Check out our March newsletter!
THE LEGAL NAVIGATOR MARCH 2023
FROM THE DESK OF Mike Bryan
6 Reasons to Update Your Estate Plan Life Is Dynamic
Happy March Madness! Good luck in your bracket this year. Hopefully after our mild winter so far for 2023, we’re not paying for it with a snowstorm in March! As a newsletter recipient, you already know the estate planning techniques that are available to avoid probate and unnecessary guardianship costs. In addition, you understand that with Medicaid planning, you could still protect up to one-half or more of your assets from being spent down. Lastly, you are aware that if someone is a Veteran
or a widowed spouse of a Veteran they could receive between $17,192 and $31,714 in tax free income each year to help pay for health care costs.
If you already have an estate plan, you are on the right track. It’s estimated that 67% of people in the U.S. don’t have a will or plans if something happens to them. Without a will or directions, family members (or sometimes the state) are left to determine what to do with their assets in the event of death. However, even if you took the first step and had a plan drawn up, it doesn’t mean you’re done. You need to update your estate plan regularly, especially after you’ve experienced any significant life changes. According to professionals, you should review your estate plan annually or every few years to ensure nothing has changed. Are the correct people included? Did you undergo a major life change recently? Have you acquired more assets? Are your intentions still the same?
If you have not talked about these incredible benefits, now
is the time to discuss these with your family. Discover answers to all of your questions by downloading my book as a gift for your loved ones this year. Visit our website at SWBWLawFirm.com/estate-medicaid-and-va- planning-an-ohio-guide or scan the QR code below.
See you next month!
Life is fluid and ever-changing, and here are some of the most important life changes that warrant an update to your estate plan.
Children An estate plan will likely include your kids, both biological and adopted. It should be noted that stepchildren are not usually included unless they are specifically mentioned. Thus, any time a new child joins the family, your estate plan will need to reflect this, along with their chosen guardian.
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Marriage and Divorce If you’ve been recently married or divorced, this change in family dynamics is an essential update — especially after a divorce, to ensure your assets do not wind up in the hands of your ex-spouse, update your estate plan immediately!
beneficiary? Are you interested in adding someone to your plan? If you want to update your beneficiaries, do this right away. To care for your loved ones the way you prefer after you are gone, frequently check that your list of beneficiaries is current! Executors and Trustees If those whom you initially trusted to implement your plan after you passed away are no longer willing or able to carry out this job for you, it’s time for an update. You want to be sure everything is taken care of the way you want it to be.
A Move to a New State Estate planning laws change across state borders; thus, a review of your estate plan is necessary if you have recently moved to a new state. You want to keep your estate plan compliant with all state laws. Even when laws change, an estate plan attorney can assist you in keeping your plan current.
Assets Has the value of your estate vastly changed since you last reviewed it? Did you recently purchase a new vacation home? Have you sold your boat and/or motorhome? Any significant change to your assets will require a plan reassessment to review how your property will be distributed. Your estate plan is an essential document that takes care of your loved ones when you can no longer. Keep it up to date to be sure you are doing your best for your family and friends after you are gone.
Beneficiaries Has one of your
beneficiaries recently passed away? Did you have a falling out with a
ADD ORGANIZATION TO YOUR SPRING-CLEANING LIST!
4 Tips to Keep Your House Tidy
It's March — the month of spring-cleaning! While many often think of scrubbing the windows or washing the floors, spring is the perfect time to reorganize your house into a more efficient space. And no, you don’t need fancy storage furniture or shiny color-coded bins to get your home in order. There are many small things you can do just by using clever tricks and throwaway household items. So, try these organization hacks to tidy your home this month and beyond. Keep your matching bed sets together by using a pillowcase to store them. Organize your linen closet by slipping the flat and fitted sheets into one of their respective matching pillowcases (fold the other pillowcase in there as well!). This way, you’ll never have to hunt for the matching sheets again! Use an old disinfecting wipes container to store your plastic bags. If you like to reuse plastic shopping bags at home, finding a way to store them can be a pain. Next time you run out of Clorox Wipes (or another generic equivalent), rinse the inside of the container with water and store your plastic bags there. Then with the container’s
built-in feeding lid, you’ll be able to pull the bags out one by one as you need them. Label messy cords with tape. As working from home and numerous consumer electronics (shut up, Alexa!) become more prevalent in our lives, the cords connecting these devices can become tangled and hard to differentiate. By wrapping a piece of painter’s or washi tape around a cord, you can create a tag to write what that cord is attached to. So, no more guessing which cords you’re unplugging! Add some chalkboard paint to your jars. Sometimes, we have no idea what’s inside the jars in our pantry. Maybe it’s flour, or maybe it’s powdered sugar. Sometimes, it can be neither! To solve this, you can buy a little jar of chalkboard paint at your nearest craft store and paint squares on your jars (or other unlabeled containers around the house) to write with chalk what’s inside! The best part is you can erase these labels and change them based on the jar’s contents. These hacks will help you give your spring cleaning a major boost by keeping your home neat and tidy for the rest of the year!
