Wendy Williams Case Shines Spotlight on Guardianships

May 1, 2025
Brian Hicks
Elder Law, Estate Planning, Our Blog, Senior Living, Wills & Trusts

Dementia is on the rise and is affecting millions of families across the United States. As dementia erodes a person’s mental faculties, they lose the ability to manage their life. This can lead to losing money through bad financial decisions...

Per Stirpes vs Per Capita: What Do These Mean in a Will?

April 24, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Wills & Trusts

A Will Is Part of Your Estate Plan Creating an estate plan is essential for ensuring that your wishes are honored regarding who inherits your money and property and that your loved ones are taken care of after you’re gone. It...

How Estate Plans Can Help Family Members Avoid Legal Battles

April 17, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration

The ongoing rivalries among the members of the Murdoch family or between Prince William and the Duke of Sussex may seem far from everyday reality. Yet drama, lost time, and broken relationships are a genuine problem in many immediate families,...

Seniors and Caregivers: Establish an Emergency Action Plan

April 10, 2025
Brian Hicks
Elder Law, Estate Planning, Our Blog, Senior Living, Wills & Trusts

For seniors and their caregivers, having a plan in place should an emergency strike can provide some peace of mind in a turbulent world. A crisis, such as illness, trauma, natural disaster, or any other unexpected adverse event, may one...

When, Why, and How to Talk About End-of-Life Care

April 3, 2025
Brian Hicks
Elder Law, Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Senior Living

Talking about death, especially one’s own death, remains a topic that most people avoid thinking about or openly discussing. However, avoiding conversations about death and end-of-life care can lead to discomfort, confusion, and unfulfilled wishes in the long run. According...

Spring Cleaning for Your Estate Plan: Review and Revise

March 27, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration, Wills & Trusts

Estate planning is a valuable aspect of financial and personal planning that ensures your assets are managed and distributed according to your wishes and that your health care preferences are followed. However, creating an estate plan is not a one-time...

Protecting Your Parents’ Assets From Nursing Home Costs

March 20, 2025
Brian Hicks
Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Our Blog, Senior Living, Wills & Trusts

The aging U.S. population means that more people will likely need nursing home care in the coming decades. Meanwhile, the cost of nursing home care is increasing — and is expected to keep increasing. With the exorbitant cost of nursing home...

Transfer-On-Death Accounts: A Useful Estate Planning Tool

March 13, 2025
Brian Hicks
Estate Planning, Our Blog, Probate & Trust Administration

What Is a TOD Account? When considering how to pass your assets on to the next generation or other beneficiaries, you have many options. One tool in your estate planning toolkit is the transfer-on-death account. Transfer-on-death (TOD) accounts allow account owners...

A military dad sits a table with his daughter on his lap. She is touching the tip of his nose with her finger and while he is holding a blue iPad.

Funding a Special Needs Trust With a Survivor Benefit Plan

An estimated 20 percent of military-connected children have special needs, according to the National Institutes of Health. With a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), military members can provide for their children with disabilities while helping them maintain access to other benefits.

Proper Retirement Planning Avoids Underestimating Care Costs

February 27, 2025
Brian Hicks
Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, Our Blog, Senior Living, Wills & Trusts

It can be easy to underestimate the amount of money we will need for health care and long-term care after we retire. Not knowing exactly what care we will need and with the costs of all types of care rising,...