One of the most pressing issues within the elder law community these days involves the high and rising costs of long-term care. The national average for a year in a private room in a nursing home is upwards of $85,000, and a 12 month stay in an assisted living facility costs an average of nearly […]

It is said in the field of mathematics that the simplest solution is the most elegant, and this is something that is universally applicable. When it comes to estate planning it is often times difficult to keep things simple because of the intricacies of the tax codes, Medicaid and Medicare rules, the probate process, and […]

The first half of 2011 has proven to be a busy one for the Morton Law Firm.  As part of our ongoing commitment to cutting edge service to our clients, firm members attended seminars throughout the country during the early months of the year: Veteran’s Special Pension Benefits for Aid and Attendance, held in Dallas […]

In the United States today the average life expectancy is 78.4 years of age, and unfortunately this fact leads many people to proceed with the mistaken belief that they don’t need to have an estate plan in place because it is not going to become relevant until they reach their 70s. This is untrue for […]

When you have been planning for your retirement years throughout your working life and the finish line starts to come into focus you may have some questions about the details of your Social Security benefits. Most Americans count on Social Security as a sure source of retirement income and plan accordingly throughout their lives. But […]

When you examine the issues that our nation’s senior citizens are facing at the present time, the cost of long-term care is something that really stands out. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services approximately 7 out of every 10 people who reach the age of 65 will someday need long-term […]

If you choose to use a will as your primary instrument of asset transfer after your death your estate has to pass through the process of probate. The laws surrounding probate vary somewhat state to state, and this is why it is important to beware of those one-size-fits-all, do-it-yourself will creation templates that you see […]

When you are planning your estate you have to determine how you will be transferring your assets to your loved ones, and many people choose to do so through the creation of a trust. There are a number of reasons why a trust is preferable to a last will for many people, and one of […]

A health care provider, Cignet, was fined over $4 million for a violation of HIPAA.  Article here.  While the primary experience that most people have with HIPAA is to keep their health care info private from third parties, ironically this fine actually arose from Cignet's failure to disclose requested healthcare documents to the requesting patient.  […]

There is a witticism that goes something like “experience is something that you get just after you need it” and this is certainly the case in many instances. There are times when you find yourself in this type of situation when you still have time to overcome whatever challenges that lack of experience may have […]