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As an attorney I spend a lot of my time educating clients and seminar attendees on the basics of wills, trusts and estates.  Translating law into plain English is a job requirement, and one I really enjoy.  As the work week comes to an end I offer the following post on the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.  While the words are similar, they are two very distinct programs.  And since Friday is my day out of the office, allowing me to focus on parenting my 4 and 2 year old children, this post was composed one an assistant of mine, Katherine Young, who is in her third and final year of law school at my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin. I'l be back next week with more thoughts on illness, death and taxes for the middle class.  Thanks for reading, and remember a blog is not an attorney -- always seek counsel from an attorney licensed in your state. Guest Post by, Katherine Young, 3L Unv. of Wisconsin During this past election year, the govern...

It is not uncommon to find out an attorney is also a self-declared book worm.  A love of reading is almost a requirement to get one through three years of law school.  And most of us emerge from those three years with an even stronger desire to read, but to read things that are not about the law.  That was my case, but I have since resigned to the fact that my area of focus, illness, death and taxes creeps into the arts more often than not. Case in point, while visiting the library recently I spied a slim novella on a shelf written by Richard Russo.  His earlier work, Empire Falls is a favorite of mine, so without thinking I dropped it in our check out bag and headed home.   Intervention is a total of 67 pages, , I thought to myself, wonderful -- a story I can get through in no time!  That turned out to be true (I finished it in two days), but by page 12 or so it was clear that the undercurrent to this story was a cancer diagnosis.  Entertainmen...

Image credit:  www.sxc.hu - free image Kudos to you if you have 1) completed a will, and 2) named a charity as either a primary or contingent beneficiary.  Welcome to a minority of Americans who have taken charge of what will happen to assets upon death and who will oversee the process.  However, there is one lingering question I would ask about those named charities -- does the language take into account the fact that non-profits routinely modify and change their name?  If not, it's time for a will update in my humble opinion. Earlier this week my local newspaper ran a story about how the non-profit Gilda's Club was changing its name to Cancer Support Community .  The reason, younger folks fighting cancer, the groups target audience, were born after Gilda Radner's death and do not know who she is.  Thus they do not make the connection to younger people fighting cancer.  I tested this on my law student working with me today, who was born in 198...

When it comes time to hire a lawyer to draft a will, opening up the phone book or running a Google search is usually not the best approach for those in need of an attorney's counsel.  Why?  When developing an estate plan to fit your needs you need to be able to share openly the ins and outs of your financial situation, family dynamic and other sensitive concerns.  Here are a few things you may want to consider when seeking out an attorney for your will, etc: Interview 3 or 4 different attorneys.  Remember you are hiring this person, so hire someone who is not only competent, but whom you like; Ask friends, family, and neighbors for referrals.  Chances are if they did not like an attorney who helped them they will tell you why, and if they liked the attorney they will give a great endorsement; Look for an educator.  Estate planning is full of technical terms and concepts.  Seek out an attorney who is willing to explain what they are creating for...

I'll be the firs to admit it, if a movie stars George Clooney I don't need anything else to put it on my must-see list.  Prior to having children, I would have seen the film in a theater.  Since having kids, my cinema days are on hold and it is only every few months that I have the time to settle down and watch a film on DVD with my computer.  And so that was the scenario a few weeks ago.  Snuggled under a blanket, kids tucked into bed, and nothing pressing for the following day, I popped in a George Clooney film. There was a vague knowledge that The Descendants had something to do with Hawaii, death, and a trust.  Little did I know I was about to spend near two hours immersed in issues I routinely handle at work.  Granted, I do not have clients with 25,000 acres of pristine Hawaiian land in a trust.  But advance directives, the concept of livings wills, accidents out of the blue, family members waiting on an inheritance, and the messiness of rel...

It's here, Black Friday.  Actually, did it start yesterday with the stores that were open on Thanksgiving?  Any way, I am here today to remind you that after Black Friday and Cyber Monday there is a movement.... #GivingTuesday .  This year, on November 27th, people are urged to think about how they can give back at this holiday time. For our family this is a natural fit.  Long ago we abandoned the long holiday lists.  Our small children receive a few simple gifts, and then we write checks to causes that meant a great deal to us in the year ahead.  This year we may add another, such as going to a blood drive or purchasing a meal for a family in need.  What might you be able to do?  Do you want to give back?  Let me know what you think?  I love the topic of middle class philanthropy and want to know what you are thinking.  Please share and let the discussion begin. Thanks for reading, and I'll be back next week with more thoughts ...

Today our nation pauses to enjoy good food, spend time with loved ones, and celebrate Thanksgiving.  I am taking the day off to be with family and prepare a feast.  But here is a little saying, one our family says before each meal (when we remember, life with a 4 and 2 year old is a little hectic some days).  Enjoy your day everyone! For trees so tall, and skies so blue, For family, friends, and food, we thank you. Image credit:  www.sxc.hu - free image