Time to get your estate affairs in order? – A Will, Power-of-Attorney and other estate planning is essential to protect your assets and your loved ones. If you need an experienced estate planning attorney in Dundalk, Bel Air, Owings Mills, or Baltimore, ROB GOLDMAN LEGAL SOLUTIONS can provide you with sensible solutions at an affordable price and bring you “Peace of Mind.”

Typical basic documents include a Will, Durable General/Financial Power-of-Attorney, Medical Power-of-Attorney, and a Living Will. If you want to decide who should have access to your medical and financial information, inherit your property, manage your affairs and make decisions for you when you’re not able to, you need these documents. A review of Rob Goldman’s Preliminary Estate Planning Questionnaire will help you decide.

If you want to ensure the people you trust are appointed to serves as guardians of your minor children and manage your money for them as you wish, you need more than a basic Will, – you need trust provisions. If you wish to reduce probate expenses and protect property from the claims of creditors, you need to plan to achieve this, – see our article: Risks to Consider in Trying to Avoid Probate. Oftentimes, it is wise also to make a deed change for your real property.

As a practical matter, most legal issues that impact your finances and property one way or another should be considered in the context of estate planning and asset protection. Our articles and FAQs in our other practice areas may also be helpful in this regard. Please visit our Learning Center for additional information.

Advance planning is also about consideration and respect. The people that love and care about you should not, in a time of crisis, have to struggle to obtain access to your information, worry about running to lawyers or the courts to obtain the legal authority they need to help you. Estate planning is the way for you to think through what you want, authorize the people you feel most comfortable with to act on your behalf when you are not able to, and experience the Peace of Mind of knowing that you’ve taken care of some very important business. Advance planning can also eliminate squabbling among those who want to help.

Protecting one’s assets and providing for loved ones requires planning and understanding of how the law works. Important planning considerations include:

• Wills
• Living Wills
• Powers-of-Attorney
• Guardianship
• Probate Avoidance
• Deed Changes
• Estate tax avoidance or reduction
• Estate Administration
• Family Trusts to care for minors & dependant adults
• Orderly administration & distribution of assets
• Alternatives to long-term nursing home care
• Long-term care eligibility
• Protecting the community spouse
• Avoiding personal liability under nursing home contracts
• Protecting assets & income against nursing home costs

Guardianship Services – Rob Goldman is a guardianship lawyer providing services in the Dundalk, Essex, White Marsh, Parkton, Bel Air, Baltimore, Canton, Pikesville & Owings Mills areas. Services include exploring alternatives to guardianship, mediation among family members to reach consensus as to a care plan approach, contested guardianships and Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and asset protection planning in case one needs long-term care in a nursing home and cannot afford to private pay.

Probate Services – Rob Goldman is a probate lawyer providing services in the Dundalk, Essex, White Marsh, Parkton, Bel Air, Baltimore, Canton, Pikesville & Owings Mills areas. Services include planning to probate avoidance, disclaimers of inheritance, liquidation of estate assets, rights & options counseling, handling the estate administration, communicating with disgruntled heirs, contested Will cases, Caveats to Will, real estate transactions such as deed changes, and related services.

Our Elder Law Page provides additional helpful information, particularly with regard to the needs of senior citizens.

Contact us now to inquire about our estate planning services.

If you are concerned about caring for an elderly spouse or parent, and need an elder law attorney in Dundalk, Bel Air, Owings Mills, or Downtown Baltimore, ROB GOLDMAN LEGAL SOLUTIONS is the law firm Marylanders turn to for calm, sensible advice and Peace of Mind.

What is Elder Law? An elder law attorney is an estate planning lawyer whose practice includes a focus and level of experience in the special needs of seniors. Seniors, and those who love them, typically are looking for Peace of Mind, and have questions and concerns about planning for disability, quality of life planning, asset protection planning, getting Wills, Power-of-Attorney and Living Wills in place, concerns about dementia and Alzheimers Disease, considering the need for guardianship, avoiding probate, how to obtain Letters of Administration to probate an estate, seeking advice regarding deed changes, such as adding a family member to a deed, eligibility for Medical Assistance (Medicaid), protecting assets against nursing home costs, and elder abuse, which may be physical and/or financial abuse of an elderly person. An elder law attorney should have the patience and understanding required to communicate effectively with seniors who are frail and have cognitive impairment, and should be willing to make home, nursing home and hospital visits, during and after hours.

