Making lifetime gifts of your assets may benefit your estate, assuming you will have sufficient resources remaining to live comfortably. An individual can give $14,000 per year to another individual. However, Oregon does not tax lifetime gifts. The federal government…
Medicaid for long term care services is a program that provides benefits to someone with disabilities, or who is legally blind, and those older than age 65. The applicant must meet certain requirements regarding income, resources, and level of care…
Estate planning allows you to prepare for incapacity during your lifetime and the transfer of your assets at your death. Your planning may include a power of attorney for finances, an advance directive for health care, and a will or…
You must have capacity or be ‘of sound mind’ to make a will in Oregon. You must also be eighteen or be married. Beginning January 1, 2016, an emancipated minor can also make a will. The will must be based…
Understanding who will receive your possessions after your death is important to many people. For someone dying without a valid will (intestate), if the decedent leaves a surviving spouse and no children from a previous marriage, the surviving spouse would…
In Oregon, a spouse has a right to inherit from a deceased spouse’s estate. The percentage of the deceased spouse’s estate the surviving spouse has a right to is determined by the length of the marriage. The right to elect…
Planning for a disabled child or grandchild requires thoughtful consideration. Assets that a disabled beneficiary receives directly can disqualify the beneficiary from any means tested benefits she/he may be receiving, like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid for long term…
A Durable Power of Attorney for finances allows you to designate someone you trust to conduct financial business for you in the event you cannot conduct your own financial business. An individual (the principal) may be physically unable, for a…
The executor of an estate, called a personal representative in Oregon, and sometimes referred to as administrator, is legally responsible for protecting the assets of the decedent until the probate process is completed and the assets are distributed. A personal…
Under Oregon law you may be able to use an abbreviated procedure to handle your mother’s estate. For small estates that would otherwise require a probate proceeding you may be able to file an Affidavit of Claiming Successor, which is…
It can feel overwhelming when a loved one passes away. Meeting with an experienced Probate attorney can be helpful to discuss the steps you may need to take. The conference should take place prior to making any life insurance claims…
A Durable Power of Attorney for finances allows you to designate someone you trust to conduct financial business for you in the event you cannot conduct your own financial business. If your parents have both named you as their attorney-in-fact,…
On July 1, 2015 there were two important changes to the Medicaid eligibility standards. First, the Community Spouse Minimum Monthly Allowance Standard (also referred to as the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance or MMMNA) went up from $1,967/month to $1,992/month.…
The Medicaid application process can be confusing and is time consuming. You may feel overwhelmed by all the information and advice you receive from well intentioned friends and family members. You may not even know what your rights are because…
