ELTC LAW GROUP

05/28/2025

WE'RE HIRING😊

Are you Awesome?
If so, the Estate & Long Term Care Law Group wants you to fill an opening for a full time Administrative Clerk! Individual must be detail oriented, comfortable with client interactions, proficient with the Microsoft Suite, professional, honest and drama free. If this sounds like you, please bring your resume and cover letter (with your name spelled backwards in the subject) to our office at 418 W. 3rd St., Newport or email [email protected].

04/23/2025

https://youtu.be/cijhZvDeMtY?si=cv0ityMpZQ2dFPuC

http://eltclawgroup.com/

01/31/2025

Caring for Our Jars
By Denise Stewart

There is that old example of taking a jar and filling it with rocks – how much more can fit? Then smaller rocks – how much more can fit? Then sand – how much more can fit? Then water… I remember being somewhat little and seeing this and it blew my mind “how much more” could fit in that jar – and how long the little experiment went on.
I was enthralled because the instructor talked about each thing that went into the jar as something real, something important – important enough that it could help him fill his jar. As he spoke, it became clear that he was talking about his life. How many days, weeks, months and years did that jar represent? How many laughs, tears, births, jobs, degrees, friendships, meals and deaths of loved ones went into it? How many twists and turns did the rocks, sand and water have to take to fill the jar? How many twists and turns did his life take?
During the warmer months, we seem to have a lot of rocks that we choose and are excited about – trips, hikes, buildouts, boating, and gardens. The winter months, it seems like we choose to add fewer big rocks – fewer big projects and endeavors. The winter months are more like the sand and then the water that fill in the larger landscape. We spend some time talking about future rocks and past rocks and then we fill the rest of our day with smaller things that keep us going. It’s not that these things are less meaningful – they are also filling the jar and actually stabilizing the rocks that are in the jar. Can you imagine a jar of un-stabilized rocks? The jar would likely break.
What is the sand and water you are filling your jar with this winter to stabilize your life? Inside projects; devotionals, coffee with friends; writing an actual letter; a daily nap; a yoga class or walk, a smile to the checkout person after taking longer at the grocery store to enjoy the buzz of community, bright lights and music; finishing a tv series that we didn’t care about last summer, but everyone was taking about; reading a full article or book; and reaching out to people or taking a second longer to text another line or two. These aren’t huge endeavors, but they are stabilizing.
If we only put large rocks in our jars, it won’t hold much. With too few large rocks, they’d probably bang around and break our jar. Also, what if a rock gets in that we didn’t anticipate?
Things can take a turn and new rocks get added. Nobody is looking around to put a “dementia” or “stroke” rock in their jar. Nobody is planning to not wake up tomorrow as they did today, now unable to hold their own jar, whether they are alive or have passed.
In reality, someone else will eventually be holding our jar. We need to leave instructions telling them how to “handle with care” while we are alive and, after we pass away. We need to consider who and how we pass our beautiful jar filled with our legacy of our endeavors, stories, and assets on to others - taking your rocks to new places so they can fill new sturdy and clean jars with some of the texture and colors from you so your life can still be admired, and their jar can become more beautiful. What a gift to give!
Leave instructions for how to hold your jar while you are alive with Powers of Attorney and how to pass the contents of your jar on with a Will, Trust, LLC, Deed or other tools. This is the perfect time of year to add the stabilizing elements of sand and water, an estate plan or an update to your existing plan, to your jar. Enjoy Today and Big Hugs!

