Read more about the article Protect Your Elderly Parents from Scammers – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Protect Your Elderly Parents from Scammers – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Thinking on a very practical level, if you were a thief and had to choose a target, it would likely be someone who has wealth and is vulnerable—the picture of an elderly person, especially one who is likely to be isolated and may have cognitive issues. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers aged 60 and older filed 467,340 fraud reports in 2021, reporting total losses of more than $1 billion.

A recent article from cbsnews.com, “How to protect elderly parents from financial scams,” says that consumers age 60 and older are less likely to report losing money to fraud than those aged 18—59. Still, when they do report a loss, it tends to be for more money, especially among those 80 and older. They have the highest median loss of all groups.

Older adults are likelier to lose money on scams involving tech support, prizes, sweepstakes, lotteries and friends and family impersonations. What can you do?

Talk about it. Scams target everyone. Therefore, it is an easy topic to bring up. First, start the conversation with your experiences or a trending news story. Next, explain specific scams, like someone reaching out through social media saying they want to be friends, followed by an urgent request for money or fake text messages from a grandchild who needs bail money. People informed about scams’ specifics are less likely to respond.

Use anti-fraud tools. Spam-blocking apps on cell phones can send unknown numbers to voicemail immediately. A credit freeze can secure credit information and is easily temporarily unlocked for legitimate access. Setting strict privacy tools on social media can also limit the number of scammers who can get through.

Signing up for financial account monitoring or receiving alerts for transactions is easily enough put into place. However, in some instances, it would be wise to allow adult children to monitor these accounts, depending upon the parent’s comfort level with sharing this information.

Put legal tools into place. A durable power of attorney, revocable trust, or, if appropriate, guardianship, can be among the most effective ways to keep an older adult’s assets safe from scammers. If a revocable trust is created, an adult child can quickly step in before too much damage is done, whether it’s a fake charity or a “kidnapped grandchild” scammer.

Know the warning signs. An older adult who is suddenly reluctant to talk about their finances had said they are having trouble paying bills when they never had a problem before or is receiving a high number of text messages or phone calls and insists on being alone when they respond may have become a victim of fraud.

Scammers are especially good at creating a sense of urgency, saying their victims must send money or gift cards immediately, or the IRS or police will arrive at their door. The latest wrinkle is the use of artificial intelligence to mimic a loved one’s voice, and the technology is so good that even experts are fooled.

Avoid shaming loved ones. The embarrassment of being the victim of elder financial abuse worsens a bad situation. Don’t scold an elderly person for being fooled; they certainly will be angry enough at themselves for being taken. Reassuring words are more likely to allow the victim to keep some of their dignity, while encouraging them to call you if, and more likely when, they are confronted with another scammer.

Contact us to schedule a complimentary initial call with one of our experienced estate planning attorneys.

Reference: cbsnews.com (April 10, 2023) “How to protect elderly parents from financial scams”

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Read more about the article What Does an Elder Law Attorney Do? Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

What Does an Elder Law Attorney Do? Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Seniors are some of the most vulnerable members of our society. They can fall victim to a range of scams, abuse and misconduct. Seniors may also lack the ability to speak out and be heard. As a result, the combination of these factors can lead to tragic outcomes.

With a law firm that specializes in elder care law at your side, you can provide seniors with the advocacy they need to ensure that their rights are protected.

Seasons’ recent article entitled “Finding an elder care lawyer” reports that according to the WHO, one in six people over the age of 60 saw some type of abuse from 2021 to 2022. Two-thirds of staff members at nursing homes and long-term-care facilities admitted they committed abuse during that same period. Unfortunately, these issues are only getting worse with time, and elder abuse only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Connecting with qualified, experienced elder law attorneys can be simple if you understand how they can help.

Elder law encompasses all aspects of legal representation and advocacy that involve the elderly and include the following:

  • Estate planning
  • Medicaid planning
  • Disability
  • Social Security benefits
  • Guardianship and Conservatorship
  • Elder abuse
  • Fraud
  • Neglect
  • Consumer protection
  • End-of-life planning
  • Retirement planning
  • Long-term-care planning
  • Discrimination
  • Nursing homes
  • Landlord/tenant disputes
  • Powers of attorney
  • Medical care option directives; and
  • Tax issues.

Elder care law deals with legal issues concerning a senior’s well-being in nursing homes and long-term-care facilities. These are areas where neglect, abuse and misconduct are quite common. Therefore, it might be a good idea to contact an elder care attorney as soon as you suspect abuse is occurring.

