Consider Hiring a Lawyer for Medicaid Applications

August 24, 2023

Medicaid can be a complicated and ponderous process to navigate. As with many government programs, it is easy to make mistakes that could potentially devastate your family’s finances. You might consider hiring a lawyer for Medicaid applications. Film Daily’s recent article, “Do You Need a Lawyer to Apply for Medicaid?” says that hiring a lawyer for Medicaid applications can provide many benefits. Let’s look at some of the big ones:

Expert Knowledge: Attorneys specializing in Medicaid are well-versed in the complex rules and regulations of the program. They stay updated with policy changes and can provide accurate guidance based on your unique circumstances.

Maximizing Eligibility: An experienced elder law lawyer can help structure your finances and assets to maximize your eligibility for Medicaid. They can also advise you on strategies to protect your assets, while satisfying the program’s requirements.

Streamlined Application Process: A Medicaid application can involve a ton of paperwork and documentation. A lawyer can help you gather the necessary information, complete the application correctly and submit it on time, reducing the chances of delays or mistakes.

Handling Complex Situations: If your situation is complicated, like owning a business or having multiple sources of income, a Medicaid lawyer can work through the intricacies and ensure that all relevant information is presented correctly in your application.

Appeals and Legal Support: If your application is denied or there are other issues, a lawyer can represent you in appeals or hearings. They can advocate for your rights and help resolve any disputes that arise during the application process.

While hiring a lawyer when applying for Medicaid is not mandatory, their expertise can be invaluable in navigating the complexities of the program.

A lawyer specializing in Medicaid can provide guidance, streamline the application process, and help you maximize your eligibility.

Sit down as a family and consider hiring a lawyer for your Medicaid applications. Depending on your circumstances, hiring a Medicaid attorney can be beneficial in complex financial situations, long-term care planning, dealing with denied applications, or staying informed about changing regulations.

With the right legal support, you can also increase your chances of a successful Medicaid application. If you would like to learn more about Medicaid and estate planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Film Daily (July 25, 2023) “Do You Need a Lawyer to Apply for Medicaid?”

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How an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust Protects Wealth

August 23, 2023

Most parents want their children to inherit as much wealth as possible, which drives their focus to shield heirs from unnecessary taxes when they inherit. As of this writing, federal gift and estate tax laws are very friendly for building generational wealth, says a recent article from Kiplinger, “One Way to Secure Your Child’s Inheritance in an Uncertain Tax Future.” The article discusses how an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust protects wealth.

However, this is temporary, as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will expire in 2025. When it does, gift and estate tax exemptions will be cut in half. How can you transfer the most wealth possible to heirs? The best tool is often the Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust or IDGT.

The incentive to take advantage of the current tax laws is even greater for those living in one of the 17 states with their own estate or inheritance taxes, especially considering those states’ exemptions are considerably lower than the federal estate taxes.

The IDGT, despite its name, is not at all defective. Removing assets from an estate lowers or eliminates taxation on the estate and heirs. By selling assets from the estate to a grantor trust, they are no longer subject to estate taxes. The trust then pays an installment note over a number of years, which is designated when the trust is created.

So, why is it called Intentionally Defective? The term refers to the fact that the trust is not responsible for paying its own income taxes. Instead, they pass to the grantor or person who created the trust. Consider an estate with $20 million placed in an IDGT. This might generate a $500,000 tax bill, paid by the grantor. This accomplishes two things: The $500,000 paid in taxes is removed from the estate, lowering the estate’s value and the estate tax. Second, the trust is not responsible for paying income taxes on the appreciation of assets so that it can grow faster. Since the trust is not subject to estate taxes, any appreciation of assets inside the trust won’t add to any estate taxes due upon the grantor’s passing.

IDGTs and S Corporations. Many family-owned businesses are S-corporations that shield personal assets from business-related liabilities. If someone successfully sues the business, any judgment will be placed on the business, not the family’s assets. S corp owners hold shares in the corporation, which can be transferred to the IDGT. When family members move their stock into the trust, business ownership is transferred to heirs free of estate tax. If the business grows between the time the trust is established and your death, the growth happens separately from the estate, so there is no estate tax implication to continued business growth.

