Tag Archive for: david carrier

Death In The Family Is Always Painful

What Comes Next Is Frequently Worse

Death Comes For Us All

Our time on this planet is limited. We do our best while we are here. To be a good spouse. A loving parent. A loyal sibling. A true American. To be able to look back on a life well-lived. You have worked hard. You played by the rules. You planned. And when you pass, there will be leftovers.

Maybe it is a loved one who has died. After the grief comes the realization that you have a big job to do. You are responsible to take care of what has been left behind.

Now what? What comes next? You have heard the stories of family strife. You “know” that this will take at least a year, probably two. You keep hearing that probate or trust administration costs will swallow up 4-10% of the leftovers. Pretty discouraging.

It does not have to be that way. Let us show you.

Will vs Trust

Wills only work in probate. A will is simply instructions to the Probate Court and the Personal Representative (Executor). Wills do not avoid probate. Did I mention that the will only works in Probate Court?

Millions of families have believed that revocable living trusts would avoid probate for them. Millions of families have been disappointed. Trusts only work on assets that have been retitled into the trust.

Attorneys, bankers, accountants, insurance agents, annuity salespersons, financial advisors, and the guy who mops the floor at the bank all know something that you do not. Everybody else knows that trusts do not work in the real world. That fact has nothing to do with the trust itself.

Trusts only work on stuff in the trust. And your stuff is not in your trust. Inconceivable!

Remember all those papers in that trust binder? All those papers you did not read? All those papers your loved one did not read either? Well, there was a memo about putting assets into the trust. Whoopsie. Say hello to probate! This is not a mistake. New estate planning lawyers are taught not to worry about funding, in reliance on probate. I wonder if the probate attorney fees have anything to do with it… Inconceivable!

Everybody knows you will not put your stuff into the trust. That is why you get a Funding Coach at the Law Offices of David L. Carrier. Someone to help you, nag you, enable you. To truly avoid probate. And nursing home poverty.

Simple will or the typical trust? Does not matter. Say hello to probate.

Delay Destroys De Family

Probate or trust administration drags on. Month after month. Family members wonder what is going on. One year. Two years. And on. Family fights fester. First, grief at mom’s death. Then, impatience. Soon, annoyance. Next, suspicion. Finally, anger.

“But our kids get along so well!” Check back 12-24 months after your death. No final resolution. No visible signs of progress. Tough? You bet. Inevitable? No way!

Git ‘Er Done! Six Months Or Less!

Preserve your family. Preserve your sanity. You do the grieving. We do the paperwork. Six months after you say “Go!”, we say “All done!” And four months of that time was required by the newspaper Notice to Unknown Creditors. Consistent communication calms kids.

Your Probate And Trust Administration Team

Attorney Terri Macklin and Senior Paralegal Lea Dillard head up your Team. Our staff accountants, paralegals, and client service agents back them all the way. Attorney Claire Clary rounds out the Team. As former executive director of Widowed Persons Services, Claire adds years of insights from helping hundreds of newly widowed persons.

Six Months! Really?

Not every time. But it is always our goal. We work hard to beat your expectations. Hundreds of times, hundreds of families, every year.

Unexpected Covid-19 Deaths Are Rising

You did not expect your loved one to pass so soon. You thought you had time. They did too. Things will get worse before they get better. Get help now.

What Now?

Preserve your family. Preserve your sanity. Call the Probate and Trust Administration Team now. It costs nothing. It could save your family. Make the rules work for the folks who play by the rules.

GET ANSWERS NOW…
CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE (800) 317-2812

Send Email: TMacklin@davidcarrierlaw.com

Never a charge to talk. What are you waiting for? “What could it hurt?”

Estate Planning Solutions

Real Problems. Real Answers, Results Not Excuses.

Most folks have kids. Most folks without kids have nieces and nephews. Most folks without kids, nieces or nephews should count their blessings. Little kids lie. Poorly. A fun thing about little kids’ lies is that reasonable people cannot attempt to take them seriously.

Crumb-covered kid with frosting-smeared face: “I didn’t take the pink cupcake with sprinkles. Little Tommy (6 months old) did it. After the green aliens turned him into a blue panda bear. That highchair was already next to the counter. That vase was broken when I woke up today. But maybe it was the burglars… I don’t know.”

You know the kid’s lying if:

1. The first sentence begins, “I didn’t…”
2. Wealth of possible but improbable detail
3. Story makes the kid look good and/or a victim.
4. Everything just a little too “perfect”.

