photographs, word or pdf documents, financial information, email accounts, business accounts, banking accounts, domain names, blogs, web pages, social media accounts, loyalty program benefits, online storage accounts, online purchasing accounts, online sales accounts, etc. Such information can only be accessed through computers, smartphones, tablets, etc., and is normally password protected. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">So, what happens to this information if you become disabled or when you die? </span><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Some accounts are eventually closed for inactivity, but others stay open until directed to be closed by someone having the appropriate authority. It is this question of authority that causes problems for family members and fiduciaries. Many online organizations have put rules into place for accessing the digital information of a decedent. This article explains some of the established processes and suggests that every estate plan contain a strategy for dealing with digital assets, including the appointment of a digital executor to handle these assets. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Virginia defines a digital asset as </span><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">an electronic record in which an individual has a right or interest. </span><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Article 3.1 of the Virginia Code is the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act which describes how to protect your digital accounts after you pass away. This Article was established in July 2017 and provides your trustee, personal representative, or agent under a power of attorney is allowed to manage your digital assets and can restrict said fiduciary from accessing your electronic communications, including emails and texts, unless otherwise specified in your estate planning documents. The prior governing act, The Privacy Expectation Afterlife and Choices Act, brought the issue of different state’s laws into play since every company is tied to a particular state. The new act now applies to the owner of a digital asset if they reside in the Commonwealth of Virginia or did when they died.</span><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">The paragraphs that follow detail several popular digital account holding websites that you may have accounts with. As you will see, each of these organizations has certain criteria for accessing a decedent’s account. This list does not list every online digital asset holding account that currently exists, but it does serve as a good starting point for you to think about in terms of your digital footprint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Google (Gmail, YouTube, Google+)</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Google has what is called an Inactive Account Manager, which is a way to either share or delete your account after a set period of inactivity. You set a timeout period, after which time of inactivity on your account, any trusted contacts will be notified, given an option to share data, and your account will be permanently deleted. If you fail to set up your Inactive Account Manager before your passing, members of your family can request the contents of your account, but there is no guarantee that they will actually get them. By providing proof of kinship, a death certificate, and possibly a court order (i.e. certificate of qualification on the decedent’s estate), Google will review whether or not to release the contents of your account. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Yahoo</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Similar to Google, Yahoo will not give anyone access to the account. It does provide an option for closing a decedent’s account. A letter containing the request and the account name (email address), a death certificate, and a copy of a document appointing the requesting party as the personal representative or executor of the estate of the deceased are required to close the account. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Microsoft (Hotmail.com, Live.com, Windowslive.com, MSN.com)</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Microsoft will release contents of emails, attachments, address book and messenger contact list to the next of kin of a deceased or incapacitated account holder following a short authentication process, but it will not provide any passwords or access to the account. A death certificate or certified document stating the user is incapacitated, a certified document proving kinship, and a photocopy of a government issued photo ID of a family member are required. Microsoft will not provide this support for SkyDrive, MSN Dial-up or Xbox Live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">America Online</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"> AOL will not release the contents of any account to anyone, but it is possible to transfer ownership to another AOL Username already listed on the account. The next of kin can change the payment information online through My Account Settings, using the deceased person’s Username and Password. AOL Customer Service will provide this information if needed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Apple iCloud (Mac.com, Me.com)</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Apple has no right of survivorship, which means that rights to Apple ID or content within an account are non-transferable. Next of kin may provide a death certificate, in which case the account will be terminated and all content will be deleted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Facebook</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"> Your Facebook account can be handled one of two ways, either the account can be memorialized or it can be deleted. Either option can be chosen by the user before death. For either option, after death, a family member needs to fill out an online form with a link to either an obituary or news report confirming the death. When an account is memorialized, all sensitive information including contact information and addresses are removed, as well as status updates. The profile settings are changed so that only friends can find the profile and post information to the user’s wall. Login information will be deactivated, preventing anyone from accessing the account. