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William G. Nolan, Attorney
Jennifer S. Taylor, Attorney
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Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Elder Law
Probate & Estate Administration
Nursing Home Abuse / Elder Abuse
About The Firm
William G. Nolan, Attorney
Jennifer S. Taylor, Attorney
Natalie B. Choran, Legal Assistant
Pax
Recommended Partners
Book An Appointment
FAQs
Estate Planning
Living Trusts
Planning for Incapacity
Elder Law
Special Needs Planning
Blog
Blog Archive
Contact Us
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Family Caregivers
The Perils of the 50-year-old Daughter
December 20, 2021
Many 50-year-old daughters are called upon to become caregivers for their parents.
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Long-Distance Caregivers Need to Arrange a Consultation With an Elder Law Attorney
August 2, 2022
Elder Law Centerpoint, AL: Long-Distance Caregivers You’re a long-distance caregiver. You don’t live close enough to your mom and dad to stop by their home. You help them in other ways. You refill prescriptions, arrange appointments for them, pay bills, and consult with their nurses, doctors, and home care aides.Powers of Attorney Forms for Medical and Financial MattersIf your role as a long-distance caregiver is to pay bills, you need to have legal permissions in place to access their bank accounts. A financial power of attorney will help the named agent with things like insurance enrollment, loans, and real estate transactions.You also need to have legal permissions in place for medical decisions. Your mom and dad will be able to make decisions for themselves in many situations. But, they should have an agent named to advise doctors if they cannot speak for themselves.A medical power of attorney allows you or their chosen agent the permission to guide doctors and other medical experts to the treatment path they need to follow. It’s only used if they’re in a coma, have a stroke and cannot talk, or are experiencing extreme cognitive decline.Guiding Agents to Make the Right DecisionsWith a living will and advance directive, your parents can lay out the rules they want their medical power of attorney agent to follow. If they’re against feed tubes, they can say so. If they want to have DNR orders in place, that’s also an option.At the same time, there have to be protections to manage their money correctly. Your parents can work with an estate attorney to protect their assets and real estate. An attorney can set up a will and trust to ensure heirs inherit the assets your parents want them to get.Make sure they know that if they recover and can take over making their own decisions, they’re welcome to take back over. They’re not stuck having their agents making important decisions for the rest of their lives. It’s only on an as-needed basis.Schedule a Consultation to Get StartedHave you ever thought about the legal permissions that must be in place to do everything you need to do for your parents? It’s time to talk to an elder law attorney to discuss the steps your parents need to take to ensure their care needs are met when you don’t live close by.Arrange a consultation with an elder law attorney. The attorney can talk to your parents to understand their goals and wishes and involve you when needed. Once the legal forms are in place, you’ll have an easier time handling your duties as a long-distance family caregiver. Call an elder law office now to get started. If you or a loved one need assistance with Elder Law in Centerpoint, AL contact The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC today. (205) 390-0101...
IS THERE A “RIGHT” TIME TO APPLY FOR MEDICAID?
July 20, 2022
Let’s say you are married and your husband’s health has declined to the point where he needs skilled care in a skilled care facility, a/k/a, a nursing home. The cost to go to skilled care will be $9,000 every month! You have done the math and because you have both been thrifty over the years, you have enough money in savings to pay $9,000 every month for quite some time but the reality of seeing your savings dwindle worries you. The nursing home people have told you that you have way too much money to apply for Medicaid. They say that you have to be all the way down to $2,000 before you are eligible! That will take years! What else can you do? The answer is, it depends. It will depend on your husband’s life expectancy, whether his doctors think he will be alive for years to come or not. It will depend on the amount of your total assets, that is, whether your total assets are greater than $450,000 (house included) or less than $450,000. It will depend on the type of assets you own and who owns them- IRA or 401(k)/403(b) assets for example, and their dollar value. In general though, if your assets are greater