This month, we are having two (2) Estate Planning Essentials Workshops!  The first one is on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. until noon and the second one, also on a Saturday, will be on June 24, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. until noon.  Registration can be made by calling us at (214) 720-0102 or signing up online at www.dallaselderlawyer.com.

Attendees often ask questions about estate planning, probate, Medicaid and Veterans benefits. We proceed to answer the questions over the course of the workshop (although there will be a presentation also).

If you have an illness that is likely to limit your life due to the illness being serious and chronic (such as heart failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, cancer, dementia and Parkinson’s Disease), would you like to improve your quality of life by having: (1) less pain, stress and discomfort; (2) treatment that goes by your desires; and (3) less hospital readmissions? If so, you may be a candidate for palliative care.

Oregon was the first state to permit physician-assisted suicide in 1997, but this past month Vermont became the first state to have a law that does not require residency in the state to participate. Vermont previously permitted physician-assisted suicide, but it changed its law to waive state residency as a result of a lawsuit. Oregon no longer enforces its law that still requires state residency to participate under its Death with Dignity Act. Oregon stopped enforcing the residency requirement as a result of a settlement of a federal lawsuit last year.

Scams seem to be increasing daily. Deed fraud (attempted transfer of property without the knowledge and consent of the true owner) could be on the rise. Criminals sometime forge deeds, have the deed notarized and record it with the county clerk where the property is located. They may give the notary a fraudulent identification or counterfeit a notary’s signature or work with a dishonest notary. After recording, the criminal may try to sell the property (without the use of a title company) or lease the property if the property was vacant (typically vacation or rental properties).