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Twitter</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Twitter will not release any passwords or information about an account, but the account can be deactivated with proper documentation. The Username of the deceased user’s Twitter account, a copy of the death certificate, a copy of a government-issued ID, and a signed statement including contact information and relationship to the deceased user is required to request deactivation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Instagram</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Like Facebook, an Instagram account can either be memorialized or deleted. A family member must provide a death certificate and proof of authority as a representative of the estate. Memorialized accounts cannot be changed in any way, but posts the deceased person shared stay on Instagram and are visible to the audience they were shared with. Instagram does not allow anyone to log into a memorialized account. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Cell-Phone Carriers</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">Cell phone providers make the process of closing accounts of their deceased account holders a bit easier. Most, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint, require account holders’ names, in some cases social security numbers, phone number and death certificates to terminate the decedent’s account. Most will also waive the account termination fees for deceased account holders. Check with your individual carrier for specific guidelines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Take a moment to think about all of your online accounts. </span><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">You probably have numerous usernames and passwords for different accounts that probably change with some regularity. You may be apprehensive about keeping a list of all of these accounts and passwords in one place for fear of a security threat. Beginning in May 2012, the U.S. Government started encouraging people to create social media wills in which a person would name an Online Executor to close online accounts, social media profiles, email accounts, etc. after death. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">This information should not be contained in your actual will because when your will undergoes probate after your death, the information contained within it becomes public record. It is recommended that you make a list of all of your personal accounts, usernames, and passwords and state how you would like each handled upon your passing. This list should be kept with your original will or trust so it can be found upon your incapacity or death. For your security, this list should not be given to <u>anyone</u> prior to your incapacity or death, but it is important to advise the person you have named as your Online Executor as to where this list can be found. When you’re thinking about who to give this title to, keep in mind it may be easier for the trustee of your trust, or personal representative, etc., to take on this role. Finally, this list should be reviewed and updated at least every six months because, as we all know, accounts and passwords change regularly. The list is only beneficial if it contains the most relevant and up to date information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">In lieu of making the list discussed previously, there are a few websites which can store account information and passwords for you securely. Some of these include <u>passwordbox.com</u>, <u>everplans.com</u>, and <u>planneddeparture.com</u>. These sites are set up to store all passwords to any of your online accounts. You then select a Digital Estate Executor, who should be a trusted person, to receive access to your accounts upon passing. Once your Digital Estate Executor has contacted the site and provided proof of your passing, all of your passwords will be released to that person, with details on how you want each account handled. Some digital companies, such as PSN, Snapchat, and Tinder, do not have options for account management after passing</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> so it would be a good idea to leave instructions on how you want those accounts managed. Keep in mind that it could be a violation of the Terms of Service Agreement for someone else to access your account, even with written consent. So, read the various Terms of Service Agreements for each company and stay up to date on their policies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt;">What happens to your social media accounts after you die is something that is usually overlooked. Like with anything else, having a plan in place is the key to making things easier on your agent, personal representative, trustee, and/or family members by providing the information that person will need to access and/or close your digital accounts upon incapacity or death. If we can provide any additional information on this issue or assist you in appointing your Online Executor, please contact us. I wish you a new year full of prosperity, happiness, and organization!