The ‘Sandwich Generation’ – Taking Care of Your Kids While Taking Care of Your Parents “The sandwich generation” is the term given to adults who are raising children and simultaneously caring for elderly or infirm parents. Your children are one piece of “bread,” your parents are the other piece of “bread,” and you are “sandwiched”…
Continue reading…What is a Conservatorship?
The Basics of Conservatorships Sometimes, bad things happen to good people. A tragic accident. A sudden, devastating illness. Have you ever wondered what would happen if a loved one became incapacitated and unable to take care of himself? While many associate incapacity with a comatose state, an individual, while technically functioning, may be considered incapacitated…
Continue reading…Guardianships & Conservatorships and How to Avoid Them
Guardianships & Conservatorships and How to Avoid Them If a person becomes mentally or physically handicapped to a point where they can no longer make rational decisions about their person or their finances, their loved ones may consider a guardianship or a conservatorship whereby a guardian would make decisions concerning the physical person of the…
Continue reading…Cancer Treatment Often Leads to Bankruptcy
Cancer Treatment Often Leads to Bankruptcy These days, it seems like everything under the sun, and even the sun itself, causes cancer. A recent study shows that cancer may cause yet another hardship for those diagnosed—Bankruptcy. There are a number of reasons for this. A patient may be unable to work during treatment or only…
Continue reading…Should I Transfer My Home to My Children?
Most people are aware that probate should be avoided if at all possible. It is an expensive, time-consuming process that exposes your family’s private matters to public scrutiny via the judicial system. It sounds simple enough to just gift your property to your children while you are still alive, so it is not subject to…
Continue reading…Minnesota Seeks Federal Approval of Medicaid Changes
I have recently been approached by several people seeking assistance on an increasingly common situation: what to do with a parent who suddenly needs living assistance. One thing to note for these clients is that they are not alone. According to the statistics related by the department of human services, 557,000 Minnesota residents received Medical Assistance…
Continue reading…UPDATE: Obama Offers Relief for Same-Sex Couples Who Need Medicaid Benefits
UPDATE: I recently attended a conference with David Godfrey the Medical Assistance (Medicaid) Director for Minnesota. I asked him if there were plans to implement the policy advocated by the HHS allowing the well partner of a gay couple the same ability to protect assets as married straight couples have under current law. Specifically, under current law,…
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