Does DOMA being Struck-down Affect Medicaid for LGBT Elders?

Alina and Carol are married and reside in Maryland, where same-sex marriage is recognized. Alina recently had a stroke and may need nursing home in the not so distant future. How does the DOMA ruling affect Medicaid eligibility requirements for LGBT married couples and others in states that have not legalized LGBT marriage?

The answer is, it depends. Many states that have marriage equality did not treat same-sex married couples as married for many Medicaid programs, although several states have already been recognizing marriages between same-sex spouses for Medicaid purposes.

• If your state recognizes LGBT marriage: Now that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has been ruled unconstitutional, every state that recognizes marriages between same-sex couples will recognize their marriages for all Medicaid purposes. So, Alina and Carol in our example would be affected.
• If you are in a civil union or registered domestic partnership and your state recognizes your relationship: You may be treated as married for Medicaid purposes. We do not yet know if you will file federal taxes jointly with your partner. But if you do file taxes jointly, both of your incomes will be considered for most Medicaid income eligibility calculations, which could make you ineligible.  See CNN Money’s article on “Same-sex Marriage Ruling- Financial Impact” for more details.
• If you live in a state that doesn’t recognize your relationship: You will probably not be recognized as married for Medicaid purposes, although some states may decide to provide hardship protections to a partner of a person in long term care.

For additional details, read the The Supreme Court Ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act: What It Means Fact Sheet.

Nursing homes in Northern Virginia cost $12,000 - $15,000 per month. Life Care Planning and Medicaid Asset Protection is the process of protecting you from having to go broke to pay for nursing home care, while also helping ensure that you get the best possible care and maintain the highest possible quality of life, whether at home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home. We here at The Fairfax LGBT Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. have strategies in place to help LGBT couples. With advance planning, each person, regardless of sexual orientation, can retain the benefit of the money, income and assets it has taken a lifetime to accumulate. Visit http://www.LGBTElderLaw.com for more details, and call 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.

 

Evan H. Farr on Google +

Certified Elder Law Attorney and Best-Selling Author Evan Farr Hits #1 on Amazon Best Seller List for the Second Time

Evan H. Farr, CELA, Medicaid Asset Protection expert and Living Trust Plus^TMcreator, hit #1 on Amazon.com best-seller list with “How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus” book, on the first day of the book’s official release.                 

 

* Screenshot above is from 6/21/13 at 12:52 p.m. Complete title of the book was cut off so screenshot would fit in this post.

                                                             

Fairfax, Va. – June 25, 2013 – Certified Elder Law Attorney Evan H. Farr officially released his latest book, How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus™, on June 21, 2013. On the first day of its official release, amid a much-celebrated launch, the book surged to #1 on the Amazon Best-Seller List, “Elder Law” category. The book also reached the top five in the “Health and Medical Law” category.

The potentially devastating costs of a nursing home can be catastrophic to most families, who have worked their entire lives to earn the assets that they have. In this book, Evan H. Farr, CELA, a nationally-renowned best-selling author and frequent educator of attorneys across the U.S., provides incredibly valuable information and guidance to consumers on how to protect their hard earned assets from lawsuits, divorce, and nursing home are using his proprietary Living Trust PlusTM Asset Protection Trust.

The Living Trust PlusTM  is a special type of asset protection trust that functions very much like a revocable living trust but is the only self-settled asset protection trust that protects a family’s assets from probate PLUS lawsuits PLUS nursing home expenses. Mr. Farr created the Living Trust Plus™ in 2007 and it is now used by dozens of exceptional estate planning and elder law attorneys throughout the country. According to Mr. Farr, “although a revocable living trust does a terrific job of avoiding probate, what most people don’t realize is that a revocable living trust does not protect your assets from creditors or from the expenses of long-term care.”

Mr. Farr offers readers expert advice on how to use the Living Trust Plus™ to avoid the problems of probate and the risks of lawsuits and nursing home care. He examines why Wills are not a good solution, and discusses in detail living trusts – both the regular living trust (i.e., the revocable living trust designed primarily to protect your assets from probate) and more importantly, the Living Trust Plus™, designed to protect your assets from probate PLUS lawsuits PLUS nursing home expenses.

