Attorney Karen Jackson to Lead Elder-law, Estate-planning Classes at HCC

HOLYOKE — Attorney Karen Jackson, an elder-law and estate-planning attorney at Jackson Law, will teach a two-part class highlighting the latest developments in elder law and estate planning at Holyoke Community College (HCC).

The four-hour course, called “Elder Law and Estate Planning: What You Need to Know,” will be presented in a pair of two-hour sessions, on Mondays, Oct. 18 and 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $99.

“The course will explain the basic building blocks of an estate plan,” Jackson said. “From that foundation, we will also consider the various specialized trust documents that support this planning. I will clarify the probate court process and what it means to probate a will. And I will explore current MassHealth issues in the event of a nursing-home stay.”

In the first session, Jackson will explain each document in the core estate plan — the will, power of attorney, healthcare proxy, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) release, and advance directive. 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. In the first session, she will also cover the different types of trusts — the revocable trust, irrevocable trust, and special-needs trust — and the reasons for creating each kind of trust.

During the second session, Jackson will explain the various tools and techniques to save the home and other assets from the nursing home bill: gifting, the Medicaid qualified annuity, pooled trusts, caregiver child exception, and Medicaid qualified trusts.

For participants who may be able to attend only one session, the full course fee is still required.

Holyoke Community College’s main campus in Holyoke is at 303 Homestead Ave. To register, call HCC at (413) 552-2500 or register online at www.hcc.edu/bce.