Many of our estate planning clients rely on social security as part of their income. Although we usually think of Social Security in terms of what a person qualifies for based on their working years, it is possible for a spouse (or former spouse in the case of divorce) to receive Social Security benefits even if they never worked themselves. Whether you are married now or were married in the past, it’s likely that you are eligible for Social Security spousal benefits, as repo

Imagine that a perfectly fine, aging-well parent has a minor stroke and is no longer able to manage their financial or legal affairs. What happens, asks the Daily Times, when you are confronted with this scenario in the aptly-titled article “Senior Life: What a nightmare! Untangling a loved one’s finances”? Estate planning attorneys know how stressful of an event this can be if an aging parent has not planned in advance by getting the appropriate legal documents in place. It

Documents created in an estate plan such as a living will, durable power of attorney and others all need to be kept in a safe place. However, it might also be a good idea to have them easily accessible, according to the Bradenton Herald in “Here’s an easy way to keep your important papers with you at all times.” The article is about a man who looked at all the documents that he and his wife had signed at their estate planning attorney’s office and asked if he could scan and c