If you have an IRA, you are required to make a distribution annually once you reach a certain age (if you were 70½ prior to January 1, 2020, then you should already be making required minimum distributions known as “RMDs” – otherwise you could be...
A child often relies on his or her parents until adulthood is reached. So, does the child have a duty to support his or her parents if they are no longer able to provide for themselves? The answer may depend on where the child and...
On May 24, 2019, a Texas appeals court ruled that if an incapacitated Medicaid applicant does not have a guardian appointed, then the resources of the applicant should be considered unavailable for Medicaid eligibility purposes. Usually, the cost of long-term care (such as a nursing...
Mistakes made during the signing of a Will are frequently the cause of litigation. Some of the common mistakes are as follows: Attorney should handle the Will signing ceremony. Although it is not required by law that an attorney handle the ceremony, the probability of error is...
Sometimes clients ask questions where the answer differs as to legality versus morality. As a result, the attorney should be prepared to be both counselor at law and not just an attorney at law. A couple examples of actual cases (all dealing with an inheritance) illustrate...
The Will of a quadriplegic man (the “Testator”), who was unable to speak and who communicated with his attorney through a blinking system, was recently upheld by a Fort Worth appellate court. The attorney asked “yes” or “no” questions to the Testator who responded by blinking....
An elderly client, whose husband lives in a skilled nursing home due to his lack of mental capacity, retains us to apply for long-term Medicaid for her husband so that the government will help pay for his cost of care. However, to be eligible for...
As many of you know, Texas is an income cap state in connection with long-term care (most commonly used for nursing home care) Medicaid eligibility. Presently, if an applicant for nursing home Medicaid has “countable” income (certain income is exempt or excluded) over $2,250 per...
Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics co-creator of superheroes such as Spider-Man, Black Panther, Fantastic Four and the Hulk, recently died at age 95 after experiencing a mental decline. Predators such as his caregiver, daughter and business associates all tried to gain control of his assets...
The great majority of Americans who were able to get a tax deduction for giving to charities in prior years may no longer itemize and take advantage of such deduction in year 2018 and thereafter. This is a result of the doubling of the standard...