Off The Clock

When young adults turn 18, parents and guardians lose their legal authority to act on their behalf—a reality that can create serious complications during emergencies or when support is needed. In this essential episode, attorneys Michele Procino-Wells, Esq. and Amber B. Woodland, Esq. guide young adults through the critical process of establishing a Power of Attorney and Advance Health Care Directive.Michele and Amber break down the practical applications of each document, offer guidance on selecting the right representatives, and share best practices for secure document storage. While specifically designed for young adults navigating this important milestone, this episode provides valuable insights for parents, grandparents, guardians, and anyone involved in supporting young people as they transition to legal independence.

Repatriation isn't a process we'd considered before we attended a presentation made by a Parsell Funeral Homes team member. As it relates to funeral planning, the process of repatriation requires an expert, and Andrew Parsell was kind enough to join us for this episode to discuss the things that families should consider if they recognize the possibility of passing away in a country they don't call "home." Listen in to learn more about this unique process. 

Jeanine O'Donnell, Agency Owner of the Lewes, DE State Farm, brings years of experience to our listeners about the importance of insurance. Jeanine defines estate liquidity, dispels several myths, and was a good sport through a fun but unexpected travel question. Enjoy this segment of great advice from a pro!

Jeff Montgomery is the Founder and President of Montgomery Financial, a fully independent Registered Investment Advisory firm. We value Jeff's attention to detail and thorough approach to planning, including his knowledge and interpretation of the SECURE Act. Jeff was one of our very first podcast guests and he's back to discuss the latest changes to this law. This is another example of how Jeff and his team bring complex topics to life in easy to understand terms.

Team Centered. It's one of our four firm pillars and Mindi Cooper, Estate Planning Coordinator, is our "guest" today to share her journey with the firm. She and our Firm Manager, Sherri Holder, shed a little more light on Mindi's personality - the things our clients don't always get to see during the estate planning process. This episode is sure to make our list of favorite segments ever.Caution: There's a fire engine in the background during a few seconds of this episode.

A lot of our clients express an interest in using their estate plan to fulfill their charitable giving wishes, but they aren't always confident in their knowledge of the options. Mike DiPaolo, Vice President with the Delaware Community Foundation, is our guest in this episode to discuss this topic. Our listeners will learn more about charitable giving options, and the use of Delaware Community Foundation and organizations like it to leave a lasting legacy.

It's a common question - should I create a Revocable Living Trust or an Irrevocable Asset Protection Trust? Answer: Maybe both! Michele Procino-Wells, Esq. and Amber B. Woodland, Esq. are together in this episode to dispel a few myths about the use of trusts in Delaware. Their conversation uses a case study to illustrate how for most families, creating a trust (sometimes two!) is the perfect solution to meet their estate planning goals.

Administration is the area of our practice that helps families settle the matters of their loved ones who have passed away. During this stressful and emotional time, a decedent's important people are oftentimes uncertain of their role as Executor and Trustee, in most cases, because they've never done the job before. Just like hiring legal counsel, families receive an abundance of help from their accountant during this process. Tiffanie Araya, Owner and CPA at Araya Tax and Accounting Services, P.A. is our guest to prove the value an accountant brings to the Estate and/or Trust Administration process.

Off The Clock is full of estate planning and elder law content but we love taking a break from the legalese to invite other content relevant to the demographic we serve. Hospice is a key healthcare resource for families to understand in case their future health could benefit from the services. Terri Brisbane, Nurse and Clinical Liaison with Compassionate Care Hospice, joins us to help our listeners learn more.

One of the best parts of our work is getting to know our clients and hearing about their lives: their stories; their families; their careers. Michele Procino-Wells, Esq. and Amber B. Woodland, Esq. are both on the mic to recount some of the most interesting clients they've encountered in their careers. Don't be fooled though, we could have filled hours and hours of content on this topic because we have the very best clients!