What’s the downside? The IDGT removes assets from the estate and provides cash flow in installment payments to fund retirement. However, if you die before the installment term ends, the trust pays out the rest of what it owes to your estate, which increases the value of your estate and the estate taxes owed. However, there’s a remedy for this. The IDGT can be set up with a self-canceling installment note or SCIN. The SCIN automatically cancels the trust’s obligation to pay installments upon your death.

Remember that you will be responsible for the trust’s tax liability, so don’t gift so many assets to the trust that you’re scrambling to pay the tax bill.

IDGTs are complex and require the help of an experienced estate planning attorney to ensure that they follow all IRS requirements. He or she will explain how an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust protects wealth and if it is a useful planning tool for your family situation. If you would like to learn more about Trusts, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Kiplinger (July 28, 2023) “One Way to Secure Your Child’s Inheritance in an Uncertain Tax Future”

When Life Insurance becomes Taxable

August 22, 2023

A life insurance policy benefit is usually paid to the beneficiary in a lump sum, which isn’t taxable. However, there are situations when life insurance becomes taxable.

A life insurance beneficiary may receive the policy amount in installments. If so, the benefit is placed into an account that can accrue interest. While the beneficiary won’t pay taxes on the benefit itself, they’ll be responsible for paying income taxes on any interest accrued.

Fed Manager’s recent article, “When Is Life Insurance Taxable? Four Scenarios to Consider,” gives the example of Jenny being the beneficiary of a $500,000 death benefit that earns 10% interest for one year before being paid out. She’ll owe income taxes on the $50,000 in interest growth.

The death benefit of a life insurance policy is usually paid directly to the beneficiaries named. If the benefit is included in the estate, it’s subject to potential federal and state estate taxes if it is above the tax exemption amount. About a dozen states have state estate taxes with exemptions, so if the death benefit amount is above these exemptions, any amount above the threshold would be subject to estate taxes.

A life insurance death benefit would be subject to taxes in the event of a taxable gift. This happens when three people serve three different roles in connection to the policy:

The policyholder is the individual who bought the policy and is responsible for payment of the premiums
The insured is the person whose life is covered by the policy and
The beneficiary who receives the death benefit when the insured passes away.

Assume that Tommy buys a life insurance policy for his wife, Tilly. They designate their son Teddy as the beneficiary. If Tilly dies and Teddy receives the death benefit, the IRS considers this a taxable gift from Tommy to Teddy because Tommy was the policyholder. In this situation, Tommy may have to pay gift taxes for any benefit amount that exceeds federal gift tax exemption limits.

The annual gift exclusion is $17,000 per individual. The lifetime limit is $12.92 million per individual. (These “numbers” are for 2023 and are adjusted for inflation.) To avoid this, Tilly could purchase and make payments on a policy herself, with Teddy still named as the beneficiary. Work closely with your estate planning attorney and financial advisors to understand when a life insurance policy becomes taxable and how to avoid the unnecessary financial headache. If you would like to learn more about life insurance and estate planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Fed Manager (April 25, 2023) “When Is Life Insurance Taxable? Four Scenarios to Consider”

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Avoid Pitfalls when Transferring Property to Heirs

August 21, 2023

It is not difficult to ensure the smooth transfer of ownership of your property to a spouse, children, or other heirs, as long as you have an estate plan created by an experienced estate planning attorney and know what pitfalls to avoid. Most importantly, you want to avoid these pitfalls when transferring property to heirs, says the article “I’m a Financial Planner: Here Are 5 Mistakes You Must Avoid When Transferring Property to Heirs” from GoBankingRates. If you die without a will, your state’s intestate succession or next-of-kin laws will determine who inherits your house if yours was the only name on the deed.

Next-of-kin succession varies by state, but for the most part, the priority order is first the surviving spouse, biological and adopted children, parents, and siblings, followed by grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members.