Senior citizens want to know why estate planning is especially important to them. Our Elder Law FAQ page covers the essential basic estate planning considerations and documents every senior citizen ought to have, and provides a concise overview of guardianship, nursing home, medicaid, and asset protection planning in an easy to read format. Our Estate Planning Page provides additional helpful information.

Although most of us do not know when a serious disability will occur, we know that almost everyone will experience some form of disability at some time, such as from an automobile accident, or a fall or an illness. If the disability results in mental or physical incapacity, you will not be able to manage your own affairs.

Who do you want to make decisions regarding your health and your business affairs? Don’t you want to be the one to decide who has this power and what they may and may not do? If you do not act, the decision may have to be made by a court, and the Court may appoint someone other than whom you would have chosen.

You can eliminate or reduce much of the stress that a crisis produces by being prepared. Preparation allows others to know and implement your wishes more effectively, and avoids stress and squabbling among those who want to help.

Guardianship Services – Rob Goldman is a guardianship lawyer providing services in the Dundalk, Essex, White Marsh, Parkton, Bel Air, Baltimore, Canton, Pikesville & Owings Mills areas. Services include exploring alternatives to guardianship, mediation among family members to reach consensus as to a care plan approach, contested guardianships and Medical Assistance (Medicaid) and asset protection planning in case one needs long-term care in a nursing home and cannot afford to private pay.

Rob Goldman is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and is committed to assisting the elderly and the indigent to receive effective legal services.

Contact us now to inquire about our elder law services.

If you need a guardianship attorney in Dundalk, Bel Air, Owings Mills or Downtown Baltimore, ROB GOLDMAN LEGAL SOLUTIONS is the law firm Marylanders turn to for calm, sensible advice and Peace of Mind.

When Is Guardianship Appropriate? Simply put, if an individual is no longer able to manage his or her affairs without assistance, or needs assistance with two or more activities of daily living, guardianship should be considered. A court requires clear and convincing evidence of incompetency before issuing a guardianship order, and may order guardianship of the person, the property or (typically) both.

A guardianship order may not be necessary if the person appointed an attorney-in-fact to handle financial, business, and healthcare decisions. However, many powers-of-attorney are not designed to meet the legal and practical needs of seniors, or the senior may not be willing to accept that the time has come to allow the appointed attorney-in-fact to act on his or her behalf. Many seniors fail to get around to taking care of their estate planning needs and by the time a an adult child tries to step in to help have this done, lack of mental capacity may preclude the senior from signing a power-of-attorney or making a Will. Since an attorney-in-fact is an agent of the senior, the senior always has the right to terminate the agency relationship, unless no longer legally competent, – a decision typically to be made by a court.

Cognitive impairment usually occurs gradually and one has to be alert to changes in behavior. For instance, a decline in the person’s attention span, ability to consider issues, memory, use of language, mathematical ability, and ability to follow directions are some of the key indicators of a decline in mental capacity. Other indications may include weight loss and problems with walking, falling, and incontinence. It is also important to consider the effect of medication, pain, stress, depression, and poor nutrition in evaluating whether the person is indeed suffering from cognitive impairment.

The senior should be examined by a physician that specializes in geriatrics to assess physical and mental well-being. Sometimes, a psychologist or psychiatrist’s evaluation may be needed. In cases where the senior is cooperative and no family dissension is anticipated, an elder law attorney’s assessment that the senior has adequate mental capacity may be sufficient for the senior to proceed with signing legal documents. The closer the call the more likely it is that the attorney will require a medical examination and mental assessment to move forward.

Mental incapacity is not the only basis for obtaining a guardianship order. A senior may pass a mental capacity assessment yet not be able to make rational decisions regarding his or her well-being. Conduct that substantiates concerns that the senior’s health, safety and welfare may be at risk, particularly when the person is frail or has other physical problems and is unable to manage his or her affairs without assistance, may satisfy a court that guardianship appropriate in a particular case.

Everyone, especially individuals over the age of fifty, should have their basic estate planning documents in place. Seniors and those who love them who have a concern regarding planning for disability, quality of life planning, maintaining one’s independence for as long as possible, asset protection planning, planning for the possibility of assisted living and long-term nursing home care, and financial assistance from Medicaid, should invest in a comprehensive consultation to obtain a professional legal evaluation and explanation of one’s rights and options.

If you’d like to learn more about guardianship law, please check out our Guardianship Frequently Asked Questions page.

