Wills can be powerful instruments, as thewill of Leona Helmsley makes clear. The hotelier and real estate mogul became asymbol of 1980s greed and was given thenickname ”the Queen of Mean” afterrevelations of her tyrannical treatment ofemployees came to light during her 1988 trialon tax evasion charges. A housekeepertestified that she heard Helmsley say, ”Onlythe […]

An Indiana appeals court rules that before the state may be reimbursed for its Medicaid payments to an SNT beneficiary, the beneficiary’s parents must be paid for the uncompensated care they rendered. State v. Hammans (Ind. Ct. App., No. 55A04-0606-CV-294, Aug. 2, 2007).  

An Oregon appeals court rules that foreclosing on a lien to recover the costs of a resident’s care does not allow a nursing home to also recover attorney’s fees pursuant to a contract with the resident’s agent. King City Rehab, LLC v. Clackamas County  (Or. Ct. App., No. CV05020792; A132436, Aug. 1, 2007).

The Supreme Court of New Hampshire rules that a child conceived after her father’s death through artificial insemination is ineligible to inherit from him as his surviving issue. Khabbaz v. Commissioner. (N.H., No. 2006-751, Aug. 9, 2007).

The Supreme Court of New Hampshire rules that a child conceived after her father’s death through artificial insemination is ineligible to inherit from him as his surviving issue. Khabbaz v. Commissioner. (N.H., No. 2006-751, Aug. 9, 2007).

The Delaware Supreme Court fines an accountant for using two lawyers in a "contemptuous scheme" to circumvent its earlier order that the accountant cease engaging in the unauthorized practice of law by drafting wills and trusts for clients. In the Matter of Estep (Del., No. 647, 2006, Aug. 15, 2007).

Social Security was enacted   in 1935 to provide some relief to America’s destitute older citizens during   the economic cataclysm known as the Great Depression. A direct descendant of   that more limited effort, today’s Social Security program is in fact a group   of related programs, each with its own eligibility and payment […]

This article addresses a topic that many professionals do not understand fully — life settlements. For the right clients, a life settlement offers a significant advantage over the alternatives – and one that the client and the planning team should at least consider. Life Settlements – The Basics    The secondary market for life insurance […]

If you’re a parent who has taken the time and energy to create a Revocable Living Trust ("RLT") or Will, you should be commended for your initiative and perseverance for ensuring your children and grandchildren are properly cared for when you are gone. If you have not yet created an estate plan, doing so could […]

    To qualify for divorced spouse benefits, the couple must have been married at least ten (10) years. Further, the divorced spouse must not remarry and be at least sixty-two (62) years old. The divorced spouse is eligible to receive half of that worker’s primary insurance amount. The primary insurance amount is the monthly […]