Happy New Year 2011! What a great time to create and achieve new goals that bring you peace of mind and fulfillment. We encourage our clients to have a legal check-up a minimum of every three (3) years. Why? The simple answer is that life’s circumstances change which can affect the advice we have previously…

Recently, one of our clients for whom we did long-term care planning for his Mother called to advise that his Mother had passed away. While her passing was a sad event the client had the peace of mind of knowing that he had arranged for the best possible care for his Mother and she had…

The new estate tax exemption, signed into law by President Obama, is $5 million dollars per person. A married couple can pass on wealth of $10 million. The law is retroactive to January 1, 2010. This means that any anyone owning total assets valued under $5 million at death will not incur an estate tax.…

On September 22, 2010 the Third District Court of Appeal in an unprecedented opinion held that Florida Statute 63.042(3) is unconstitutional as the classification does not have a rational relationship to the governmental objective.  That statute states: “No person eligible to adopt under this statute [the Florida Adoption Act] may adopt if that person is a homosexual. …

Imagine this scenario: You successfully obtained a settlement for a couple whose child was severely injured.  You collaborated with an elder law attorney to create a special needs trust to protect the settlement proceeds and preserve the client’s government assistance.  Several years later you get a call from one of the client’s that the couple is divorcing and asking…

Published in Florida Assisted Living Coalition News (FALC) A gift of cash from family, or anyone else could end up costing seniors and families with special needs thousands of dollars in government benefits and services. Government benefits programs do not allow people to have more than $2,000 in their name. Here are a few tips: Do…

Stephanie L. Schneider has been a Board Certified Elder Law Attorney since 1997. Stephanie is accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide clients with guidance and assistance about qualifying for veteran benefits. Stephanie and her team will primarily focus on assisting veterans and their spouses with becoming eligible to obtain benefits under…

Published in Families of Loved Ones (FOLO magazine) By Stephanie L. Schneider Health care professionals and elder law attorneys provide information to caregivers and people with disabilities regarding long term care planning, options and advance directives. It is important to communicate and understand different cultural beliefs and practices in the medical decision-making process for all parties…

Published in Florida Justice Association Journal We await the decision of the United States Supreme Court in the case of Ahlborn v. Arkansas Dept. of Human Services, 397 F.3d 620 (8th Cir 2005). Court Stats: September 27, 2005: Certiorari was granted. February 9, 2005: The US Court of Appeals ruled that a state’s right to…

Published in American Bar Association By Stephanie L. Schneider, Esquire The increasing growth rate of our elderly population in the United States is causing the legal profession to take a long hard look at the everyday problems people face as they age, become incapacitated or disabled, and to create practical working solutions for our clients, their…