Contact us to review your estate plan with one of our experienced estate planning attorneys.

Reference: Seasons (Aug. 30, 2022) “Finding an elder care lawyer”

 

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Read more about the article What to Ask a Prospective Elder Law Attorney – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

What to Ask a Prospective Elder Law Attorney – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Seasons recent article entitled “Finding an elder care lawyer” provides some sample questions to ask yourself as you consider an elder care lawyer, including:

  • Is my senior capable of speaking out for themselves, or do they need an advocate to represent their voice?
  • Is my senior the type of person to accept abuse without complaining?
  • Have there been any other instances of abuse at my senior’s nursing home?
  • Is my senior more vulnerable to scams and frauds?
  • What services do elder care lawyers provide?

If your senior has suffered legitimate abuse at the hands of their caregivers, you have the right to file a lawsuit against the guilty party. Your elder law lawyer can help to assess whether a lawsuit is possible during a consultation. That is an initial meeting with a lawyer. During this meeting, you can discuss your unique situation and your concerns. Based on this information, your lawyer can recommend various paths of action. If a lawsuit is possible, they will guide you forward and help you initiate this legal process.

A lawsuit may be filed against a nursing home, a long-term-care facility, or any other organization responsible for caring for your senior. Once you’ve initiated the action, you’ll have the chance to negotiate with the at-fault party for a settlement. However, if a settlement can’t be reached, your elder law attorney will likely represent your senior in court and fight for their rights in front of a judge and jury. The court will then decide on the penalties and financial awards.

It’s a good idea to ask a few questions during your initial consultation. These questions can help you get a better idea of your lawyer’s personality, their overall philosophy toward elder law and whether they can develop a working relationship with you.

Here are some examples:

  • How much experience do you have with elder law?
  • How long has your practice been in operation?
  • Where did you attend law school?
  • Have you taken any additional courses from the bar association or NAELA specific to elder law?
  • What is your philosophy toward elder law?
  • Have you won any settlements for elder victims in the past?
  • How much do you charge?

Contact us to review your estate plan with one of our experienced estate planning attorneys.

Reference: Seasons (Aug. 30, 2022) “Finding an elder care lawyer”

 

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Read more about the article How Does Estate Planning Work for Caregiving Children? Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

How Does Estate Planning Work for Caregiving Children? Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

This situation requires considered estate planning to protect the arrangement, both for the parent and child, in the event of the parent’s incapacity and what may happen, if and when the parent needs to move to a care facility and/or passes away.

If the child is caring for the parent at the parent’s home, the parent’s estate planning often gives the child the ability to remain at the parent’s residence. It may also allow the child to access the parent’s bank accounts, if the parent becomes mentally incapacitated. A recent article from Lake County Record-Bee, “Estate planning for parents with caregiver children,” says if the planning is not done correctly, a series of unintended problems may arise, including disagreements with other family members and allegations of elder abuse, especially financial abuse.

Agreed-upon terms of any living arrangement should be included in the parent’s estate planning documents. If the parent has a living trust, the trust may allow the child to remain in the family home, so the document must clearly state the terms of the living arrangement. If the parents live in a rental property, the POA may be used to authorize the child’s continued occupancy and use of the parent’s money to pay household expenses. The rental agreement would need to include the child as a tenant.

What if the parent lives in the child’s home? The child’s estate plan would need to reflect on what terms the parent may remain in the child’s house, if the child were to become incapacitated or die unexpectedly. Consideration would also need to be given to how the parents receive care.

If the parent dies or moves into a nursing home or when the child moves out, the arrangement ends. What happens next? It depends on the situation. The parent may leave the residence to the adult care giver child. The following also to be addressed: how are expenses, including the mortgage, to be paid and is there an expressed transition period before the child moves out?

If the parent intends to leave the family home to the adult care giver, the estate planning documents need to gift the residence to the adult caregiver. This may include lifetime gifting, or it may entail renting the residence to provide income for the parent’s needs.

If there are siblings, or a spouse from a second marriage, the estate planning documents need to say whether and how other family members participate in the residence. The parents may want to gift the residence to all children, subject to an exclusive life estate for the care giver to live in the family home. When the care giver child becomes incapacitated or dies, the family home is usually sold, and the sale proceeds divided between the parent’s living descendants.

