Blog

Contributed by: Jessica L. Whaley, Esq.

My road to becoming a practicing attorney has been anything but conventional. It started with me being a “night-student” during law school, which allowed me to work during the day gaining real-life legal experience. However, this also meant that law school lasted an extra year for me – turning an already long and tedious three years into four.

Following law school, I worked as a law clerk, first for an Insurance Defense Firm in Wilmington, Delaware and then with PWW Law in the Estate Administration department. While my goal always was to be a practicing attorney (that’s a story of let-down and...

Contributed by Sherri Holder, Firm Manager, Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC

Last year at this time I wrote a piece on Women in Transition that focused on the importance of financial and estate planning. I was celebrating the last of my forties with very little trepidation about turning 50! Moreover, I was celebrating the growth and confidence that comes with maturity and experience (some might call that age). I pointed out the key to good planning is to first identify your goals and then, with the guidance of trusted advisors, understand your options.

Here’s what I didn’t say: Sometimes even when you execute on a well-made plan, things ...

Contributed by: Taylor R. DuVall, Estate Planning Coordinator

Last week as I passed my one year anniversary of working at Procino-Wells & Woodland, I was reminded of my interview with Sherri, our Firm Manager. I knew from the moment she discussed the firm’s values that these were the kind of people I wanted to work for. My first interview didn’t lead to a job offer; the timing wasn’t right for the firm to make a new hire of anyone. However, my impression of the firm from that first interview was lasting. At the time, I would have used different words to describe the firm in a glowing way. Now, I know that it was the firm’s pillars- their ...

You can read more at www.vitalmagonline.com)

Volunteers make an immeasurable difference in the lives of others. Oftentimes, they perform with the core intention of helping others. But did you know that volunteering can benefit your own health as well? Researchers have attempted to measure the benefits that volunteers receive, including the positive feeling referred to as helper’s high, increased trust in others and increased social interaction.

From lowering stress to boosting self-confidence, research has shown that volunteering offers many health benefits, especially for older adults.

1. Volunteering decreases the risk of d...

By: Katherine Burke The April issue of Vital! Magazine is out - Click here to check it out! https://tinyurl.com/AprilVital You can read more at www.vitalmagonline.com)

Contrary to Gen X, Y and Z’s popular opinion, there are a lot of great things about aging – wisdom, a self-assuredness that young people lack, experience, better income, and a host of other attributes. However, as we grow older, we may also become more vulnerable to unsavory characters looking to take advantage of us.

Particularly because Boomers tend to be less internet-literate than younger generations, we also tend to be the target of many online scams. Here are the...

By: Kim Elliott, RN The April issue of Vital! Magazine is out - Click here to check it out! https://tinyurl.com/AprilVital You can read more at www.vitalmagonline.com)

The doctor knows best. That’s typically our mentality when we’re diagnosed with an illness or prescribed medication. However, that notion can get complicated with age and as more chronic conditions present themselves. These chronic conditions lead to more doctors’ appointments, varying treatment plans and a multitude of prescriptions.

The effects of taking multiple medications to manage co-existing health problems is called polypharmacy. Medication side effects and in...

The April issue of Vital! Magazine is out - Click here to check it out! https://tinyurl.com/AprilVital You can read more at www.vitalmagonline.com)

Growing your own food isn’t rocket science. It takes a bit of time, but the end result is well worth it, and the basic crops, like lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, are very forgiving. The best part is that you don't even necessarily need a garden to grow your own food. You can grow herbs indoors; depending on what you’re growing, you can use grow bags or hanging planters; or you can go to a community garden.

Why grow your own food?

Your food is fresher. It’s literally farm to table. And you ca...

Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security, reminds the public that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit payments will continue to be paid on time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency also reminds everyone to be aware of scammers who try to take advantage of the pandemic to trick people into providing personal information or payment via retail gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or by mailing cash, to maintain Social Security benefit payments or receive economic impact payments from the Department of the Treasury.

“Social Security will pay monthly benefits on time and these payments will not be a...