</span><span style="font-family: "constantia" , serif; font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-65254514783222556792018-11-05T11:50:00.000-05:002019-04-17T16:53:22.830-04:00Changes to VA Pension Rules<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQB0ArR-rrBRVuOoVDgpZpwoGbQm0O5r1x5Uy3bjyVg_ZfH-MUifsNojEBwwznUPlgNwYW9wEi2RjBCsHvS_dGHqyjyMa2XMKv52K3-9ZvVDdiDZU54eNj6BaFsqX_GeUhmzFbzdqQNU/s1600/Cathy+headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="153" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQB0ArR-rrBRVuOoVDgpZpwoGbQm0O5r1x5Uy3bjyVg_ZfH-MUifsNojEBwwznUPlgNwYW9wEi2RjBCsHvS_dGHqyjyMa2XMKv52K3-9ZvVDdiDZU54eNj6BaFsqX_GeUhmzFbzdqQNU/s200/Cathy+headshot.jpg" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine E. Sears, Esq.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">On October 18, 2018, new rules went into effect involving VA Pension benefits, which are commonly called “Aid and Attendance” benefits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The purpose of VA Pension is to provide financial assistance to medically-eligible veterans and their widow(er)s. Unlike Medicaid, which pays for the entire portion of an individual’s nursing home costs which the individual cannot afford to pay herself, Pension does not guarantee that the veteran will have sufficient funds to pay for a nursing home. Instead, it provides an additional source of monthly income which can then be used to help the veteran’s assets last longer in paying out-of-pocket for long-term care.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To receive Pension benefits, a veteran need not have been injured during his wartime service, but rather is currently disabled (perhaps, due to age) and in need of assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing, toileting, or feeding oneself. Additionally, to be eligible for VA Pension benefits, the veteran has always needed to have a low financial net worth. In other words, the veteran must have less than a certain amount of monthly income, and less than a certain amount of accumulated assets. If the veteran’s income exceeds the eligibility threshold but the veteran has a great deal of unreimbursed medical expenses, the VA will deduct those expenses from the veteran’s income in making its eligibility calculation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Under the old VA rules, a veteran could, without penalty, give away as much of his accumulated assets as necessary in order to reduce his assets and become financially eligible for Pension. The assets could be given to a trustworthy child as an early inheritance or with the hope that the child would help pay for the veteran’s care by using that gifted money on the veteran’s expenses. Similarly, the assets could be transferred to an irrevocable trust or into an annuity so they were no longer within the veteran’s control (thus, making the veteran financially eligible for Pension), but would still be used for the veteran’s benefit. Therefore, under the old rules, a veteran with substantial accumulated assets could simply transfer all of those assets away one day and qualify for Pension benefits the next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new rules, however, will impose a penalty on assets which have been given away or transferred for less than their fair market value. This is intended as a way to maintain the purpose of the Pension program: to provide assistance to those who are truly financially needy. Therefore, a penalty period is imposed on veterans who have made transfers for less than the fair market value within three years of the veteran becoming eligible for Pension benefits. The length of the penalty period is directly related to the value of assets which were given away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This new policy impacts asset protection planning strategies, then, as a veteran or surviving spouse must now plan to make any gifts or transfers more than three years before expecting to need Pension benefits. However, though this is a new factor to consider in Pension planning, a “lookback period” and penalties on asset transfers are very familiar concepts in long-term care planning, as Medicaid has always had these rules. Because Medicaid planning and VA Pension planning often go hand-in-hand, a long-term care planning attorney should already have considered the ramifications of making gifts and risking a penalty period when advising her clients.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new VA Pension rules make many other changes regarding eligibility and medical expenses, but the lookback period will likely have the most significant impact on the majority of prospective VA Pension recipients. If you have previously engaged in any long-term care planning with the intention of qualifying for Pension benefits, you should talk to a VA Accredited attorney to make sure that these new rules will not impact your current plan, and to revise the plan as needed.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-30748321896492246612018-10-03T09:53:00.002-04:002019-04-17T16:54:37.270-04:00Tax-Free Rollovers from 529 Savings Plans to Able Accounts Now Permitted<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs8iCjX52kmFus7s0o2QMgtVZXWngRJHz5MUDarXKxzRR9o73OuuxG-9fA03qFI6bG7c4ssclmgtpH2mOZLuTpWElmSQekkKZddx_gnWiX8rTl9Nk0Q_i8jzFt-uIU82CmiuCEpT6JOg/s1600/HSM+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="159" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs8iCjX52kmFus7s0o2QMgtVZXWngRJHz5MUDarXKxzRR9o73OuuxG-9fA03qFI6bG7c4ssclmgtpH2mOZLuTpWElmSQekkKZddx_gnWiX8rTl9Nk0Q_i8jzFt-uIU82CmiuCEpT6JOg/s200/HSM+Headshot.jpg" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helena S. Mock, Esq.