Ft. Lauderdale Florida Estate Planning

The 7 Threats to your Family Security Workshop will be on May 30, 2012

We are happy to announce our next estate planning workshop on Wednesday, May 30, 2012. The workshop will be at the Holiday Inn in Plantation (1701 N. University Drive, Plantation, FL 33322). It will start at 5:30 PM.

The workshop entitled "The 7 Threats to Your Familiy Security" will illustrate how these 7 threats can affect you, your family, and your assets.

In the workshop we also discuss topics such as the function of wills, trusts, and durable power of attorneys. We will explain what probate is and how to avoid it. In addition, we will tell you why it is important to understand the planning options for long term care and how to qualify to receive Medicaid and VA benefits. This topic is crucial for seniors and their families because it will allow seniors to save their assets and protect them from long term care costs.

The workshop is free but seating is limited and reservations are required. Please call our office at (954) 370-2222 and speak with Fredda Fierro, or reserve online atwww.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html. We hope to see you there!

Again, the details of the workshop are:

"The 7 Threats to Your Family Security"
When: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Where: Holiday Inn Plantation
1701 N. University Drive
Plantation, FL 33322
Time: 5:30 pm

RSVP: Call (954) 370-2222 and speak with Fredda Fierro or www.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html

 

 

Mother's Day

This year mother's day is on May 13.  People often think about what to give a mom on this special day.  Have you thought about planning for uncertainty?  Is your spouse/mom protected in the event of a death, incapacity, or nursing home?  

Mothers are special because they make sure everyone in the family is ok.  They take care of the kids, the house, and much more.  If something happen to them or to a family member, catastrophe may occur.  Although there is nothing we can foresee, there are ways to ameliorate the suffering should a catastrophic event, such as a death, occur.  For example, life insurance provides immediate accessible cash for different needs (pay off a mortgage, hire caregivers, etc.); a trust should avoid the need to go to probate; properly appointed guardians in a will should take care of minor children, etc.

If someone has to go to a nursing home, you should have also planned in advance.  Properly established and funded Medicaid Trust would help your mother or her spouse qualify to obtain Medicaid Benefits.

Encourage your mom and family to discuss estate planning.  It would be a wonderful gift for your mom on her special day.  Learn more about these and other planning possibilities that we offer at our monthly workshops.  We schedule monthly workshops in Spanish and English.  Details about our next events will be announced shortly.  Stay tuned! 

Great number of attendees at our workshop!

Last week we had our workshop "The 7 Threats to Your Family Security."  The room was packed! (that's why we encourage reserving a seat in advance).  

It was great to see how people interacted and asked questions about different topics of estate planning.  The workshop is an excellent venue to learn more about estate planning and to dispel confusion.  We will have two events in May, which will be announced soon.  Stay tuned!

Reminder: The 7 Threats to Your Family Security Workshop is this Wednesday!

Summer should be here soon.  Most families plan on taking family vacation.  Before you take your vacation, it is a good idea to think about estate planning.  But people ask, "how do I get started?"

A good starting point is to attend our workshop, The 7 Threats to Your Family Security.  It will take place on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at the Residence Inn in Plantation (130 N. University Drive, Plantation, FL 33324). It will start at 5:30 PM.

The workshop is an excellent starting point because we cover a number of estate planning topics in a relax and friendly manner.  We tell stories to illustrate legal concepts, we use props, and we encourage audience participation.  Bottom line, you will learn a lot about estate planning!

So, set aside some time to attend the workshop.  To register, you can call (954) 370-2222 and ask to speak with Fredda, or you can register online at http://www.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html.

We look forward to seeing you there!

An illustration of how things can go really wrong

Just when I finish posting about how things can go wrong, I came across the tragedy of Anthony Hensley (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/kayaker-drowns-swan-attack-anthony-hensley-illinois_n_1428331.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec3_lnk3&pLid=152578). Anthony Hensley was a 37 year old man who worked for a company that used swans and dogs to keep geese away from properties on a suburbian pond.

Sadly, he died after two swans swam at Hensley's kayak, somehow causing him to fall from his kayak. The heavy clothing that he was wearing probably preventing him from swiming back to shore and saving his life. Hensley drowned and was found dead hours later.