than $450,000 and the likelihood of you or your husband living for 5 years is good to excellent, you might consider using a special type of trust, called a Medicaid Asset-Protection trust, to hold your assets for your children and grandchildren to receive after you are both gone. During the next five years, you would continue to pay for his care as normal, knowing that you can pursue a Medicaid application once the five years have passed. At that point you can quit writing checks because Medicaid will begin paying his monthly bills. If your assets are less than $450,000, you might want to consider a completely different strategy. Here we would utilize Medicaid’s Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) and their Minimum Monthly Needs Allowance (MMNA) to your benefit. The CSRA is the rule that says that you, as the spouse who is staying at home, are entitled to 50% of the couple’s total assets up to your share being $137,400. The MMNA is the rule that says that if you make less than $2,289, you are entitled to a portion of your husband’s income to boost your income up to that amount. So if you make $1,000/month total income and he is getting $4,500/month in his total income, you are entitled to have $1,289 of his income redirected to you for your support every month! Medicaid would have you believe that you must spend down your assets to $2,000 before you are eligible to apply for benefits. This is simply not true! Let’s assume you have a house worth $300,000 and you have savings of $300,000. In this case we could prepare a Medicaid application for him and assert the CSRA, meaning that we would subtract your 50% share from the $300,000 ($300,000-$137,400) and that leaves $162,300, which must be spent-down or managed in some way before your husband is eligible for Medicaid. Meanwhile, your $137,400 is safe with you. You don’t have to spend that on his care at all. We would then take his share, the $162,300 and we might decide to buy him a new car with some of it. We might go ahead and prepay all funeral costs with it. We might want to spend some of it on the house and with the rest, we would set up a small trust with the Alabama Family Trust and deposit the rest of his money there. Now he is immediately eligible to apply for Medicaid even though his money, and it could be all of the $162,300, is in this trust. Rather than spending down your money over months and months paying for nursing home care privately, you are now letting Medicaid pick up the tab. What are the benefits to doing it this way compared to just privately paying until the money runs out? The first is that you are paying wholesale for his room if on Medicaid but you are paying retail for it if you pay privately. This can save $2,000-$3,000 every month! What I mean here is that Medicaid has a negotiated rate for each skilled care bed and that rate is something close to the average monthly cost of care, which is $6,500. You, on the other hand, pay closer to $9,000 every month, a difference of $2,500. If Medicaid is paying, yes, they are running a tab on you but that tab is growing at $6,500/month. If you are paying, then you are paying at $9,000 per month. Over a five year period this will result in a difference of $150,000! The second reason it makes sense to apply sooner is that, in this example, the money you hold in the trust with the Alabama Family Trust can be used to supplement his cost of care each month. You can use it to pay for a private room for example. Medicaid won’t pay for a private room but you can. You can use it to pay for caregivers to sit with him while you travel or just to give you a break. You can use the money to pay for clothing, subscriptions, entertainment, all things Medicaid doesn’t pay for. If you waited until you were down to $2,000 before you applied for Medicaid, how would you pay for these things then? The third reason it makes sense to apply sooner is to give you some breathing room at home. Wouldn’t you rather have a certain amount of savings set aside that is safe? Wouldn’t you rather have some increased monthly income? Remember the CSRA and the MMNA? If you wait until later to apply for Medicaid, you get to keep half of whatever you both have. If you apply now, you get the full $137,400. If you wait until you are down to say $100,000, you only get to keep half of that, or $50,000. And if you wait, you will have to find a way to live on your income alone, whereas if you apply now, some of your spouse’s income can be redirected to you! These are the benefits to you once you apply for and start to get Medicaid. This is PART ONE of our ongoing discussion about Medicaid. Our next installment will address what to do with specific assets like the home and retirement accounts. Stay tuned! -William G. Nolan, The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC 205/390-0101...
