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 moreDuring the recently concluded presidential election, we were consistently reminded of how dysfunctional the relationship between Democrats and Republicans had become. With the threat of the fiscal cliff looming, it seemed especially important that we, as voters, make the right choices in the election. At stake were the estate tax, the Bush era income tax … Read more
Question Medicaid and Medi-Cal Deficit Reduction Act Look Back Period Status of California’s version of DRA California’s Current Look Back Period Conclusion Question: What is the status of Medi-Cal and any drastic changes. I have heard that there is a 5 year look back period but then others tell me there is only a 36 … Read more
As the year quickly approaches an end and the holiday season is upon us, many veterans of all stripes are eagerly awaiting their VA benefits. For veterans caught in the VA’s bureaucracy and ever-growing backlog, it can be incredibly frustrating to wait months for the benefits due to you. However, there are many more veterans … Read more
For many elderly individuals, the possibility of requiring a skilled nursing facility either for long-term care or following a health crisis is a very real concern. Skilled nursing tends to be very expensive; when it is required for long-term care, it can be financially devastating. Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) provides some of the funding necessary … Read more
Gifting with the Ability to Get It Back Introduction Tax Exemption Clawback The Dilemma Irrevocable Trust Gift and Death Tax Result Step Up in Basis Conclusion Dear Mr. Miller: I know there is a $5 million dollar gift tax exemption right now and that it goes away come January 2013. I am single and have … Read more
The state of California has a number of health care programs designed to help the elderly (Medicare) and low income individuals and seniors (MediCal). Among the programs is Healthy Families, which helps insure approximately 860,000 children around the state. The program is currently helping children who do not come from impoverished families, but do come … Read more
As the election cycle continues, Governor Mitt Romney has been increasingly pressed to clarify his position on Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California). President Obama’s position, of course, is to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. For most of the election, Governor Romney’s position has been overturning Obamacare. … Read more
The Department of Veteran’s Affairs is the government agency in charge of paying many veteran benefits, including the GI Bill, and Aid and Attendance (also known as the Non Service Connected Improved Pension Benefit). In order to handle the many benefits programs over which the VA has the obligation to manage, they have created a … Read more
Medical Insurance When You Are Out of the Country?What Should You Have? Introduction Medicare and Medigap Private Insurance Travel Insurance Most Travel Insurance Policies? Medical Evacuation Coverage Is Not What You May Think Why Do You Want Real Medical Evacuation Insurance Cruise Ships The Moral of the Story Summary Introduction: Mark and Betty were having … Read more
Working with an Attorney! Do You Know How? Introduction Problem Difference Between a Typist, a Paralegal, and an Attorney Liability Conclusion Introduction: Margaret made an appointment with an attorney that she had never seen before. She was new to the area and needed to have her estate plan updated. When she sat down with the … 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...