Something to be careful about: if the caregiver child is treated more favorably than siblings. While the parents are entitled to make their own decisions about how to distribute assets, a disgruntled sibling may object to how assets are distributed. An estate planning attorney will be able to formally document the parent’s wishes and prepare the estate for any challenges.

Finally, if no advance planning is done, it is possible the parent may end up needing a guardian and conservator to care for their finances and their well-being, respectively, if they become incapacitated. This becomes an expensive situation, and the result of court-supervised administrators may not agree with how the parent wished their affairs to be handled.

Contact us to review your estate plans with one of our experienced estate planning attorneys.

Reference: Lake County Record-Bee (Feb. 4, 2023) “Estate planning for parents with caregiver children”

 

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Read more about the article Estate Plans Can Protect against Exploitation – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Estate Plans Can Protect against Exploitation – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Financial exploitation is far more common than most people think, especially of the elderly. There are several types of individuals more at risk for exploitation, according to a recent article from mondaq titled “How An Estate Plan Can Protect Against Financial Exploitation.” These include someone with a cognitive impairment, in poor physical health, who is isolated or has a learning disability.

Exploiters share common characteristics as well. They are often people with mental health illness, substance abusers or those who are financially dependent on the person they are exploiting.

There are warning signs of financial abuse, including:

  • Changes in patterns of spending, transfers, or withdrawals from accounts
  • Isolation from friends and family
  • Unexplainable financial activity
  • An inability to pay for routine bills and expenses
  • Sudden changes to estate planning documents, beneficiary designations, or the addition of joint owners to accounts or property titles

One way to avoid financial exploitation is with an estate plan prepared in advance with an eye to protection. Instead of relying on a durable power of attorney, a funded revocable trust may provide more robust protection. A revocable trust-based plan includes safeguards like co-trustees and a requirement for independent party consent to any trustee change or amendment.

A support system is also important to protect a person if someone is attempting to exploit them. Estate planning attorneys team up with financial advisors, CPAs and other professionals to create a plan to avoid or end elder abuse. Other steps to be taken include:

  • Consolidating accounts with a trusted financial advisor, so all assets are easily observed
  • Have a family member or trusted person receive copies of account statements
  • Consider a credit freeze to avoid any possibility of being coerced into opening new credit card accounts or taking out loans.
  • Establishing a budget and sharing information with advisors and a trusted person, so any spending anomalies are easy flagged.

Elder financial abuse is an all-too common occurrence but taking proactive steps to safeguard the vulnerable family member is a good strategy to deter or thwart anyone intent on taking advantage of a loved one.

Reference: mondaq (Sep. 23, 2022) “How An Estate Plan Can Protect Against Financial Exploitation.”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

What Should I Know about Guardianships? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Guardianships – also known as conservatorships – are drastic and invasive. They strip away control adults otherwise exercise over their own lives and establish someone else as the decision-maker.  They require a rigorous showing of legal incapacity and approval by a judge. In many jurisdictions, parties must establish a specific need for guardianship and demonstrate that other alternatives considered would not adequately protect the individual.

Kiplinger’s recent article entitled “Guardianships Should Be a Last Resort – Consider These Less Draconian Options First” says that guardianships should never be undertaken lightly. Once established, they can be extremely difficult to undo. Therefore, other options should always be considered first.

Guardianships ensure that those who are unable to handle their own affairs are not exploited or injured. There are circumstances when a guardianship may be the best – or only – choice. For example, an elderly gentleman with dementia may have lacked the planning to make adequate provisions in his will or trust for management of his affairs. Without a plan for oversight of his assets, he could end up jeopardizing the estate he intended to pass on to his family. In that case, the heirs may look to have a court-appointed guardian appointed who will ensure that their father or grandfather does not sign away his estate or compromise his physical well-being.

Transparency is important. Before it becomes necessary for a guardian to be appointed to handle your physical or financial decisions, consider whom you would trust to act in that capacity and put it in writing.

It also informs others that, if a guardian is needed, this person is the one you would like to see serve in that capacity.

A one-page directive will make your wishes clear and keep this important decision from a judge who will know nothing about you or your priorities or your specific circumstances.

In addition, you should delegate a second person now to support you in the future. It is preferable that this is someone younger whom you trust. This individual will bring a fresh perspective to the situation. They should also possess a sound understanding of money management.

If you do not consider these things now, the state will make the decision for you after you no longer can make such decisions for yourself.

