I am taking care of my mother in her home. She wants to pay me as her caregiver instead of moving into assisted living. Can she do that?

If you are going to be a paid caregiver for your mother, you must follow some very strict rules. Here’s how it works. If your mother ever needs skilled nursing care, she may need to apply for Medicaid. Medicaid will penalize any payments made to a family member within five years as a “gift” unless… Read More »

My big brother recently died with only one bank account worth about $13,000. He had no beneficiaries listed and I don’t know how to get at the money to pay for his final expenses.

My condolences to you on the loss of your brother. When your brother passed away and didn’t have a beneficiary listed on his account, the probate court steps in to direct where the money in his account will go. Thankfully Michigan has as “Small Estate Probate” procedure that allows you to take care of this… Read More »

My father is going in for surgery next month and I was wondering what kind of planning he should do beforehand?

Great question. Your father should have at least a “base” estate plan in place. This covers three major areas: (1) incapacity, (2) wealth transfer, and (3) beneficiary protection. First, he needs to put someone in place for financial and medical decisions if he can no longer handle his affairs. Be very careful here – many… Read More »