My parents need an Elder Law Attorney, but who should come to that first appointment? |
We prefer to meet with the parents in most cases and we will assume in most cases the parent will become our client. In some cases, that is not realistic, where, for example, the parent has dementia or has other disabilities that prevent them from effectively participating in the meeting. In many cases, the parent prefers to have a son or daughter or even a larger group of the family come with them to the appointment; while we’re happy to accommodate the wishes of that client and the family, it may become necessary to meet with the parent/client alone at some point. This is for the protection for everyone involved.
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There are many alternatives to Probate. These can include Revocable Living Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, Transfer on Death Deeds, Life Estate Deeds, Beneficiary Designations and Marital Property Agreements. There isn’t a one size fits all answer. It depends on your unique situation.
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We see cases like this all the time and unfortunately the beneficiary often refuses or has forgotten about the agreement to pay the funeral bill and divide the monies with everyone else. There is no enforceable agreement in that situation. There are much better options available to accomplish this task.
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Not in compairison to the expenses that are incurred from the failure to do Estate Planning. With proper Estate Planning, often the costs can be far less than the cost that accumulate for someone who has not done any Estate Planning and in some cases the tax savings can be enormous.
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Grosskopf & Burch Law Firm |