You’ll want to know how your state treats intestate property to avoid unwanted surprises for your family. For instance, in some states, full siblings are prioritized over half-siblings, while in other states, they are treated equally.

The biggest mistake is dying without a will and an updated deed. In some states, the property will need to go through probate if the surviving heir is not in co-ownership of the house, regardless of what’s stated in the will.

The solution is simple. Add an adult child or the person you intend to be your executor to the property’s deed via a warranty or quit claim deed. This prevents the family home from going through probate and seamlessly transfers to the individual you want to handle your estate after you’ve passed. In particular, this should be done once one spouse in a joint-owning couple dies.

There are four general types of property ownership. The legal system treats them all differently. They are property with the right of survivorship, property held in a trust, property subject to a will and property for which the spouse does not have a will.

If two spouses purchase and jointly own a property, the right of survivorship dictates that the surviving spouse automatically receives the decedent’s half and becomes the sole owner. This is the simplest and easiest outcome, since it avoids probate and the need to alter the deed. However, it’s not always the case.

A surviving spouse might need to change their deed if a partner dies and the deed didn’t automatically transfer property after death. If only one spouse was on the deed, they may have to go through probate (if there was a will) to transfer the home into the surviving spouse’s name. The spouse may need to file a survivorship affidavit and a copy of the death certificate to ensure that the title is properly in their name.

Should you transfer property while you’re still living? It may solve some problems but create others. If a primary residence is transferred to an adult child and they sell it not as their primary residence, it could lead to a large capital gains tax bill. However, if the child inherits the property after your death, the heir will enjoy a stepped-up tax basis and avoids capital gains taxation.

Before taking any steps to arrange for the transfer of the home after passing, talk with the person or people to make sure they want it and the responsibilities associated with owning a home. This is especially true if there’s more than one heir with different opinions.

If children don’t get along or are in different financial positions, leaving one property for all of them to manage together could lead to family fights. Talk with them before putting your wishes into your estate plan to avoid unnecessary resentment and, in the worst case, litigation. Working with an estate planning attorney can help you avoid these pitfalls when transferring property to heirs. If you would like to learn more about property management in your estate plan, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: GoBankingRates (July 26, 2023) “I’m a Financial Planner: Here Are 5 Mistakes You Must Avoid When Transferring Property to Heirs”

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Finding a Missing Heir can be Challenging

August 17, 2023

If someone dies without leaving a will or naming beneficiaries, a probate judge will likely consider the next of kin the heir. Known as intestate succession, this doesn’t prevent family members who aren’t blood relatives from receiving much of the estate. Finding a missing heir can be challenging. That’s why it’s important to locate family members easily after death.

Next Avenue’s recent article, “Where’s Your Heir?” says that in some states, such as Florida, companies can help with an “heir search.” Using the information available to identify the heir, these companies do the due diligence on behalf of the executor or personal representative to locate the heirs and distribute the property or inheritance according to the (deceased benefactor’s) wishes.

Finding someone can require searching a proprietary database or looking at genealogy websites. One company helped find a missing sibling who was homeless and hadn’t been in contact with his family for more than ten years.

In another case, a mother of four children was discovered to be an adoptee only after her death. Further research found that the adoptee’s birth mother had purchased Certificates of Deposit in their names as an inheritance.

To support its networks of genealogical researchers, private investigators, and other agents across the country, these companies charge to find missing heirs.

The heir often pays the fee, ranging from 20% to 30% of the full inheritance amount.

Note that legitimate heir hunters will provide their licenses and other credentials when they first make contact. They won’t ask potential heirs to pay money before they have their inheritance. The arrangement should be a contingency where they get paid once the heir has received their inheritance.

Finding a missing heir can be challenging for an executor. With this in mind, when creating a will, an experienced estate planning attorney will have the creator of the will be as specific as possible in naming heirs or recipients of the estate.

