NC and SC Estate Planning and Elder Law Firm

Each year, Medicare open enrollment happens. Beginning on October 15 and ending on December 7, open enrollment marks an important opportunity for eligible individuals to enroll in Medicare plans or make changes to existing coverage selections. It is important that Medicare participants take time each year to review their existing Medicare coverage and make any changes needed in order to maximize their coverage opportunities.
Read more . . .

Testamentary capacity is essential to making a valid will. In fact, testamentary capacity refers to the mental capability of a person to establish a formal will. For a person drafting a will, referred to as the “testator,” having testamentary capacity is a requirement for the will to be recognized as valid.
Read more . . .

The year 2020 has thrown some difficult things in our way as a nation and a global community. The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the health and well-being of people across the world. While new information comes out almost daily as researchers search for a vaccine and a better understanding of this novel virus, one thing seems to have been clear from the beginning which is that seniors tend to be much more susceptible to the dangers associated with contracting COVID-19. This has led to extra strict measures being recommended and required for seniors and senior communities, such as nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Isolation has been a sad side effect of these strict, but necessary measures.
Read more . . .

Having an estate plan in place means that you have taken a valuable step towards protecting a future you want for you and your family. In order for an estate plan to be most effective, however, it needs to remain updated so that it always falls in line with your most current wishes. This means that you should take time to revisit your estate plan, especially after major life events, in order to make sure that it still reflects what you want for you and your loved ones.
Read more . . .

Life in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic sometimes seems dominated by fear and anxiety. The potential of life-threatening illness looms in the air and many people feel lost as to what they can do to regain some sort of control over this new life. This can be especially true for parents that are sending their college-aids kids off to school. While campuses have made major efforts to put protections in place geared towards keeping staff and students as safe and healthy as possible, there is still that fear of what could be. One way to help find some peace of mind and regain a sense of control is to evaluate what legal tools you have in place to protect your college kid should some kind of health crisis befall them.
Read more . . .

We are all struggling with the impacts that the spread of COVID-19 have had on the world. Seniors, in particular, have been hit hard by social distancing measures. While these are in place to help protect groups like the elderly, who are at a high risk of infection, there has been a serious toll taken on the mental health and well being of seniors. This is especially true for those living in nursing homes. Most, if not all, nursing homes have closed doors to visitors in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to residents.
Read more . . .

Hurricane season is in full swing and residents of the Carolinas are all too familiar with the havoc that storm season can bring upon communities. In times of severe weather, seniors can be particularly vulnerable as they often have limited mobility and heightened caretaking needs. This is why it is of the utmost importance that we all plan ahead on how we can keep our elderly loved ones safe and secure during hurricane season. Read more . . .

There will come a time when most of us will have to have a very difficult conversation with our parents about their long term care plans. It is a fact of life that, many times, our parents will end up with a need for a level of care that is above that which we can provide them with. When this time arrives, you want both you and your parents to be prepared to make the smoothest possible transition. This smooth transition all begins with talking to your parents about moving to a Read more . . .

When you hear people talking about estate planning, you may associate it with your parents or your grandparents. You may think about it as something that wealthy individuals do to protect their assets and figure out where their money will go after they die. Estate planning is about so much more though.
Read more . . .

As your parents age, you will have to have some difficult conversations with them. One of these conversations may be your growing concerns with their abilities to safely operate a motor vehicle. From the time we start driving, we associate it with freedom, independence.
Read more . . .

It can be a difficult decision, but there may come a time when you are no longer able to give an elder loved one the level of care they need and deserve. This means that you will need to begin the process of moving him or her to a nursing home facility. Even when you know moving a loved one into a nursing home is for the best, it can still be very difficult on you and the person making the move into the facility. Be aware of the things you should do when moving a loved one into a Read more . . .