Author Archives: Jay Butchko
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 »
Providing For Animals In Your Estate Plan
Disinheriting the people in your life is exhilarating. Once you realize that you have a legal right to write your children out of your will, you can take delight in how much money will be left for someone more deserving. But who? You and your siblings have never seen eye to eye, and your… Read More »
What Can You Do With A Trust?
In some ways, all trusts are alike. Much like a business, a trust has its own tax ID number, and its property legally belongs to it instead of to you; in this regard, it is similar to a business entity. The person who sets up the trust, funds it, and gives instructions about how… Read More »
How Does Long-Term Care Work?
No one’s estate plan is complete without a plan for long-term care. After you have written a will and gotten a realistic picture of what your income and expenses will be during retirement, it is time to think about long-term care. Some of your long-term care plans depend on personal preference and your family… Read More »
What Happens If The Probate Court Asks You To Give A Deposition?
In probate as in other legal matters, the courts are not supposed to make arbitrary or hasty decisions. The rules of civil procedure require that both parties, with the representation of their lawyers, have time to prepare their arguments and present evidence to support them. In emergency situations where judges must make quick decisions,… Read More »
How To Deal If You Are The Personal Representative Of An Insolvent Estate
High prices and the economy seem to be here to stay. Millennials probably will never be able to afford to retire, which means that some of them will be living paycheck to paycheck when they die. Therefore, insolvent estates are likely to become more and more common as the last generation to own substantial… Read More »