Contributed by: Catherine M. Seeber, CFP®, CeFT®.
A Certified Financial Transitionist (CeFT®) is trained to help clients navigate through major life events and the financial transitions that accompany them. The CeFT®is the industry's first designation specifically geared toward financial change and transition.

During times when the anxiety level is high, and well-being is at risk, the potential for fear-based decisions, or indecision, is at an all-time high. In fact, it is so heightened that we can actually get in our own way. Please allow me to share some sequential steps that have helped me during client conversations. These same ste...

Contributed by: Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC*

My parents purchased a business from my grandparents in 1986 - my dad managed our family, the business and a full-time job for many years. My parents divorced when I was 13. As part of their divorce settlement, they agreed that my dad would keep the business and my mom would keep the home we resided in. The business was solely in his name and remained his livelihood for 33 years.

In the spring of 2018, at 67 years old, my dad decided that it was time to retire and sell his business. Over the next several months, he remained active preparing for retirement. However, in the middle of all this...

Contributed by: Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC

When an adult lacks the ability to make legal, financial and/or healthcare decisions for themselves, a family member or friend may seek to be appointed as guardian of their property, their person or both. Guardianship in Maryland requires court approval and oversight. Therefore, knowing what to expect and who to turn to can be critical to those exploring guardianship as a solution.

Less Restrictive Means

Guardianship significantly limits an individual’s rights. Therefore, courts take petitions to appoint a guardian seriously, and require that strict requirements be satisfied. If a person h...

A Miller Trust is an Irrevocable Income Trust that is required when an individual is applying for Delaware’s Long Term Care Medicaid program and the applicant receives more monthly income than the State of Delaware allows. Income is defined as Social Security, pension, rental and annuity payments

The State of Delaware is known as an “income cap state”. This means if an applicant’s monthly gross income exceeds $1,957.50 (2020), the applicant is not eligible for Medicaid without additional planning. The resolution for the applicant’s income eligibility is to create and fund an Irrevocable Qualified Income Trust, also known as a Miller Trus...

Contributed by Nurse Next Door Written By: by Amy Clark, BSN, RN, Certified Dementia Practitioner Director of Nursing

2020 has been designated the Year of the Nurse and Midwife by the World Health Organization (WHO). This year was chosen to honor the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale. For the 17th year in a row, nursing has been chosen as the most trustworthy profession!! According to the WHO, the world needs nine million nurses by the year 2030. Their hope is that by highlighting nurses this year, awareness will be raised and more programs can be put in place to recruit and train nurses and midwives. The value a nurse brings to a...

Contributed by: Procino-Wells & Woodland, LLC

The SECURE Act (“Act”) was included in a spending bill approved by the Senate on December 19, 2019, and signed into law by the President on the next day. Standing for “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement,” here are a few things to understand about the Act:

The Act aims to address a pressing issue, which is the lack of sufficient retirement savings among a significant number of Americans. With the decline of traditional pensions, most Americans are now responsible for saving for their own retirement. The Act seeks to redress this problem by incentivizing employers wh...

Traumatic Brain Injury Support Information provided by: Brain Injury Association of Delaware

Did you know that there is a Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund in the State of Delaware? In July 2013, the General Assembly allocated funding to the State Council for Persons with Disabilities to administer a Brain Injury Trust Fund. This fund has helped many individuals receive services that have improved their quality of life and increase their independence.

Covered services under the Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund may include the following (not covered under DHSS Medicaid Programs): • Home and Environmental Modifications • Driver Reh...

Wednesdays to Return to Full Public Service Hours; Agency to Hire 1,100 Direct Service Employees

Starting on January 8, 2020, Social Security offices nationwide will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoons, Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security, announced. This change restores Wednesday public service hours that were last in place in late 2012. “I don’t want someone to come to our office at 2:30 on a Wednesday only to find our doors closed,” Commissioner Saul said.

In another move to improve service to the public, Commissioner Saul announced in his Open Letter to the Public at www.ssa.gov/agency/coss-message.html that...