The news story tells that Hensley left behind a wife and two children. He didn't have life insurance.

The story of Hensly illustrates how things can go wrong. Obviously, his family didn't expect this outcome. Not having life insurance when you have two minor children is a terrible mistake. And if you have life insurance, naming your spouse and/or your minor children as beneficiaries is also a mistake. Why?

Imagine leaving millions of dollars to your children. Since they are not legally capable of managing money, you would have to file a guardianship case, which is very expensive and complicated. And if they are adults, let's say 18 years old, do you think that they are mature enough to handle such a large amount of money. Same goes to your spouse. If you leave a large sum of money to your spouse, he/she can do whatever he/she wants, right? Also, the life insurance proceeds are subject to lawsuits, nursing home, etc., if the proceeds are left to individuals.

So, who should be the beneficiary of a life insurance proceed? In our workshop, we show you why your trust should be the beneficiary of the life insurance and how this works so well to protect your assets and your family against lawsuits, nursing home, spendthrift situations, etc.

Come to our workshop and learn more about this and much more. The workshop will be at the Residence Inn in Plantation (130 N. University Drive, Plantation, FL 33324). It will start at 5:30 PM. You could register by calling our office at (954) 370-2222 (ask to speak with Fredda). You can also register in the internet at http://www.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html. Register today! We look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things can go wrong!

Today, I was thinking of another reason why you must attend our workshop. We all hope to pass away in the most peaceful manner. However, things can go wrong! Think about accidents, wheelchairs, coma, nursing home, etc.

As attorneys we experience every day what our clients go through when day encounter these situations and their consequences. We know the delays and costs associated with a probate or guardianship process; we know the frustration and anxiety of family members when we tell them that it is too late to apply for Medicaid benefits; we know what happens when an inheritance goes to the wrong hands. In other words, we know what went wrong and why.

In our workshop, we share a lot of our experiences and stories with the attendees and we bring them to our world, the world of a law office. This is so important because attendees can see a better picture of what can be prevented by having proper estate planning in place. A lot of families rely on basic estate planning such as a simple will and a durable power of attorney. However, if that family has a child with special needs who is receiving public benefits and that child is about to receive an inheritance or cash settlement, the basic estate planning may not be "proper" for that family.

We encourage you to attend our workshops and learn more about estate planning and how estate planning can prevent the unforeseeable. Our next workshop will take place on April 25 at 5:30 pm at The Residence Inn in Plantation (130 N. University Drive, Plantation, FL). Please RSVP by calling our office at (954) 370-2222 (ask to speak with Fredda) or you can RSVP online at http://www.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html. We look forward to seeing you there!

How will you benefit from attending one of our workshops?

On Wednesday, April 25, 2012, we will conduct our next workshop "The 7 Threats to your Family Security." What is the benefit of attending this workshop? From the top of my mind I can tell you that the following are 3 great reasons why you must attend our workshop.

1. We will dispel myths. People learn a lot about the law from listening to neighbors, researching in the internet, or simply from assumptions. We call this the beauty saloon rules or the coffee shop rules. How many times you heard that a will avoids probate? How many times you heard that a living will is the same as a will or that a living will is the same as a trust? How many time you heard that in order to qualify to obtain Medicaid benefits you will lose your house? In our workshop you will learn that none of these myths are true and much more.

2. What you don't know can really hurt you. Today, information is readily available to us. In addition to TV, radio, and newspapers, we have the internet. Most of time, people are about 80% right about what they know about the law, but not knowing the 20% can really hurt you. First, estate planning and Medicaid planning are governed by a combination of state and federal rules. Therefore, some rules are the same for all states and some rules are not. If you are reading an article in the internet about estate planning or Medicaid, you must ascertain whether the article is referring to Florida law. Second, often people don't know about the exceptions to the law or the loopholes. Often, the exception is what really help people qualfiy for Medicaid. We will tell you the rules and the exceptions. So, you will leave the room with a lot of valuable information that you can discuss with your spouse and family.