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In a previous blog, I wrote about the enactment of the ABLE (“Achieving a Better Life Experience”) Act, which was signed into law in 2014.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ABLE Act is a federal law that allows states to establish a savings program for persons with disabilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ABLE accounts may be used to accumulate money for a disabled beneficiary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The funds in an ABLE account can be invested and grow free from all income taxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The money can later be used by or for the beneficiary for purposes such as education, housing, transportation, employment training and support, assistive technology and personal support services, health, prevention and wellness, financial management and administrative services, legal fees, expenses for oversight and monitoring, funeral and burial expenses, and other “permissible expenditures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The ABLE account is modeled after the 529 education savings plan, which allows savings for future college expenses to grow free from income tax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don't get a federal income tax deduction for contributions into the plan, but the earnings on the account aren't taxed while the funds are in the program. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The custodian of the plan can also change the beneficiary or roll over the funds in the program to another plan for the same or a different beneficiary without income tax consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, distributions from the program are tax-free up to the amount of the student's "qualified higher education expenses." These include tuition (including up to $10,000 in tuition for an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school), fees, books, supplies, and required equipment. Reasonable room and board are also qualified expenses if the student is enrolled at least half-time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Often 529 college savings accounts are established by parents or grandparents for an infant or young child before knowing if that child will ever be able to attend college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that child later suffers a disability such that he will not need the funds for “higher education expenses,” what happens to the funds in the 529 account?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As mentioned, the custodian can change the beneficiary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that money was set aside for this child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, this child will have other needs. Why can’t those funds be used for her other needs?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Under the law, the distribution of funds from a 529 account for any purpose <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>other than</u></i> for qualifying expenses are taxed to the beneficiary to the extent that they represent earnings on the account. A 10% penalty tax is also imposed. However, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, amounts from a 529 account can now be rolled over to an ABLE account without penalty so long as the ABLE account is owned by the designated beneficiary of the 529 account, or a member of the designated beneficiary’s family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only is this useful if the beneficiary himself has become incapacitated such that he will not need the funds for educational purposes, but it is also useful if the beneficiary has completed his education and there is money left in the account which can be rolled over from the 529 account to an ABLE account for the benefit of a member of the beneficiary’s family who is blind or disabled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Certain rules and limitations apply, and therefore you should consult a qualified special needs planning attorney to discuss your individual situation before taking any action.</span><span style="color: #252525;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-87732130344485982672018-09-17T14:39:00.001-04:002018-09-17T14:39:13.327-04:00The Final Moments <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmv15eLTG_HGxURocR4bS7W30tdCSgyxKLD1Li5jwmTSjhbT8qBN0DH_GdN9PFt2kIZRUQjLMZ9X_L8QLZS966EsR71pdqd4LbxzGnkYs4r7WqkkIZe5aLJXJ0qMuhq-caXF1NA8RfmU/s1600/TMC+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="959" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmv15eLTG_HGxURocR4bS7W30tdCSgyxKLD1Li5jwmTSjhbT8qBN0DH_GdN9PFt2kIZRUQjLMZ9X_L8QLZS966EsR71pdqd4LbxzGnkYs4r7WqkkIZe5aLJXJ0qMuhq-caXF1NA8RfmU/s200/TMC+Headshot.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teresa M. Clemons<br />Office Manager</td></tr>
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Last week I lost
a very special man, my father-in-law. For three days, my husband (his wonderful
son) never left his side and was there when he took his last breath. Being with
someone you love at the point of their death is a profound experience. At times,
you feel guilty for wishing it to be over but it's an understandable response
to a very stressful situation and wanting them to be at peace and comfortable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The hearing is
thought to be the last sense to go in the dying process, so never assume the
person is unable to hear you. Talk as if they can hear you, even if they appear
to be unconscious or restless. Our entire family spent several hours with him