It’s crucial to use the full legal name of each heir. Another best practice is to include the heirs’ dates of birth on documents, especially when heirs have a common name. If you would like to learn more about probate, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Next Avenue (July 3, 2023) “Where’s Your Heir?”

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An Attorney can help when applying for Medicaid

August 16, 2023

Medicaid is a vital program that provides healthcare coverage for individuals and families with limited income and resources. Hiring an attorney can help when applying for Medicaid. Their expertise can be invaluable in ensuring a smooth and successful application process.

Film Daily’s recent article, “Do You Need a Lawyer to Apply for Medicaid?” says that applying for Medicaid involves gathering the necessary documentation, filling out an application form and submitting it to the state Medicaid agency.

The application typically requires information about your income, assets, household composition and medical expenses. It’s important to provide accurate and complete information to avoid delays or potential issues with your case.

A lawyer specializing in Medicaid can walk you through the application process, ensure that you meet all of the requirements and provide the correct documentation.

A Medicaid planning lawyer can also help you understand any legal implications and address any concerns that may come up during the application process.

Here are some scenarios where hiring a lawyer might be a wise move:

Complicated Financial Situations: If you have complex financial arrangements or significant assets, a Medicaid planning lawyer can help you navigate the Medicaid eligibility requirements while protecting your interests.
Long-Term Care Planning: If you or a loved one requires long-term care services, a lawyer with expertise in elder law and Medicaid planning can help you develop a strategy to protect your assets while accessing the necessary healthcare services.
Denied or Delayed Applications: If your Medicaid application has been denied or delayed, a Medicaid planning lawyer can help you appeal the decision or address any issues that may have caused the delay.
Changing Regulations: The program rules and policies can change over time. An experienced Medicaid lawyer can ensure that you stay informed about any updates that may affect your eligibility or benefits.

Consider hiring an Elder Law attorney to help when applying for Medicaid. He or she may be the difference between receiving benefits and being denied. If you are interested in learning more about Medicaid planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Film Daily (July 25, 2023) “Do You Need a Lawyer to Apply for Medicaid?”

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Checklist Helps Put Affairs in Order

August 15, 2023

As the Baby Boomer generation ages, so too come the very real conversations around end-of-life planning. It can be a daunting and emotionally difficult subject. A checklist helps put your affairs in order and provides you and your loved ones with some peace of mind. National Institute on Aging’s recent article, “Getting Your Affairs in Order Checklist: Documents to Prepare for the Future,” has some steps to consider when getting your affairs in order.

Plan for your estate and finances. Common documents include a will and a power of attorney. A will states how your property, money and other assets will be distributed and managed when you die. A power of attorney for finances names someone who will make financial decisions for you when you are unable.
Plan for your future health care. Many people choose to prepare advance directives, which are legal documents that provide instructions for medical care and only go into effect if you can’t communicate your wishes due to disease or severe injury. A living will tells doctors how you want to be treated if you can’t make your own decisions about emergency treatment. A power of attorney for health care names your health care proxy. This individual can make health care decisions for you if you cannot communicate these yourself.
Put your important papers and copies of legal documents in one place. You can set up a file, put everything in a desk or dresser drawer, or list the information and location of papers in a notebook. Consider getting a fireproof and waterproof safe to store your documents for added security.
Tell someone you know and trust the location of your important papers. Someone you trust should know where to find your documents in case of an emergency.
Talk to your family and physician about advance care planning. A doctor can help you understand future health decisions and plan the kinds of care or treatment you may want. Discussing this with your doctor is free through Medicare during your annual wellness visit, and private health insurance may also cover this. Share your decisions with your loved ones to help avoid any surprises about your wishes.
Give permission in advance to discuss your condition with your caregiver. You can give your caregiver permission to talk with your doctor, lawyer, insurance provider, credit card company, or bank. This is different from naming a health care proxy. A health care proxy can only make decisions if you cannot communicate them.
Review your plans regularly. Look over your plans at least once yearly and when any major life event occurs, like a divorce, move, or major change in your health.