3. We will not lecture you. The workshop is conducted in a friendly and relax manner. We will go through the "7 Threats." You will be able to ask as many questions as you want. We will tell you stories to illustrate the law and exceptions. We use props, power point slides, and write-on transperencies. Also, we serve coffee, sodas, and cookies to keep you awake!

So, set some time aside to attend our workshop. Again, our next estate planning workshop will be on Wednesday, April 25, 2012. The workshop will be at the Residence Inn in Plantation (130 N. University Drive, Plantation, FL 33324). It will start at 5:30 PM. You could register by calling our office at (954) 370-2222 (ask to speak with Fredda). You can also register in the internet at http://www.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html. Register today! We look forward to seeing you there!

Estate Planning Workshops for April - The 7 Threats to Your Family Security

We are happy to announce our next estate planning workshop on Wednesday, April 25, 2012. The workshop will be at the Residence Inn in Plantation (130 N. University Drive, Plantation, FL 33324). It will start at 5:30 PM.

The workshop entitled "The 7 Threats to Your Familiy Security" will illustrate how these 7 threats can affect you, your family, and your assets.

In the workshop we also discuss topics such as the function of wills, trusts, and durable power of attorneys. We will explain what probate is and how to avoid it. In addition, we will tell you why it is important to understand the planning options for long term care and how to qualify to receive Medicaid and VA benefits. This topic is crucial for seniors and their families because it will allow seniors to save their assets and protect them from long term care costs.

The workshop is free but seating is limited and reservations are required. Please call our office at (954) 370-2222 and speak with Fredda Fierro, or reserve online at www.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html. We hope to see you there!

Again, the details of the workshop are:

"The 7 Threats to Your Family Security"
When: Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Where: The Residence Inn
130 N. University Drive
Plantation, FL 33324
Time: 5:30 pm

RSVP: Call (954) 370-2222 and speak with Fredda Fierro or www.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html

 

Bloomgarden, Goudreau & Rosen will conduct an estate planning workshop in March

We are happy to announce our next estate planning workshop on Thursday, March 29, 2012. The workshop will be at the Hampton Inn in Hallandale (1000 South Federal Highway, Hallandale, Florida 33009). It will start at 5:30 PM.

The workshop entitled "The 7 Threats to Your Familiy Security" will illustrate how these 7 threats can affect you, your family, and your assets.

In the workshop we also discuss topics such as the function of wills, trusts, and durable power of attorneys. We will explain what probate is and how to avoid it. In addition, we will tell you why it is important to understand the planning options for long term care and how to qualify to receive Medicaid and VA benefits. This topic is crucial for seniors and their families because it will allow seniors to save their assets and protect them from long term care costs.

The workshop is free but seating is limited and reservations are required. Please call our office at (954) 370-2222 and speak with Fredda Fierro, or reserve online at www.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html. We hope to see you there!

Again, the details of the workshop are:

"The 7 Threats to Your Family Security"
When: Thrusday, March 29, 2012
Where: The Hampton Inn (across from Gulfstream)"
1000 South Federal Highway
Hallandale, FL 33009
Time: 5:30 pm

RSVP: Call (954) 370-2222 and speak with Fredda Fierro or www.medicaidattorneysflorida.com/seminars.html

 

New Medicaid Qualification Numbers

As we have explained before, in order to qualify to receive Medicaid benefits (long term care benefits), an applicant's assets and income must fall within certain legal limits.  Periodically, these limits are updated by the government.  For 2012 the numbers are:

• Divestment Penalty Divisor                                        $5,000
• Income Cap                                                               $2,094
• Individual Resource Allowance                                    $2,000
• Monthly Personal Needs Allowance                              $35
• Community Spouse Resource Allowance                       $113,640
• Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance          $1,839
• Maximum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance         $2,841
• Shelter Standard                                                        $552
• Standard Utility Allowance                                          $343
• Resource Allowance for a Couple                                 $3,000

These numbers affect an applicant in different ways.  In order to evaluate your particular concern, an experienced elder law attorney must review your financial information and inquire about transfers made in the past.  We will have a workshop on January 26 in Weston where we will explain these and other important concepts.  Please register for this important and complimentary event!