12/09/2024

Holiday Kisses
By Denise Stewart

So… it’s the last part of 2024 and we have a TON on our hearts and minds. We just had Halloween, Thanksgiving is on the horizon, then we’ll blink in between bustling, and it’ll be the year-end Holidays and Christmas… by time we get to New Years, let alone the innumerable ever changing name holidays, regular holidays where banks close, swear-ins and extremely important holidays for groups of people that we want to support but don’t participate in, the BOI registration deadline and 4th and 1st quarter tax considerations… Oh! and don’t forget the birthdays, possible unanticipated deaths and services for people we love, and the births of people we love before they’ve even arrived - ALL THIS before we finally make it to February 2nd, Ground Hogs Day – one of my favorites (and yes, the stress of the Canadian Punxsutawney Phil kicking the bucket again is real – Seriously, what kind of sign was that!?!?)
We are tired before we even start.
SO, LET’S NOT GET TIRED THIS YEAR. Let’s KISS – that old Keep it Simple Stupid reminder that is irritatingly spot on. I prefer stupid simple rather than calling somebody stupid, but then again sometimes we are stupid and don’t keep it simple. But since I’m changing that let’s change it to KEEP IT SO SIMPLE.
To that end and with regards to your estate plan? KISS - Keep it SO simple.
Your Estate Plan
1. Know what you have & where it is.
2. Who will get it when you’re dead?
3. Have it in writing – preferably professionally done.
a. Seriously, not kidding, homemade/internet estate plans are the worst in terms of time, money, stress and relationships.
Your Asset Protection and Long-Term Care Plan
1. Know your plans for when needs arise & use the plans you have.
2. Know who you trust to take care of you should you become ill or unable to act on your own.
3. Have it in writing – preferably professionally done.
a. Seriously, not kidding, haphazard asset protection and overdue/last minute long-term care decisions are also the worst in terms of time, money stress and relationships.
Then? Check the box and go play. Enjoy the Season and those you love. It’s that simple Watch the lights glimmer on the snowy street, the joy of finding that missing glove, the cozy blanket that makes you feel safe and good. Step out of the chaos for as many moments in the day as you can. Find the simple blessings and know you are leaving a legacy you love – a simple life, despite all that goes with it, and with a simple plan for those you trust and leave behind. Big Hugs, Holiday Kisses and Blessings to you and yours this holiday season. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

10/30/2024

Things I Learned to Tell Clients
1. Where to store / not store documents
a. Store
• On a shelf
• In your desk
• In a safe or maybe a safe deposit box if someone can access it
b. Do not Store
• In a freezer. This is the first place people chuck things out of.
• In a pet cemetery. That people don’t know you have. That you haven’t clearly marked “Estate Plan Kitty.”
• Under your bed where cats p*e, rodents eat and dogs sleep on. One trip to the funeral home to eradicate the smell of whatever died on the documents did not help filing it with the court.
2. Naming People in Charge
a. People to Name
• People you like
• People you have the same values and share the same world view with
• People who are financially and personally responsible
• People who will honor your wishes, even if it is emotionally hard (medical decisions to keep you alive or let you go or financial decisions to let you spend what you want)
b. People Not to Name
• People you don’t like (even if they are the first born)
• People you don’t share values with (even if they are your only kid)
• Financial institutions who just want your money and won’t distribute because of the annual fee or earnings
• Kids or kids who are married to people who suck – they’ll just cause fights that will take time and money away from everything you worked hard for
3. Who to Leave Stuff To
a. Leave Stuff To
• Kids who have proven themselves
• Family or friends who have proven themselves to be responsible with their own stuff
• Charities who have a proven track record or an endowment fund that has enough flexibility to give year after year to those who do. These some that are already set up and you can essentially design your endowment fund any way you want to.
b. Who not to leave stuff To
• Kids over 40 who still haven’t gotten their **** together.
• Family or friends who don’t call you – unless you’re the jerk and they are making space to heal themselves, then definitely leave stuff to those kids.
• People who are just sucking up because they know you are going to die, need help or are lonely and are emotionally taking advantage of that fact now so they can financially take advantage when you are dead or too sick to speak up.

4. Stuff to Leave
a. Leave
• A clean estate plan that has a SIMPLE distribution plan
• Consolidated accounts
• A list of who gets what personal items
b. Don’t leave
• Stuff without an estate plan… better no estate plan than a haphazard messy one that will just “poof” away in court, attorney, and accounting fees as well as wreck the family you left behind.
• Dirt (real property), Titled vehicles or Cash on a list to distribute… that list is just for the stuff like a chainsaw, whiskey glass or watch.
• Me working with kids that suck or have spouses that suck. I like my clients, but some kids and spouses… geez. You know who they are better than me, so don’t name them.
5. Updating your Estate Plan
a. Updates Possible
• If your family, finances, or health has changed, then check in about updating.
• Review every tax season and you’re not sure because this kid is in a divorce with a psycho, etc.
• If the political climate has changed
b. Updates Not Always Necessary
• BBQ went sideways
• This kid calls more or chops wood, but that other kid is so worldly responsible
• You are still drunk from the BBQ.

Get your things in order. One step at a time. 1.) Estate Planning lays the foundation. 2.) Asset Protection starts to create a legacy and preservation of everything you worked for 3.) Long-Term Care because it costs an average of $10,000 per month – and there are options whether you have or have not, and 4.) Death…in this case, dead. How much are you going to control from the grave and how much are you going to actually let this life go and trust you did a good job with who and what you leave behind. Just call. We can have a cup of coffee and chat… It’s a lot, but it feels so good to check this box so you can go play.

10/01/2024

http://eltclawgroup.com/