the day before he died. We reminisced about good times, even asked questions.
Though he was non-responsive, someone would answer what they thought he would
say. Assuming he could hear us, I am sure he was frustrated that he could not
communicate, but at the same time was laughing inside at the responses that we
were all making on his behalf. He had an oxygen mask on but a couple of times I
saw him yawn and thought "maybe we're boring him!" Even when
unconscious or semi-conscious, yawning is a natural response to draw more
oxygen into the body. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We tried to
create a soothing atmosphere by playing his favorite music, particularly older
country. Finding a song from that genre on Pandora, we placed the cell phone
next to him and wished he could have sung along. We all gathered around his bed
and prayed when the minister arrived. The last words my husband spoke to him
minutes before he died, made us believe that he really could hear us. He said,
"Dad, it’s okay, we are all going to take good care of mom." And with
that, he took his last breath and went home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-76523642341472098472018-08-22T09:16:00.000-04:002019-10-09T14:38:48.935-04:00Using Mindfulness and Meditation to Navigate the Waters of Care-giving<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68jAZkQMsL-UQccpxHpR2VI7U7onTsz0v1Q7Pa_KiKIAZGFH9lk6fenOkO8bgjkcZVr-8XDR31au-DvDuUtLfJG5-eHJUlmaYWFLBHiorFaJVc53yvFGFU1Oyl2wS7wnUMqPGlrUPGn4/s1600/VMH+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68jAZkQMsL-UQccpxHpR2VI7U7onTsz0v1Q7Pa_KiKIAZGFH9lk6fenOkO8bgjkcZVr-8XDR31au-DvDuUtLfJG5-eHJUlmaYWFLBHiorFaJVc53yvFGFU1Oyl2wS7wnUMqPGlrUPGn4/s320/VMH+2.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Valerie M. Hollar, Paralegal</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">The number of Americans
that are caring for an older loved one is on the rise. According to the Family
Caregiver Alliance, about 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to
an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months. About 15.7 million adult family
caregivers care for someone who has Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Nearly 75%
of all caregivers are female, around 50 years of age and these caregivers are
spending around 20 hours a week providing care. With numbers like these and
tasks ranging from simple grocery shopping and household chores to complicated
issues dealing with finances and medical care, it is not any surprise that
caregiver burnout is on the rise. Caregiver burnout is defined as a state of
physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that may show up as signs of
fatigue, stress, anxiety, depression, and a general lack of self-care. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">The
questions that come to mind immediately when caring for a caregiver is how do
we treat this burnout state, but also what are some ways we can prevent it. My
yoga teacher training points me straight to the practice of mindfulness and
meditation. I personally found this practice from being a caregiver in a
stressful situation. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the
present moment. For example, if you are feeling a sensation of overwhelming or
a tightness in a part of the body, you may need to find a focus on your breath.
By doing this, you are allowing the body to find a way to help itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">So,
what does this mean for a caregiver? I know, and I’m sure those reading this
who are caregivers know, that just getting through a day can feel like an
impossible struggle. You are busy, you have more tasks than you feel like you
can complete which lead to being overwhelmed, you’re sometimes angry for having
to be in this situation, you feel a sense of resentment, and it’s just plain
hard. Self-care is important. While it is not always feasible to take a
vacation to get away or to even get a break for yourself, it is possible to
find mindfulness and meditation and use it as respite. Meditation can be done
anywhere. You can literally practice it while sitting next to your loved
one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Mindfulness
and meditation have numerous benefits. Both can help to bring acceptance to
feelings regarding the changes that are happening with your loved ones.
Meditating on a regular basis calms the mind, which can promote a better sleep
at night. It is something you can do in a short amount of time with big
benefits. It can promote stronger immunity when the body is run down from the
constant hustle and bustle of caring for someone else. Meditation improves
concentration and focus as well as decreasing blood pressure and cholesterol
levels. So not only does it improve the health of the mind, it can also improve
the health of your body! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">With
the popularity of meditation on the rise, your smartphone can provide a wealth
of resources when it comes to these types of exercises. Several apps come ready
to guide you through different meditation exercises. Some of my favorites
include Calm, Headspace, and the Insight Timer. Calm offers a variety of
different options with guided and unguided meditations. Headspace is narrated
by a man with a lovely Australian accent and provides options for many types of
meditation for stress, anxiety, confidence, etc. The insight timer app is
perhaps my favorite as it offers guided meditations from many individuals with
different backgrounds, unguided sessions set to sounds that soothe, and
provides podcast type interviews with those that lead the meditations. No
matter what you are looking for, there is a meditation app out there for you!
