Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Susan Arthur break down the role of an elder law attorney, on this week’s episode of ElderTalk with Joe Cordell. They highlight the uncertainty that the future includes and how having a plan in place, created by an experienced elder law attorney can help put your mind at ease. They talk about how proper planning can help protect your life’s work and how building your team of experienced professionals in respective planning fields can be beneficial in deciding your future.

Joe discusses how a financial advisor, a medical care manager, a geriatric care manager, an individual that you would give durable Power of Attorney to, a spiritual advisor of some sort, and an elder law attorney can make for a complete team that assists you in making decisions regarding your future.

Joe also explains the vague boundary that exists between an elder law attorney and an estate planning attorney, as well as the need for having an elder law attorney who is opinionated.

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Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Susan Arthur continue their discussion on estate planning issues that arise for celebrities. They discuss musician Ray Charles and the issues surrounding the trusts that he established for his children, as well as the amount that he left for his charitable foundation. Due to a lack of clarity and updates regarding the amounts being given to each child, litigation occurred.

Joe and Susan also discuss musician and aspiring politician Sonny Bono and his lack of will during the time of his death. They highlight how her former wife, Cher, sued the estate for unpaid alimony and was able to collect, despite her own success.

They talk about R&B singer Barry White and the lack of updates of his will. This, paired with the fact that his divorce to his second wife was not made legal, caused problems among the family members involved.

Joe and Susan also break down the issues surrounding Michael Jackson’s last wishes and the issues surrounding having a pour-over will and not putting the assets in a trust, as well as the estate of former Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie and the problems he had with his will, revocable trust, and his spouse’s forced share. They wrap up the show by discussing how much money Leona Helmsley gave her dog after she died.

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Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Susan Arthur dive into estate planning through the lens of celebrities and use them to highlight the ways that you can put a plan in place, in order to take care of those that you care about.

They discuss the story surrounding Buzz Aldrin and his desire to get married again, despite his children’s concerns regarding competence and the legal implements regarding guardianship that are in place. They talk about the possibility of a prenuptial agreement providing safeguards that could quell the concerns of the children.

Joe and Susan discuss the detailed will and trust of Frank Sinatra and the company that his daughter was running, but was left to his wife, Barbara. They also discuss former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Warren Burger and his 176-word will. The division of assets was not evenly split, causing discord among family members.

They also talk about the will of Lauren Bacall and the taxes due on her estate. Joe discusses issues involving liquidity in estate planning. Joe and Susan wrap things up by talking about Lisa Marie Presley and her issues surrounding her father’s estate and the issues surrounding her own finances.

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Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Susan Arthur answer listener questions, regarding issues that those facing the aging process would find helpful. These questions answer topics surrounding protecting assets, when you are attempting to qualify for Medicaid,  whether payments to third-parties are subject to the five-year look-back rule of Medicaid, whether or not writing the wrong address or wrong last name on a Power of Attorney document requires getting a new one, how competency can play a factor in determining whether or not someone is fit to live on their own, utilizing the legal maneuvering involved in creating a new Power of Attorney, in order to override the decision-making of someone named in the original one, the time that it takes to settle an estate, and so much more.

Joe and Susan discuss what the best way is to give money to your grandchildren, what a 529 plan is, the benefits of a trust, and how insurance policies can affect qualifying for Medicaid.

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Attorney-CPA Joe Cordell and co-host Susan Arthur kick off 2019 by discussing practical New Year’s resolutions, so that you can be benefit from the changes you make in the new year.

In no particular order, Joe and Susan discuss having important estate planning documents located in a place where other people know where they are, having a plan for asset transfer, having conversations with your family members about what you have decided, making sure that you have Powers of Attorney and health care directives created, so that your wishes regarding financial and medical decisions can be realized by a loved one, having a reliable emergency alert tool, joining a walking program, so that you can get the exercise in, and getting a physical, committing to a social club or activity, so that you can gain the physical benefits of social interaction with others.

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