Talk with an experienced elder law attorney and create the documents now that will save your loved ones from having to seek guardianship for you in the future.

Reference: Kiplinger (July 7, 2022) “Guardianships Should Be a Last Resort – Consider These Less Draconian Options First”

 

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

What Kind of Estate Planning Mistakes Do People Make? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Estate planning for any sized estate is an important responsibility to loved ones. Done correctly, it can help families flourish over generations, control how legacies are distributed and convey values from parents to children to grandchildren. However, a failed estate plan, says a recent article from Suffolk News-Herald titled “Estate planning mistakes to avoid,” can create bitter divisions between family members, become an expensive burden and even add unnecessary stress to a time of intense grief.

Here are some errors to avoid:

This is not the time for do-it-yourself estate planning.

An unexpected example comes from the late Chief Justice Warren Burger. Yes, even justices make mistakes with estate planning! He wrote a 176 word will, which cost his heirs more than $450,000 in estate taxes and fees. A properly prepared will could have saved the family a huge amount of money, time and anxiety.

Do not neglect to update your will or trust.

Life happens and relationships change. When a new person enters your life, whether by birth, adoption, marriage or other event, your estate planning wishes may change. The same goes for people departing your life. Death and divorce should always trigger an estate plan review.

Do not be coy with heirs about your estate plan.

Heirs do not need to know down to the penny what you intend to leave them but be wise enough to convey your purpose and intentions. If you are leaving more money to one child than to another, it would be a great kindness to the children’s relationship, if you explained why you are doing so. If you want your family to remain a family, share your thinking and your goals.

If there are certain possessions you know your family members value, making a list those items and who should get what. This will avoid family squabbles during a difficult time. Often it is not the money, but the sentimental items that cause family fights after a parent dies.

Understand what happens if you are not married to your partner.

Unmarried partners do not receive many of the estate tax breaks or other benefits of the law enjoyed by married couples. Unless you have an estate plan and a valid will in place, your partner will not be protected. Owning property jointly is just one part of an estate plan. Sit down with an experienced estate planning attorney to protect each other. The same applies to planning for incapacity. You will want to have a HIPAA release form and Power of Attorney for Health Care, so you are able to speak with each other’s medical providers.

Do not neglect to fund a trust once it is created.

It is easy to create a trust and it is equally easy to forget to fund the trust. That means retitling assets that have been placed in the trust or adding enough assets to a trust, so it may function as designed. Failing to retitle assets has left many people with estate plans that did not work.

Please do not be naïve about caregivers with designs on your assets or relatives, who appear after long periods of estrangement.

It is not pleasant to consider that people in your life may not be interested in your well-being, but in your finances. However, this must remain front and center during the estate planning process. Elder financial abuse and scams are extremely common. Family members and seemingly devoted caregivers have often been found to have ulterior motives. Be smart enough to recognize when this occurs in your life.

Reference: Suffolk News-Herald (Dec. 15, 2020) “Estate planning mistakes to avoid”

 

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Elder Financial Abuse Fraud Occurs, When No One’s Watching – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

The case of Nice vs. U.S. is a dramatic example of what can happen when there are no professionals involved in an elderly person’s finances and one person has the power to make transactions without supervision. In the article “Tax case reveals possible intrafamily fraud” from Financial Planning, a trusted son allegedly decimated his mother’s IRA and left her estate with $500,000 tax bill.

Mrs. Nice and her husband had been married for more than 60 years. Before he died in 2002, her husband arranged to leave significant assets for his wife’s care. Their son Chip was named executor of the husband’s estate and moved in with his mother. In 2007, she was diagnosed with dementia. As her condition deteriorated, Chip allegedly began fraudulent activities. He gained access to her IRAs, causing distributions to be made from the IRAs and then allegedly taking the funds for his own use.

Chip also filed federal income tax returns for his mother, causing her to execute a fraudulent power of attorney. The federal tax returns treated the IRA distributions as taxable income to Mrs. Nice. She not only lost the money in her IRA but got hit with a whopping tax bill.

In 2014, Mrs. Nice’s daughter Julianne applied for and received a temporary injunction against Chip, removing him from her mother’s home and taking away control of her finances. Chip died in 2015. A court found that Mrs. Nice was not able to manage her own affairs and Mary Ellen was appointed as a guardian. Julianne filed amended tax returns on behalf of her mother, claiming a refund for tax years 2006-07 and 2009-13. The IRS accepted the claim for 2009 but denied the claims for 2006 and 2010-2013. The appeal for 2009 was accepted, but the IRS never responded to the claim for 2007. Julianne appealed the denials, but each appeal was denied.

