In a decision issued September 30, 2013, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia agreed with AARP and told HUD to find a way to shield surviving spouses from foreclosure and eviction. A recent Elder Law Answers article, titled "Feds Move to Protect Some Surviving Spouses of Reverse Mortgage Holders,"…
Articles Posted in Asset Protection
Houston: Do You Know If Digital Assets Die With You?
Death is emotionally difficult enough without discovering that you have no idea what digital assets a person had or what they wanted done with them. A growing concern among those wishing to properly manage their digital estate is "digital death," which questions what is an asset or special relationship—and how…
Plan Now for the “What Ifs” of Life in Houston
The most important thing for any patient with a long-term illness is to focus on his overall health and mental outlook. Having financial plans in place allows a patient to set other worries aside. How do you plan for future illnesses or tragedies? The "what ifs" of life are all…
Hollywood Couple’s May-December Marriage Sheds Light on Estate Planning Challenges
Lauren Bacall's loss of husband Humphrey Bogart when her children were young does point to some of the issues surviving spouses face when there is a difference of age of 20 years or more. Of course, May-December marriages don't only happen in Hollywood, and the resources and circumstances can be…
Houston Boomers – Beware of These Estate Planning Blunders
David Cutner, partner at Lamson & Cutner, attorneys for the elderly and disabled offered the following tips for both estate planning and long-term care for boomers. A recent Fox Business article reported that the majority of seniors are completely in the dark on one of the biggest financial risks they are…
Houston Scam Alert! Don’t Fall Victim to Estate Planning Cons
Constantly in the news, it seems like there is a new scam making headlines. One surprising area in which scams are becoming more common is estate planning. Each year, more people fall victim to unscrupulous and unqualified sellers of ineffective estate planning documents. Often, these scammers are door-to-door salesmen or…
Yes, Houston. You Really Do Need a Will
If for no other reason, you need a will to name an executor (or executrix). So, do you really need a will? Yes. Really. A recent Forbes article titled "Do I Really Need a Will?" recommends that you should have a will to at least designate an executor or executrix…
Hey, Johnny Football … Protect Your Money From Getting Sacked!
Manziel is living in the moment and enjoying himself, which is something that Namath did throughout his career, continued Mr. Beatrice. We see a potential problem, however, with his outgoing and festive behavior, and it is not directly related to his abilities on the field. Let's talk about the possibility…
Estate Planning Must-Dos For Houston College Students
After traveling to Mexico for spring break, Alex developed a severe intestinal bug that landed him in the college infirmary. Franc rushed to visit him there, only to find that doctors refused to discuss his son’s condition, citing privacy concerns. If you have a college-aged child, you may need to…
Robin Williams Set Up Trusts To Protect His Children From “Affluenza”
Some people decide, as Robin Williams apparently did, that it's better to hand down wealth to adult children while you, the parent, are still alive. (Of course, you have to have more than enough assets for yourself to be able to do that.) One benefit is that you will have…