You developed your lifetime BS detector by spotting these “tells.” It is why you do not believe your brother-in-law. And wonder why your sister does.

Older Gent Injures Self, Lies About It – No Problem!

Imagine. Well-known but self-evidently frail celebrity. Suffers repeated brain bleeds and blood vessel ruptures in his eyes. Mispronounces common words. Makes up new words. Walks the “extraordinary care” walk. Limits “work” to a few hours. Handlers carefully script his every move. Refuses questions. Self-isolates.

Now this celebrity injures himself. Rather than admit the spill, he lies. Invents and embellishes story about rough play with dog. By name. Couple of days later. Dribbles out a river of details. Hurt foot… sprained ankle… broken bones…Where does it end? Head bump… minor concussion…?

Refusing to admit weakness? Not unusual or wrong. A guy thing. Especially guys of a certain age. My beloved 95-year-old Dad falls from time to time. He always bounces back. But the explanations. Holy cow!

Media Lies to Us-No Problem!

You know they are unreliable. You attend an event. You have certain skills. You see or read a story relating to that event or skill. You wonder, “What planet was this reporter on?” Happens every time.

No problem! Observing stuff is hard. Writing is hard. Deadlines are hard. Editors are meanies. If it bleeds, it leads. Get ‘er done! Slanted? Naturally. But not evil. Not super evil anyway.

And Now a Word from Paul Burge

Journalism is all about covering important stories.
With a pillow, until they stop moving.

Paul Burge, Iowahawk
 

Media Insults Us with Childish Lies – Big Problem!

Like most people, you watch the news, read the paper. And something is different. Confusing. Insulting. Why do they demand we believe lies that would not deceive your youngest grandchild? How often do octogenarians roll on the floor with big dogs? Ever? You have never seen it. Me neither. Because it does not happen.

No respect. No respect at all. They make it up and do not care that you know. What are you going to do about it? That is what contempt is. They think so little of you. So little of your intellect. Big, sloppy, stupid lies.

And that is what is different. And evil. Super evil. Always. All the time. Terrible. Awful. No good. Very bad.

Sure, Walter Cronkite had an agenda. So did Huntley & Brinkley. But at least they did not mock your common sense. Good times.

Real Problems. Real Answers, Results Not Excuses.

More truth: Most folks eventually need long-term care. Rules determine whether you keep any of your lifesavings. Care at home or institutionalized? What do the rules say?

For thirty years, protecting middle-class Michigan from nursing homes and nursing home poverty.

Keep your independence. Preserve your life savings. Make the rules work for you, the folks who play by the rules.

Or you can rely on the rectitude and disinterested honesty of public relations flacks who hold you in contempt, tell you stories that would not convince a slow 6-year-old, and wish you would all just go away.

Real-world problems. Real-world answers.

GET ANSWERS NOW…
CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE (800) 317-2812

Kent County Small Business Recovery

According to the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, this fund helps businesses that have not been able to access, or have been declined for local, state, or federal relief funds, or need additional support to weather this crisis.

We are focused on businesses that may be dealing with additional barriers including but not limited to language, general business knowledge, and from underserved communities.

Consistent with the limitations of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, these businesses also must have been directly impacted and experienced losses due to business interruption due to COVID-19.

All distributions of funds are subject to the requirements of the CARES Act and Treasury Department guidance on the use of Coronavirus Relief Funds.

Who Is Eligible?

Programs differ in the details. But generally:

  • Private, for-profit business located and registered in the grant district
  • 25 or fewer full time equivalent (FTE) employees (that means you can have 50 half-timers)
  • Some have expanded eligibility to businesses with up to 50 FTE employees
  • Direct impact and loss from COVID (In other words, everybody)
  • In business before 2/15/2020

Your mileage may vary.

How Much?

Smaller businesses with 25 or fewer FTE employees may receive $5000 to $25,000. Twenty-six to fifty FTE workers? You may get $10,000 to $40,000.
Business owners know that money evaporates. Everything costs more. Everything breaks. At the worst possible moment.

Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”.

Small business Owner’s Law: “Murphy was an optimist”.

Still, these are grants not loans. No repayment. Now you can fix the refrigerator. Restock the supply room. Meet payroll for one more week. It helps!

How To Apply?

Get your financial documents together. You must provide any two of the following:

  • Tax return
  • Income statement
  • Sales report
  • Cash flow statement
  • Profit and loss statement
  • Balance sheet

Sole proprietor? They will need your individual tax return as well.

Most Small Business Recovery Programs have an online application process. And it is simple. Gather your financial documents, file the online application, keep on working your butt off.