To learn more about Evan Farr, creator of the Living Trust Plus™ Asset Protection Trust, and to learn how you can legally and ethically protect you or your client’s assets from nursing home expenses, visit the Living Trust Plus™ Web site at http://www.LivingTrustPlus.com or the Fairfax Elder Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. website at http://www.FarrLawFirm.com, or call Toll-Free 1-800-399-FARR.

To order a copy of the book, please click here. 

###

Contact:
Renee Eder
Director of Public Relations
The Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C.
renee@farrlawfirm.com
703-691-1888

Evan H. Farr on Google +

Only-Children: Caregiving without Siblings

Jamie lives on the same street as her parents, who are in their 80’s, and still reside in the house in which she grew up.  Her father, Sid, is diabetic and has had a hip replacement; her mother, Mary, survived breast cancer and last year underwent heart valve surgery. She takes her mother grocery shopping, but otherwise they haven’t required much assistance at all. Yet, Jamie is frightened. She is an only child. What would happen to her parents if something happened to her?

Jamie feels overwhelmed and worried about what’s to come. What if it turns out to be too much of a weight on her shoulders to handle it all alone? She wishes she had siblings to help. What she doesn’t realize is that sometimes, when there are siblings, they are not always on the same page. This can cause fighting and hostility. Sometimes they get along fine and agree on what’s best for their loved ones. Which is the harder road: Shouldering a sometimes crushing responsibility on your own? Or battling with siblings at a time when working together is crucial?

One advantage to the larger family is that siblings can manage to overcome their antagonisms. Troubled families may require a neutral third party — a family therapist, a geriatric care manager, a social worker, or a mediator in order to work together. Read our recent blog post about dealing with siblings in planning for a loved one’s care for more details.

When people think of only-children they think of having no one to turn to, but that’s not usually the case.  If you are an only child like Jamie, it can be done. She could find camaraderie in a caregiver support group, or seek help from a counselor. She could look to her spouse or partner, and friends. Only-children usually cultivate strong bonds with friends and others, so they don’t have to go it alone. They’re used to reaching out.

The following are tips for only-children caregivers. They work for those with siblings, too, as well as long-distance family caregivers:

• Seek help from your support system. Friends, spouses and your own children can help with Grandma (even if it’s just phone calls).
• Don’t try to go it alone. Ask docs and other caregivers for advice  and resources. Reminder: Many caregivers try to do everything themselves and get sick. No one can afford that, especially an only child.
• Hire a “sibling.” A professional geriatric care manager will be able to guide you, hook you up with programs, agencies and specific needs. She will be able to steer you to volunteer transportation initiatives, for instance, a bookkeeper, or in-home aide. Use our list of trusted referrals for resources and professionals that we have found to be helpful to many of our clients.

What would happen if nursing home care becomes necessary for one of both of Jamie’s parents? Nursing homes in Northern Virginia cost $12,000 - $15,000 per month. Life Care Planning and Medicaid Asset Protection is the process of protecting you from having to go broke to pay for nursing home care, while also helping ensure that you get the best possible care and maintain the highest possible quality of life, whether at home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home. Learn more at The Fairfax Elder Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. website. Call 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.

Evan H. Farr on Google +

Medicare Blue Button Information Can be Accessed Using a Smartphone App

What happens when your dad who lives 1,000 miles away comes for a visit, gets sick, and needs medical care? How can local doctors access his medical information?

MyMedicare.gov's Medicare Blue Button is a computer program that allows patients on Medicare to download their medical history into a simple text file on their personal computers. Now, seniors can get the same Medicare data on their smartphones.

Blue Button downloads three years of medical history and the Humetrix iBlueButton, a smartphone app, translates and displays the information in a simple-to-understand way on your mobile device. The file includes names, phone numbers and addresses of physicians as well as diagnoses, lab tests, imaging studies, and medications. The Blue Button service is available from the federal government for veterans as well as Medicare beneficiaries. More similar apps are in the development phases and will become available within the next twelve months.