Questions Families Should Ask About Advance Directives
July 18, 2022
Elder Law Birmingham, AL: Advance Directives Not everyone has to be in critical condition to need someone else to make important medical decisions for them. Medical proxies are commonly used after a heart attack, stroke, cancer diagnosis, or when cognitive impairment is present. Your parents may have years of life left, but with diseases like dementia or strokes, it can be hard to vocalize your wishes. Do your parents have advance directives in place? It’s time to discuss this essential legal form. Sit down with your parents and find out more about their wishes. Make sure they know the importance of advance directives. Have They Thought About Their Wishes and Preferences? Ask your parents if they’ve considered what they’d want for care if they became too ill or cognitively impaired to make their own decisions? They need to consider how they’d feel about being on a ventilator or feeding tube in different situations. If there was a chance the procedure or surgery would drastically change their abilities, would they want to undergo that treatment? What about pain management? If your dad or mom is a former addict, there may be medications that they would not want to be used. They may have religious objections to certain treatments or surgical procedures that have to be considered. Some of the things they have to consider include the answers to questions like, “would you want treatments if…” You couldn’t interact with or recognize your friends and family?You could no longer think clearly or vocalize your thoughts?You had to rely on machinery to keep your heart beating or breathe?You couldn’t swallow or chew your own food?You were in severe pain with no possible cure? What about their wishes after they die? Would they want to be buried or cremated? Do they want a memorial or service? Would they want everyone invited or just close family? Who Would They Want as a Proxy? With advance directives in place and filed with doctors, the doctors have to abide by your parents’ wishes. There’s also a power of attorney to consider. That person named on a POA acts as an agent, or proxy, to make sure doctors abide by the advance directives. Ask who your parent would be comfortable naming to make decisions. The person has to be able to act as your mom and dad’s agent. A proxy has to be at least 18 years of age. That person cannot be your parents’ doctors or an employee of the doctor. It also cannot be an owner or operator of a nursing home or assisted living community. Make sure your parents don’t put off their wishes. Talk to an elder law attorney about advance directives. It’s the best way to protect their interests if a medical emergency occurs. An elder law expert can go over the options, listen to your parents’ preferences, and draw up a legal document that can be shared with your mom and dad’s medical team. If you or a loved one need assistance with Elder Law in Birmingham, AL contact The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC today. (205) 390-0101...
Can an Elder Law Attorney Help Your Parents Plan for Long-Term Care?
July 5, 2022
Elder Law Hoover, AL: Long-Term Care When an older parent needs long-term care, a lot of decisions need to be made. If your parents’ situations worsen, who makes decisions for them? Is their home protected from medical debt?Whether it’s dementia or severe arthritis leading to the need for long-term care, you have to consider how it’s being paid for. Insurance coverage is not guaranteed. In fact, it may not cover any of the costs of long-term care. Families should talk to an elder law attorney about these specific areas.Advanced DirectivesYour parents must have advanced directives in place. These legal forms state what you want in different situations. Would they want to be placed on life support if there was little chance for recovery? Would they want to donate their organs? Would they want to be given experimental medications with concerning side effects?An advanced directive covers those wishes. It can also include if they’d want to be buried or cremated. Plus, they could state their wishes regarding if they’d like to be at home in the end stages of a terminal illness or if they’d want to enter a hospice facility.Estate PlanningIdeally, your parents want to get estate planning taken care of as early as possible. If they haven’t done this yet, they need to take care of things like wills, naming an executor, and determining what happens to their home and personal property.If their medical debt is piling up, you may need to discuss how your parents will pay off this debt. Learn more about whether a hospital can file a lien against your parents and take steps to protect their accounts, retirement income, personal property, and real estate if needed.Medicaid PlanningWhat happens if your parents run out of money? At some point, they may qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid planning is complex as there are so many rules to follow. You have to look back at expenditures and income for several years. An elder law attorney specializing in Medicaid can help you navigate the process and get applications completed correctly.Medical and Financial POAsFinally, make sure your parents have established powers of attorney for medical and financial matters. If they cannot speak up for themselves for some reason, they need to choose an agent to make decisions.Suppose your mom has Alzheimer’s. Years from now, her cognitive skills will be minimal. If she’s talked to an elder law attorney and drawn up powers of attorney, she’ll have chosen an agent to follow her wishes and make decisions for her. This can include having someone to keep paying her bills and ensure she ages at home or taking steps to be certain doctors follow her wishes for end-of-life care. If you or a loved one need assistance with Elder Law in Hoover, AL contact The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC today. (205) 390-0101...
