My father named my mother, then me as his attorney-in-facts in a financial power of attorney. Both my parents are now in care facilities and not competent. Am I automatically in charge or does something more need to be done?…
As the personal representative what kind of things do I need to think about before I settle my friend’s estate? Estates vary widely, but basically you have to focus on three areas – taxes and administrative expenses, final bills of…
My father named my mother, then me as his attorney-in-facts in a financial power of attorney. Both my parents are now in care facilities and not competent. Am I automatically in charge or does something more need to be done?…
What is a life estate deed? The short answer is a life estate deed separates ownership of real property between two different parties. Often, but not always, the parties are the parents or one parent, and a child or more…
If someone dies in a car accident and he is not at fault, who receives the insurance settlement monies, the people named in the will or the heirs-at- law? The proceeds of a wrongful death action are paid to the…
Things are changing for my parents and I feel I need to address early care and monetary issues with my siblings when they visit from out of state at Christmas. How do I begin? I am a big advocate for…
What should I know before I agree to administer a trust? The most important aspects of administering trusts are organizational skills and record keeping. Basically you need to track every dollar coming in and going out of the trust and…
How do I select a good attorney? Start by doing some homework and find out what kind of law the attorney practices. This can be as simple as referencing the firm’s website, checking the yellow pages and calling to ask…
I have children here and in Pennsylvania and are trying to decide where to retire. I heard something about filial responsibility laws and want to know if they exist in South Carolina. South Carolina does not have a filial responsibility…
How can one pre-plan for long term care? There is an old Chinese saying that the best time to plant a tree for shade is 20 years ago. The second best time is now. There are two kinds of planning…
