Article by Attorney Doug Chalgian of Chalgian and Tripp Law Offices, PLLC
When new clients come in and tell me that an older adult in their family is allowing a ne’er-do-well family member to live with them and that the ne’er-do-well is financially exploiting the elder, we have “the talk”. The goal of “the talk” is to help this anxious client distinguish between the types...
By Christopher W. Smith, Chalgian & Tripp Law Offices, PLLC
Special needs planners regularly encounter families who have accumulated large retirement accounts. While the initial SECURE Act forced most beneficiaries of an inherited retirement account to take distributions out in 10 years (or fewer), beneficiaries with disabilities (referred to as “eligible designated beneficiaries” in...
Back in the day, when I started practicing law, clients would often come in with the notion that they needed a “quitclaim” deed (or “quick claim” deed as some would call it). I never understood why that term seemed so magical to people, but it did. And so, I would spend time in client meetings figuring out if they needed a deed at all, and then explaining what the difference was between a...
A recent order from the Michigan Supreme Court carries significant implications to those operating residential facilities that cater to senior citizens.
The family of an elderly resident of the Independence Village of Oxford sued the facility after the resident walked outside and froze to death. The family alleged that her death was due to the fact that the door she exited automatically...
If you drove by the Medilodge Nursing Home in Brighton recently, you may have noticed an odd tentlike structure sticking out of the side of the building. Don’t be alarmed. It’s just Eugene loving Anchanette.
You see, this past August, at age 48, Anchanette suffered a massive heart attack, causing her to be placed on life support. Through those first rough weeks at the hospital, her...
A new policy from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will make it harder for people seeking assistance with nursing home costs to “spend down” on household items in order to become eligible for Medicaid assistance.
Traditionally, the value of the things people own that would typically be found in a home, has been exempt from being considered in determining eligibility for...
The case of Bellamy Trust v University of Michigan tells the story of one university professor, and how his vision about the legacy he was creating at the University of Michigan ran into the chainsaw of reality shortly after his death.
Dr. Bellamy was an expert in classical Arabic literature, and dedicated his life to these studies while teaching at UM. He left several million dollars to the...
A friend or family member has been declining.
An event occurs.
They go into the hospital.
And suddenly they’re facing the choice of whether they can return home or whether they need to be placed in an institutional setting.
This is not a question of “for the time being.” This is about the rest of his/her life.
New Words and Difficult Questions
The person you care for needs...