Contact us now to inquire about our guardianship legal services.

If you need a probate and estate administration attorney in Dundalk, Bel Air, Downtown Baltimore, or Owings Mills, ROB GOLDMAN LEGAL SOLUTIONS is the law firm Marylanders turn to for calm, sensible advice and Peace of Mind.

If, after one dies, one has any assets in his or her estate, it is necessary to open an estate and go through some form of estate administration process, also known as “probate.” There are different type of estate administration procedures depending on the size of the estate and who are the beneficiaries and interested persons.

How long does probate take? It take about ten months to completely probate a typical regular estate, – if there are no issues that cause a delay. Although one does not have to be an attorney to probate an estate, most people find it preferable to have an experienced probate lawyer handle everything and make sure the estate is probated correctly, that the estate tax returns are filed, only those creditors who file claims are paid appropriately, and that the balance of the estate to be distributed is done so quickly and correctly. This approach also reduces the likelihood of family friction, withholding of information and misappropriation of estate assets. For more information on how to probate an estate, visit our Probate page and click on the link to our Probate Frequently Asked Questions page.

One can protect one’s property by keeping assets out of the probate estate, thereby protecting the assets against the claims of creditors. This requires some advance planning. Probate avoidance planning is part of the estate planning process. Since estate planning is one of the most important things you can do to protect your assets, you should not cut corners. Beneficial as probate avoidance may be, misplaced attempts to avoid probate can be disastrous. See our article: Risks to Consider in Trying to Avoid Probate. Always have a comprehensive “Rights & Options” consultation with your lawyer first to ensure that your attempt to address one concern does not create a larger problem.

Probate is the legal process by which the estate of someone who dies is administered through the office of the Register of Wills and the Orphan’s Court. The first step, after someone dies, is to determine whether there is a Will. If there is a Will, it must be handed in to the Register of Wills for the County in which the decedent resided when he or she died. That is usually done when the estate is opened. A Petition for Probate must be filed to open an estate, together with various supporting documents, such as a Death Certificate, the Will, an Information Report, an Inventory and a List of Interested Persons.

If you’d like to learn more about probate law, please check out our Probate Frequently Asked Questions page.

Contact us now to inquire about our probate related legal services.

If you need a real estate lawyer in Dundalk, Bel Air, Downtown Baltimore, or Owings Mills Maryland, ROB GOLDMAN LEGAL SOLUTIONS is the law firm Marylanders turn to for calm, sensible advice and Peace of Mind.

Our focus is on preparing the right deed for a specific situation. There are many different types of deeds, and to know which approach is appropriate for you, first have a comprehensive “Rights & Options” consultation with your lawyer. For more information, please review our article titled: 10 Reasons For A Deed Change.

It is much less costly to avoid a problem by doing it right the first time than to try to fix it later. If you are even thinking about transferring an interest in or adding or removing a name to a deed to protect the property, you are well advised to first consult with an experienced estate planning lawyer, who typically also is knowledgeable in this aspect of real estate law. You do not want to end up losing the property because a court determines your action to be fraudulent or improper. Don’t listen to friends and family who are just trying to help. Consult with your lawyer. Please visit our Learning Center for additional helpful information.

Is your home really protected? Your home typically is your largest investment. Having adequate, proper insurance coverage is essential, but there is much more one should consider. Many things can happen, especially as one gets older and frail, that could thwart your plan to have your home and other property go to the individuals you intend. However, even younger homeowners are at risk, because bad luck and adversity can strike at any age. Managing your investment includes taking reasonable steps to protect it for yourself and your family. For instance, one’s home could be at risk of potential claims of creditors, such as in a personal injury situation where one is at fault; divorce; bankruptcy; death; family feuds; undue influence and coercion of elderly parents and relatives; foreclosure by judgment creditors; foreclosure by the purchasers of a Tax-Sale Certificate for your home if you are behind in your real estate taxes; a State Medicaid Recovery Lien if you or your spouse or your parents should need long-term nursing home care and need Medical Assistance to help pay for such care, and so forth.

So, what should you do to protect your home? Taking care of business consists of several components, including planning for disability or incapacity. After all, who is going to make the decisions regarding your property when you’re not able to, whether temporarily or long-term? This person may have the ability to alter your estate planning intentions! Given all the potential factual and legal factors that could impact the ownership and inheritance rights to your property, how do you decide what to do? The first step is to schedule a professional “Rights & Options Consultation with an experienced lawyer who can ask the right questions to better understand your specific needs and concerns and explain your options in a way that will enable you to make an informed decision and pursue a plan with Peace of Mind. You may find that you really need a Will and powers-of-attorney too. Even if you choose not to do everything you should at this time, at least you can know that you will be making the right kind of deed for your situation.

