What you should know about the probate process: “Probate” is the process under which the assets of a deceased person are distributed.  Maine has a streamlined probate system. In most cases, no judge is involved, unless there are complicating factors.

Can you make decisions for your young adult child if they have an accident or become seriously ill? When a child has reached the legal age of adulthood (in Maine, that's 18 and older), parents have fewer rights over them than they do over minors. An advance directive and a durable power of attorney authorize you to act on behalf of your child. If you haven't made any incapacity plans yet, you can both secure your futures together, and you'll feel better that you're protecting your rights and your child's needs. 

Whether you "summer" at a home away from home that you bought recently or has been in your family for generations, have you considered what will happen to it later? Over time, it might increase in value. Including it in an estate plan will ensure it goes to the heirs you choose while you limit potential conflicts and protect it for the future. 

The Medicare and Medicaid health-care programs may seem similar, but there are some key differences between them. We explore each program, including their coverage offerings and eligibility requirements.

If you want to talk to a loved one about an advance health-care directive, you may not know where to begin. Here is some advice on how to plan the conversation, how to broach the topic, and what to say.

Memory care options for dementia patients include supervision, personal and medical support, recreation, and cognitive therapy to keep people with these conditions active. This article covers the types of residential care facilities available and the factors to consider in deciding which one is best for you or a loved one.

COVID-19 Vaccination Update: Governor Janet Mills announced February 26 that Maine would be moving to an “aged-based” eligibility formula for prioritization of COVID-19 vaccination.

Sadly, coronavirus case counts have skyrocketed recently. The risk of catching the disease can make caregiving more challenging.

Do-it-yourself (DIY) estate planning can be convenient and save you money. However, it can fail to cover every circumstance. In the long run, any mistakes you make may be costly.

The astronomical expense of long-term nursing care is no longer news. Costs can run around $7,000.00 or more per month, depending on location. Hundreds of thousands of people need that kind of care and the numbers are rising.

Most parents choose to treat their children equally when it comes to inheriting property or money. Sometimes, parents intentionally choose not to leave anything to a child, and the reasons for doing so may vary.

Congress has passed a bipartisan appropriations bill. In the contents of this spending bill is a piece of legislation known as the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE), the first significant change in retirement legislation since the Pension Protection Act in 2006. T...

You have the right to decide what kind of medical treatment you want to receive from doctors and health-care providers, but in case you lose the ability to communicate, you should prepare "advance health-care directives."

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) are gaining in popularity across the United States. Sometimes referred to as life plan communities, the goal is to provide a long-term care option for older residents.

An inheritance can be the source of costly mistakes related to Medicaid eligibility - mistakes that should be avoided. When a person is drawing Medicaid benefits and inherits money or property, that inheritance can jeopardizes their benefits. The inheritance must be handled carefully to minimize expensive penalties.

The US Social Security Administrations funding trusts are known as the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund and the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund.

There has been an explosion in the numbers of Americans rushing to make their will online. Understandably, the coronavirus pandemic has created the scramble to set up wills and end-of-life-directives. However, online do it yourself (DIY) wills are often deemed invalid as they do not comply with local laws.

Whom should you trust to manage your financial well being when you are no longer able to do so? An agent under power of attorney (POA) has the legal authority to make financial decisions on your behalf.

Many parents are uncomfortable talking to their kids about their wealth.  Talking about how much money or property you have is usually viewed as taboo.  Asking someone else about what they have is often considered impolite. But failing to talk to kids about how much they may inherit could leave t...

You should check your estate planning documents every so often, to make sure they're still good, especially with big life changes like births, marriages, divorces, and moving to another state. Children grow up, marriages dissolve, property gets sold, residences change - life happens!

The subject of inheritance can often be an uncomfortable conversation among families. Talking about how much money or property you have is usually viewed as taboo.  Asking someone else about what they have is often considered impolite. But failing to talk to kids about how much they may inherit c...

According to AARP, aging at home is a goal for 3 out of 4 Americans aged 50 or more. Aging in place presents some physical challenges.

One of the many reasons why covid-19 has effected seniors drastically is In the best of circumstances, adults in senior living communities and long-term care facilities combat loneliness and some degree of isolation, which is linked to anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, and other ailments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) senior facility guidelines have increased problems of isolation for the more than one million American adults who live in assisted living facilities and nursing homes.

Compared to younger generations, aging Americans are typically more equipped with planning for their estate. Still, a significant number — 19 percent of those over age 72 and 42 percent of those between 53 and 71, according to survey data — lack any type of estate plan.

There are many reasons that the working elderly can benefit from short term disability insurance.