by Andrew Sykes | Feb 13, 2019 | Estate Administration, Medicaid Planning
“Estate recovery” is Pennsylvania’s program for recovering Medicaid costs from the estates of recipients who have died. For example, if Aunt Martha spent a year in a nursing home receiving Medicaid and then died owning a house worth $200,000, the estate recovery...
by Andrew Sykes | May 18, 2018 | Estate Planning
If you need some clarity on what exactly a “durable power of attorney” is, and why it’s important to have one, watch the short video below. Here I give you my thoughts on what can happen if you don’t have power of attorney, and why it makes...
by Andrew Sykes | Sep 13, 2017 | Medicaid Planning
Readers of our blog have heard of the many ways assets can be protected for the spouse of a nursing home resident when applying for Medicaid benefits. What about someone who is widowed or never married? Without a spouse to give assets to under the spousal protection...
by Andrew Sykes | Apr 11, 2017 | Estate Planning, Will Contests
Fundamental to the validity of any last will and testament is that the testator (person whose will it is, and who is signing the documents) had capacity at the time of execution. By statute, a testator in Pennsylvania must be “of sound mind” to make a will. (20 Pa....
by Andrew Sykes | Apr 10, 2017 | Medicaid Planning, Trusts
For many middle class seniors, the house is one of their major assets – sometimes the most valuable asset. I’m often asked, “How do I save my house from being lost to nursing home costs?” The answer in many situations is through the use of an asset protection trust...