Horizon Elder Law & Estate Planning Blog

Life care planning reflects a new mindset in estate planning. Traditionally, when a person set up an estate plan, the goal was to preserve as much wealth as possible for the next generation. One consequence of this approach was that heirs sometimes saw seniors as expensive liabilities on the family’s inheritance. Life care planning views older adults as valuable people whose comfort, safety, health, and well-being should be the first priority of their estate plan. A Read more . . .

Whether you need someone to advise and assist you with your elder law questions or you need help for an aging loved one, a California elder attorney can help. If you need to find someone to guide you through the process, it can help to know the five qualities of a great elder law attorney.

When you decide to protect your future and provide for your loved ones, a lawyer can help you formulate your plans and draft the documents you need. A California estate planning lawyer can do much more for you than merely write a will or living trust.

A revocable living trust could be a better option for you than a will or an irrevocable living trust. Each of these estate planning documents has advantages and disadvantages. If you are thinking about creating or updating your estate plan, a Read more . . .

If you are thinking about getting added to your aging parents’ bank accounts, you should realize and understand the risks. It is not automatically an unwise decision to get added to your parents’ accounts, but sometimes people experience adverse outcomes they did not anticipate.

It might seem convenient to have a joint bank account if you help your parents manage their finances. You might be able to accomplish the same goals through less risky alternatives. A Read more . . .

Although this situation could change at any time, California law does not currently (as of April 15, 2020), allow remote online notarization (RON) of documents. More than 20 other states allow RON, but California has not passed previously proposed attempts to allow RON. A Read more . . .

If someone challenges your trust, the judge could modify the trust, terminate the entire trust, or deny the challenge. The person disputing your trust would have to file a lawsuit in the probate court. A Read more . . .

We often discuss elderly abuse and nursing home abuse. However, caregiver abuse is also a serious problem for many individuals and families throughout the country. Elderly or incapacitated family members abuse their caregivers physically, verbally, or emotionally. Caregivers may excuse the behavior as a side-effect or symptom of an illness or medication, but this is not always the case. Our Read more . . .

If you have an older loved one who has a terminal diagnosis, you might have concerns about your relative’s right to chooses Death with Dignity, also called physician-assisted suicide. A California elder law attorney can help you understand how California law applies to this sensitive situation.
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Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and their families face a variety of challenges. One of those challenges is how to pay for the care a person needs as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease progresses. Veterans and their spouses may be entitled to VA benefits to help pay for care related to Alzheimer’s and dementia. Our Read more . . .

Many individuals will eventually need long-term care at some point in their lifetimes. Because the cost of long-term care is expensive, a vast majority of those individuals will need assistance paying for that care. Medi-Cal is the name of California’s Medicaid health care program.

However, individuals must qualify for Medicaid to receive assistance with long-term care costs. Our Read more . . .