So, now when you take your dad who is visiting in for medical care, he can hand over his smartphone and provide his medical history to the doctor.

There are privacy concerns, however, about electronic health records and this type of information being shared on smartphones. Federal Trade Commission rules don't extend to medical information on a smartphone. Medical information on a smartphone app is not going to be protected beyond what's in the privacy policy for the app or what's the privacy policy for the social networking site. So be aware before you share!

Did you know that, like medical records, your Advance Medical Directives can be stored electronically and available when they are needed most (on computers, but not via smartphone apps, yet)? These documents include your Living Will, Health Care Power of Attorney, HIPAA Release, Organ Donor Form, Funeral Arrangements, and all other Advance Directives. At The Fairfax Elder Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C., we offer a service called DocuBank to ensure that that important legal documents will be there when you need them most, such as when you are hospitalized. If you haven’t done so already, plan for your Advance Medical Directives, and take advantage of this great service soon! Call us at 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.

P.S. For information about senior health and well-being apps, click here for a recent newsletter article. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Evan H. Farr on Google +

What is a Lifestyle Care Plan and Why Do You Need One?

Read more about Lifestyle Care Planning in Evan H. Farr, CELA’s latest book, How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus. It is now available in pre-release on Amazon.com – but don’t buy it yet.  If you wait and buy this new book on Friday, June 21, the official release date, you’ll get $1,250 in special bonuses, detailed below the article

Laurie’s late mother, Judy, and older sister, Cheryl, had dementia. If Laurie suffered the same fate, she wanted to make sure her family would know her needs and wishes. Laurie does not want in-home care -- she wants to be cared for in the same facility that cared for her sister, if possible. Laurie also wants her iPod with her favorite music on it to be available and a daily bag of her favorite indulgence, M&Ms, to be provided to her. To her children, these requests seemed silly at the time she made them, but when her mental capacities did diminish, the instructions were there. No one had to wonder if they should try to take care of Laurie at home and how they would do it. Without guilt or question, they placed her in the facility she requested to take care of her needs. All they had to do was make loving visits, and of course make sure she had her iPod and M&Ms.

Laurie had what is known as a Lifestyle Care Plan, also known as an Advance Care Plan, in place. As we age, our ability to live and care for ourselves will decline. Many of us will require and depend on others to assist and care for us. The Lifestyle Care Plan will take away the guess work from your future caregivers. It will provide the information others need to know in the event you are ever in their care and unable to communicate effectively due to stroke, dementia, accident or illness.

The Lifestyle Care Plan is a document that is created by special software that gathers, organizes, stores and disseminates information provided by you in an interview, in order to guide those who you will depend or for future care. The Lifestyle Care Plan identifies your specific needs, desires, habits and preferences and incorporates all of this information into a document that your future caregiver can use to provide you with the best possible long-term care.

The Lifestyle Care Plan provides a way for you to ensure that this critical information is available to your caregiver when needed, and it provides a total picture of you a person and guides your caregiver in your treatment. Because of the importance of the Lifestyle Care Plan, the Farr Law Firm provides one to all of our clients as part our comprehensive Lifetime Planning services. To learn more about the benefits of having an Advance Care Plan, please click here or visit our Web site at:  www.farrlawfirm.com/advance-care-plan.htm Do you have your incapacity planning documents in place? If not, please call 703-691-1888 to make an appointment at The Fairfax Elder Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. for a no-cost consultation.

P.S. How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus™ is available now in pre-release on Amazon.com – but don’t buy it yet. If you wait and buy this new book on the June 21 Official Release Date, you’ll get $1,250 in bonuses including:

• Free copy of Evan Farr’s other book released this year: the Nursing Home Survival Guide;
• Free 45-page Special Report: Legal Research Behind the Living Trust Plus™;
• Two $500 Gift Certificates towards legal services from the Farr Law Firm.

This special one-time offer is valid only on Friday, June 21, 2013. Once purchased, simply email your Amazon.com receipt to renee@farrlawfirm.com. Please allow 1-2 weeks to receive bonuses.

Evan H. Farr on Google +

Medicaid Asset Protection Planning—What are the Goals?

