In Massachusetts, immediate annuities are often used to protect the spouse of a nursing home resident who applies for MassHealth. (MassHealth is the term used to describe the Medicaid program in Massachusetts. ) These types of annuities allow the nursing home resident to spend down assets and give the spouse a guaranteed income. To qualify for Medicaid, a nursing home resident must become impoverished under Medicaid's complicated asset rules. In Massachusetts, this means t

It’s not easy to sit down and have hard conversations with your aging or sick loved one, but it is extremely important. Talking about this now will ensure everyone is on the same page and that there’s enough time to put a solid plan in place. Remember, even choosing a great nursing home or assisted living facility can seem almost impossible if you run up against waitlists or financial hurdles that prevent your loved one from getting great care. The time to plan is now! Gentl

As a Boston area elder law attorney, I often meet with clients that I wish had come to see me sooner. It is sad when clients wait too long to call me. I know that they would have had better options for their care and could have saved money, if only they had called sooner. Usually they didn’t think that there was anything that could be done. The cost of meeting with an elder law attorney is a small price to pay that can often result in significant savings and peace of mind.

​As elder law attorneys, we often meet with clients that are concerned about the high cost of nursing home care. In Boston, Massachusetts, the cost of nursing home care can be $12,000, per month or higher. We hope that clients will contact us in advance to plan ahead to remove fear and uncertainty about the future. Please consider why planning in advance can be a gift to you and your family: 1. Planning in advance gives our clients the greatest opportunity to protect thei

Sometimes a will is enough to ensure that your estate is properly planned. In other cases, a trust is also recommended to give you greater control over your assets. The trust can be funded during your life or after your death. "Funding" the trust, means that you deposit a financial account in the name of the trust. Ask yourself these questions to find out if you may need a trust? 1. If you live in Massachusetts, do you have more than $1 million dollars in assets, including