Sometimes it happens! A financial institution won't accept the essential legal document meant to help you support your loved one. Now what? Our Estate Planning Department Manager, Laura McCreary, is on the mic to offer an explanation of why this happens on occasion and what steps we might take to resolve it.

Take time this Father's Day to celebrate all the dads in your life! John Wells and Justin Woodland, husbands to our leading ladies and all-star dads, spent a few minutes with us to create this special episode. Take a quick listen to learn about Michele and Amber off the clock. We hope this is a sentimental start to a celebratory weekend. Happy Father's Day!

This is a common request through our phone line, but proceed with caution. Occasionally a client really wants to give property to a family member, but MOST of the time, they are making this request with other goals in mind, like avoid probate or protecting the real estate from long-term care costs. Michele Procino-Wells, Esq. and Amber B. Woodland, Esq. are together in this episode to discuss all the risks involved in this decision solutions to meet the same goals.

Cindy McCabe owns Bethany Travel and we're so thankful she sat down with us to discuss vacationing in your retirement years. Listeners who weren't convinced before, are sure to recognize the value that experienced travel agents bring to planning a memorable trip. Cindy and her team are a wealth of knowledge (and so nice!!) and their office is very easy to find. If you don't want to be tempted to plan your next vacation, don't listen to this episode!

That's a wrap! We're closing this season of episodes the way we started, showing off the younger generation. To celebrate National Grandparents Day we published a contest encouraging grandchildren to nominate their grandparent as the best around. Laurence and Janice Riggs are our winners! Take a listen to find out why. See you next season!

Stuff. We all have it, and during some milestones our stuff is a burden. Stacey Himler, Owner of Caring Transitions, is with us to introduce her business. Caring Transitions helps older adults relocate and downsize, and helps families who are cleaning out the homes of loved ones who have passed. Take a listen to learn more about Stacey, her team and her helpful work!

Our Estate Administration Coordinator, Marie Chin, interviews Amber B. Woodland about the probate process. As often as our team talks about probate, we sometimes take for granted that everyone knows what that term means. Listen in as Amber defines probate, describes the process, and reminders our listeners of how to use their estate plan to avoid it.

The third-party Supplemental Needs Trust is an incredible estate planning document that can be added to an overall plan when a person wants to benefit a loved one who is disabled and collecting public benefits.  Alternately, this episode identifies the first-party Supplemental Needs Trust, too. Listen in as Michele Procino-Wells introduces supplemental needs planning and some key opportunities.  

Lynn Paxson, Owner of Oasis Senior Advisors, helps our listeners understand important things to consider when helping an older adult move from their primary residence into senior living, like an assisted living facility. She's an expert and is passionate about her work of helping seniors dispel myths about facility living, ask the right questions, and keep a goal of happiness on the list!

Suzanne Lenhard joins us today from CALM Care Navigation & Private Nursing Service to define her unique business and much needed services. If you like being in the know about Delaware health care resources, this is an episode for you!

The most well known end of life estate planning document is the Last Will and Testament. Michele Procino-Wells and Amber B. Woodland are together to discuss this common document and how our wishes for our personal possessions can be addressed within our overall plan. Don't miss this foundational knowledge, and then refer to our Revocable Living Trust episode in follow up.

Estate planning isn't only for planning what happens to your "stuff" when you pass. A thorough estate plan includes legal documents that support you during your lifetime in the event of incapacity. Michele Procino-Wells & Amber B. Woodland are together in this episode to discuss both lifetime planning documents, and how and when they might be used. You'll hear them refer to the Power of Attorney as one of the most important legal documents that any adult should have, so this is a do not miss episode.

Our friend Erin Steele, Director of Marketing and Enrollment, invites us to the PACE Your LIFE Center at the Milford Wellness Village to discuss this new and unique program. PACE stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly and has a mission of supporting individuals with comprehensive services that aim to help them maintain their independence. Our community isn't used to having access to such a robust program so this episode is a must listen - and share!

