What should I bring to the consultation?

To counsel you effectively, Lamson & Cutner needs to know about everything you have. Checking, savings, CD’s, life insurance policies, annuity contracts, retirement accounts, IRA’s, stocks, bonds, other liquid assets, and any real estate owned. Bring your latest statements for these accounts and assets. They’re all significant.

For example, clients who want to apply for Medicaid, often have the misconception that if money is in an IRA, it’s safe. In fact, in some instances Medicaid will consider an IRA or other retirement account to be an available source of funds. The cash value of an insurance policy is also a resource as far as Medicaid is concerned. So bring everything to your consultation.

Initial Consultation Checklist

For your initial consultation, you should bring as many of the documents as possible on the checklist below. Of course, if you do not have certain of the documents requested, there is no reason to worry. It is not necessary to bring the originals. Copies are sufficient for the consultation. Finally, please note that all money or property, whether held inside or outside of New York State, should be disclosed to us.

1. 1. Power Of Attorney
   2. Health Care Proxy
   3. Living Will
   4. Last Will and Testament, and any Codicils
   5. Any Trust Agreements and Amendments
   6. A list of real property owned anywhere in the world. For each property, its purchase price, and an estimate of its current fair market value.
   7. Deeds for properties owned. For co-op apartments, contact information regarding the managing agent.
   8. Life insurance policies, including most recent statements of cash value or surrender value.
   9. List of Health Insurance policies, e.g., including Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Medigap, Prescription Drug plans, Supplemental Health Insurance policies, and any Catastrophic Insurance plans.
   10. Long-Term Care Insurance policies and declaration page. Daily benefit for home care and nursing home care, lifetime maximum benefit.
   11. Latest statements of passbooks for all accounts (checking, savings, CD’s, IRA’s, mutual funds, securities), including accounts held in a trust or business entity.
   12. Stocks or bonds not held in one of the above accounts.
   13. Transfers or gifts of money or other property within the past 5 years — amounts, dates and names of recipients.
   14. Statements of any income received from any source, e.g., Social Security, pensions, war reparations.

Click here for a PDF version of the Initial Consultation Checklist
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