Area Lawyer to Teach Series of Classes on Elder Law, Estate Planning

HOLYOKE — Attorney Karen Jackson, owner and senior attorney of Jackson Law, an elder-law and estate-planning firm, will teach a series of three classes highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Community College on Mondays, Sept. 19, Sept. 26, and Oct. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Jackson said each class is a standalone presentation; those who are unable to attend on Sept. 19 are welcome to attend one or both of the subsequent sessions.

Through stories and real examples, Jackson will present comprehensive subject matter on these topics: “The Core Estate Plan,” “The Probate Process, Start to Finish,” and “Medicare, Community Care Programs, and MassHealth Planning.”

In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan. She will discuss the problems that can occur when proper documents are not prepared before a loss of mental capacity or physical health or before sudden loss of life. She will also provide an overview of the different types of trusts that can be considered in estate planning, including supplemental needs trusts, revocable trusts, and irrevocable trusts.

The second session will address the probate-court process. Jackson will discuss the different types of probate, explain how to determine which assets must go through probate after a death, and what estate planning can be done now.

In her final session, Jackson will introduce the various Medicaid programs that provide community and long-term skilled nursing care in Massachusetts and the financial assistance associated with each. She will also address hot topics in Medicare law, supplemental-needs trusts, and new developments in significant elder-law issues.

The cost is $85 per person and covers all three classes; participants cannot pay for individual sessions. To register, call Holyoke Community College at (413) 552-2500 or visit www.hcc.edu/bce.