Take the time to make mindfulness and meditation a part of your care-giving
practice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Want
to get an idea of what a meditation session is before you try an app? Check out
one of my favorite simple guided meditations below. You can read through this
and practice yourself, or even share with the one you are caring for and
practice together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">First,
find a quiet and comfortable spot. Sitting nice and straight, feet pressing
into the floor, place your hands in your lap, palms up or down, whatever is
comfortable for you. Then, close your eyes or keep a soft gaze. Take a scan of
your body, noticing what you are feeling in your body and what feelings are
circling around in your mind. Start to focus on your breath. Feeling each
inhale and exhale. As you breathe in and out, try to focus on something. Maybe
thinking of a place that you feel safe and secure. Picturing that space while
continuing to breathe deeply in, and deeply out, keeping the focus where you
have chosen. Stay here as long as you like. When you are ready to end your
meditation, come back to focusing on your breath as you scan your mind and body
again. Notice how you feel. Notice what you're thinking. Repeat as often as
you’d like!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><b><u>For
more information:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Caregiver
Statistics:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-statistics-demographics">https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-statistics-demographics</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Caregiver
Burnout:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/caregiver-recognizing-burnout#1">https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/caregiver-recognizing-burnout#1</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Meditation
Benefits Seniors and Their Caregivers:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://www.careindeed.com/meditation-benefits-seniors-and-their-caregivers">https://www.careindeed.com/meditation-benefits-seniors-and-their-caregivers</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Caregiver
Meditation:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><a href="https://elizz.com/caregiver-resources/just-for-caregivers/caregiver-meditation">https://elizz.com/caregiver-resources/just-for-caregivers/caregiver-meditation</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;"><b><u>Meditation
Apps:</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Calm
- <a href="https://www.calm.com/">https://www.calm.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Headspace
- <a href="https://www.headspace.com/">https://www.headspace.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Insight
Timer - <a href="https://insighttimer.com/">https://insighttimer.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; line-height: 200%;">Or
search for them in your App Store<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-87230147488298156742018-08-01T16:56:00.002-04:002018-08-01T16:56:41.408-04:00Accepting Death While You're Still Young <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCVHWtLMYYgG3izVwYn27Je6QH4ASfTXGgP-qCxU4nhEoYmLMb3XD5zaHhdoDIMSlLQp-pKHNfwu5afAo3raZs4buJMKkl6vBfr7eie_VMKRCAVTOKBAEHT_dTmdZZXTx9rNtRIprPEM/s1600/EDJ+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="960" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCVHWtLMYYgG3izVwYn27Je6QH4ASfTXGgP-qCxU4nhEoYmLMb3XD5zaHhdoDIMSlLQp-pKHNfwu5afAo3raZs4buJMKkl6vBfr7eie_VMKRCAVTOKBAEHT_dTmdZZXTx9rNtRIprPEM/s200/EDJ+Headshot.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth D. Johnson<br />Legal Assistant </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Growing up, you never truly think
about getting old - which is strange because you obviously know that people get
old. Your parents are old, your grandparents are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> old, some have even passed away along with the other
relatives you never got to meet. For me, I never actually felt like that was
going to happen to me but I do remember the shift in reality when it finally
hit me...oh damn, I'm going to DIE one day?!? That sucks! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I used to have panic attacks just
thinking about death until I started my current job. In short, we prepare
people for death and help those whose loved ones have passed, so I either had
to come to terms with it or let my boss know I'd be in the fetal position every
afternoon from 12-3. So, even though I'm only 28, I have already started to
accept death. Obviously, if some voodoo doctor comes along and tells me they
have a concoction for everlasting life, I will for sure gulp it down like Meryl
Streep in Death Becomes Her. Considering that doesn't seem to be happening any
time soon, I've decided I must to come to terms with the fact that we all have
to die one day, and yeah it does suck, but what can you do? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As I'm nearing the age of 30, I'm
realizing just how short life can be. Some have not been as lucky as I am to
live even this far, and people take life for granted every day. I still take
life for granted every day. None of the trivial things should matter. What
should matter is the fact that I have all of these wonderful people in my life,
who care about me. I have a roof over my head and food to eat and a car that
doesn't break down constantly. While the goals that I set in the past now
actually have deadlines, I should feel grateful to even have goals. No one
knows what happens after you die and it is up to you what you believe, but
regardless you can't put things off. You are fragile, your loved ones are
fragile. Tell everyone how much you love them, or how much you hate them - just
tell people how you feel! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">People will leave your life all the
time - whether it’s a fight that wasn't worth resolving, someone moving away,
or you know…dying, so it's important to remind yourself every day that you are
not invincible like your 13-year-old self once thought. Work hard at making
yourself happy and making the people around you happy. Go outside more,
