Letha Sgritta McDowell, CELA, InterActive Legal On April 17, 2018, the acting director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a policy clarification to all state Medicaid Directors regarding the imposition of penalty periods for individuals requesting Home and Community Based Services. The reaction to this guidance is... Continue reading

Hiring a new employee is an exciting time in your business. If it’s time to hire some help, it means you’ve met your goals and are anticipating more growth. Continue reading

Vanessa L. Kanaga, InterActive Legal If you are like most of my colleagues, the title of this piece had you grinding your teeth. In the hopes that you might consider me a credible source and continue reading, allow me to state that I know the term "irregardless" is generally considered... Continue reading

With over 2.6 million deaths in the U.S. each year, family offices, wealth managers, loved ones and attorneys are often not prepared to effectively erase an electronic footprint and secure digital assets of the deceased. Continue reading

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Sally Chung, CFP, ChFC, JD, Elder Law Planning® subscriber, bestows a “basket of thanks” upon InterActive Legal’s Teresa Bush Recently, InterActive Legal Director of Education and Support Services, Teresa Bush, received a sincere and generous “Thank You” from subscriber Sally Chung, who migrated over from a competitor in the Elder... Continue reading

The Clayton QTIP works very much like a disclaimer, because both are post-mortem tools for funding a bypass trust. Continue reading

Some attorneys feel that Elder Law and Estate Planning are distinct disciplines, and that a focus on one or the other for each individual client is critical. Others are of the opinion that Elder Law is really just good Estate Planning. Said another way, Estate Planning itself is already the... Continue reading

Elizabeth Q. Boehmcke hired as Content Attorney Melbourne, FL — InterActive Legal is pleased to welcome estate and elder law planning attorney Elizabeth Q. Boehmcke to the company’s growing legal team. As the newest of InterActive Legal’s dedicated on-staff attorneys, Beth will work with the other members of the Content... Continue reading

On February 15, 2018, STEP Orange County recognized Jonathan Blattmachr, the Founder of Pioneer Wealth Partners, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Interactive Legal, and Director of Estate Planning of Peak Trust Company, for his decades of contribution to the estate planning industry. He was awarded with STEP Orange County’s first Lifetime of Service Award. Continue reading

Author: Joanne Marcus, MSW Commonwealth Community Trust, Richmond, VA This is the third article in a series on Pooled Special Needs Trusts. Click here to read the first installment, An Overlooked Planning Option: Pooled Special Needs Trust. Medicare Set Asides (MSAs) are common in the Workers’ Comp field and may... Continue reading

A brand new book, Estate Planning Under the 2017 Tax Reconciliation Act, by Martin Shenkman, Jonathan Blattmachr, and Joy Matak explains many of the new provisions of this far reaching legislation and explores how planning will change, with an emphasis on estate and transfer tax planning and tax planning for individuals. Continue reading

Author: Charley Mann, Chief Marketing Officer, Great Legal Marketing Rolling over into a new year has special implications for any attorney dealing with long-term financial planning, such as estate planning, elder law, and special needs planning. Many “planning attorneys” like you are handling responsibilities with tax season for clients and... Continue reading

Due to changes brought about by the new tax law, some charitably-motivated clients may wish to act now to make the most of the charitable deduction. Continue reading

The number one concern among Beneficiaries and Advocates regarding a pooled special needs trust (PSNT) is understanding how the trust and disbursement process work. Accessing the trust and requesting disbursements should not be frustrating. Upfront explanation of how the disbursement process works and how and why decisions are made can help your client avoid confusion. Continue reading

In 2018, we recommend you do one thing to market your business. Engage in digital marketing. When people search for the services you provide, they need to find your practice. Continue reading

Jonathan Blattmachr is chosen as winner of 2017 Hartman Axley Lifetime Service Award from the NAEPC Continue reading

Author: Joanne Marcus, MSW Commonwealth Community Trust, Richmond, VA According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly thirteen percent of the population has a disability. Estate planning, elder law and special needs planning attorneys often utilize inter vivos or testamentary special needs trusts (SNTs) when helping clients establish a plan to... Continue reading

ILS 8 Coming Soon Continue reading

InterActive Legal announces the appointment of Martin M. Shenkman, CPA, MBA, PFS, AEP (distinguished), JD, as a member of the InterActive Legal Advisory Board. Continue reading

In response to the President’s Executive Order of April 21, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service has issued Notice 2017-38, 2017, designating the Proposed Regulations under Section 2704 of the Internal Revenue Code as imposing an undue financial burden or adding undue complexity (or both). The proposed regulations, issued on August 4, 2016, could dramatically expand the scope of Section 2704, particularly as it applies to transfers of limited partnership interests, non-managing membership interests, and non-voting stock. REG-163113-02, 81 Fed. Reg. 51413-02 (Aug. 4, 2016). Continue reading

As estate planners, part of our job is making sure our clients’ desires – as far as who receives their property – are fulfilled. Some clients know exactly what they want, and others need to be provided with options so that they can choose the who and the how. But in every case, we also must help our clients to consider all possibilities, with respect to both the people and property involved. Continue reading

January tends to be a very busy time for elder law attorneys. The holiday season seems to result in increased injury and illness for the elderly which results in more rehabilitation leading to long term care needs. Continue reading

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last week, you undoubtedly know that America is still reeling from the election. Regardless of your political view, the fact that a reality television star is going to be the next POTUS is surreal. Continue reading

During the first few weeks following the Presidential election, blogs and list serves were full of predictions for an immediate permanent repeal of the Federal estate and generation-skipping tax system, with retention of the gift tax system to protect against indiscriminate income tax shifting. Continue reading