This post is excerpted from Evan H. Farr’s book How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus™.  Buy the book on June 21 and get $1,250 in special bonuses.

The goals that families have for doing Medicaid Asset Protection differ from person to person and family to family. However, it is most important to point out that preserving an inheritance for children is most often not the goal. On the contrary, generally for a married couple the most important goal is to ensure that the spouse remaining at home is able to live the remaining years of his or her life in utmost dignity, without having to suffer a drastic reduction in his or her standard of living. For a single or widowed client, the most important goal is typically to be able to enjoy the highest quality of life possible in the event of an extended nursing home stay. When there is an adult child or grandchild who is disabled, the primary goal is typically to protect assets to be used for the benefit of that disabled family member who is often also receiving Medicaid and Social Security Disability benefits.

Money that is protected through proper planning can be used to:

• provide a nursing home resident with an enhanced level of care and a better quality of life while in a nursing home and receiving Medicaid benefits.
• to purchase things for the nursing home resident or disabled child that are not covered by Medicaid — such as special medical devices, upgraded wheel chairs, etc.
• can be left to your children or grandchildren, particularly if there is a disabled child or someone who needs special financial help.

An unmarried applicant may have no more than $2,000 in “countable” assets in his or her name in order to be “resource eligible” for Medicaid. Does this mean that if you need Medicaid assistance, you’ll have to spend nearly all of your assets to qualify? No — there are
dozens of Medicaid asset protection strategies that can be employed with the help of a  Certified Elder Law Attorney, such as Evan H. Farr. These strategies are explored in chapters 15 and 16 of Evan H. Farr, CELA’s new book, How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus.™ See below for details about why you should wait until June 21 to buy the book!

To discuss strategies specific to your situation, please call 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation at The Fairfax Medicaid Protection Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C.

P.S. How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus™ is available now in pre-release on Amazon.com – but don’t buy it yet.  If you wait and buy this new book on the June 21 Official Release Date, you’ll get $1,250 in bonuses including:

• Free copy of Evan Farr’s other book released this year: the Nursing Home Survival Guide;
• Free 45-page Special Report: Legal Research Behind the Living Trust Plus™;
• Two $500 Gift Certificates towards legal services from the Farr Law Firm.

This special one-time offer is valid only on Friday, June 21, 2013. Once purchased, simply email your Amazon.com receipt to renee@farrlawfirm.com. Please allow 1-2 weeks to receive bonuses.

Evan H. Farr on Google +

Evan Farr Releases New Living Trust Plus Book: Buy it on June 21 and Get $1,250 in bonuses!

Certified Elder Law Attorney and Best-Selling Author Evan Farr Releases New Book:

“How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus."

Mr. Farr’s latest book is now available in pre-release on Amazon.com – but don’t buy it yet.  If you wait and buy this new book on the June 21 Official Release Date, you’ll get $1,250 in special bonuses, detailed below.
-----

Certified Elder Law Attorney Evan H. Farr will officially release his latest book, How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus™, on June 21, 2013.

The potentially devastating costs of a nursing home can be catastrophic to most families, who have worked their entire lives to earn the assets that they have. In this book, Evan H. Farr, CELA, a nationally-renowned best-selling author and frequent educator of attorneys across the U.S., provides incredibly valuable information and guidance to consumers on how to protect their hard earned assets from lawsuits, divorce, and nursing home are using his proprietary Living Trust PlusTM Asset Protection Trust.

The Living Trust PlusTM  is a special type of asset protection trust that functions very much like a revocable living trust but is the only self-settled asset protection trust that protects a family’s assets from probate PLUS lawsuits PLUS nursing home expenses. Mr. Farr created the Living Trust Plus™ in 2007 and it is now being used by dozens of exceptional estate planning and elder law attorneys throughout the country. According to Mr. Farr, “Although a revocable living trust does a terrific job of avoiding probate, what most people don’t realize is that a revocable living trust does not protect your assets from creditors or from the expenses of long-term care.”