A checklist helps put your affairs in order and gives you and your loved ones a roadmap to address any changes or issues that come up in the future. If you would like to learn more about end-of-life planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: National Institute on Aging (July 25, 2023) “Getting Your Affairs in Order Checklist: Documents to Prepare for the Future”

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Irrevocable Funeral Trust helps Families with expenses

August 14, 2023

Yahoo Finance’s recent article, “Pros and Cons of an Irrevocable Funeral Trust,” explains that an irrevocable funeral trust is a legal entity that helps families with end-of-life costs, such as funeral and burial expenses.

With this trust, you’re establishing a formal trust fund, a separate legal entity that owns the money you contributed to it. The purpose is to hold your money until you die. It then releases the funds to pay for your funeral, burial and other end-of-life expenses.

As with all trust funds, the trust has a trustee who manages its money. Here, the trustee is determined by an insurance company or funeral services company through which you set up the trust. It will usually hold as its single asset a life insurance policy that you’ve purchased.

The trust fund owns this life insurance policy and is named as the sole beneficiary. When you die, the fund collects the policy’s payment and uses this money to pay for your end-of-life costs.

A funeral trust may also name a specific funeral home as the trust’s beneficiary. For example, a given funeral home may agree to a fixed price for a funeral and burial.

When you die, the trust pays out its funds to the funeral home to cover the costs of your funeral, burial and any associated services.

As with most trusts, you can establish both revocable and irrevocable funeral trusts.

With a revocable funeral trust, you maintain ownership and control of the money and can withdraw it anytime.

However, with an irrevocable funeral trust, you no longer own the money, so you can’t withdraw it.

While an irrevocable funeral trust helps families pay for potentially expensive end-of-life expenses, it locks up your money for good and can’t be amended. If you would like to learn more about funeral planning, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Yahoo Finance (April 29, 2023) “Pros and Cons of an Irrevocable Funeral Trust”

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Estate Planning issues in Multigenerational Homes

August 9, 2023

Multigenerational planning is common today, where grandparents, parents, and children live in the same home. Estate planning issues can arise in multigenerational homes where grandparents, parents and children all reside, as explained in the recent article from Kiplinger, “How to Handle Estate Planning for Multigenerational Living Arrangements.”

For instance, if a grandparent pays for a separate apartment on their child’s property, who owns the apartment? What if an adult child living with elderly parents pays for updates on the property or provides caregiving services to the parents? Should these arrangements lead to unequal inheritances? All of these issues can be addressed through estate planning.

The first issue to address is home ownership. Should the title be taken jointly, as tenants in common, with a life estate, in trust, as a family partnership, or in some other manner? Which family members are allowed to live in the home? And again, how will this arrangement impact inheritances?

For many families, using a trust to detail all aspects of use and ownership is the best solution. The trust document can address everything, including the right of first refusal, language governing who has priority to buy the property upon the death of the parents, equalization language between beneficiaries to account for gifts to certain family members during life, and tax provisions to ensure beneficiaries pay applicable taxes, equally or proportionally.

The trust may also be used to address the incapacity or death of a family member and what will happen to the property for future generations. The level of detail can be extremely important when dealing with multigenerational shared real estate purchases and uses.

For some families, an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) or LLP (Limited Liability Partnership) allows for easier fractional property ownership. LLCs and LLPs also help with asset protection and maintaining privacy.

An LLC operating agreement specifies which members will be in charge of the daily operation of the property, payment of expenses, and how ownership interests are divided. Intrafamily loans can be leveraged to pay for improvements on the property, and the agreement can be used to address many different scenarios for the family.

If one child provides care for an aging parent, or a grandparent provides regular daycare for working parents, should these arrangements be monetized and factored into the estate plan? What about a sibling who does not live in the home and does not provide any care for elderly parents or young children? There is no one answer for these or the many other situations arising from multigenerational living arrangements.

