Author Archives: Jay Butchko

Medicaid Eligibility Options for Older Adults in Connecticut
Nobody wants to think about needing long-term care in a nursing home in Canton, yet a high percentage of Connecticut residents will need some type of long-term care in their later years. Since nursing home and other long-term care costs are so high, most Connecticut residents will work with an elder law and estate… Read More »

Is the Information in My Estate Plan Confidential?
There are many different reasons that Canton residents may want to keep the information in their estate plan confidential. When it comes to particular health care decisions, you may not want certain people in your life to start arguments with you or to attempt to urge you to change your mind about a particular… Read More »

Gifting Strategies You Should Consider
You may be making plans to leave certain high-value assets to your children or grandchildren in your will, or making similar bequests to other loved ones. Yet in some cases, it might make much more sense to make some of those gifts while you are still alive — both for purposes of taxes that… Read More »

What is a Marital Deduction Trust?
Estate planning in Connecticut usually involves various types of estate planning tools, including trusts. There are a wide range of trusts that can be created under Connecticut law, and they serve distinct purposes. A person who is making an estate plan might want to create a special needs trust to ensure that a disabled… Read More »

Do I Need to Appoint a Health Care Representative if I Have a Living Will?
Adults of all ages in Connecticut should have estate plans, especially particular documents like a will and advance directives. If you have not yet created an estate plan for yourself, it is important to do so, and creating advance directives should be among the first steps you take with assistance from your Connecticut estate… Read More »

Designating a Conservator of the Person for Future Incapacity
Advance directives are an important component of estate planning for all adults in and around Canton. When you meet with your estate planning lawyer to discuss the details of your estate plan, you will want to ensure that you appoint a health care representative and that you draft a living will or health care… Read More »

Should I Create a First-Party or Third-Party Special Needs Trust?
When you are considering setting up a special needs trust (SNT) in Connecticut, it is important to work closely with an experienced Canton trusts attorney who can assist you with all aspects of this process. Trusts can be extremely complicated, and they have many requirements to which it is necessary to adhere if you… Read More »

Is Your Estate Plan Missing Important Elements?
Do you currently have a will? Whether you are thinking about making a will with assistance from an estate planning lawyer in Connecticut, or you already have a will, you might assume that a will is all you need in order to have a thorough and complete estate plan. This is a common misconception,… Read More »

Connecticut’s Estate Tax
If you have a sizable estate in terms of its market value, one of the issues that will be important to discuss with your Connecticut estate planning lawyer is estate tax. Estate tax is a tax that is paid by the deceased’s estate based on the total amount of the estate at the time… Read More »

Who Are the Parties in a Trust?
Creating a trust is a common part of estate planning for many residents in the Canton, Connecticut area. If you are considering a trust, it is important to have a clear understanding of who the parties are in a trust and what rights and responsibilities they have with regard to the trust. There are… Read More »