meditate, eat carbs, and try not to die yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-25757079696012334022018-07-17T10:25:00.001-04:002018-07-17T10:25:18.743-04:00Vacations Are Good For The Soul <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_yipIZIxW7GzT-5JiR2bqthRogwQ6AAaRgnmdwPgirEwsUVTX5DlZHdfiED5tkfDjLW5gKMRW2Q-CvBDha584sdg-_OC5wIhRa8ovriktwBzWAjPbZkL44sPYSPnadVXPpUAcliqggo/s1600/BKA+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_yipIZIxW7GzT-5JiR2bqthRogwQ6AAaRgnmdwPgirEwsUVTX5DlZHdfiED5tkfDjLW5gKMRW2Q-CvBDha584sdg-_OC5wIhRa8ovriktwBzWAjPbZkL44sPYSPnadVXPpUAcliqggo/s200/BKA+Headshot.jpg" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara K. Armstrong<br />Paralegal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Well, here we
are right in the middle of summer.</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Most
likely a few of you have already gone on a vacation or are planning one.</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Vacations are good for the soul.</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Not only do they give you quality fun time
with loved ones, they also rejuvenate. </span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Who couldn’t use some rejuvenation!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Recently, my
husband and I went on a three-day excursion. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Granted, it wasn’t a week vacation, but it was fun. We went </span></span><span style="font-size: 17.3333px;">zip lining</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> and horseback riding.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">My husband, at 72
years old, rolled down a hill for the first time in his life!</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">He didn’t even have that on his bucket
list.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">We were sitting with a few other
vacationers and commented on the little children rolling down the hill and how
much fun that used to be.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">My husband
said he had never done that.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Well, the
rest was history.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">The guests all stood
up and clapped when he reached the bottom.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Not sure if it was because he had made it or had not seriously injured
himself!</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We met some
special people while we were there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
spoke with a grandfather who was there with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and
grandson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told us that his grandson
at the age of 5 years old, had already had 6 brain surgeries and although his
prognosis was favorable, they were going to do as much with him and have him
experience as much of life as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My point is,
take some time off for yourself. Life
can fly by in an instant and it doesn’t matter if you are 5 or 72 years old. Enjoy all moments and take that
vacation whether it be a long weekend or a month. Vacations are good for the soul! </span><span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4416326232243364158.post-58651405377520300552018-06-07T14:40:00.001-04:002018-06-07T14:46:11.587-04:00Easy Gardening at Any Age<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmv15eLTG_HGxURocR4bS7W30tdCSgyxKLD1Li5jwmTSjhbT8qBN0DH_GdN9PFt2kIZRUQjLMZ9X_L8QLZS966EsR71pdqd4LbxzGnkYs4r7WqkkIZe5aLJXJ0qMuhq-caXF1NA8RfmU/s1600/TMC+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="959" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmv15eLTG_HGxURocR4bS7W30tdCSgyxKLD1Li5jwmTSjhbT8qBN0DH_GdN9PFt2kIZRUQjLMZ9X_L8QLZS966EsR71pdqd4LbxzGnkYs4r7WqkkIZe5aLJXJ0qMuhq-caXF1NA8RfmU/s200/TMC+Headshot.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teresa M. Clemons<br />
Office Manager</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Seniors don't need to have a huge yard or sprawling piece of property to enjoy the many benefits of gardening. Hundreds of plant species can thrive inside a home as long as they are properly cared for. Here are a few suggestions:</div>
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Recognizable by its long and vibrant leaves is the <i style="font-weight: bold;">spider plant.</i> There are many different types of spider plants, and they are often hung from windows so the leaves can cascade over the sides of the pots. Spider plants can thrive as long as they get a little bit of sunlight every day and are watered at least once a week. </div>
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Very few indoor plants are as popular as the <i style="font-weight: bold;">peace lily, </i>and many cultures believe these flowers bring good luck into a home. They are also an excellent air purifier. To keep the petals and leaves healthy, they require indirect sunlight and moist potting soil at all times. </div>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Aloe vera</i> is extremely easy to care for and also has the benefit of healing qualities. Many people make burn salves and topical pain relief creams from the gel inside an aloe vera plant. This plant doesn't need much water but it should be kept near a window to get as much light as possible.</div>
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Beautiful and delicious, try to plant some <b><i>mint</i>. </b>This herb is easy to care for and as the leaves grow larger, you can pick a few off to throw in a cup of tea or ice water. </div>
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Senior who are more interested in vibrant flowers might want to go with an <i style="font-weight: bold;">African violet. </i>These beautiful flowers vary in color depending on their location, but most petals are bright purple or blue. African violets shouldn't be watered until the soil is completely dry, and the leaves can't get wet or spotting will occur.</div>
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With some encouragement and assistance, even older adults with limited mobility can enjoy caring for indoor plants. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Please be aware that peace lilies, aloe vera, and mint are toxic to dogs and cats.</i></span></div>
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The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144945860427140968noreply@blogger.com