If you want to be comprehensively prepared, you may want to consider all of the finer details when you are devising your estate plan. It is possible to address important elements in advance, including your final arrangements, as this can ease the burden on your family. Personal Decision Do you want to be cremated or buried? Is there a certain type of memorial service that you would prefer? Do you have a particular member of the clergy in mind? These are personal questions, and you can … [Read more...] about Do You Have Final Arrangement Preferences?
Funeral Arrangements
Practical Steps to Take after the Death of a Loved One
Even though we know better, we all prefer to think our loved ones will live forever. We probably have never sat down and thought about what steps we will need to take after a loved one passes away. Consequently, if we find ourselves in this position we may not know what to do. Although everyone's experience is unique, the Oklahoma City trusts and probate attorneys at Parman & Easterday have put together a list of practical steps typically needed to be taken following the death of a … [Read more...] about Practical Steps to Take after the Death of a Loved One
What You Need to Know about the Cost of Dying
If you prefer not to think about your own funeral and burial – you are hardly alone. Most people don’t want to dwell on the reality of their own mortality. You should, however, know enough about the practical expenses involved in a funeral and burial to recognize the wisdom of including a funeral planning component in your comprehensive estate plan. With that in mind, the Overland Park estate planning attorneys at Parman & Easterday discuss what you need to know about the cost of … [Read more...] about What You Need to Know about the Cost of Dying
How Does the Funeral Rule Protect You?
The time period that follows the death of a loved one is typically one filled with grief and other strong emotions. It is also a very vulnerable time for the survivors, making it a poor time to make important decisions. Nevertheless, there are often a number of important decisions relating to the decedent’s funeral and burial that must be made. If you find yourself faced with making these decisions, it may help to know that the law offers you some protection through something known as the … [Read more...] about How Does the Funeral Rule Protect You?
A TEDx Talk About Having a Good Goodbye
Don’t plan to die? Bad news – humans have a 100% mortality rate. Yet only 30% of us make end-of-life plans, such as wills or trusts, advance medical directives and pre-need funeral planning. That leaves 70% of our families unprepared and devastated not if, but when, a death occurs. Listen to Gail Rubin on why we avoid the topic of death and how to improve end-of-life planning rates so everyone can have a Good Goodbye. Gail Rubin, CT, is a death educator Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying … [Read more...] about A TEDx Talk About Having a Good Goodbye
Medicaid, SSI and Special Needs Trusts
Medicaid is a government-run health insurance program. The program is administered by the federal government along with each respective state government. There are federal guidelines, but the exact way that the program is administered will vary on a state-by-state basis. The Medicaid program is only available to people who can demonstrate significant financial need. There are Medicaid recipients who are healthy, but many disabled people are enrolled in the Medicaid program. People with … [Read more...] about Medicaid, SSI and Special Needs Trusts
When Do I Need a Special Needs Trust?
There are different ways that you can go about planning your estate. It is not always going to be a matter of drawing up a last will or simple living trust that explains how you want a pie of sorts sliced up among multiple people. There are websites on the Internet that sell do-it-yourself estate planning notions. They suggest that it is easy to plan your own estate by creating a last will or perhaps a revocable living trust. … [Read more...] about When Do I Need a Special Needs Trust?
Autism Care & Treatment Efforts Highlighted in April
The month of April is Autism Awareness Month, and we would like to do our part to raise awareness here on the blog. … [Read more...] about Autism Care & Treatment Efforts Highlighted in April
Special Needs Planning: Providing Without Jeopardizing Benefits
You must evaluate the unique needs and personal proclivities of your heirs when you are planning your estate. There is no one required way to transfer assets to your loved ones. The intelligent course of action is to discuss your unique family dynamic with a good estate planning attorney when you are making preparations for the future. … [Read more...] about Special Needs Planning: Providing Without Jeopardizing Benefits
Discuss Special Needs Planning With An Expert
The cost of nursing home care is extraordinarily expensive in the United States. The MetLife Mature Market Institute keeps tabs on the industry, year-by-year, and their 2011 statistics give you an idea of just how exorbitant these expenses have become. … [Read more...] about Discuss Special Needs Planning With An Expert