Carla and Cindy are mother and daughter.  Carla’s husband had died decades earlier, and then her disabled daughter died, and now Cindy was her only child and sole heir.

Carla had been bedridden for a few years, and had round the clock care that was incredibly expensive.  The CPA had been helping Carla for years, but then his own health faltered and he had to ask someone else to step in.  The new person sought the help of another attorney, and that attorney referred them to me as soon as she realized the complex financial issues that the family faced.

The house was in a very pricey area, and had gone up considerably in value since Carla’s husband had died.  Carla was almost completely out of money, and I was asked to help them get financing to keep paying for Carla’s care.  I looked at the trust, and I immediately saw another problem.  If we couldn’t get Carla’s trust changed by a court order prior to her passing, Cindy would be hit with a tax bill of about $300,000.

I explained it to Cindy and the person helping them with tax matters, and then I explained it to Carla.  I doubt that they fully understood all of the tax issues, but everyone was in agreement to make whatever changes were possible to protect against the high tax bill.

Fortunately, everything worked out well.  We changed the trust with a court order, and then I helped them to secure the unusual financing needed to pay for Carla’s care at home.

Carla was able to remain at home until her death, and the home sold for more than Cindy or I had anticipated.  Rather than saving the $300,000 I had estimated, Cindy saved what would have been about $350,000 or more in taxes if we hadn’t made those changes.

Although none of the above cases are testimonials or endorsements, they are true cases, and we give full disclosure here by stating here that any reference to the result of any past case does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your own case.  Every matter is different.