Legal News

A few weeks ago, a topic came up in a consultation that I see often enough to know it deserves its own conversation: what happens when the people closest to you do not have the legal authority you assume they have when it comes to your funeral. Here are two situations I see regularly. They look different on the surface, but they come from the same gap in planning. Situation One: Two Children, One Decision, No Majority A widow has two adult children. She never named a funeral

In New Jersey, if a particular power is not expressly granted in your power of attorney, your agent simply does not have it, and the consequences in a long- term care crisis can be severe. Most people assume that naming someone as their “power of attorney” or by saying their agent has the authority to act “generally” it means that the person named can handle anything on their behalf. It sounds absolute. It isn’t. Under New Jersey law, a power of attorney grants only the power

Planning for a person with disabilities often requires balancing two goals at the same time: preserving access to important public benefits and making sure the person has resources that can improve quality of life. The planning tools discussed here are designed for people with disabilities who have, or may later need, government benefits, as well as for family members who want to plan responsibly for a loved one’s future. Because many benefit programs apply income and resourc

For parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities or other significant support needs, the 18th birthday can bring an unexpected legal change. Once a child becomes an adult, a parent does not automatically continue to have legal authority to make medical, educational, residential, financial, or other decisions simply because the parent is the child’s natural guardian. In New Jersey, adult guardianship authority comes from the court: the Superior Court mu

Legal work does not end at the conference table. For Ryann M. Siclari, advocacy for older adults and their families includes not only advising clients one-on-one, but also speaking out when proposed laws could better protect vulnerable New Jersey residents. That is why Ryann testified before New Jersey Senate and Assembly committees in support of Senate Bill 3023, legislation designed to protect residents of long-term care facilities during admission, contracting, and the Med