How Long To Get An Answer?

Check your email. They are trying to get the money out there quickly. Someday soon, you may get the notice that help is on the way.

But I Don’t Want Government Help!

Small business owners are independent do-it-yourself types. Government hand-out? Perish the thought! Understandable. But.

Government demands taxes. You pay taxes. You never thought you would see any of that money again, right? No return on that investment. This is a return on that investment. Unusual times.

Same approach applies to estate planning and elder law. You paid in, why shouldn’t you be paid back? If you need it. When you need it? Learn more. It is easy. Well, pretty easy.

Getting Started

COVID flaring up again? Today is the best time to plan. Begin by calling the LifePlan™ Hotline: 800-317-2812.

Get Information You Need: Your Life, You Choose!

COVID has not gone away. New challenges arise daily. The risks to what you have earned and built have not gone away. And we have not gone away either. It is your stuff… protect it. With complete control. LifePlanning™ means your choices matter, whatever life brings.

How can LifePlanning™ protect your middle-class life savings? How to get this information?

Are you like thousands of Michigan families who played by the rules and earned homes, cottages, farms, lifesavings? Would you like the rules to work for you, for a change? Why wait until it is too late?

GET ANSWERS NOW. CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE
(800) 317-2812

Estate Planning to Serve You | David’s Story

Folks like us begin working by age 10. Snow shoveling. Grass mowing. Babysitting. Dishwashing. Me, I began delivering newspapers at 7.

I have an older sister, two younger sisters and four younger brothers (8 of us altogether). Dad, a WWII Navy veteran, taught school by day, then worked the local brewery’s graveyard shift. Sixteen-hour days for sixteen years. Mom was an RN. She resumed practice when the youngest was 5. Both parents tracked our grades, chores, and college savings.

Paper route and dish-washing money paid for my first year at the University of Notre Dame. An Army scholarship and weekend pizza deliveries took care of the rest. Upon graduation, the Army kindly allowed me to get my first law degree from Boston University Law School. Like Dad, I worked third shift full time to pay the bills.

On active duty, the Army let me jump out of airplanes, argue murder cases, edit The Army Lawyer, and work at the Pentagon. The Army also paid for most of my Master of Law, Taxation degree from Georgetown University Law. Airborne wings, two Meritorious Service Medals and an Army Achievement Medal. Thank you for allowing me to serve!

A Different Vision Of Estate Planning & Elder Law

Two years at a large law firm were enough. For them. Thirty years ago, I founded my own firm. Dedicated to you. Middle Class Americans. Today, 40+ team members share the LifePlan™ vision:

  • 1. No Poverty. You do not go broke. You will keep your lifesavings. Keep your independence. Period. Money is choices. You decide. At home care, assisted living or skilled nursing?
  • 2. No Handouts. Middle class Americans are not looking for charity. Need long term care? Get the benefits you paid for with every paycheck.
  • 3. No Waste. Avoid probate? Of course. Make sure the beneficiaries get their inheritance, no matter what? Yes!

I reject traditional estate planning. Traditional planning sacrifices Middle-class Michigan to nursing home poverty. Everyone knows this. Your insurance agent, financial advisor, accountant, lawyer. It is no secret. Except to you. No longer. The Reporter gives you the straight story.

Over the years, tens of thousands of families have used the LifePlan™ approach. Simple fairness. You paid in. You get the benefit. Receiving the best care. Maintaining quality of life. Not going broke.

Service To Our Client Families

No billing by the hour. No billing by percentage of your estate. No surprises. We do not like surprises. We will not surprise you. Let’s talk… no charge. No charge for the workshop either. If you choose to protect yourself and your family, we will craft a plan and quote the fee. No risk. You decide. You get options, in writing, all fees disclosed up front.

Many lawyers claim to do everything from traffic tickets to trusts. Can that lawyer is be expert at anything?

Our singular focus is on you and your loved ones. Following through, getting the job done. I call it LifePlanning™. You may call it common sense. Other lawyers wish it would just go away.

GET ANSWERS NOW. CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE
(800) 317-2812

Goals of a LifePlan™

Too many middle-class families (one is too many and long-term care poverty smashes the security of thousands) go broke from endless long-term care bills. That does not happen to our LifePlan™ families.

It is simple: Three Goals, One Strategy.

1. No Poverty – You will not go broke.

When you are in control, life is good. You will not go broke from casinos, Bernie Madoff, or too many vacations. Long-term care rips the steering wheel from your hands and points you over the cliff. No choice, no chance. LifePlanning™ keeps you firmly in the driver’s seat. In control. Lifesavings intact.