This Mother's Day we're bringing you a special episode to celebrate families and especially the children that are part of our team. Some of the mothers on our team have interviewed their children to quiz them on their knowledge of what mommy really does at work all day. We hope you enjoy these sweet voices and we look forward to you listening in with us during this upcoming podcast season.

What Other Attorneys Say - sounds like a game show, but it's no laughing matter. Michele Procino-Wells and Amber B. Woodland are together in this episode to give reason to some of the opposing advice that the community hears from other attorneys who claim to work in the same area of the law. 

Amber Woodland is joined by guest, Debbie Finger of Eastern Shore Senior Care Solutions, to discuss this coined term - aging in place. Debbie has a wealth of knowledge about the aging process, and the common preference to remain at home as we age. She knows first hand what it takes to advocate through significant changes in health and she provides incredible resources to families who use her support. This episode should open all listeners ears to available support during the aging process.

Michele Procino-Wells and Amber B. Woodland work together in this episode to discuss digital assets. Wait! Before you flip to the next episode, yes, you have digital assets. It's common for our clients to think that ownership of digital assets implies ownership of cryptocurrency like bitcoin. If you have common accounts like an email address, a photo storage account or a music library, among others, YOU have digital assets and your estate plan can direct access to them during incapacity, or at your death. Listen in.

There are so many legal terms that are confused or misunderstood. Amber B. Woodland sits with one of our Estate Planning Coordinators, Taylor White, to clarify some of the most common legal mumbo jumbo related to our practice.

Did you know that the 2021 Caring.com Estate Planning and Wills Survey found that 67% of adults don't have a Will? So, what happens to a person's "stuff" when they pass away without an estate plan that explains their wishes? Our attorney, Michele Procino-Wells is hosted by Marie Chin, Estate Administration Coordinator, to discuss just that. When a person passes away without an estate plan, state statues apply, known as intestacy rules, and in most cases, they are not the inheritance rules a person would choose. 

Our guest, Sean Valentine of CSV Financial Inc., is with Michele Procino-Wells to discuss Medicare and the number of considerations that contribute to choosing the right plan every year. We hope listeners will recognize the importance of building a relationship with a licensed Medicare Broker and depending on them annually for re-enrollment. Beware, our office closely neighbors a fire department that made a couple guest appearances this episode.

Michele Procino-Wells and Amber Woodland fondly discuss the history and character of our office buildings. Take a listen to learn more about how our offices came to be.

We have an incredible team that we love showing off. In this episode, Michele Procino-Wells prompts our Elder Law Department Manager, Danielle Marvel, to share more about herself and her loves outside of the office. We love our work so we couldn't resist highlighting the ways that Danielle helps our clients, too.

Michele Procino-Wells and Amber Woodland are together in this episode to expand on some of our most strategic client matters - crisis asset protection planning for a married couple when one or both spouses have a current need for long term care. Listen in to hear them discuss some of the strategies we implement and some of the myths we debunk. 

Michele Procino-Wells and Danielle Marvel use this episode to discuss asset protection planning strategies for unmarried people during a current need for long term care. They review the concept that it's never too late to plan, even if there is a current need for any level of long term care, and highlight the typical outcomes for a single client matter.

Michele Procino-Wells and Amber Woodland work together in this episode to describe intermediate planning strategies.  Occasionally, families approach asset protection planning but neither have a current need for long-term care, or five years or more to plan ahead for long-term care.  This episode explores some strategies that could work to begin sheltering assets from the costs of long term care while anticipating that health needs might change in the near future.

Michele and Amber introduce Irrevocable Asset Protection Trusts as a legal tool to help families shelter assets from the costs of long term care.  Listeners will understand a long list of benefits and reasons that a family would want to incorporate this estate planning document into their overall estate plan.