Mr. Farr offers readers expert advice on how to use the Living Trust Plus™ to avoid the problems of probate and the risks of lawsuits and nursing home care. He examines why Wills are not a good solution, and discusses in detail living trusts – both the regular living trust (i.e., the revocable living trust designed primarily to protect your assets from probate) and more importantly, the Living Trust Plus™, designed to protect your assets from probate PLUS lawsuits PLUS nursing home expenses. 

How to Protect Your Assets From Probate PLUS Lawsuits PLUS Nursing Home Expenses with the Living Trust Plus™ is available now in pre-release on Amazon.com – but don’t buy it yet.  If you wait and buy this new book on the June 21 Official Release Date, you’ll get $1,250 in bonuses including:

* Free copy of Evan Farr’s other book released this year: the Nursing Home Survival Guide;
 * Free 45-page Special Report:  Legal Research Behind the Living Trust Plus™;
 * Two $500 Gift Certificates towards legal services from the Farr Law Firm.

This special one-time offer is valid only on Friday, June 21, 2013. Once purchased, simply email your Amazon.com receipt to renee@farrlawfirm.com. Please allow 1-2 weeks to receive bonuses.

Evan H. Farr on Google +

One-third of Children with Autism also have ADHD

In a recent study of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in early school-age children (four to eight years old), researchers have found that nearly one-third of children with ASD also have clinically significant ADHD symptoms.

Researchers who facilitated the Kennedy-Krieger study reported that children with co-occurrence of ASD and ADHD were significantly more impaired than children with only ASD, when it comes to cognitive and social functioning, and in the ability to function in everyday situations. These children may need different treatment methods or intensities than those with ASD only in order to achieve better outcomes.

The recent change to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) will remove the prohibition of a dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD, which is an important change since co-occurrence is becoming more common. Read our blog post for more information about the DSM-5, and changes that will take place.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ASD affects 1 in 88 children, and 1 in 54 boys. Hundreds of families are receiving news of an autism diagnosis every day. More than $13 billion a year is spent to care for individuals with ASD.  For the average affected family, this translates to $30K per year. The cost may be even higher for families of children affected with both ASD and ADHD, who may need tailored therapies to improve their outcomes.

We here at The Fairfax Special Needs Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C., know that the majority of American families who have a loved one with special needs require a Special Needs Trust.  These families typically have very little in tangible assets, second mortgages on their homes, and little to no savings (likely due to paying for the costly therapies).  A Special Needs Trust is a vehicle that provides assets from which a disabled person can maintain his or her quality of life, while still remaining eligible for needs-based programs that will cover basic health and living expenses. Please visit our Special Needs web site at www.VirginiaSpecialNeeds.com. If you or a loved one have special needs, call 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.

Evan H. Farr on Google +

Congressman proposes to repeal dishonorable discharges given to gay veterans

Robert O. Hawkins Jr., 75, aspired to have a career in the military. But in 1962, when he was stationed in Florida, he received an ominous knock at his door. He was told that the military had proof that he is a homosexual, and that he could either resign his commission or face a court martial. Hawkins said. “I resigned. I had no choice, really. If I was able to continue, I probably would have been an admiral by now.”

Only recently was Hawkins able to get his discharge changed to honorable. Instead of following his dream of a military career, he ended up working as a teacher and associate dean at a college.

An estimated 100,000 gay and lesbian service members were issued dishonorable discharges between World War II and 1993 due to their sexual orientation, which denied them veteran’s benefits, including medical care and a military burial.

Recently, U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) announced legislation to repeal dishonorable discharges issued to gay service members, and to make sure those veterans get the recognition and benefits they deserve. Israel’s proposed legislation would change all those dishonorable discharges to honorable, allowing the veterans to receive medical and other benefits.

Under the more relaxed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which allowed gays to serve as long as they kept their sexual orientation to themselves, about 14,000 troops were forced out, but most were given honorable discharges that allowed them to draw benefits.
Israel’s proposed legislation would change all those dishonorable discharges to honorable, allowing the veterans to receive medical and other benefits.

