By David Green
Contrary to popular belief, a Will or Last Will and Testament, isn’t always written in stone.
Quite frequently, disputes arise over the contents of a Will and the parties who are at odds must seek outside help to resolve the issues. Because there are often conflicts of interest around such disputes, it’s important for each party Continue reading
Finding love for the second time is a beautiful thing, but amidst all the fireworks and violins, it’s important to be aware that second marriages typically create the need for some fairly in-depth estate planning.
To ensure wedded bliss and family harmony far beyond the wedding day, it’s critical to proactively address how your nuptials will affect your financial liabilities, existing benefits, and distribution of your assets to loved ones.
The first step to ensure success in such matters is to have open and comprehensive conversations with your spouse and your family. You must clearly articulate your wishes and your concerns, and you must also provide a forum in which family members can share their thoughts and concerns. Continue reading
Well, well, well, what do you know. Congress once again might tinker with the estate tax.
This is something they are wont to do with new administrations and when certain legislators want to make a statement.
Given the recently failed “repeal and replace” of the Affordable Care Act and what appears to be President Trump’s next focus—income tax reform—it is hard to tell whether estate tax concerns will get sufficient attention for any legislative changes. Or whether sufficient votes could be mustered for any changes to the estate tax. Continue reading
We are free-wheeling and in control of our lives. We want to keep moving the ball down the field. We like to solve a problem and then move on to the next.
But our command and control attitude toward decision-making often comes into conflict with our loved one’s way of looking at things. We cajole, we coax, we coerce, but the more we press, the greater the resistance.
Consider some of the typical issues we think of as critical to our loved one’s safety and well-being: Continue reading
While there are endless concerns for parents of children with special needs, one of the greatest worries is who will care for them in the future.
With proposed Connecticut State budget cuts to the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) totaling millions of dollars, parents need to plan now to ensure quality care throughout the child’s lifetime.
“Generally, the parent of a child with special needs has two goals: to provide or source enough financial security to maintain the child’s quality of life now and after the parent is no longer here, Continue reading
Helping Families See Eye to Eye
What happens when family members find themselves at an impasse over a decision about how to care for an aging parent or a loved one with disabilities? Or manage that person’s financial assets?
How can you move forward when it seems as if you’ve exhausted all avenues of communication, but everyone is still divided?
Complex and emotionally charged family relationships can become strained during times of stress or crisis, making even the simplest conversations impossible. Our experience helping hundreds of families navigating complicated decisions has shown us time and again that most families can benefit from having an impartial third party facilitate family conversations.
For this reason, we are pleased to announce the addition of Amy Sereday, a Family Meeting Facilitator, to the CzepigaDalyPope staff. Amy, who will Continue reading
Shelter is one of life’s basic necessities. Yet simply because something is necessary, does not mean that it is easy to acquire.
Perhaps this sobering truth is best known by aging parents of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), who wonder where their adult child will live, and how he or she will be cared for, when they are no longer around.
Housing for individuals with I/DD is a complex mosaic with pieces uniquely shaped to each person’s particular needs and circumstances. In crafting this mosaic, there are three key questions that will help to guide you along the way: Continue reading
One of the most common questions I get on a daily basis is about annual gifting. In particular, clients ask about giving away $14,000 a year.
Can you? Should you? Are you limited to that amount? How does that affect taxes?
All major life transitions require preparation and adaptation. Graduation, moving into your first apartment, landing your first job, getting married, having kids, changing careers, retiring — each of these life events typically comes with a lot of planning. Becoming a caregiver for an aging parent, however, is an event that takes many people by surprise.
Sometimes, there’s a sudden health crisis like a stroke or a deteriorating chronic condition. Other times, the turning point is a long time coming, but is obscured by denial.
Many of the 65 million Americans who provide care for a loved one wish they could go back and take more time to prepare. They wish they had known which questions to ask, which steps to take, and how to best assess the situation so that they could guarantee the best quality of life for their parents and themselves.
Governor Malloy has revealed his new budget plan to reduce a deficit close to $1.7 billion. The plan includes cuts designed to freeze the number of recipients of who may be eligible for the “Category 2” Connecticut Home Care Program for the Elders. These are recipients who need care at home, but whose asset levels exceed Medicaid eligibility requirements.
Under the Governor’s plan, the current 2,500 slots would be frozen by June 30th. If anyone were to leave the program after that, then a new person could enroll. Continue reading
Connecticut Estate Planning Attorneys Blog