An experienced estate planning attorney can ensure your documents align with your wishes and address these estate planning issues in unique, multigenerational homes. Often, having a professional in the room when mapping out a plan can alleviate some family dynamics, making these matters less emotional. If you would like to learn more about estate planning for large, multigenerational families, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Kiplinger (June 29, 2023) “How to Handle Estate Planning for Multigenerational Living Arrangements”

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Things that should Never Belong in Your Will

August 8, 2023

Most people don’t enjoy thinking about their mortality. However, creating a will and related estate planning documents makes it much better for loved ones to handle the estate after your passing. Estate planning attorneys know there are certain things that should never belong in your will, says this recent article, “13 Things You Should Never Put In Your Will” from mondaq.

Joint accounts. Accounts owned jointly or with beneficiary designations pass directly to the surviving owner or beneficiary. Putting these items in your will can create confusion and even open the estate to potential litigation.

Personal and private wishes. Don’t use your will to take a stand on family relations or address personal issues from the grave. Settling old scores in a will is a bad idea, as your will becomes a public document, and anyone who wants to can see it.

Business interests for an active business. If your will contains information about a business, it could be easier for the business to function while your estate is being settled. A succession plan and buy-sell agreement are the tools for active businesses, not your will.

Life Insurance. Passing your life insurance policy through a will could lead heirs to lose up to half or a large percentage of estate taxes. Speak with your estate planning attorney about using a life insurance trust instead.

Secure or secret information. Whether personal or business-related, private information will not remain private if it’s in the will. Your will goes through probate and becomes part of the public record, available to prying eyes. Don’t include bank account information, access codes, PIN passwords, keys to crypto, etc.

Significant assets. Even though wills are used to pass assets to heirs after death, this isn’t always the best way to distribute wealth. For instance, if you leave your interest in a business through a will, the court may end up with oversight of their share of the business during probate. Probate also provides a forum for someone to contest their will. Trusts are better tools for leaving assets, since they provide privacy, allow you to dictate highly specific terms and are controlled by a trustee with no court involvement.

Ambiguity. Don’t use vague or general language and expect heirs to figure things out. “I leave my favorite painting to my favorite niece” opens up a world of trouble for the family. The more information you can provide the better. Even if you only have one niece, which is your favorite painting? Similarly, a will directing assets to be left “equally to my two children” won’t work if you’ve welcomed another child into the family.

Assets going through probate when there are other options. Most estate plans are designed to avoid assets going through probate whenever possible. Trusts, beneficiary designations, or gifting while you are living, can simplify distributing assets and avoid probate costs.

Tangible personal property. Jewelry or a valuable art collection should not be bequeathed through a will. These assets may require a professional appraisal, which could delay probate. Instead, assign the property to a trust or leave detailed information outlining how you wish the property to be distributed with the executor.

Funeral and burial instructions. Wills are often read long after funerals have taken place. Your wishes won’t be known or followed. Discuss your preferences with loved ones and document them separately. If you make arrangements in advance with a cemetery and a funeral home, you’ll have the most control over your funeral. Advance planning is a great kindness for your loved ones.

Conditions on gifts and unenforceable conditions. Imposing too many restrictions could complicate your estate and create disputes between beneficiaries. Your wishes will be better set out and made legally enforceable through trusts.

It does not take much to invalidate a will. The things listed above should never belong in your will. Similarly, unenforceable conditions can create controversy and delay the administration of your estate. Discriminatory clauses, illegal actions, or conditions violating a person’s rights can render your entire will or the specific provisions invalid. An experienced estate planning attorney will help you draft a will that is legally sound and secure. If you would like to learn more about wills, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: mondaq (July 10, 2023) “13 Things You Should Never Put In Your Will”

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Blog Articles

Consider Hiring a Lawyer for Medicaid Applications

How an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust Protects Wealth

When Life Insurance becomes Taxable

Avoid Pitfalls when Transferring Property to Heirs

Finding a Missing Heir can be Challenging

An Attorney can help when applying for Medicaid

Irrevocable Funeral Trust helps Families with expenses

Estate Planning issues in Multigenerational Homes

Things that should Never Belong in Your Will

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