By then, Mrs. Nice had died. Julianne brought a lawsuit against the IRS seeking a refund of $519,502 in federal income taxes plus interest and penalties. The suit contended that because of her brother’s alleged fraudulent acts, Mrs. Nice never received the IRA distributions. Her tax returns for 2011-2014 overstated her actual income, the suit maintained, and she was owed a refund for overpayment. The court did not agree, stating that Julianne failed to show that her mother did not receive the IRA funds and denied the claim.

There are a number of harsh lessons to be learned from this family’s unhappy saga.

When IRA funds are mishandled or misappropriated, it may be possible for the amounts taken to be rolled over to an IRA, if a lawsuit to recover the losses occurs in a timely manner. In 2004, the IRS issued 11 private-letter rulings that allow lawsuit settlements to be rolled over to IRAs. The IRS allowed the rollovers and gave owners 60 days from the receipt of settlement money to complete the rollover.

Leaving one family member in charge of family wealth with no oversight from anyone else—a trustee, an estate planning attorney, or a financial planner—is a recipe for elder financial abuse. Even if the funds had remained in the IRA, a fiduciary would have kept an eye on the funds and any distributions that seemed out of order.

One of the goals of an estate plan is to protect the family’s assets, even from members of their own family. An estate plan can be devised to arrange for the care of a loved one, at the same time it protects their financial interests.

Reference: Financial Planning (March 6, 2020) “Tax case reveals possible intrafamily fraud”

 

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

Why Do Seniors Get Scammed by Family Members? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

The Detroit Free Press’ recent article entitled “Elderly getting scammed by their own family members — and one group wants to stop it” says that the average victim can lose $120,000 to financial exploitation, according to AARP research. Repeated, out-of-the-ordinary cash withdrawals are a big sign of exploitation and scams.

“People are literally being robbed every day through scams or financial exploitation from members of their own family,” said Debra Whitman, executive vice president and chief public policy officer at AARP.

As part of the battle, AARP has launched a new online training module for bank and credit union employees who work with customers on the front lines as a way to prevent financial exploitation.

Instances of elder financial abuse can increase during the holidays because more family members and friends are around.

Financial exploitation has included abusing the relationship with an older relative or friend to force him or her into giving them a big portion of savings that’s in a bank or transferring property to someone else. It may begin with withdrawing just a few hundred dollars from a bank account and then build to repeated requests for more money. This type of exploitation may include misusing a power of attorney by denying an elderly person access to his or her own money and withdrawing money out of a senior’s bank account.

Many perpetrators are known to the victim, such as family members, caregivers, or other workers in the home. In addition to losing a life’s savings, seniors who are victims of scammers or loved ones can have a more rapid decline in health because of the emotional stress from being a victim of financial abuse.

According to a report called “Suspicious Activity Reports on Financial Exploitation: Issues and Trends” released in February by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, older adults lost an average of $48,300, when the activity involved a checking or savings account. This type of suspicious activity on average took place over a four-month period. Suspicious activity reports for elder financial exploitation quadrupled from 2013 to 2017. In 2017, this activity totaled 63,500 incidents. These reports may also be only a fraction of actual incidents, which may go unreported by victims.

AARP is promoting an online training effort called BankSafe that trains bank tellers and other front-line staff to take more direct action when they suspect a case of financial exploitation. They are encouraged to ask the customer probing questions when they see a possible red flag and even mention the situation to a supervisor who may be able to intervene.

AARP’s BankSafe pilot program was launched for six months at nearly 500 branches of banks and credit unions in 11 states. Nearly $1 million was protected when front line employees who participated in the pilot program intervened and stopped criminals from stealing money from the accounts of seniors. In some instances, the bank employee who stopped someone from being exploited refused or delayed a suspicious transaction, put a hold on the account, or explained concerns to the customer who was a potential victim.

The average victim was a woman between 70 and 79 with less than $20,000 in her bank account, according to the new AARP research. The estimated cost of financial exploitation varies but may be more than $2.9 billion a year.

Reference: Detroit Free Press (October 16, 2019) “Elderly getting scammed by their own family members — and one group wants to stop it”

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys