Online resource center to help you explore these key issues, and others, regarding your estate.
Mr. Miller has many years of experience in designing and implementing a comprehensive variety of Trusts, Wills, and other estate planning documents, as well as settling estates in the most expedient and appropriate method. Further, he counsels and assists clients on becoming eligible for VA benefits and Medi-Cal.
Learn moreMr. Miller has been active in the area of VA Pension and Medi-Cal for well over a decade. He uses various specialized types of Trusts as well as non-trust strategies to gain eligibility for his clients and save the family money.
Learn moreMr. Miller has been settling estates (both simple and complex) for well over 40 years. The starting point is always to create a strategy to settle the estate in the most efficient manner possible with a minimum of taxes. Often times the strategy created allows the family to bypass Probate Court proceedings.
Learn moreThis past Tuesday a bipartisan group of senators known as the “Gang of Six” unveiled their 10-year $3.7 trillion deficit-reduction plan. Under the Gang of Six’ deficit plan, reportedly, the Community Living Assistance Services and Support (CLASS) Act, the voluntary long-term care insurance program instituted by healthcare reform, would be repealed before it began. None of … Read more
A daughter came in the other day to inquire about VA benefits for her mother. Mom had just moved into an assisted living facility and her income was not enough to cover the cost of care. The daughter knew that her dad had served in the military during a time of war. She had spent months trying to apply … Read more
Some say that since Congress raised the amount individuals can leave their heirs to $5 million and spouses can combine their exemptions up to $10 million without incurring estate or gift taxes, the A-B Trust is obsolete. This Wall Street Journal article: Does Your Trust Need a Tune up? discusses some of the issues. While there … Read more
I routinely advise my clients on how to store the original estate planning documents I have prepared for them. But there are other important documents that should be protected. The Wall Street Journal’s Weekend Investor just posted an article on the topic. You may also find helpful Good Housekeeping’s list of what to keep, what … Read more
Costs for assisted living homes vary greatly. These costs are dependent on the size of rooms, amenities, services provided, and location. Estimating cost is important. But so is understanding what happens if your personal funds are depleted. The American Healthcare Association’s National Center for Assisted Living publishes a free online guide. This will help you budget … Read more
According to Medicare.gov, there are 86 nursing homes to choose from in San Diego County. There may be more that are not included in this number. This is because they are not “Medicare certified.” If a nursing home is not “Medicare certified,” they may not participate in Medicare or Medicaid. But they can be licensed by … Read more
A client walked into my office the other day with an all too familiar story. His wife was in skilled nursing and the bills were adding up. They would soon run out of money and need to apply for Medi-Cal to pay the bill. He said “We want our two children to inherit our home … Read more
A client’s son called the other day to share his mother’s situation. His sister began noticing some problems with mom’s checking account. My client had recently begun writing quite a few checks to charities and did not remember. In one instance, she said someone came to the door and solicited a donation. The final straw … Read more
As I write this post, I am reminded of that ABC show “What would You Do?” Last week, ABC re-aired John Quiniones’ broadcast about a disoriented elderly driver. A 92 year old actor posed as an elderly man who seemed confused and disoriented as he wandered around asking passersby, “Excuse me, can you help me find my car?” Irene … Read more
As Father’s Day approaches I remember my dad, Dr. David Miller. Besides being a great dad, he was a physician in the Los Angeles area for many years. Dad served in the military during WWII. Like most veterans of the era, he didn’t talk much about his experience there. With a little digging I found … Read more
About Living Trusts is hosted by the Law Offices of Merwyn J. Miller, as your online resource center to help you explore these key issues, and others, regarding your estate.
Dear Mr. Miller: My mother is 82 and still lives alone. Over the last year, she has become noticeably more forgetful. She repeats stories, sometimes f...
Dear Mr. Miller: My mother passed away recently, and I have been named the Successor Trustee of her trust. I expected to be sad after losing her, but ...
Dear Mr. Miller: About ten years ago, my husband and I paid an attorney to create a Living Trust. We signed all the documents and put them in a safe p...