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‘Irish I Knew That Sooner!’
6 FUN FACTS ABOUT ST. PATRICK’S DAY
March 17 isn’t St. Patrick’s birthday. Many believe that we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on his birthday, but it’s actually the day he died in 461 A.D. That’s not his name. As mentioned earlier, St. Patrick is not his real name! When he became a bishop, Maewyn Succat changed his name to Patrick. He didn’t banish snakes. Legend has it that St. Patrick banished all of the snakes from Ireland. In fact, even some portraits depict him doing so. However, fossil records show that snakes were never present in Ireland around his lifetime. Corned beef and cabbage originated in America. On March 17, everyone loads up on corned beef and cabbage in celebration, but did you know that in Ireland, they ate ham and cabbage, and the corned beef tradition actually began in America? In the 19th century, Irish Americans bought leftover corned beef from ships returning from China. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade happened in America. Many believe that St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in Ireland, but in 1737, the first St. Patrick’s Day parades actually took place in Boston and New York City.
Take a Break! The man’s British roots run deep. St. Patrick isn’t Irish — he was born in Britain around the end of the fourth century. Legend has it that at 16 years old, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery by Irish raiders. After six years, he was able to escape back to Britain and returned to Ireland much later as a Christian missionary. Ireland named him the country’s patron saint after he passed away. Year after year, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with green shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, and Lucky Charms, but did you know that St. Patrick was actually British? Even more surprising, St. Patrick isn’t even his real name! Get ready to celebrate the luck of the Irish while impressing others with some fun St. Patrick’s Day trivia.
Inspired by TheKitchyKitchen.com Irish Pancakes
SUCCESS ISN'T OVERNIGHT. IT'S WHEN EVERYDAY YOU GET A LITTLE BETTER THAN BEFORE. IT ADDS UP. -Dwayne Johnson
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, beaten
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1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
Directions
1. In a bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Set aside. 2. In a skillet, brown 1 tbsp of butter. 3. In a separate bowl, mix the beaten egg, buttermilk, and browned butter. 4. In a constant stream, add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients while stirring. Do not over beat! 5. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter, stir until the skillet is coated, and then add a few large dollops of batter (about 3 inches wide) to the pan. Do not overcrowd. 6. Cook 4–5 minutes a side, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with butter, jam, and syrup.
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59 N. 4th St. Zanesville, Ohio 43701
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Mike Bryan PAGE 1 Why It’s Important to Update Your Estate Plan PAGE 1 Pro Tips to Organize Your Home This Spring PAGE 2 6 St. Patrick’s Day Fun Facts PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Irish Pancakes PAGE 3 Want a Vitamin Boost? PAGE 4
Soak Up the Sunshine Vitamin
Health Benefits of Vitamin D
It reduces the risks of depression. Studies have shown that those who are deficient in vitamin D become more prone to mood disorders and depression. To ensure that you support your mental health, step outside and get some happy, feel-good rays! It’s possibly linked to weight loss. While it’s not fully proven that vitamin D helps with weight loss, many studies have found links between vitamin D supplements and shedding a few pounds. In one study, one group of people taking vitamin D and calcium supplements lost more weight than another group taking placebos. It prevents and helps multiple sclerosis. Not only is vitamin D proven to lower a person’s chances of getting this horrible disease, but for those who already have it, it can also reduce symptoms or slow down the disease’s progression. This spring, be sure to get outdoors and soak up some vitamin D; however, don’t forget to protect your skin, too! To avoid overexposure, only about 10–15 minutes a day of unprotected sun is recommended.
With spring on the horizon, we all will be able to get outdoors a little more and soak up some sun — and extra vitamin D! Bring
on the picnics, pool days, hiking, sports activities, and leisurely walks through the park!
Let's take a look at the many benefits this vitamin provides for our bodies. It boosts your immune system. Vitamin D helps your body fight off sickness. In fact, it’s been proven that deficiencies in vitamin D are connected to an increased possibility of developing infections and autoimmune diseases such as the flu, heart disease, and diabetes. It counters osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis, a loss in bone mass, is common as we get older. However, vitamin D is one of the key players in helping to slow down bone loss and prevent or treat osteoporosis so we can maintain a healthy skeletal system.
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