Elder Law and Estate Planning Attorney
It is possible that an individual, once diagnosed as a person with special needs, sometime in the future will no longer qualify as “disabled” according to IRS regulations. The individual’s condition might have improved through remission or medical treatment, for Read More …
We’re all fairly familiar with the acronym CPR, for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – a process that uses mouth-to-mouth or machine breathing and chest compressions to restore activity in the heart and lungs when someone’s heart has stopped or they are no Read More …
We usually think that inheriting a home, a lake house, a plot of land or any real estate is a wonderful blessing, and it can be. However, without the proper estate planning, inheriting real estate from your parents also has Read More …
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 Read More …
The topic of beneficiaries and retirement accounts is one we’ve covered before in “Updating Your Beneficiaries. Estate Planning Tips from Joseph Motta”, but in this post we go into more depth of how your 401(k) and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) Read More …
At Joseph L. Motta Co. our tagline is “Leave a Legacy, Not a Predicament,” because we truly want to help people to avoid leaving their family a mess to unravel upon death. The passing of a loved one is already Read More …
Congress created the rules governing the minimum distribution of retirement plan funds to encourage saving for retirement and to allow retirement assets to build up tax-free during the plan owner’s working years. But lawmakers built in provisions so the money Read More …
A recent article “Survey: Almost half of Ohio pet owners spend more on pets than partners for Christmas,” got us thinking about pet trusts. It’s a topic we haven’t posted about yet and at Joseph L. Motta Co., we have Read More …
Do you worry your parents don’t have their estate planning in order? Are you unsure how to tactfully approach the subject of wills, trusts, beneficiaries, retirement accounts, living wills, power of attorney, medical power of attorney and long term care Read More …
For many retired seniors their social security income is the main source of how bills, medical and and housing expenses are paid so we understand that every little bit counts. The cost of living adjustment announced by the Social Security Read More …
You know the importance of estate planning and have taken careful consideration to have your “ducks in a row.” You drew up a will and trust with your spouse, purchased the right amount of life insurance for your family, designated Read More …
We know some myths can be fun – think; unicorns, Pegasus, fairies and mermaids. But some myths are scary AND costly. There are many myths about estate planning, and at Joseph L. Motta Co. we hear them all. We understand Read More …
Ideally, when a second marriage joins two families together, it should be a joyous occasion that creates one bigger blended family unit. Unfortunately, when the estate plan lacks clarity, it too often also creates inheritance fights between stepparents and children. Read More …
Many people periodically update their wills or other estate plans, but don’t update who will receive distributions from their retirement plans (such as IRAs and 401(k)s) upon their deaths. Every year you should review your entire estate plan, and the Read More …
Many people fear losing their home if they have to enter a nursing home and apply for Medicaid. They believe that they can preserve their home by transferring it to their children prior to applying for Medicaid. Transferring a home Read More …
How frequently you should review your estate plan depends on how old you are and whether there has been a significant change in your circumstances. If you are over age 60 and you haven’t updated your estate plan in many Read More …
You’ve surely seen a dramatic presentation of a will in either a movie, television show, or in a book. From handwritten notes and scribbled on a napkin to a self-made video or last utterances to a companion in the last Read More …
According to court documents, legendary singer Aretha Franklin did not have a will when she died, opening up her estate to public scrutiny and potential problems. Failing to create an estate plan can cause lots of headaches for heirs, in Read More …
A power of attorney is a very important estate planning tool. Power of attorney (POA) is a legal document in which you give someone else the authority to act on your behalf and most states will accept powers of attorney Read More …
Just bringing up the possibility of someone in your family becoming mentally or physically incapacitated is often difficult. We tend to think of only the very elderly needing long-term, hands-on care, but a recent report by the Alzheimer’s Association found Read More …