There are several types of deeds and using the wrong type of deed in certain circumstances can be disastrous. Some lawyers will prepare whichever type of deed you request without asking a whole lot of questions. If you don’t seek legal advice and get what you asked for, whose fault is that? Do you know the differences between and the following types of deeds, including when they should and when they should not be used, and how your choice of deed may affect your ownership rights, control rights, inheritance rights, tax implications, exposure to the claims of creditors, eligibility for Medicaid benefits, your testamentary plan, to mention just a few considerations?

• Regular purchase & sale deeds
• Spousal transfer deeds
• Deeds pursuant to separation & divorce
• Quitclaim deeds
• Deeds in Lieu
• Short-Sale Deeds
• Life-estate deeds with powers
• Life-estate deeds without powers
• Tenancy-in-common deeds
• Joint tenancy deeds
• Tenancy-by-the-entireties deeds
• Mixed tenancy deeds
• Tax-Sale and Ground-rent redemption deeds
• Leasehold deeds
• Fee simple deeds
• Personal representative deeds
• Guardian deeds
• Assignments
• Confirmatory Deeds
• Special warranty deeds
• General warranty deeds

As you can now appreciate, there is no such thing as “simply adding a person to the deed.” There are always reasons and personal circumstances that may be relevant, if not critical, to the choice of deed, and perhaps it is not appropriate for you to make a deed change at all. It is much less costly to invest in a professional consultation to make sure your legal counsel understands what you really need and do it right than to have to fix a problem later, – if it can be fixed at all.

Transactions involving real estate typically are based on contract. A real estate lawyer can help you to identify the issues you need to consider before finalizing a contract and work with the parties and their respective counsel to ensure that the appropriate issues are addressed and make the whole experience less stressful.

Rob Goldman’s real estate law experience includes representing banks in commercial lending transactions, representing purchasers and sellers at settlement, drafting and reviewing shopping center and large building leases, commercial and residential contracts and leases, tax-sale foreclosures, ground-rent redemptions, resolution of title problems, drafting creative solutions to address special estate planning needs, mediating family disputes over real property issues and preparing special trusts and agreement for use of a home by a special needs person, or a vacation home by family members who don’t get along, time-share property problems, and so forth.

Contact us now to inquire about real estate related law services.

Concerned about your rights and options and need sound legal advice on divorce, separation and alimony law from a local lawyer in Dundalk, Bel Air, or anywhere in Baltimore or Harford County? ROB GOLDMAN LEGAL SOLUTIONS is the law firm Maryland citizens turn to for calm, sensible advice and Peace of Mind.

If you’re tired of all the “bull” and feel it is time to move on, time for the real you to break free and enjoy what life has to offer, act now! Take the first step and schedule a comprehensive “Rights & Options” consultation with Rob Goldman, Esquire, a local attorney with 27 years of experience in helping his clients find sensible solutions in a cost-effective manner. “Peace of Mind” is just a phone-call or click away!

Don’t allow the hurt, the fear, the controlling behavior or threats of a spouse keep you locked up in a world of misery. A warm, caring review of your rights and options by an experienced divorce and separation attorney will help give you perspective and guidance, and will empower you to make an informed decision. For helpful information on how to prepare yourself to move towards divorce please review our article on Divorce Preparation.

Our Family Law practice consists of pre-marriage planning such as preparing effective Pre-nuptial Agreements, Marital Separation & Property Settlement Agreements, strategic planning to facilitate effective negotiation with your spouse and reduce the risk of litigation and court, and assisting clients with Uncontested Divorces. We represent our clients at the Master’s Hearing in uncontested divorce cases, but do not represent clients in contested cases. The best way to minimize the risk of a case from becoming contested is to seek legal guidance early rather than ignore the problem or wait and react to what your spouse does. Please visit our Learning Center for additional helpful information.

The challenges for two people to live together, communicate effectively in a cooperative and mutually satisfying relationship are too many to mention.

Many troubled marriages can be revived if both parties really still care for each other and are willing to make an effort to understand each other’s needs and concerns. Many marriages have been seriously harmed and even destroyed as a result of misguided pride and stubbornness.