Dean Reid and Melissa Heverin from a local assisted living facility, Milford Place, are with us today to discuss this intermediate level of long term care.  This conversation clarifies the ideal candidate for the assisted living setting, the incredible benefits that residents experience, and the intentional ways that the Milford Place team helps families stay connected.

Amber Woodland and Danielle Marvel are back in this episode to discuss Veterans Benefits.  They cover the intricacies of qualifying for the Veterans Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit that for some families provides an added source of income to help cover long term care needs.

There are so many myths about the Medicaid Long Term Care program that we dedicated a whole episode to dispelling them!  Michele Procino-Wells is back with our Client Services Director, Meagan Sekscinski, to correct the most commonly believed myths about Medicaid LTC and elder law.

Special episode! We're pleased to welcome Regional Director of Marketing and Community Outreach, Christina Wingate-Spence of BrightStar Care, to discuss The Virtual Dementia Tour. This unique training is a proven approach to building a better understanding of dementia through the use of sensory props and instruction. The VDT helps caregivers and professionals understand what it might feel like to experience Alzheimer's, dementia or related cognitive impairments so that they can be more empathetic in the care they provide and be empowered with tools to take a different approach.

Amber Woodland is excited to introduce our Elder Law Department Manager, Danielle Marvel, in this episode.  Danielle is a wealth of knowledge and incredibly helpful in explaining the "three-part test" to become eligible for the benefit, the process of applying, and several nuances in the world of Medicaid planning.

Amber B. Woodland and Michele Procino-Wells discuss the basics of elder law.  This conversation explains the three primary levels of long term care, the average cost of care in our communities and the goals of asset protection planning.  This episode also discusses the projected outcomes of this type of planning.  Spoiler alert - the outcomes are incredible.

Beth Copeland, Agency Director at Griswold Home Care in Lewes, DE, is with Leslie DiPietro this week to discuss the current landscape in home care.  Beth gets a chance to share her team's perspective on their services and how they've modified their approach during this uncertain time.  We love promoting in-home care services in our community and hope this episode is a helpful introduction.

Sherri Holder will introduce our CARES Program Manager, Laura McCreary, and the two will discuss the importance of maintaining an estate plan.  Their conversation will take a look at the PWW approach to this important step, and our CARES Program.

Michele Procino-Wells and Leslie Case DiPietro are together to discuss the importance of maintaining your estate plan.  This sometimes forgotten step is key in making sure your plan works when you need it to.

The Supplemental Needs Trust is one of many trusts that we look forward to introducing in these segments.  Leslie Case DiPietro and Amber B. Woodland discuss how this estate planning document complements an overall plan and supports a family member with a disability.

Dr. Tawnya Dennis, Administrator from Lofland Park Center in Seaford, DE, is our guest today and she and Michele Procino-Wells explore the current environment of skilled nursing facility care under current COVID restrictions.  Listeners will appreciate Dr. Dennis' first hand experience this year, and her perspective on a number of hot topics, like the COVID vaccine.  

Now that we understand what a trust is, and how it works during our lifetime, it's important to cover how a trust is administered at the owner's passing.  Michele Procino-Wells and Amber B. Woodland will explain trust administration in a way that will give the trust owner the confidence that they chose the right estate planning tool, and the Trustee the confidence to carry out their role.

Michele Procino-Wells and Amber B. Woodland are back in this segment to answer the burning question- can you trust your trust?  And what is asset alignment?  Michele and Amber discuss the importance of not only creating a trust within your estate plan, but properly funding the trust with your assets.

Michele Procino-Wells and Amber B. Woodland introduce the Revocable Living Trust as a foundational estate planning tool that works to express our end of life wishes, avoid probate, and be used as an incapacity tool.  This is a do-not-miss episode!

Leslie DiPietro and Amber B. Woodland walk through the probate process so that listeners understand the legal proceeding that happens after a person passes away.  Listeners will learn more about the role of the Executor or Personal Representative, who oversees the process, the fees involved and the lengthy timeline.