Author: Atty. Brown

New Federal Law Puts Focus on Preventing Elder Abuse A new federal law is designed to address the growing problem of elder abuse. The law supports efforts to better understand, prevent, and combat both financial and physical elder abuse. The prevalence of elder abuse is hard to calculate because it is underreported, but according to the National Council on Aging, appr...

New Federal Law Puts Focus on Preventing Elder Abuse Last modified: 1 day ago | 3/9/2018 A new federal law is designed to address the growing problem of elder abuse. The law supports efforts to better understand, prevent, and combat both financial and physical elder abuse. The prevalence of elder abuse is hard to calculate because it is underreported, but according to th...

Survey Reveals Courts Fail to Offer Basic Information on Probate Last modified: 2/10/2018 Probate -- the process of proving that a will is valid and of settling an estate -- is among the most common legal procedures in the United States. Yet the overwhelming majority of state courts fail to offer consumers basic online information and resources about probate, according to a...

Estate Planning and Retirement Considerations for Late-in-Life Parents Last modified: 2/6/2018 Older parents are becoming more common, driven in part by changing cultural mores and surrogate motherhood. Comedian and author Steve Martin had his first child at age 67. Singer Billy Joel just welcomed his third daughter. Janet Jackson had a child at age 50. But later-in-lif...

Three Reasons Why Giving Your House to Your Children Isn't the Best Way to Protect It From Medicaid Last modified: 2 weeks ago | 11/28/2017 You may be afraid of losing your home if you have to enter a nursing home and apply for Medicaid. While this fear is well-founded, transferring the home to your children is usually not the best way to protect it. Although you general...

Veterans' Disability Benefits Last modified: 11/15/2017 The VA offers two disability programs. Disability compensation is available only for veterans with service-connected disabilities, while the disability pension benefit is available to anyone who served during wartime and has a disability. The disability does not have to be related to military service. Disability c...

How a Guardian Is Appointed Last modified: 1 day ago | 11/15/2017 No one wants to see a loved one become unable to make decisions for him or herself. If this happens, however, the court may appoint a substitute decision maker, often called a "guardian," but in some states called a "conservator" or other term. A guardian is only appointed as a last resort if other, less ...

Six Things to Consider Before Making Gifts to Grandchildren Grandparents often are particularly generous to grandchildren as they see their family’s legacy continuing on to a new generation. In many cases, grandparents feel they have ample resources and their children or grandchildren may be struggling financially. Assistance with summer camp fees, college tuition, wedding co...