2. No Charity – Caregivers get paid. You already “bought the insurance.”

America pays for long-term care through your taxes. Withheld from every paycheck you ever earned. More than your fair share over the years. You paid for other people. Folks you have never met. You, the middle-class, only want a fair shake. You paid in, you should get paid back if needed. Without sacrificing every red cent.

3. No Waste – Any leftovers go to your beneficiaries. Not wasted on probate or taxes.

Why shouldn’t your family, your loved ones, benefit from your leftovers? Why should probate, taxes, government soak up what is left? Wise plans avoid strife and insure family harmony.

For 30 years, the LifePlan™ strategy has achieved your goals.

The rules can work for you. LifePlanning™ makes the rules work for the people who play by the rules. Other so-called experts, attorneys, planners, financial advisors accept the status quo. They do what everyone else does. The LifePlan™ approach dives deep. Seeking out and securing your family’s future.

LifePlanning™ is middle class Michigan’s tool kit for winning the future. Comply with their rules? Yes, absolutely. If you want to win, you must know how to play the game. Thirty years of study, experience, testing and delivering results have produced the LifePlan™ system. Techniques and tools that preserve, protect, and defend your right to decide how you will live. You earned that right through decades of work and conscientious stewardship. Isn’t it ridiculous to suggest that impoverishing yourself, your spouse, your family is somehow noble? Isn’t it foolish to reject your own life experience for the defeatist counsels of the “wise”?

LifePlanning™ means your choices matter, whatever life brings. Are you like thousands of Michigan families who played by the rules and earned homes, cottages, farms, lifesavings? Would you like the rules to work for you, for a change? Why wait until it is too late?

CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE – 1-800-317-2812

Middle Class Estate Planning

What is so different about you? What enables middle-class folks to rise and win, time after time? Facing and beating challenges? At seven years old, I began helping another kid on his paper route. Lucky for me, there was a block of triple decker houses and Paulie did not like climbing stairs. A few years later, my next younger brother and I had our own route. Hot in the summer. Cold in the winter. Raining or snowing from time to time. On foot. We did not always whistle while we worked. But the Carrier boys delivered the Evening Bulletin 6 nights a week. And early Sunday mornings, before church, the Journal-Bulletin.

You have done the same. Throughout your life, you took the overtime. The second job. Doing what it took. My weekends at Notre Dame were spent delivering pizza. As a law student, I worked full time on the graveyard shift as a security guard. Just like you. What else could we have done? We had a job. We saw the need. We got it done.

We learned it from our folks. After beating the bad guys in WWII, our parents went to work. Dad taught school all day, came home, changed clothes, and put in 8 more hours at the Narragansett brewery. For 16 years. Mom was an RN. After raising 8 kids, she pinned her nurse’s cap back on and resumed nursing. Details vary, but your family lived the same values. How do I know? Thirty years of talking to and planning for your folks. And you.

And now COVID. The Elder Plague. Death rates: way down. Therapies: better and improving. So much winning. But we are not done yet. COVID is real. COVID can strike close to home.

By a series of commonplace coincidences, a team member tested positive for COVID. Since the beginning, the Carrier Law team has taken every recommended precaution. And come up with a few of our own. Hand sanitizer, videoconferencing, outdoor workshops, social distancing, masks, working from home, plexiglass barriers, temperature checks, screening protocols, Clorox-ing conference rooms, prudent behavior.

Not perfect. Last Friday, I spent a few hours (in the rain) climbing through trees on one of those courses. Team building with several paralegals. Outdoors, yes. Distanced, yes. Wearing masks, yes. Until that triumphant team photo at the finish. Mask off. Picture! Mask on. Well. Then we waited for the results. One more thing to be taken in stride.

Aren’t we all waiting on “test results”? What will your “Alzheimer’s test” reveal? Of course, there is no such “test.” We find out only as time goes by. With COVID, we face reality, we do not wish it away. Most of us will eventually face dementia. Personally. Not just our spouse or a loved one. Lots of statistics. One bottom-line fact.

The trouble in American life today, in business as well as in sports, is that too many people are afraid of competition. The result is that in some circles people have come to sneer at success if it costs hard work and training and sacrifice.
– Knute Rockne

We, the middle class, do not deny reality. We accept it, make our peace, and do the best we can. With optimism and good cheer. Lots of critics have lots to say about us baby-boomers. But all agree that when we see what we want, we go get it. Make it happen. Rejecting the counsels of gloom and doom. With open eyes and stout hearts.