The Challenges Facing the 50 year-old Son or Daughter
July 1, 2022
Many people, around age 50, are suddenly thrust into the role of caring for their parents. Many have never thought about the issues facing seniors but now they must find the time to find the answers. Some are still taking care of their own children and have a spouse and their own job. Their time is limited but their parents need care. Someone has to take charge and 90% of the time, it is the 50 year-old daughter. Example: Susan calls an Elder Law attorney in desperation. She has never once thought about Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran’s benefits or assisted living or nursing home issues. Her mother has been living alone since Dad died. Her health is declining now and Susan knows she needs help. Is that what an Elder Law attorney provides, she asks? We meet and learn that “mom” is 83 and still has some mental capacity. We learn that mom is receiving Social Security benefits, a small pension from her late husband, some dividends on stock and interest on her CDs. Mom does not have an IRA. Mom owns her home outright, which is worth $125,000. She does not have long-term care insurance. We learn that mom’s late husband was a veteran who served during the Korean conflict but he was never shipped out. We learn that there are three children, but Susan is the only one who lives close to mom. Mom does not want to leave her home; she is very clear about that. Mom does not want to lose her home or her life-savings to a nursing home either! Susan has promised never to put her mom in a nursing home. The time may come when mom might need to move-in with Susan, and understanding the right way to do that is important because most people do it the wrong way, creating needless expense in the future. So what have we learned from this conversation? First, we have learned that mom may be entitled to a VA pension, a widow’s pension, which could provide an additional $1,300 per month to help her meet her needs. Second, we have learned that mom does not want to lose her home to a nursing home lien, so asset-protection planning is needed to ensure that her goals are achieved. Third, we have learned that mom may need to review her estate-planning to confirm that her assets are passing to the right people in the right amounts and more importantly, that the right person is appointed to help mom make financial decisions should she ever lose her mental capacity. Fourth, if mom does move-in with Susan, she will need guidance as well. Fifth, we raise the issue of what to do if Susan were to predecease her mother. These are all very important issues to discuss and the time to discuss them is not when crisis has already occurred. To summarize, helping families understand the interplay between Medicaid, Medicare and VA benefits, helping families understand how to protect and preserve assets, helping families take care of a family member with dementia and helping families deal with the many challenges that aging brings is what Elder Law attorneys do. Each family is unique. While general information is helpful, talking with an Elder Law attorney is the only way you can trust that the path you choose is the best option. Call one today to find a time to meet. It will be an investment in your future and in your peace of mind....
Living Wills, Advance Directives, and Medical POAs: Aren’t They The Same Thing?
June 20, 2022
Elder Law Homewood, AL: Understanding Legal Information You’ve heard of advance directives and living wills. You’ve also heard your doctor mention a medical power of attorney. Are they the same thing?Understanding What Living Wills and Advance Directives CoverLiving wills and advance directives are legal documents that detail the medical options or treatments you’d want if you needed life-sustaining measures.A living will covers end-of-life decisions like whether you’d want to be an organ or tissue donor. What about pain management or medical treatments? If you had a terminal illness and a new treatment would extend your life by a few months, would you want to try it?Other questions to consider for your living will include whether you’d want CPR if your heart stopped beating. Would you like a mechanical ventilator, a feeding tube, or antibiotics that treat an infection when you’re already nearing the end of your life?Advance directives are similar, but you don’t have to focus on end-of-life care. It can cover situations where you could recover, such as a medically-induced coma or after a stroke.Every state has its own rules on how the forms are signed. Some require a certain number of witnesses. In some states, you might need witnesses and a notary.You should have advance directives and living wills updated after a new diagnosis, after a marriage or divorce, or after 10 years. Keeping this legal form updated is essential to ensure you receive the treatments and care you desire.Once you have a living will or advance directive, make sure your doctor has a copy. Family members that you trust also need these documents.Powers of Attorney for Medical Situations Are DifferentA medical power of attorney is another legal form you need to draw up with the help of an elder law attorney. In this form, you choose an agent to act on your behalf if you can’t speak up. If you have a stroke, you may need someone you trust to make medical decisions for you.The person you choose as your healthcare proxy or agent will use the guidelines you lay out in the advanced directive or living will. Your healthcare proxy follows your wishes to make all decisions until you’re able to take back over.Before you fill out these legal forms, you need to talk to an elder law specialist. You don’t want to be in a situation where the documents are required, only to discover something is wrong. Have an elder law attorney work with you to ensure you have a legally binding advance directive or living will. If you or a loved one need assistance with Elder Law in Homewood, AL contact The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC today. (205) 390-0101...
RELAX! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?
