Estate and Elder Law

Recent Posts

Deirdre Wheatley-Liss: Love is Lost - And So is Your Inheritance - Divorce Really Ends Things
Posted on 12 Apr 2013 by Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss

A common plan among our married clients is to leave their property to their spouse, either outright or in trust - oft-referred to as the "I Love You" Will. Sometimes, love is lost and the couple divorces. We recommend our clients update their... Read More

What does it mean to be "family" with 21st century science?
Posted on 15 Jun 2012 by Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss

In law school we learned about the "fertile octogenarian" - a theoretical construct about what would happen to a property distribution scheme in an estate plan if you had some wacky birth order situation (ie: my great-uncle is 60 years younger... Read More

Deirdre Wheatley-Liss: 4 Good (?) Reasons to Contest a Will
Posted on 21 Mar 2013 by Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss

Maybe it's the season, but I have gotten a lot of calls recently about will contests. A will contest usually happens when your heirs are surprised by what your will says, or by what you have left when you go to the great beyond. I have represented... Read More

Long Term Care Insurance May Become a Thing of the Past
Posted on 6 Apr 2012 by Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss

It seems that the insurance companies really boggled it when it came to pricing out long term care insurance policies. Long term care policies have been hit by a triple whammy - historically low interest rates, policy holders living longer, and policy... Read More

NJ Increases Medicaid Penalty Divisor Rate
Posted on 2 Jul 2012 by Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss

While the increase of the Medicaid penalty divisor rate is a good thing, the divisor rate is supposed to mimic what a family privately pays for a semi-private room in New Jersey. Now, things might be different in other places, but our clients would find... Read More

Long Term Care Insurance May Become a Thing of the Past
Posted on 6 Apr 2012 by Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss

It seems that the insurance companies really boggled it when it came to pricing out long term care insurance policies. Long term care policies have been hit by a triple whammy - historically low interest rates, policy holders living longer, and policy... Read More

Insolvent Estates - Who Gets Paid What When an Estate's Debts Are More Than Its Assets?
Posted on 15 Feb 2012 by Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss

A decedent doesn't always leave assets to his or her heirs - instead there may only be a pile of debt. An estate is known as an "Insolvent Estate" when its liabilities exceed its assets. What to do in that situation? When determining... Read More

Deirdre Wheatley-Liss: Personal Injury Damages and Medicaid Liens - SCOTUS Decides
Posted on 15 May 2013 by Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss

You have a horrific accident and are looking at a life of extreme medical care. The accident was caused by another person (drunk truck driver). You get a multi-million dollar award. Does the state that you live in get a share? First, personal injury... Read More

What does it mean to be "family" with 21st century science?
Posted on 15 Jun 2012 by Deirdre R. Wheatley-Liss

In law school we learned about the "fertile octogenarian" - a theoretical construct about what would happen to a property distribution scheme in an estate plan if you had some wacky birth order situation (ie: my great-uncle is 60 years younger... Read More