Keeping Peace in the Family
In May of last year, Reuters reported that a Georgia judge had agreed to appoint a mediator to help the family of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. decide whether to sell Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize and his personal Bible. Dr. King carried the Bible during the...Secret Money for Veterans
Secret Money for Veterans by Scott A. Makuakane, Counselor at Law, Est8Planning Counsel LLLC from the Oct-Nov 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
Endowment Gift Keeps on Giving
Endowment Gift Keeps on Giving by Scott A. Makuakane, Counselor at Law, Est8Planning Counsel LLLC from the June-May 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life
What is a POLST And Do I Need One?
If you were to collapse unexpectedly, how aggressively would you want emergency medical personnel to act in trying to keep you alive? If you were a typical, healthy, individual, you would probably say, “do whatever it takes to keep me going, even if you have break a...Qualifying for Medicaid is Unpatriotic?
Some people question whether Medicaid planning might be unpatriotic. After all, Medicaid is a “welfare” benefit funded by our tax dollars. Is it “wrong” to put yourself in the position to have the taxpayers pay for your long-term care? Let us begin by considering what...Legal: Do You Have Four-Legged Children?
While I was growing up, we almost always had a dog (or two) in the house, and they always became treasured family members. You may have had the same experience, and you would not be alone if you have pets today that you consider to be your “children.” I know people...Is Physician-Assisted Suicide Legal in Hawaii?
A large, well-funded national organization has been taking out print ads and airing TV commercials that claim that doctors in Hawai‘i are providing lethal doses of medication to individuals who desire “aid in dying.” According to the ads and commercials, this is...Secret Money for Senior Veterans
Many Veterans believe that they have to have suffered an in-service disability to qualify for monetary benefits from the Veterans Administration. This is a common misconception. Depending on health, income and assets, many senior Veterans (and their dependent or...They Are Out to Get You!
There are several scams targeting our kupuna that you need to know about. Scam 1: The first is a nationwide scheme where new real estate owners and individuals who have recently transferred their homes into their revocable living trusts receive letters from a company...Update: Queen’s Medical Center vs. Koga
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser has featured several stories about Karen Okada, a 95-year-old woman who signed a “Death with Dignity Declaration” and a “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Instructions” back in 1998. Both documents purport to control “in all...Your Favorite Charity in Your Estate Plan
Charitable giving can be complicated, especially when it moves beyond cash or writing a check. A recent Forbes article provides some advice you may not have considered. The article is titled “Five Ways To Be Charitable Even If You Aren’t Bill Gates.” Take heart in...Legal: Review Your Estate Plan Often
As we turn the page from 2012 to 2013, it is not a bad time to focus on your Rule Book (the set of documents in which you lay out your estate plan) and make sure that the rules you have in place are still consistent with your wishes and your needs. How often you...Review Your Estate Plan Often
As we turn the page from 2012 to 2013, it is not a bad time to focus on your Rule Book (the set of documents in which you lay out your estate plan) and make sure that the rules you have in place are still consistent with your wishes and your needs. How often you...Queen’s Medical Center vs. Koga
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser has featured several stories by reporter Dan Nakaso about the plight of Karen Okada. Karen is a 95-year-old woman who signed a “Death with Dignity Declaration” and a “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Instructions” back in 1998....Planning for Incapacity
In our lifetime, we have seen incredible advances in medical science. Think back 30 years. In 1982, a heart bypass operation was a really big deal. It meant weeks in the hospital and very risky surgery. Today, surgeons barely have to cut us open to reach into our...Estate Plans Explained
How Can I Be Sure My Family Won’t Fight After I’m Gone? Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to guarantee that there will be no fighting among your loved ones after you are gone. There are plenty of difficult emotions to deal with after the passing of a loved...Who’s on First?
The humor behind the classic comedy routine, Who’s on first?, comes from the fact that the speakers are using identical terms to mean different things. Yet they both pretend not to recognize the problem. The language of estate planning can raise problems for the...Legal: Transfer Tax Ideas for 2012
This year, many of us will be focusing on two things - the shrinking federal estate and gift tax “coupon” and the radical jump in transfer tax rates. The “coupon” is the amount that the Internal Revenue Code allows you to give away without having to pay gift taxes...The Future of Estate Tax
You have spent a lifetime of earning, saving and investing — and paying income and capital gains taxes all the way along. So you may wonder why our government feels entitled to tax the value of everything that’s left when you die. The sad fact is, however, that...How to Hire a Caregiver
If you are hiring a caregiver for yourself or another loved one, you may be tempted to try to make the process as simple as possible by treating the caregiver as a “private contractor.” You tell the person, “I will pay you so much an hour, and you deal with the IRS...