Horizon Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog

One of the very best things that you can do for your family when it comes to planning ahead, is executing a comprehensive estate plan for when you become incapacitated or pass away. This ensures that your family need not stress about decisions regarding your assets, as you have already made such decisions for them.
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Elderly individuals are common targets for scammers seeking to steal money and property from unsuspecting victims. Some scams targeting seniors have been around for years, but it seems that new scams are invented each year that target seniors in particular. Our Read more . . .

The SECURE Act was part of the spending bill President Trump signed on December 20, 2019. Proponents have praised the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act as giving individuals the ability to plan more effectively for their retirement. Contacting your California elder law attorney to discuss your current estate plan is advised because some of the provisions of the SECURE Act could impact your current estate and retirement plans.
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Taking away the keys from an elderly family member is a difficult decision. Driving a vehicle gives a senior adult a sense of independence. When family members decide it is time for a senior adult to stop driving, they are taking away that person’s independence. The person must rely completely on other individuals to run errands or take the senior where he or she needs or wants to go. A Read more . . .

When a person can no longer care for him or herself, the person may need long-term skilled nursing care. Nursing homes provide skilled round-the-clock care for individuals of all ages. Paying for nursing home care can be expensive. A Read more . . .

When someone passes away without a will, the state will distribute that individual’s assets in a specific order, with property first going to any children equally. But what about children who are adopted? If a child is adopted should he or she inherit from the biological parents or the adoptive parents? Do adopted individuals get to reap the benefits of two sets of parents? As nice as that might be, the answer is no. Here is what every adopted child should know about adoption and inheritance rights in California.

Luckily, the rights of adopted children in California are pretty easily understood. Adopted children are entitled to the same rights as biological children when it comes to inheritance.
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Estate planning for the elderly involves many decisions. One important decision elderly individuals make when developing an estate plan is the choice of an executor for their estate. An executor has the task of administering a person’s estate. Choosing the right individual for this task is essential to reduce family conflict and ensure that the person’s final wishes are carried out. Our Read more . . .

A study published by the National Institutes of Health found that aging gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults in California tend to be single and without adult children as they enter their senior years. As LGBTQ seniors age, they may need to move into long term care facilities because they lack support from a partner, family members, or adult children. 

Unfortunately, LGBTQ seniors may face issues that are unique to the LGBTQ community that heterosexual seniors may not face when contemplating long term care. Planning for long term care is crucial for LGBTQ individuals, who may want to consult a Read more . . .

There are some strange things that people include in their will. If you wanted to, you could leave a jar full of dirt to your niece. If you do, you might want to include a note that the dirt was collected when you went on a special trip together. Otherwise, someone might contest your will claiming that you were not competent when you signed the will as evidenced by the jar of dirt you left to your niece.

The point we are making is that your will is your statement of how you want your property to be distributed.
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The death of a parent is never easy. Not only are you left to deal with the highly emotional toll that such a loss can take, but also you are left to deal with their estate. And while you want to do right by them, it can get pretty confusing quite quickly. This is especially true if it goes to probate.

Probate is the settling of an individual’s estate by a court-appointed executor.
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Estate planning can be challenging for some families who have unique situations that require special estate planning tools or comprehensive estate planning to address certain issues. A blended or merged family can sometimes create estate planning difficulties. Parents with minor children from previous marriages and couples who marry later in life with adult children from prior relationships may struggle with estate planning decisions that protect and provide for all family members. A
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