Alexandria Skinner, Mediator and Attorney

05/29/2026

I’m attending a two day advanced elder law intensive in conjunction with the annual conference of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). One of the most unsettling slides out of the fifteen hours of presentations I’ve been in so far is the one about the effect of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” That Republican budget reconciliation bill is expected to result in $1 Trillion in cuts to Medicaid over the next 10 years. To put this in perspective for what it means for ordinary citizens, Medicaid isn’t just something that “other” people use “somewhere else.” Medicaid is what pays the long-term care bill for between 45% and 65%  of all nursing home beds in the United States. (The government insurance program Medicare does not cover long-term care. The similarity in names between Medicaid and Medicare is, in my view, unfortunate because it leads to confusion about the programs.) Medicaid is what kicks in to pay for care after ordinary, middle class, people have used up all of their life savings and assets and become impoverished as the result of long-term care needs in old age (or in event of disability), The cuts to Medicaid will also affect Medicare, due to funding provisions in place that trigger automatic cuts for Medicare. In fiscal year 2026, PAYGO triggers will cut $45 billion from Medicare, and over the next nine years it will cut $536 billion out of Medicare. The short story coming out of that long story is that if you haven’t started thinking about how to fund your old age care (which currently costs $290 per day as a national average), you’d better start thinking about it now. And God help the millennials and those younger, whose futures have been robbed by the exploitation economy.

05/28/2026

It’s pretty cool to see a document that I helped to draft being referenced in a national level training on elder abuse!

05/27/2026

Where am am today, and all the rest of the week …

03/13/2026

We are actually just a few months away from the midterm elections. Now is the time, not later, to make sure that you have everything in proper order to make sure you’re not turned away at the polling place. My personal recommendation is that, if at all possible, married women who use a different name than their birth name should go ahead and get a passport. Suppose your ordinary ID is insufficient and you vote provisionally, the process to follow up on a provisional vote is cumbersome and time-consuming. (This is also a moving target. What if they pass this thing just six weeks before the election, and you don’t have time to fix your documents?)

02/15/2026

The rule of law depends on due process. Due process is a fundamental idea that means everyone is entitled to fairness. The idea that due process would apply to some people and not others is, frankly, bizarre.

02/11/2026

Although many people call my office seeking a will or trust, estate planning is not just about what happens to your "stuff" after you are gone; it also covers what happens if you cannot make medical decisions for yourself, while you are alive! Imagine if you had an accident while crossing the street, and a medical decision needed to be made at a time when you were not able to speak for yourself. Who would the hospital call for permission to proceed with medical treatment? What if two close family members were in disagreement? Without valid, updated health care directives, your medical providers could face delays or legal complications, medical care could be postponed, and / or your wishes and personal values might not be followed accurately. A Health Care Power of Attorney appoints a trusted Agent to make health care decisions for you. Don't worry, it doesn't mean you can't make your own decisions! It is only used if you become unable to make a decision for yourself.

It's important to consider carefully who to name as your healthcare Agent. The best person to make medical decisions may not be the same person you would choose to manage business matters for you. Who would be at your bedside when the doctor makes rounds at 7 AM? Who would be able to sort through complex medical options and decisions, balancing things like pain and suffering and chances of recovery? Just as importantly, would this person be willing to make the decision that you would want, which might not be the same thing they would choose for themselves? Some people appoint the family member most versed in medical issues, but emotional capacity for making the decisions can be just as important as subject matter expertise. These discussions about who to appoint as health care agent, and then doing it, are just a few things I discuss with my estate planning clients as we put together a comprehensive estate planning package.

Whenever you are ready for help reviewing or updating your health care directive along with your other estate planning documents, South Carolina residents feel free to schedule an appointment using my website, alexandriaskinner.com . I am here to support you.

01/16/2026

Another example of why you (and everyone reading this) needs to have appropriate legal documents in place that would enable your trusted circle of family or friends to manage or take care of your business affairs and your children if something were to happen to you:

A 13-year-old Pomona boy is now left without his sole caregiver after his uncle was taken by ICE. This comes after the boy's aunt, who was in the process of adopting him, was killed two years ago by a DUI driver.

Two years after his aunt was killed by a DUI driver, a 13-year-old Pomona boy's uncle - the teen's only caregiver - was detained by federal immigration authorities.

01/15/2026

An immigration attorney recently posted on his page: "To the immigrant community and those who care about them, I keep saying, you need to assume the worst outcome for yourself and your family, and you need to prepare financially and legally to take care of your affairs." I am repeating him: Every immigrant needs to know how bad things are and prepare for the worst! People are being picked up and deported without any chance to present their legal case, without opportunity to get their affairs in order. Children have been left unattended in cars or at school with no one to pick them up. If you are an immigrant, you need to have LEGAL documents in place to handle emergency or temporary care and custody of your children. You also need a legal, durable power of attorney for business (so that someone would have authority to collect your paycheck, deal with the bank, sell your car, engage in a legal case, whatever). You also need to have engaged an immigration attorney so that they would have authority to bang on the door of the detention facility and demand to see you. You also need to accumulate cash to cover emergency expenses if you couldn't work. These are hard things to think about, but better to know and prepare than to be caught unaware.

The separation is one of dozens happening in Oregon, with ICE detaining both parents or single parents, leaving small children in the care of relatives, family friends, babysitters and in the foster care system.

12/16/2025