As a parent, you want to make sure your children are provided for no matter what; at Geyer & Associates, “child-proofing” your estate plan is often a big part of our work with clients who are in their 20s and 30s. Particularly for parents, estate planning is about...
Estate Planning and Compassion – You Can’t Have One Without the Other!
There’s a reason that client testimonials for Rebecca W. Geyer & Associates make many of the same points in describing their experience: “They made us feel so comfortable….” “took time to explain..” “easy to understand…” “straightforward…” “stress-free…” ...
Dealing With “Hot Potato” Topics
You’re getting ready to have a conversation on a really difficult topic. The dilemma of all difficult conversations, explain authors Stone, Patton, and Heen of the Harvard Negotiation Project, is that if we avoid the problem, our feelings fester and we’ve lost an...
For Certain Assets, Life Estates are Life Preservers
Bob and Susan, an older couple with an adult son, own a big farm, where they hope to live the rest of their lives. Bob’s estate plan includes leaving the farm to their son John, subject to a life estate for Susan; Susan’s plan includes the same life estate arrangement...
Is Probate the Dirty Word in Estate Planning?
“’Probate’ is one of the dirtiest words in all of estate planning,” quips Tom Nawrocki in LifeHealthPro. Many clients focus on setting up their estate and their will with the express purpose of avoiding probate, he explains....
Elder Lawyers Help Clients Cope With the Loss of a Parent
For estate and elder law attorneys, grief and mourning go with the territory. We work to help our clients protect the people most important to them and the assets they’ve worked a lifetime to achieve. We offer compassionate counsel and care. We must accept the simple...
How Often Should You Change the Oil in Your Estate Plan?
“Dirty oil just doesn’t do the job as well as fresh oil does,” explains Deanna Sciar in Auto Repair for Dummies. “By changing your oil frequently, you may get twice the mileage out of an otherwise good engine,” Sciar adds. How frequently should oil changes take...
Why Your Estate Might Be Your Worst IRA Beneficiary Choice
“One of the easiest and most helpful estate planning tools to use is also the easiest to mess up,” cautions bankrate.com, referring to the naming of IRA beneficiaries. At Geyer law, we agree. Often, we’ve found, the problem arises out of a simple failure to update the...
On Top of the Sandwich – Serving as Caregiver for a Grandparent
Look around – no doubt you have friends and co-workers caught between caring for their parents and caring for their own children. Those people are part of what’s come to be called the Sandwich Generation. In fact, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)...
Without Smart Medicaid Planning, Less Could Be More – More Problems!
Gifting assets sounds like a great healthcare cost planning tactic. After all, if at some future point you need help paying for assisted living, nursing home care, or pharmaceuticals, having fewer assets might help you qualify for benefits from Medicaid. And the...
