Dear Clients and Friends, As soon as I received this question, I knew I was definitely going to answer it in my Listen to Lawrence Letter. The reason is that not only is it a good question, but it’s also a very commonly asked question and if you don’t know the …

Dear Clients and Friends, Wow, the issue of the Medical Aid In Dying (MAID) Acts continue to garner interest by my readers, overwhelmingly in favor of such an act. Here are two more responses that are typical of what I am receiving, especially in direct response to the anti-MAID responses I …

Dear Clients and Friends, Our conversation about the Medical Aid In Dying Act (MAID), (a/k/a “death with dignity law”) has sparked tremendous interest and awareness. As you may or may not know, New York does not have a MAID act at this time, although our legislature is currently discussing the issue.  Therefore, if …

Dear Clients and Friends, This next question obviously needs to be answered because it is one of the most commonly asked. I’m going to explain it as simply as possible because it is so important to really understand how these planning documents work. This is one Listen to Lawrence Letter that you …

Dear Clients and Friends, This next question tells a cautionary tale about second marriages and how it may negatively affect the children and stepchildren when it comes to their inheritances. Planning for those who are in a second marriage becomes crucial if either spouse wants to leave assets for their …

Dear Clients and Friends, Last week I posted an article about “Medical Aid in Dying” (MAID) laws, written by the esteemed Dr. Peter Rogatz.   I got many thanks for posting this article but I also got two negative responses. In this LISTEN TO LAWRENCE LETTER, I am going to post these two negative …

Dear Clients and Friends: Ever wonder what the wealthy are doing today to reduce their tax burden? Keep reading. CLIENT QUESTION: What is the concept of a SLAT in estate planning and what are the pros and cons. MY RESPONSE: A SLAT has become the estate planning tool of choice for …

Dear Clients and Friends: My readers are educated as you’ll see below and I hope I have something to do with that! I received the following email which will definitely allow me to explain the specifics of the Health Care Proxy in further detail. Continuing the dialogue is so helpful …

Dear Clients and Friends: My last LISTEN TO LAWRENCE LETTER about health care proxies generated a ton of interest and questions from my readers, like this next one: CLIENT QUESTION: In addition to a DNR and naming one Health Care Proxy, what else is there that is important to include? I’m talking …

Dear Clients and Friends, Sometimes what feels right for your family dynamics may not be consistent with the law like this case: CLIENT QUESTION: I have two children whom I love equally. Can I appoint them both to be my health care proxy agent to make my medical decisions? MY RESPONSE: …

Dear Clients and Friends, When you are thinking about how much you wish to put into an irrevocable Medicaid trust (to protect assets from Medicaid), the best question is not how much to put into it but rather how much you want to keep in your name in order to …

Dear Clients and Friends, When dealing with an IRA, the Medicaid and IRS rules sometimes are different, and sometimes an exception may apply… as pointed out in today’s letter. Read on for the question and answer that will clear it all up…I hope! 😊 CLIENT QUESTION: Can Medicaid force someone to …

Dear Clients and Friends, Here are some specific questions and my answers regarding the Medicaid look-back period which I think will benefit many of you. CLIENT QUESTIONS: Thank you for your newsletters, I find them very informative. Recently I had some questions related to Medicaid and the 5-year look-back, which I …

Dear Clients and Friends, I asked if we could keep the dialogue going and this next question does exactly that! Another specific question and answer to further explain how Medicaid determines eligibility: CLIENT QUESTION How are ANNUITIES treated when applying for MEDICAID? My mother has approximately $55,000 in an annuity. …

Dear Clients and Friends: Today’s question is another one of those that we get a lot, but as you will see, not one to worry too much about. Either way, keep those questions coming! CLIENT QUESTION: I hope my question isn’t redundant. I have an Irrevocable Medicaid trust containing annuities and …

Dear Clients and Friends, In one of my recent LISTEN TO LAWRENCE LETTERS, I discussed reasons why some clients decide to create an estate plan, naming their children as beneficiaries, UNEQUALLY. One of my client readers suggested another reason: CLIENT/READER: One significant factor that Lawrence left out of the equation is how much …

Dear Clients and Friends, This next question seems very simple and thankfully, the answer is very simple. But, it’s a great example of why this type of question is so important to ask…knowing the answer can give you options that you may have thought were unavailable. The more information you have, the …

Dear Clients and Friends: From time to time I like to repost articles from the SNA (Special Needs Alliance) which is a National Alliance of Disability Lawyers. I’m a founding member and their information is so helpful that sharing it is a great idea. I hope you find this timely …

Dear Clients and Friends: MY THOUGHTS ON EQUAL VS. EQUITABLE In today’s LISTEN TO LAWRENCE LETTER I would like to discuss a topic that comes up a lot with my clients: DO I HAVE TO LEAVE ASSETS TO MY CHILDREN EQUALLY? Of course, the legal answer is NO!  You have the absolute legal right …