Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Reality Check: Your Clutter Will Not Destroy Your Family
On some corners of the Internet, people seem to think that a person’s moral worth is inversely proportional to the amount of stuff he or she owns. By this logic, your grandmother’s kindness and generosity were canceled out by her collection of souvenir spoons that formed such a thick layer on the walls of… Read More »
Considerations About Inheriting Real Estate
The annoyances of homeownership are a popular subject of conversation at housewarming parties. The new homeowners will proudly humblebrag about all the costly repairs they made before they moved in and the ones they plan to make next. The conversation then turns to a game of one-upmanship about homeowners’ association dues and the aches… Read More »
An Estate Plan For Your Intangible Heritage
The clients of estate planning lawyers invest a lot of time on saving money after they die, which, when you say it out loud, sounds absurd. Everyone knows that going out of your way to avoid spending money even when you are financially secure isn’t about wanting to avoid poverty; it’s about wanting to… Read More »
A Second Act Career Is An Underrated Way To Spend Your 60s
As much as young people might fear old age, there are a lot of things you do not miss about being young. For example, you do not miss always feeling like you have to impress your current employer and prospective employers. You also don’t miss the stress of middle age, where you worry that… Read More »
Collecting Debts On Behalf Of The Estate Of A Deceased Person
It is frustrating when creditors keep pursuing you about debts you cannot pay. At least, when you are the personal representative of an estate and creditors contact you to collect money that the decedent owed them, you can respond, “The person to whom you lent money is dead. Kindly accept this paltry settlement and… Read More »
Avoid Senior Safety Hazards By Spending The Winter In Florida
Native Floridians get tired of hearing about how they are missing out on the change of seasons. Who needs autumn leaves, winter snow, and spring allergens when you can have year-round sunshine? Those of us who have lived up north have a more nuanced view on the matter. Yes, setting out for trick-or-treating as… Read More »
Why You Should Act Quickly To Open A Family Member’s Estate For Probate
After the death of a family member, the last thing on your mind is ensuring that your in-laws and your stepchildren get their inheritance, unless, of course, they are bugging you about it. After planning a funeral and moving the decedent’s belongings out of the nursing home, you are eager to get used to… Read More »
Seniors Need To Be Strategic About Debt, Too
Some retirees drive north for the summer and south for the winter, while others soak up the Florida sun all year. For every retiree who spends Saturday afternoons playing bridge, there is one who spends Saturday afternoons at the public library. One retiree’s preferred form of physical exercise might be tennis while another prefers… Read More »
Trusts With Minor Beneficiaries
A lot of people like the idea of spoiling their grandchildren. When kids cannot hide their disappointment at the fact that you bought them clothes instead of a toy for Christmas, it does not come across as ingratitude in nearly the same way as when an adult expresses displeasure toward a gift. A child’s… Read More »
Hard Truths, And Some Hope, About Alzheimer’s Disease In Florida
When you consider how quickly medical science has found ways to manage and cure diseases once considered catastrophic, the devastation of Alzheimer’s disease seems even more exceptional. Over the past few decades, the survival rate for most types of cancer has improved substantially, and the rate of optimal outcomes for children born prematurely has… Read More »
