News & Articles

Why should I choose an attorney who focuses on estate planning matters rather than a general attorney who practices all types of law? Would you have your general practitioner do your heart surgery? Like the medical profession, the legal profession does allow for...

You asked for it! We are now open the second Saturday of each month. The first Saturday we will be open is Saturday, September 8 from 9 am to 1 pm.  If you need a Saturday appointment, please call  318-869-0055 or email ynock@patriciamiramon.com.

Many people do not know that making a trust the beneficiary of your IRA or other retirement plan often results in accelerated income taxation. Estates and many trusts and charities must receive the benefits within five years of the owner’s date of death if he or she...

Differences in generation change the way we look at and adapt to technology. It has both positive and negative impacts on elders, their families, caregivers, and even their living environments. There are many types of technology that can be used by elders to improve...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law on December 22, 2017. Many of the inflation adjusted numbers were changed. Those include: Gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax exclusion            $11,200,000 Standard deduction Single                      ...

The Louisiana Small Successions Act allows families to use an heirship affidavit to prove their ownership of property if they do not have title to their property. An heirship affidavit allows the passage or transfer of ownership of inherited property to the legal...

A reverse mortgage is actually called a home equity conversion mortgage (HECM). In the past, a spouse could borrow money on the home and not consult the other spouse. Then, if the borrower spouse died, it caused the non-borrowing spouse to risk having to refinance,...

Although we don’t practice family law we do have knowledge of what the Louisiana community property rules are and how they affect your estate planning and the distribution of an estate. Many people do not realize that community property rules apply to every asset or...

Online access to accounts  after death is important. At the time of death, survivors may need to manage financial accounts and pay debts, taxes, and expenses. Without access to emails and online banking information, this may become burdensome and time...

Blended families provide a challenge for many elder law attorneys. Now, over 50% of all homes consist of blended families. Consider a family whose assets are held jointly, with the exception of the home being solely in the husband’s name. One spouse wants all of the...