June 10, 2022
No one likes to give up the privilege of driving. It is one of our first rites of passageinto adulthood and it is an expression of our freedom to go wherever we choosewhenever we choose. Many of us have been driving for decades without a singleaccident. Why should a person’s age alone become a measure of whether they candrive or not? As people age though, physical changes often occur. Vision changes, for example.Hearing changes. Reaction times slow down. Neuropathy affects the ability to feelone’s foot on the pedal. Medications can affect a person’s reflexes. Have you everwatched an older person scramble to answer their cellphone? They are still workingunder the mindset that every phone call should be answered and if a phone is in apurse while your loved one is driving, who knows whether it can be answeredwithout being a major distraction? When you have the time, take a look at your parent’s car insurance policy, at thedetails of the policy. EVERY POLICY HAS A LIMIT OF LIABILITY. This means that if thedriver has an accident that exceeds this limit of liability, the insurance company isoff the hook. Their contract for coverage is up to that limit, period. Who isresponsible for damages over that limit? The driver is responsible! Many policies have limits of $250,000 or even less. When the typical pickup truckcosts $75,000 and many cars are worth over $100,000 and there is no shortage ofbillboard lawyers willing to take a case and sue for $1 million in damages, is a policylimit of $250,000 really sufficient? Some seniors will argue that they rarely drive far from home, so they are fine. Backin 2001, Progressive insurance conducted research with over 11,000 people &found that over 52% of reported crashes occurred within five miles from home and77% of accidents occurred within a 15-mile distance. Two decades later, the latestaccident statistics from the NHTSA paints a pretty similar picture. People areactually less attentive when they are driving in their own neighborhoods! Can your parents withstand a lawsuit of $1 million (or more)? If they lose, wherewill the money come from? Their home, their investments, their bank accounts areall fair game. They may not fully understand the consequences of continuing todrive, but now you do. Another issue to consider is this: If your parent’s driving is deteriorating, what elseis going on? Will they be able to make financial and legal decisions much longer?Are they already making mistakes managing their money? Are the bills gettingpaid? How easy or difficult will it be for you to step in, when needed, to help them?Are their essential legal plans already in place and are they up to date? These are issues that Elder Law attorneys deal with every day. If we can help youchart a course through the minefield of being the responsible adult child, give us acall. The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC200 Office Park Drive, Suite 303Mountain Brook, AL 35223205/390-0101www.ElderLawAlabama.com...
Why Is a Power of Attorney So Important?
June 6, 2022
Elder Law Mountain Brook, AL: Power of Attorney A power of attorney is a legal document that names an “agent” to make medical or financial decisions. The form is used when the person known as the “principal” is unable to make decisions for some reason or cannot be present to sign legal documents during financial transactions.Have you ever considered the importance of a power of attorney? Everyone should have designated an agent for medical and financial decisions. If your parents haven’t named an agent, it’s time to address the documents with an elder law specialist. Here are some of the ways a power of attorney helps.Emergency Medical SituationsA stroke, a car crash, or another emergency medical situation can require a power of attorney. If your dad has a stroke and cannot talk, someone needs to be ready to make decisions for him. He wants an agent that understands his wishes on matters like feeding tubes, medications, and ventilators. His agent will make these choices until he’s able to do it himself.Suppose your mom is in a car crash. She’s currently being kept sedated while her body heals. She can’t pay her mortgage, but it’s due today. With a power of attorney for her financial matters, her agent could step in and make sure bills are paid.Declining Cognitive SkillsAging can lead to chronic health conditions that make it hard to make critical decisions. That’s another reason to make sure powers of attorney documents are in place.If your dad has Alzheimer’s disease, at some point, the cognitive impairment will render him unable to make decisions about his medical needs and financial matters. Your dad will need a medical power of attorney to decide if he wants a flu shot, if he should be treated for a severe infection, or if he needs a feeding tube.At the same time, he won’t understand money matters as well as he once did. He needs someone to pay his bills, manage his money, research, and enroll for insurance like homeowner’s insurance, health insurance, and dental insurance. His financial power of attorney agent can do this for him.While it’s possible to create them online for free, it’s always best to talk to an elder law attorney and make sure the powers of attorney you draw up are official. If you don’t, you could find a hospital or bank refusing to accept them at the worst possible time. Don’t risk having invalid powers of attorney. If you do, it could end up costing you so much more. If you or a loved one need assistance with Elder Law in Mountain Brook, AL contact The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC today. (205) 390-0101...
When Is the Best Time to Discuss Long-Term Plans?
