t February Issue of the Texas Elder Law E-Letter
 
 
 


Welcome to the February Issue of the

Texas Elder Law E-Letter

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HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Our next free “Estate Planning Essentials” workshops will be on Saturday, February 15, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to noon and on Thursday, March 26, 2020 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Seating is limited (our last workshops have had waiting lists). Call (214) 720-0102 to register or sign up online at www.dallaselderlawyer.com. We begin each workshop by asking “What questions do you have about estate planning or elder law?” Then we proceed to answer your questions over the course of the workshop.

Michael B. Cohen will be speaking on February 13th for the DFW Financial Planning Association Conference on the "Use of Irrevocable Trusts in Planning for Care Costs When There is Inadequate Long-Term Care Insurance or Income.


Also, on March 6th Michael B. Cohen will be speaking at the North Texas Probate Bench Bar Conference at 10:00 a.m. on "Seven Different Types of Trusts Used in Public Benefits Planning".


Please note that Michael B. Cohen's radio show on estate planning and elder law can be heard on KAAM (770 AM) on Mondays and Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (unless a SMU basketball game is scheduled at that time). Prior shows (topics are categorized) can be heard as podcasts on SoundCloud and as indicated on our website www.dallaselderlawyer.com. Our podcasts can also be heard on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Subscribe to be notified of future releases.
 
 


Michael B Cohen's Latest Blogs
 
 
 
TRUMP'S MEDICAID REFORM PILL - CURE OR TOO MANY SIDE EFFECTS?
 
In an effort to limit federal Medicaid funding, the Trump administration has offered states the option for a Medicaid block grant. Medicaid block grants have been proposed by conservatives for many years. Texas requested a block grant in its last legislative session.
 
 
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S ESTATE PLANNING FLAWED
 
Former Attorney General Janet Reno's trust had a specific bequest of her mostly underdeveloped four acre ranch home in the Miami area to the University of Miami on the condition that the property remain undeveloped and to keep and maintain the property as it was at the time of her passing.
 
 

SON HOT - SUES OVER DAD'S FROZEN HEAD
 
“They chopped his head off, burned his body, put it in a box and sent it to my house,” stated Kurt Pilegram who has sued cryogenics firm, Alcor Life Extension Foundation (“Alcor”), for a million dollars for emotional distress for what they did to his father’s body after his death.  His father, Laurence, paid Alcor $120,000 to cryogenically preserve his body at a temperature of -196 until technology could bring him back to life. Laurence died at age 90 of a heart attack – more than 20 years after he signed the contract.
 
 
SUCCESS STORY OF THE MONTH
 
A married couple owns a homestead located out-of-state held in a trust. They move to Texas to be closer to their children since the wife needs long-term care. They have no long-term care insurance, and their liquid assets and income are insufficient to pay for her long-term care. Both of them own mineral rights. The wife’s mineral rights exceed the value for the mineral interest to be “non-countable” for long-term care Medicaid eligibility (only non-countable if less than $6,000).
 
 
15 QUESTIONS FOR SENIORS TO CONSIDER PRIOR TO SIGNING COHABITATION AGREEMENT
 
As Americans continue to live longer, many have decided to cohabitate with a significant other (rather than marry) due to complications. These can include kids from a prior marriage or relationship or wealth accumulation by one or both parties. From a financial perspective, sometimes it is better to marry, and sometimes it is not.
 
 
 
 

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