Are you or your spouse a veteran? Evan H. Farr is an Accredited Attorney with the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, who understands both the Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit and the Medicaid program and the interaction between both benefit programs.  If you are a Veteran who has been honorably discharged or the spouse of a Veteran and you need assistance, please meet with us.  We can work with you to evaluate whether you qualify for The Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit and help you file the paperwork.  Veterans can take advantage of a special 15% discount at The Fairfax Veteran’s Elder Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C.  Call us at 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.

P.S. June is LGBT Pride Month! Join us for an event on Thursday, June 13, to educate the LGBT community about legal planning and enjoy some delicious refreshments!

Evan H. Farr on Google +

Why You Should Start Planning When You Are Young- A True Story

This is a guest post from Renee Eder, Director of Public Relations at The Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. You, too, can submit a guest post. Find out more here.

Terry was 47-years old, married and had a son from a previous marriage. He was one of those people who you could talk to about anything and feel good after you do. Everyone liked him. He was more than just our handyman; he was our friend and an honorary family member.

We live in a 1960’s home, where everything needs updating. Each year, we would tackle one big project, as we are in our late 30’s ourselves, with two children, and money can be tight. Some handymen come into your house, do a nice job, get paid, and leave. During the many hours Terry worked, we would chat about anything and everything. He got to know us and our kids well and we loved him.

I was walking my dogs two days ago, when I saw Terry working next door. We chatted about how he would come at the end of the week to work in my kitchen and made small talk about the kids and the weather. The next day, I saw ambulances and fire trucks and an EMT with two paddles trying to save his life. He died of a massive heart attack at 5:15 p.m. and left everyone who loved him shocked and heartbroken. As far as I know, Terry’s wife had no estate planning in place. With the unexpected loss of her beloved husband, in addition to grieving, she will most likely have to go through the painful process of probate.

I learn a lot working at the Farr Law Firm. Besides non-stop crying, the first thing I did the morning after Terry died was check on my own documents to make sure they are in place. When something like this happens, you begin to question your own mortality. I cannot put my husband and children through what Terry’s wife will likely go through in the not so distant future.

If you are young like me (in your 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s…or even 20’s), I suggest you read our recent article, Elder Law- It’s Not Just for Elders. Then, call The Fairfax Estate Planning Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. at 703-691-1888 and make an appointment for a no-cost consultation. You will be glad you did.

Evan H. Farr on Google +

June is LGBT Pride month—Celebrate by Planning for Yourself and for Your Loved Ones

LGBT Pride Month is celebrated each year in the month of June. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.

In President Obama’s 2013 proclamation, he wrote:

"This year, we celebrate LGBT Pride Month at a moment of great hope and progress, recognizing that more needs to be done. Support for LGBT equality is growing, led by a generation which understands that, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In the past year, for the first time, voters in multiple States affirmed marriage equality for same-sex couples. State and local governments have taken important steps to provide much-needed protections for transgender Americans.” Read the complete proclamation.

If you are a member of the LGBT community, the best gift you can give yourself this month is peace of mind by planning for yourself and for your loved ones. An LGBT couple can avoid numerous problems through proper estate planning. A proper estate plan will ensure the client's assets are distributed to whom he or she wants, when and how he or she desires and will also assure that any surviving minor children are raised by the person designated in the plan.

Proper estate planning ensures that correct strategies are used to avoid penalties, extra taxation when possible, and the nightmare and expenses of probate. A Revocable Living Trust can establish the client's domestic partner as the trustee if the client becomes incapacitated through illness or accident. The Revocable Living Trust guarantees privacy because it avoids the court-supervised probate process which is open to the public. The Advance Medical Directive can also avoid the potential problems of the client not maintaining control over his or her health care decisions and the domestic partner not having access to his or her partner during a period of incapacitation.

We here at The Fairfax LGBT Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. have strategies in place to help LGBT couples. With advance planning, each person, regardless of sexual orientation, can retain the benefit of the money, income and assets it has taken a lifetime to accumulate. Visit http://www.LGBTelderlaw.com for more details, and call 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.

P.S. On June 13, join us for an LGBT Pride Month Event for clients and potential clients who would like to learn more about LGBT legal planning. Delicious refreshments will be served. We hope to see you there! Space is still available, so please click here to learn more and to RSVP.

Evan H. Farr on Google +