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Attend Physical Therapy Following A Car Accident Contributed by Aquacare Physical Therapy

1. Physical Therapy Helps Shorten the Recovery Process: Many people that are in a car accident don’t realize immediately that they may have received a serious injury. When they do realize how the injuries are affecting their everyday life, they may turn to pharmaceuticals or other opioids to decrease the pain. Today the opioid epidemic is at record high, and as health professionals we are trying to stop it. PT is an option that can be utilized to avoid abusing opioids. Common injuries that occur from a car accident is p...

In 2019, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web. In 30 years, we have seen companies like Amazon.com rocket from a small bookseller to a global retail titan. We now pay our bills, plan vacations and read the news online – concepts completely foreign just two decades ago. With the onslaught of internet-based businesses inevitably came the notion that legal services could be just as quickly and easily delivered at the touch of a button – thereby spawning the household name “Legalzoom.com.” However, services like those offered at “one-size-fits-all” legal sites are often ultimately troublesome for clients and can create a fal...

Thoughts provided by Catherine M. Seeber, CFP®, CeFT®, Vice President and Financial Advisor at CAPTRUST with a special concentration for those individuals facing a life transition (divorce, widowhood, retirement…) located in Lewes, DE.

It’s not all doom and gloom as the gap is shrinking every year as it relates to the gender pay gap. Although a recent study by ADP Research Institute found that the wage gap between men and women still exists (women earn 79% of what me are paid) women are more likely to save than men, and they’re saving a higher percentage of wages. According to Ahu Yildirmaz, head of the institute, financial advisors an...

Written by: Michele Procino-Wells, Esquire

You’ve decided it is time to consider your options with regard to Medicaid planning. You haven’t met with an attorney yet, but you’ve heard that qualifying for Medicaid coverage for a nursing home stay will require reducing your net worth and assets. In considering this, you decide the easiest way to accomplish this goal is to start gifting your property, assets, and real estate now, then you won’t have to worry about it later, right?

Unfortunately, this solution may seem simple on its face – but there may be a far better option to accomplish the same result. Outright gifting of assets a...

Written by: Michele Procino-Wells, Esquire

A Caregiver Agreement, also known as Personal Care Contract or a Personal Service Contract, is a written contract between an elderly person in need of care and a person that can offer them the care they need. Generally, the caregiver is an adult child or other family member, who is under contract to complete specific services for the elderly parent/person in exchange for money or other considerations. The services generally include things like meal preparation, bill paying, laundry, housekeeping, transportation, etc.

These contracts have various benefits for both the elderly person and the...

Much like the dynamics of our lives evolve over time, so too should the contents and structure of our estate plans. It is a mistake to believe you only need an estate plan upon reaching a certain age or milestone like retirement. To the contrary, estate planning is necessary from college to the nursing home, and at many points in between. The following examines various life stages and estate planning suggestions for each:

The Young and the Invest-less: You are never too young to consider an estate plan. For instance, who will handle your student loan debt if you pass away? What about your car, musical instruments or beloved pet? As well,...

In the wake of the death of a spouse, there are few things you’d rather put off more than handling your household financial portfolio. Especially if your spouse was more involved in the day-to-day management than you, it can quickly become burdensome to locate accounts, pay bills and re-budget on one income. The following set of tips will hopefully be of some help to you as you navigate this difficult journey and provide comfort as you face this overwhelming task.

Tip #1 - Implement a “Decision Free Zone:” The worst time to make a major financial decision is during a highly-emotional period in your life. We encourage you to set aside at...

Written by: Michele Procino-Wells, Esq.

Joint ownership of assets with a person’s children or other individuals can lead to disastrous results if not used properly. “Joint tenancy” is the legal term for joint ownership and it applies to any asset that is “titled,” including bank and investment accounts, real estate, cars or boats. When a joint tenancy is created, two (or more) individuals own the asset together and, upon the death of one joint owner, the remaining owners take over that person’s interest. Many mistakenly believe that placing a home or account in joint names with their children is a fast and easy estate planning tool that av...