fbpx
Close Menu
+

Recent Blog Posts

What to understand about Medicaid's spousal impoverishment rules

Understanding Medicaid’s Long-Term Care Spousal Impoverishment Rules

By Andre O. McDonald |

The prospect of long-term care often brings with it many financial concerns. As we experience our declining health or that of an aging family member, we begin to realize that long-term care needs at home or in a facility could be necessary. When looking into local senior home care services and skilled nursing facilities,… Read More »

Mental illness and estate planning: important considerations and tools

Estate Planning for Parents of Children with Mental Illness

By Andre O. McDonald |

Mental illness in the United States is more common than most people may think. More than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness and one in six U.S. youth aged 6 to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year. Many different mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders fall under the umbrella term of mental illness…. Read More »

What young adults neet to know about HIPAA

HIPAA: An Overview for Young Adults

By Andre O. McDonald |

The Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was enacted to provide guidelines to the healthcare industry for protecting patient information and preserving privacy. This is usually a nonissue for minors because parents, as legal guardians, generally have access to their children’s medical information, make most of their medical decisions, and… Read More »

18th birthday - now what?

Happy 18th Birthday! Now What?

By Andre O. McDonald |

Congratulations! You are now legally an adult. Although you may not feel any different, from a legal standpoint, a great deal has changed. When you were a minor (under age 18), your parents were your legal guardians responsible for making all your decisions. Now that you are an adult, their legal authority over you… Read More »

How to Stop Mail Addressed to a Deceased Person

4 Steps to Stop Mail Addressed to a Deceased Person

By Andre O. McDonald |

Once you have been appointed the executor or personal representative of a deceased loved one’s probate estate, or when you step in as the successor trustee of the loved one’s trust, one of the first things you should do is to notify the post office of the death and ask them to forward the… Read More »

Special Needs Trusts vs. ABLE Accounts: Weighing It Out

Weighing Your Options: Special Needs Trusts vs. ABLE Accounts

By Andre O. McDonald |

A special needs trust (SNT) and an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account each provide a tax-free way for people with disabilities to save money. Both options provide a mechanism for saving money and protecting resources that ensures the disabled individual remains eligible for public benefits. Accumulating resources without jeopardizing key government benefits… Read More »

ABLE Accounts vs. Special Needs Trusts: How to Best Provide For Your Disabled Loved Ones

ABLE Accounts and Special Needs Trusts    

By Andre O. McDonald |

People who have loved ones with disabilities and need a way to save money tax-free often create a special needs trust (SNT) to supplement their loved one’s unique requirements and quality of life while continuing their eligibility for public assistance programs. In 2014, the ABLE Act (Achieving a Better Life Experience) became a second… Read More »

Key considerations in estate planning with an only child

How Do I Create an Estate Plan with an Only Child?

By Andre O. McDonald |

Stereotypes surrounding “only child syndrome” have largely been debunked, as recent studies show that only children, on average, develop social skills similar to those of children with siblings.[1] Further, outdated perceptions surrounding only children have shifted as the average size of the American family has shrunk, and one-child families have become far more common…. Read More »

Ways to use a third-party SNT to make life more enjoyable

Enriching Life with a Third-Party Special Needs Trust

By Andre O. McDonald |

A special needs trust (SNT) allows an individual to provide for a disabled beneficiary without jeopardizing the beneficiary’s eligibility for needs-based government benefits. SNT funds can generally be used to pay for almost anything that falls outside the basic support that programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid provide. This includes many… Read More »

Understanding rights of survivorship (and the risks of a DIY deed)

Caution: Using a DIY Deed to Avoid Probate Can Lead to Unintended Consequences

By Andre O. McDonald |

One common way to avoid the probate requirement for real estate after the owner dies is to add children or other individuals to the property title as joint owners with rights of survivorship. When joint owners have survivorship rights and one joint owner passes away, the remaining owners automatically receive the entire interest of… Read More »

Request a Consultation

For help with estate planning, special needs planning or elder law throughout Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore County; and Baltimore City, contact McDonald Law Firm, LLC.

Captcha
McDonald Law Firm, LLC

Columbia Office

10500 Little Patuxent Pkwy, #420
Columbia, MD 21044-3563

Bethesda Office:

(By Appointment Only)

7315 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 800 West
Bethesda, MD 20814

Washington, DC Office:

2101 L Street, N.W., Suite 300
Washington, DC 20037

  • Facebook
  • Google Plus
  • linkedin

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

No content on this site may be reused in any fashion without written permission from www.mcdonaldesq.com

© 2016 - 2025 McDonald Law Firm, LLC. All rights reserved.