There have been horror stories. Here’s one of them: A member of a longtime same-sex couple dies and his or her surviving partner seeks to settle the estate only to find that they have been shut out entirely. No inheritance, no nothing. Not even a place to live...
Helping People Age With Dignity And Peace Of Mind
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Finding LGBTQ-friendly financial, legal professionals
Gay-friendly professionals can help members of the LGBT community weave their way through the nuances of estate and financial planning. How can they best do so? By simply gaining your trust because they understand the challenges faced by LGBTs.Obtaining advice about...
Challenging a will can prove difficult, costly
Your father has died, his will has been read, and most everyone in the family is not satisfied with the results. What do you do? Challenging your father’s will is an option, but it can prove costly and often be unsuccessful.Still you want to move forward with...
LGBTQ seniors face challenges in finding care facilities
After her partner of 30 years died of cancer, an Illinois senior citizen who happened to be a lesbian moved into a senior living community. She thought she had found the place where she would live out the rest of her days. Instead, she lived in fear of fellow...
Three red flags of financial elder abuse
As your elderly loved ones age, they may begin to have difficulty managing their finances. When coupled with memory problems, your aging loved one may be an easy target for abuse. By knowing what signs to look for, you can help protect them from financial...
How do you avoid probate?
A primary question people ask as they get older is: How do you keep the probate process from mangling your estate?Probate is like a mean dog that stands between us and putting our life property in the right hands. It can be avoided almost entirely – but it...
LGBT couples face many challenges in estate planning
Same-sex couples have faced a myriad of challenges through the decades, and one of them includes estate planning.One would think that the U.S. Supreme Court's monumental decision in 2015 that legalized same-sex unions would have clarified some matters in this area....
Will the new tax bill keep me from paying estate taxes?
On December 20, Congressional Republicans passed tax reform and President Donald Trump signed it into law two days later.This tax bill underwent many changes in its journey to passage. For instance, at one point the estate tax was going to be eliminated. At another...
5 essentials of estate planning
Let's put this right out there: You don't have to be wealthy to need estate planning. You've got a home, cars, investment accounts, household goods, etc. The estate plan determines what will happen to these assets in the event of your untimely demise. And since we all...