When you are facing long-term care, dementia, end of life issues, there are a million questions and few reliable answers. Many people, including otherwise competent financial planners, well-known attorneys, and respected members of the community, seem to believe that you should go broke when facing these issues. Maybe they are unaware of the options. Perhaps they are in denial. Is there a moral imperative that you should go broke? Some “experts” seem to think there is.

Americans play to win all the time. The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.
– George S. Patton

Like you, I completely reject the idea that losing is okay. Like you, I believe in winning. We all have challenges and sometimes we do lose. But we never “get used to it.” Why should we? Losing is a bitter pill. I may have to take my medicine, but I do not have to like it.

If you want to go broke, as some folks think you should, you do not need me. The state is very good at making a bonfire of your lifesavings. The state helps only when you comply with their rules. And for most folks, compliance means poverty, insecurity, loss. Unacceptable.

[W]ith firmness in the right as god gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in…
– Abraham Lincoln

LifePlanning™ at Carrier Law

LifePlanning™ is middle class Michigan’s tool kit for winning. Comply with their rules? Yes, absolutely. If you want to win, you must know how to play the game. Thirty years of study, experience, testing and delivering results have produced the LifePlan™ system. Techniques and tools that preserve, protect, and defend your right to decide how you will live. You earned that right through decades of work and conscientious stewardship. Isn’t it ridiculous to suggest that impoverishing yourself, your spouse, your family is somehow noble? Isn’t it foolish to reject your own life experience for the defeatist counsels of the “wise”?

LifePlanning™ means your choices matter, whatever the test results. Are you like thousands of Michigan families who played by the rules and earned homes, cottages, farms, lifesavings? Would you like the rules to work for you, for a change? Are you waiting for the test results? Are you waiting until it is too late? Would you like to know now?

GET ANSWERS NOW… CALL THE LIFEPLAN™ HOTLINE
1-800-317-2812

Special Medicaid Rules Extended

Everyone knows about the COVID Elder Plague now. The facts are well accepted. Victims are overwhelmingly older. And in long-term care facilities. Tragic truth: nursing home residents are 70 times more likely to die of COVID. Executive Orders in New York, New Jersey and Michigan have been deadly.

Last summer, we gave you the good news about at home care. Emergency, limited changes to the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (“PACE”). New opportunities for thousands of families to get at-home care without more sacrifice. Keep life savings, cottage, farm, rental properties, business. No Poverty! If you follow the rules. Care services: free. Income: keep it. No co-pay, doughnut hole or other payment.

Many Michigan families acted immediately. We have helped dozens secure at-home care for their loved ones. PACE saves families from the deadly COVID virus stalking long-term care facilities. But we warned you: “COVID-19 emergency rules are temporary. The benefits are permanent. When the emergency is over, these favorable rules will be gone.”

The rules expired November 1, 2020. But now, the emergency rules were extended to April 1, 2021. Five more months for families to get back a little of what they have paid in. That is a big deal. Let’s not put it off again.

Threat to Middle Class Security

You are middle class. You have worked and saved. Since you were 10 years old. You and your spouse have a bit set aside. You are fine! But then…
You are caring for your loved one at home. You applied for help. Rejected! Too much income. Too much savings. A cottage, a business, a farm, stocks, bonds, IRA. Your financial advisor, the accountant, your lawyer. All say the same thing: You must “spend down” all you have achieved. No help until you are broke.

Medicaid Five Year Look-Back

The emergency rules eliminate the “Five Year Look-back”. You truly can preserve what you have earned. Thousands more families could benefit. But tragically, they refuse to believe it is possible. Healthy skepticism hardens into stubborn rejection. Everyone suffers. Clinging to the idea that it is “too good to be true” or “fake news”? Talk to folks who are uncertain and suspicious. Accurate information and proof beat unfounded fears every day.
Fact: You do not have to accept nursing home poverty for yourself or your loved one.

P.A.C.E. Qualifications

Answer Yes to 3 Questions:
1. Need help with activities of daily life? Memory problems? Oxygen therapy? Blindness? Dialysis? These are just a few of the many ways to qualify.
2. Are you safe at home?
3. Social security (gross) less than $2349? (Special rules for pension income.)

We can do the homework together. Most families benefit. Hugely. But it costs nothing to find out.

Get Answers Now: 800-317-2812.

