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The Hawaii Asset Protection Trust (September 2011)

HAWAII ASSET PROTECTION TRUST By Sanford K. Okura          On July 1, 2011, the Hawai‘i Permitted Transfers in Trusts Act was amended. This is an important change in the law because you can now transfer assets to a trust and receive money from the trust and yet have...

Advance Health-Care Directives (Part 2) (August 2011)

ADVANCE HEALTH-CARE DIRECTIVES (PART 2) In last month’s column I explained that Advance Health-Care Directives have two parts.  One part is a “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions.”  It lets you name the person who will make medical decisions for you if...

The Revocable Living Trust Trap (June 2011)

THE REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST TRAP Here is a Medicaid rule that often surprises those in nursing homes: if your home property is in a Revocable Living Trust, you cannot qualify for Medicaid for nursing home costs until you take your home out of the trust.  However,...

Asset Protection For Your Family (May 2011)

ASSET PROTECTION FOR YOUR FAMILY   Your will or trust probably says that you give your assets to your children when you die.  (Whenever I mention “children,” I also mean nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, or anyone else who will be inheriting...

Estate Planning Update (April 2011)

2011 ESTATE PLANNING UPDATE By Sanford K. Okura   Here is a 2011 update on important numbers used in Estate Planning and Medicaid Planning in Hawaii. How much money and property can a person have at death without paying estate taxes? Under a temporary federal...