2021 Articles
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You Can’t Take it With You… Consider Charity in Your Final Plans
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • December, 2021
- As we come to the holiday season, charitable giving comes to the fore. Do you donate money to charity each year? Perhaps you donate to an organization dedicated to finding a cure…
Where There’s a Will, There’s an Heir
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • November, 2021
- We’ve all heard the expression, “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” but among estate planning specialists, the old adage becomes “where there’s a Will, there’s an heir.” We have all heard the stories about heirs coming out of the woodwork when money…
Special Needs Require Special Planning
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • October, 2021
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States today, 61 million adults are considered disabled. Their disability may entitle them to receive various benefits that are provided by the federal and state government. Some of these benefits, such as…
Moving Forward with a Reverse Mortgage
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • September, 2021
- A multitude of seniors, having paid off their mortgages many years ago, currently own their homes free and clear of any debt. Some are fortunate, and they have a nest egg that, along with their income (Social Security/pension), allows them to maintain their home and provide for themselves without difficulty. Some are not so fortunate, and although…
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • August, 2021
- When the time comes for you to pass away, what legacy will you leave? Will it be purely monetary or will it include your values, wisdom, and life lessons? When you desire to leave more than material possessions, you need an ethical will…
Planning for Long Term Care
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • July, 2021
- Long term care costs can deplete your assets at an alarming rate. Many people will enter a nursing home during their lifetime where they will nur the average monthly cost of $13,000 for an average stay of 2.5 years. To make matters worse…
Establish an Estate Plan Before Your Trip
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • June, 2021
- Summer is nearly here, and many are heading off for a fun, restful vacation. Perhaps you will head to the shore to enjoy the weather, or with COVID hopefully waning, perhaps you will visit family or friends? When planning to travel…
Just two documents: These tools help smooth crucial decisions
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • May, 2021
- Each year, numerous petitions are filed with the court seeking the appointment of a guardian and/or conservator to make decisions for a person who has lost their ability to make their own decisions –whether due to physical or mental illness. This process is expensive, lengthy, and public.…..
The IDIOT Trust: A tool to protect assets from nursing home costs
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • April, 2021
- When it comes to protecting assets from nursing home costs, many believe that the solution is to place those assets in a trust. In some circumstances, establishing an irrevocable trust, which is required to obtain asset protection, may carry great risk. Nonetheless, in the right circumstances, a smart choice could be the IDIOT Trust.…..
Collector’s Primer: planning for the continuation of your cache
- Gina M. Barry, Esq • March, 2021
- Rare is the person who collects nothing. Most of us have some affinity for particular items that we simply must collect. Some collected items have great monetary value, while others have only sentimental value. Some enjoy the challenge of amassing rare collections, which, if substantial, may bring renown amongst collectors and non-collectors alike. Others maintain collections that may not have great monetary value, but that have been passed down through generations of family history…..