Benefits of Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly

What can PACE do for me? Why not find out? Your team is standing by. PACE is doctors, therapists, dieticians, nurses, physician assistants, administrators. All working together to provide your best solution. Want more detail? Call us.

PACE includes:
On-Site Physician/Medical Supervision; Nursing Care; Physical Therapy; Occupational Therapy; Recreational Therapy; Activities and Exercise; Breakfast, Lunch, Snack; Nutritional Counseling; Social Services; Dental Care; Audiology; Optometry; Podiatry; Women’s Services; Dentistry and Dentures; Optometry and Eyeglasses; Audiology and Hearing Aids; Podiatry, Diabetic Shoes and Orthotics; Cardiology; Rheumatology; Lab Tests; Radiology; X-Rays; Outpatient Surgery; Primary Care Physician: On call 24 hours a day, seven days a week; Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living; Personal Care; Chore Services; Meal Preparation; Emergency Room Visits; Hospitalizations; Inpatient Specialist; Skilled Inpatient Rehabilitation; Transportation Services; Prescriptions; Over-the-Counter Medicines; Transportation; Respite Care and Caregiver Education; Wheelchairs; Walkers; Oxygen; Hospital Beds; Diabetic Testing Supplies; Adult Day Care.

No Poverty. No Charity. No Waste.

We are your team, united by 3 goals and 1 mission.
1. No Poverty. Your family will NOT go broke.
2. No Charity. You paid for these benefits with a lifetime of work and taxes. You earned this.
3. No Waste. Your beneficiaries get whatever is left. For certain.

How Much Time Do You Think You Have? Why Waste It?

Get the straight story. Your loved one is counting on you. Satisfy yourself that you have the right information. It is simple and free. Call and schedule your Discovery Meeting where we will learn about your unique situation and guide you through the process.

Supreme Court Justice Nomination

Who cares? The Constitution and the Supreme Court don’t affect your daily life. Right? All that political food fight going on in Washington, D.C. has little to do with me and you. Pretty irrelevant, eh?

Well. You may want to rethink that one. In many ways, large and small, Supreme Court rulings govern our daily life. What we can say. How we can say it. What we can sell. What we can buy. For whom we can vote. How we can vote. It’s kind of a big deal.

Why Do We Have a Constitution?

Over 40 years ago, as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, I took an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same….” What does that mean? How do you “support and defend” a document? What is the job of the Supreme Court? Why do we have a Constitution?

There are Constitutional Law scholars who spend their lives puzzling over these issues. Writing, Theorizing. Advocating. I am not that smart. And there have been other things to do. Over several decades as an interested observer, I have developed some opinions. This is how it seems to me.

The United States Constitution

Folks view the Constitution and Supreme Court in one of two ways (of course there are gaps and overlaps, but…). The Constitution is either a fundamental Rule Book that applies to everyone or a mysterious relic of ever-increasing, unpredictable power. Justices are honest umpires, here for the length of the game, or avenging angels in black robes whose wishes must be honored beyond the grave.

Is the Constitution a sturdy shield against tyranny? Protecting ordinary folks going about their daily lives; planning for the future. Well-understood, fair, predictable. “Equal Justice Under Law.”

Or is the Constitution a flaming sword of righteousness? Fearsome weapon against bad thoughts, bad acts and bad people. Ever evolving to battle new grievances. Discovering and pursuing hidden evils. Vengeance against historic wrongs. Therapy for all distress.

Supreme Court Justices Apply the Rules

Is the Supreme Court a committee of honest umpires? Given the Rule Book, their job is to apply the Rules. The Supremes do not make the Rules. We the People, Congress and the President do that. And the Supremes shield us from the Congress and President’s urge to trample our inalienable rights.

In 1776 and beyond, the Founders of the United States were surrounded by murderous, tyrannical governments. Kings, queens, pashas, sultans, emirs, Kaisers, czars, emperors and Pharaohs, despotic overlords of every description. The Founders experienced unrestricted governmental power. They knew the evil that lurks in the hearts of men (and women) to control and dominate. And they didn’t like it. Not a bit.

Our Constitution provides a basic, reliable structure. Balancing co-equal branches of government. Restraint on Power, not the People. Individuals and families living together with maximum liberty and freedom, minimal interference and control. A mighty defense against tyranny. Everyone can thrive when left to their own initiative and effort, in a framework of ordered liberty. Governs best, governs least.

Avenging Angels

Is the Supreme Court a squad of avenging angels? Life is nothing but a tawdry power struggle. Oppression, exploitation, bias, unfair advantage, -isms of all sorts. The Constitution is a mighty flaming sword of righteousness. Smite the evil doers!

