5 Useful Features for an Asset Protection Trust
When designing a trust to protect assets against nursing home spend-down, lawsuits, scam artists, undue influence from family or acquaintances, or other hazards, we use certain features over and over again. These features make the trust more user-friendly, allowing...
Medicaid Estate Recovery in PA: How It Works
“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...
What is Power of Attorney (and Why Have One)?
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...
Medicaid planning for single/widowed in nursing home
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...About Andrew Sykes
The founder of Sykes Elder Law, Andrew Sykes is recognized as a leading elder law authority in Western Pennsylvania. Mr. Sykes is the past chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Allegheny County Bar Association.