The first step is recognizing that you can benefit by getting some help. Don’t overlook the opportunity to demonstrate that you care. By agreeing to work together with a qualified professional to help you help yourselves, you make a powerful statement of your care and commitment.

If you have decided it is time to move on, you should prepare youself for the challenge of reaching the best possible settlement as cost-effectively and amicably as possible. Careful preparation will help to keep the kids out of the fray and maximize their long-term prospects of enjoying a meaningful relationship with both parents. See our article on “DIVORCE PREPARATION“.

Rob Goldman Legal Solutions can help you to bridge the communication gap in an objective, low-key environment that facilitates problem-solving and reduces confrontation.

Rob Goldman is a trained domestic mediator. Rob Goldman only takes clients who are willing to commit to make a good faith effort to reach a fair and sensible solution.

Our services include:

• mediation
• uncontested divorces
• rights & options counseling
• separation & property settlement agreements
• separation & divorce strategic counseling
• planning for post-death care & guardianship of minor children
• name changes
• Will and deed changes
• pre-nuptial agreement

Contact us now to inquire about your divorce and separation rights and options.

Concerned about filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, home foreclosure, creditor harassment? An experienced bankruptcy lawyer serving Dundalk, Bel Air, Baltimore, and Owings Mills, ROB GOLDMAN LEGAL SOLUTIONS is the law firm Marylanders turn to for fast action, calm, sensible advice and Peace of Mind.

Your first step is to obtain a thorough “Rights & Options” consultation. Review your situation with an attorney first before incurring more debt, withdrawing money from your retirement or taking out a second mortgage or line of credit. Our staff is trained to provide a high level of customer service and we do not accept anything less than excellence in every aspect of our business. Our goal is to exceed expectations by providing sensible, cost-effective solutions at an affordable price, help you re-establish your credit and make a fresh start.

Our focus is on consumer bankruptcy relief and alternative forms of debt reliefs to bankruptcy. Worried about home foreclosure, wage garnishment, creditor harassment, bad credit, how to make ends meet?

Are you feeling stressed, depressed, don’t know where to start? Loss of one’s job, illness, divorce, trying to help children in difficulty, tax problems, gambling, drug and alcohol problems and so forth, are huge causes of stress and inability to make it financially. Our approach is to comprehensively review your entire situation to ensure that nothing important is overlooked in our effort to properly understand what happened, your needs and concerns, and to give you sound advice so that you can make an informed decision and get some “Peace of Mind!” If you want to know how to address problems with your credit report or repair your credit, please read this article: Credit Report Error Disputes.

If you are eligible, both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy can be very helpful. Sometimes, eligibility is clear. Other situations are more involved and it may take some effort to determine whether one is eligible and how best to address the situation. Your consultation with a bankruptcy lawyer will be more productive if you come prepared. To learn how best to prepare for your bankruptcy consultation, please read this article: Bankruptcy Preparation.

For instance, if you have a second or third mortgage that is under-secured or unsecured because the value of your home has plummeted, you should read this article: Using Bankrupty To Wipe Out Second and Third Mortgages and Reduce the Risk of Foreclosure.

Our goal is to help you pursue the approach that is best for you and in doing so to maximize the benefits under the approach you choose. Please visit our Learning Center to review Frequently Asked Questions, Bankruptcy FAQ, Chapter 7 Basics, Chapter 13 Basics, and other informative information.

We are a federally designated debt relief agency representing people under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

When you have no place else to turn and cannot afford to pay your debts, you need to do what is best for you. Delay will result in increasing creditor harassment, lawsuits, judgments, garnishments, repossessions, foreclosures and overwhelming stress.

Sometimes the crisis is a result of your own mistakes, and sometimes due to events beyond your control. This is not a time for guilt. It is a time to act! Rather than dwell on the problem, focus on the solution. The bankruptcy laws are designed to provide relief!

In evaluating your case, we consider the viability of credit counseling, debt work-outs and other options. Don’t be mislead by credit-counseling advertisements. Sometimes it works well and in many cases it just does not make sense, even if you can manage the payments. And just because you can get a debt consolidation loan does not mean it is the right or smart thing to do.

Our Services Include:
Chapter 7 Fresh Starts
Chapter 13 Re-Organizations
Bankruptcy Alternatives (Debt Work-Outs, Consumer Credit Counseling, Refinancing and Home Equity Loan Counseling)

Contact us now to inquire about our bankruptcy legal services.