WELCOME Richard H. Agnew, Jr. Attorney at Law

Each year, thousands of Americans become physically or mentally incapacitated, and find themselves and their assets under the control of the courts in a process called Guardianship. Sometimes, the worst that can happen is not death - it is disability.

Each year, thousands of American families watch as the hard-earned assets of someone they love are consumed by Nursing Home costs, Death Probate fees, and Death Taxes. In Death Probate, 5% to 10% of an estate is lost to court costs and to attorney and executor fees. And the same is true with Death Taxes, which can in some cases swallow up an additional 37% to 50% of a loved one’s estate. And even before that, the costs of Long Term Care can sap the wealth of our hard earned estate to the tune of $60,000 to $70,000 a year - not to mention the skyrocketing costs of doctors and prescriptions.

And so we ask ourselves, "Is there a way to protect our selves, our family, and our assets from the costs of Nursing Homes, Guardianship, Death Probate, and Death Taxes? Is there a way for us to avoid Death Probate and possibly minimize Death Taxes and the administrative costs of our passing on? Can I avoid Guardianship for myself, and for those I love? Is there a way to protect myself and my loved ones from impoverishment due to the costs of Nursing Homes and associated Long Term Health Care costs? Can I make health care decisions for myself in advance? Is there a way to make sure that my wishes are followed after I have passed away? And can I provide for my children or my grandchildren that have special needs, or protect bequests to my children from a previous marriage and at the same time make provisions to take care of my spouse should I die first?"

The answer to these questions is, "Yes, there is a way."

If your concerns are toward protecting your assets and sheltering your family from guardianship, probate, and if necessary also from estate taxes then please click on the following hyperlink for "Estate Planning."

If on the other hand your concerns are leaning more towards preserving as much as possible your assets from the costs of Long Term Care and the threat of Nursing Homes, and reducing and even eliminating the associated hassle to your family then please click on the following hyperlink for "Medicaid Planning."