May 16, 2022
Elder Law Vestavia, AL: Long-Term Plans Your mom is getting older, and her health is changing. You’re starting to wonder if you put off considering her long-term care plans longer than you should have. When is the best time to discuss aging and the right time to make plans for her estate, long-term care, and powers of attorney designations? How do you get started? It’s Better to Choose Sooner Over Later Don’t push off this critical conversation. The best way to ensure your mom’s plans are followed is by making sure you’ve planned in advance. A lot of families don’t realize that long-term care needs are rarely covered by health insurance or Medicaid. If your mom has Alzheimer’s, her around-the-clock need for supervision to prevent wandering or other harmful behaviors isn’t covered. She pays out of pocket. The only time Medicare helps pay for the care is when it is medically necessary nursing home care. A patient needing skilled nursing care may qualify for 20 days of skilled care. After that, if additional care is needed, another 80 days may be approved. Medicaid is another option, but one must meet the income and asset requirements. Typically, a person who qualifies for Medicaid is out of assets. It’s a long application process, so most people find it easier to work with an elder law attorney who specializes in Medicaid rules. Know Your Mom’s Wishes Make sure you know your mom’s wishes for care. Does she hate the idea of moving to a retirement community? Is her dream to stay in her home for as long as she can? Go over the different scenarios. If your mom had the choice to bring home care aides into her home to help out, would she want that? Does she feel it’s better to have friends and family helping her for as long as possible? That’s also something to consider. You also have to be honest about the amount of time you have. If you work full-time and something happens to your mom, could you stop working and help out? If it would be financially straining, you have to look at whether or not you could be paid to be her family caregiver. Take Preventative Measures to Protect Her Interests Once you know what your mom would want, talk to her about the steps she’s taken to protect herself. Does she have a living will or advanced directives in place? If she hasn’t laid out what care she’d want in different scenarios, she’s overdue. If your mom had a stroke and couldn’t speak, she’d be at the mercy of the doctors to decide if she should be given a feeding tube or put on a ventilator. If she wants control over care needs like that, she needs to designate a medical power of attorney. Talk to an elder law attorney about POAs, living wills, and more. The attorney can help your mom better understand the steps she can take to protect her wishes for long-term care now and in the future. If you or a loved one need assistance with Elder Law in Vestavia, AL contact The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC today. (205) 390-0101...
Five Things to Understand About Estate Planning
May 3, 2022
Elder Law Birmingham, AL: Estate Planning Imagine this scenario. An older man passes away without ever thinking about drafting a will. He has a nephew who visits often and helps with home upkeep. The nephew had always been told that he’d get the house, but no plans were made. There’s now an argument over who really gets the house. That happens more than you might think. It’s a key reason that estate planning is essential. It’s never too early for your dad to talk to an elder law attorney. When he does, be ready to discuss these five areas. What Are His Assets and Non-Physical Assets? Your dad needs to go through his home and build a list of the items he owns that have value. This can be antiques, electronics, tools, art, jewelry, etc. Does he have a home? What about a vacation home or land? Take note of his cars, yard or farm equipment, and collectibles. He wants a comprehensive list of these assets. Add to that his bank accounts, stocks, IRAs, CDs, cryptocurrency, and any other money he’s tucked away. He also wants to list insurance policies, such as life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, etc. As he goes through these accounts and policies, make sure he’s filled out the beneficiary information on anything that requires this information. Build a Spreadsheet of Debts Go through all of the bills he pays. How much is he paying each month, and how much does he still owe? Get mailing addresses where payments are submitted. Make sure you also have the account numbers for those accounts. Keep this list updated. As he pays off an account or line of credit, he needs to cross it off his list. If he opens anything new, he needs to add the new account to the list. Don’t Forget the Pets If your dad has pets, he needs to make sure they’re included in his plans. Would a family member take them? Does he plan to leave money for each pet’s care? Decide Who He’d Want as an Executor Your dad needs to designate an executor. This person is the one who will make sure your dad’s will is followed when he dies. He needs to choose someone who would follow his wishes in a responsible manner. Because death is an emotional time for family members, your dad may not want his immediate family to be the executor. He might find it’s better to choose a friend or cousin instead. Work With an Elder Law Attorney Once you have these comprehensive lists, store a copy in your dad’s safe deposit box or safe. You might want to store a copy in your files just in case his gets lost. You also want to schedule a consultation with an attorney that specializes in estate planning. The attorney can help your dad make sure his assets are divided the way he wants. With transfer on death designations, he might be able to keep many of his assets from going into a costly, time-consuming probate process. Call an elder law attorney today. If you or a loved one need assistance with Elder Law in Birmingham, AL contact The Alabama Elder Care Law Firm, LLC today. (205) 390-0101...