Of course, new evil doers unceasingly arise, so the Constitution must evolve. Who cares what those dead guys wrote over 200 years ago? The words do not really matter. We have the power; now let us enjoy it. Liberty, tolerance, virtue: meaningless propaganda. Supreme Court Justices embody wisdom and concentrated virtue. The People are an undisciplined mob. Ungrateful wretches! If they will not learn, they will be compelled. You will be made to care.

Who Should Be A Supreme Court Justice?

How to explain the wailing and gnashing of teeth by politicians, commentators, and others on the recent death of a Supreme Court Justice? Gushing floods of despair, anxiety, and fear… from whence do they arise? Parents brag on social media of their minor kids’ emotional devastation. Another videoed herself in the shrieking throes of a nervous breakdown. While driving.

Was that your reaction? Or did you maintain a calm confidence that soon another umpire would be found. Not from a mystic mountain but nominated by an elected official. That individual’s fidelity to the rules as written, amended, interpreted would be tested. By other elected officials. And life, under the light yoke of the Rule Book will go on.

Why is it not enough that a Supreme Court Justice be skilled, intelligent, hard-working? Faithful to The Rule Book that has worked for almost 250 years of self-government.

What Does All This Legal Philosophy Have To Do With LifePlanning™?

Quite a bit. LifePlanning™ is how regular middle-class families avoid nursing home poverty. You do not have to sacrifice your life savings, your security, your loved ones’ well-being. LifePlanning™ is based on strict compliance with the rules and regulations provided for long-term care. What if we could not depend on the rules and regulations? What if your future or that of your loved ones depended on a caseworker’s feelings? Or who you voted for? Or who likes or does not like you?

What if some groups got extra benefits, based on their political orientation? What if other groups got extra restrictions, based on their beliefs? Aren’t we living through that experiment, right now? How does it feel? Whatever happened to do unto others as you would have them do unto you?

Middle-class Americans are not looking for special treatment. No extra privileges. No special deals. Fairness is all we ask. And that means everyone plays by the same set of rules. And the rules apply evenly to everyone.

Basic Fairness. We’ve been helping Middle-class Michigan get their earned benefits for 30 years. We make the rules work for the folks who play by the rules.

By David L. Carrier

Find Out How to Avoid Nursing Home Poverty

Call The LifePlan™ Hotline Today! 800-317-2812

COVID-19 is the Elder Plague

COVID-19. Everyone has an opinion. Fear-mongering headlines are everywhere. Widespread destruction of American middle class hopes and dreams. Out of work. Out of school. Out of money. Out of hope. Why is anyone surprised that some young people turn against fundamental American ideals of honor and fair play? What if America had responded to polio, yellow fever, whooping cough, German measles, other devastating disease pandemics by depriving regular citizens of their rights to worship, associate with others, seek their fortune, pursue happiness?

COVID-19 falls heaviest on older Americans. It is truly an Elder Plague. The numbers have not changed. The older you are, the more deadly COVID-19. Americans over the age of 85 make up only 3.4% of COVID-19 cases, but a full 32% of deaths. Almost ten times as many. Younger Americans, under age 50, suffer 64.1% of COVID-19 infections. What percentage of deaths? Five percent. 5%. FIVE PERCENT. So. Older folks – ten times MORE likely to die. Younger folks – thirteen times LESS likely.

Wear your mask. Wash your hands. Take your temperature. Take care. Be on guard. Be wise. COVID-19 is a killer. That 5% of under-50 deaths represents almost seven thousand, five hundred Americans whose lives were cut short. Seven thousand, five hundred Americans who will never reach their full potential. Seven thousand, five hundred American tragedies.

And now, for the rest of the story.

High School Kids’ Despair Equals Suicide and Drug Abuse

“But there has been another cost that we’ve seen, particularly in high schools. We’re seeing, sadly, far greater suicides now than we are deaths from COVID. We’re seeing far greater deaths from drug overdose that are above excess that we had as background than we are seeing the deaths from COVID.”

Idle Hands are the Devil’s Workshop

We are not doctors, virologists, epidemiologists, or data analysts. But something seems odd here, doesn’t it? COVID-19 falls heaviest on the elderly. Hardly at all on working age and younger people. Yet rather than focus on those in need, politicians completely lock down society. No work. No play. No school. No church. Unsurprisingly, teenage suicides and drug deaths skyrocket. Frustration and boredom find outlet in politically correct protests, riots, and violence. Why do so many politicians embrace mindless destruction now and a defenseless future? Fear? Sympathy?

