From an Internal Revenue Service memorandum regarding the modification of irrevocable grantor trusts, to a US Supreme Court dismissal of an ADA tester case and a new final rule regarding beneficial ownership information under the Corporate Transparency Act, we have recently seen significant developments in estate planning, elder law, and business law.

To ensure that you stay abreast of these legal changes, we have highlighted some noteworthy developments and analyzed how they may impact your estate planning, elder law, and business law practice.

By Brian Andrew Tully, JD, CELA

A comprehensive estate plan should encompass, at a minimum, the client’s legal, financial, and incapacity concerns. I believe, however, that most of us focus more on the legal and financial aspects of estate planning than on incapacity concerns. The realities of aging require that we give our clients greater attention and guidance about their long-term healthcare needs. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that one in three seniors will die with cognitive decline resulting from Alzheimer’s disease or some form of dementia. The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that an additional one in three of us will have substantial long-term care needs, which means that we will need functional assistance with three or more activities of daily living.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is commemorated each year on June 15. If communities can better understand elder abuse, folks can be better equipped to recognize it and take steps to prevent it. Elder law attorneys are in close proximity to seniors and are often in a unique situation to observe signs of elder abuse. However, are attorneys allowed to report such abuse?