Some people ask, “Is there a better way?” We wonder, “Could there be a worse way?”

Middle Class Will Prevail

But as we all know, something that cannot go on forever, will not. Sooner or later, the pendulum swings back. Can you feel it? Did you get that sense, sometime last week, that things had gone far enough? Too far? We are patient. We are kind. We do not think ill of others. Slow to anger. But enough is enough. Too much waste. Too much greed. Too much self-righteous, self-satisfied, smug entitlement. Too much disrespect. “For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” Hosea 8:7

LifePlanning™

Wealthy folks are fine. They have lots of lawyers chasing them. Deserving poor get it for free. The Middle Class pays. Until there is nothing left. Then, scraps. We are here to serve you. LifePlanning™ is designed for and serves the Michigan Middle Class. Now. While you are still here. And who else even talks about it? You could do worse than give us a call and discover the choices LifePlanning™ and your hard work have made possible for you.

Get Answers Today! Call 1-800-317-2812

Thoughts for the Newly Widowed

On a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon in early October, Jane despairs at the paperwork piles. Last year, a car crash took Mike, cruelly ending their ten-year marriage. Each year, Mike did the taxes while house bills fell to Jane. Now, it’s all on her. How can she do this alone? A young widow with two young children. Even after a year she cannot concentrate. “Widow’s brain” a friend calls it. A constant fog interrupted by family demands.

Mike and Jane meant to get organized, get their “ducks in a row.” But kids! Jobs! Church! Activities! She gave up her job after the second child. Daycare was so expensive and no family nearby. Jane’s new part-time job barely covers her expenses. What to do now?

Partial Plan Means Total Frustration

Jane could get the checking and savings because they were joint on those accounts. But her name was never put on that cottage Mike inherited. Mike’s life insurance from work is up in the air. They say the “paperwork” is wrong. Health insurance? That “COBRA” policy costs way too much! If Jane gets sick, who takes the kids?

First Things First

Jane and the kids need checkups. Physical and mental! Available without charge in most Michigan counties.

Plan Jane Plan

Jane needs expert help. Thorough review of family assets. Handle Mike’s probate estate. Get the insurance money. Plan for the future. Who gets the kids if she dies? Who will pay the bills? Who makes medical decisions? How can an estate plan that make life for her family easier and safer?

Carrier Law Can Help

A will and trust will direct who gets the kids and the money. No expensive and time-consuming Probate. Financial and health care powers of attorney will allow a loved one to manage her affairs.

Take the First Step!

Jane met experienced, competent counsel who helped her cut through the fog. Take effective action. Provide for herself and her children. As Jane now says, “It’s not about documents, it’s about peace of mind!”

By Claire Clary, Carrier Law Attorney, Widowed Persons Service – Board Member

Client Success Stories…

We were very happy with the information at the workshop on Estate Planning [LifePlan workshop]. Amanda was very helpful in explaining the options we could choose from to protect our assets from excessive taxes.

All questions were answered in depth and in a manner that was very understandable. I left feeling confident that we can contact them at any time for help navigating the system.

The staff are incredibly professional. My mother was treated with utmost respect. Her paperwork was organized and concise. I dealt with David and Jim and they spoke in terms my mother and I could understand.

I was totally lost when my husband’s dementia got bad. David and his group helped me feel in control again. They are there to help me whenever I need them. I should have done this sooner.

Perfect balance of pleasant and professional. Starting with workshops with targeted info, to chit chat with David (and all the staff we met) – great experience. Thank you!

My husband and I just returned from your workshop in Portage…We are so pleased we attended and came away with so much information and insight. The workshop was well organized, well presented and your staff was wonderful. Patrick made things fun, and as he promised, the time flew by. Thanks you again for 2 very well spent hours.

Donna & Stephanie are extremely professional, on top of everything, friendly and just a joy to work with. Very prompt on phone calls, emails, etc. I am very thankful for these two people!

We have been extremely pleased with the professional service of David and the staff. It has been a pleasure working with everyone to make sure our future is secure. David was also very helpful finding an out of state attorney to help our parent’s address their Elder law needs.

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“The Law Offices of David L. Carrier is an estate planning and elder law firm located in Western Michigan. Our main office is in Grand Rapids, and we have 3 other conveniently located offices in West Michigan. We specialize in medicaid crisis planning, estate planning, elder law, probate, wills and trusts.

Our Office Locations

Grand Rapids, MI

Norton Shores, MI

Holland, MI

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Practice Areas

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