Alternatives to Hiring a Vermont Elder Law Attorney for Medicaid Planning
Practical alternatives to a $250+/hour Vermont elder law attorney for Medicaid estate recovery planning, from Lady Bird Deeds to self-directed kits.
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All articles about Vermont Basic Estate Planning Kit.
Best Vermont Estate Planning Guide for Family Camp Owners
How to protect a Vermont family camp from probate and Medicaid recovery using Lady Bird Deeds, town clerk filing, and beneficiary coordination.
Can You Disinherit a Spouse in Vermont? Elective Share and Spousal Rights
Vermont law prevents full disinheritance of a spouse through the elective share, homestead exemption, and family allowance. Learn what's possible and what's not.
How to Protect Your Vermont Home from Medicaid Without a Trust
Use Vermont's Lady Bird Deed and probate-only recovery rule to shield your home from Medicaid estate recovery without paying for an irrevocable trust.
Is Vermont a Community Property State?
Vermont uses equitable distribution, not community property. Learn how this affects estate planning, what happens when you move from a community property state, and how to protect your assets.
Vermont Beneficiary Designation Rules: TOD and POD Accounts
How Transfer on Death and Payable on Death designations work in Vermont. Avoid probate on bank accounts, vehicles, and securities with proper beneficiary setup.
Vermont Blended Family Estate Plan: Protecting Children from a First Marriage
How to protect children from a first marriage in your Vermont estate plan while respecting your spouse's elective share rights. Credit shelter trusts, ELEDs, and beneficiary strategies.
How to Transfer a Family Camp in Vermont Without Losing It to Probate or Medicaid
Protect your Vermont family camp from probate and Medicaid estate recovery using Enhanced Life Estate Deeds. Town clerk filing process, tax implications, and Medicaid Rule 4.108 explained.
Digital Assets Estate Planning in Vermont: Accounts, Crypto, and Fiduciary Access
How Vermont law handles digital assets after death — VRUFADAA access tiers, cryptocurrency planning, and what your executor can and cannot access.
Vermont Disposition of Remains: Choosing Burial, Cremation, or Green Burial
How to document your disposition-of-remains wishes in Vermont — burial, cremation, green burial, human composting, and who has legal authority over your body.
DIY Estate Plan in Vermont: When Self-Directed Planning Works and When It Doesn't
Compare DIY estate planning, online will makers, and Vermont attorneys — costs, risks, and which approach fits your situation.
Vermont Elective Share: Can You Disinherit a Spouse?
Vermont's elective share gives surviving spouses the right to claim half the probate estate regardless of what the will says. Learn how it works and when it can be waived.
Enhanced Life Estate Deed in Vermont (Lady Bird Deed)
How Vermont's Enhanced Life Estate Deed works, why it avoids probate and Medicaid recovery, and how to record one with your town clerk. Step-by-step guide.
Vermont Estate Planning Attorney Cost: What You'll Pay and When to DIY
Vermont estate planning attorneys charge $275-$900+ for flat-fee packages. Compare attorney costs, CPA fees, and DIY options to find the right approach for your estate.
Vermont Estate Planning Checklist: Every Step in Order
A complete estate planning checklist for Vermont residents. Covers wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, Lady Bird Deeds, beneficiary designations, and town clerk filings.
Vermont Estate Planning Kit vs Online Will Maker: Which Actually Covers Vermont Law?
Comparing a Vermont-specific estate planning kit against LegalZoom, Nolo WillMaker, and Trust & Will for Vermont's unique legal requirements.
Vermont Estate Planning Kit vs Revocable Living Trust: Which Do You Actually Need?
Comparing a Vermont estate planning kit against a revocable living trust for probate avoidance, Medicaid protection, and cost-effectiveness.
Choosing an Executor in Vermont: Duties, Residency Rules, and Common Mistakes
How to choose the right executor for your Vermont estate — duties, out-of-state rules, resident agent requirements, and what happens if you don't name one.
Naming a Guardian for Minor Children in Your Vermont Will
How to nominate a guardian for your children in a Vermont will — legal requirements under 14 V.S.A. § 2656, backup guardians, and what the probate court considers.
Vermont Healthcare Proxy: Advance Directives, COLST, and DNR Orders
How to name a healthcare proxy in Vermont, complete an advance directive, register with VADR, and understand the difference between COLST and DNR orders.
Vermont Irrevocable Trust: When It Makes Sense and What It Actually Does
Learn when a Vermont irrevocable trust is worth the cost — Medicaid planning, estate tax reduction, creditor protection, and alternatives like Lady Bird Deeds.
Joint Tenancy and Tenancy by the Entirety in Vermont: What Estate Planners Need to Know
Understand Vermont's property ownership types — joint tenancy, tenancy by the entirety, and tenancy in common — and how each affects probate and inheritance.
Living Trust vs Will in Vermont: Which One Do You Actually Need?
Compare Vermont living trusts and wills — cost, probate avoidance, Medicaid protection, and when a Lady Bird Deed makes more sense than either.
Vermont Omitted Child and Afterborn Heir Law: What Happens If You Leave a Child Out of Your Will
Under Vermont law, a child born or adopted after your will is signed may inherit an intestate share automatically. Learn the omitted child rules under 14 V.S.A. § 332.
Vermont Pet Trust and Special Needs Trust: Protecting Vulnerable Dependents
How to set up a pet trust or special needs trust in Vermont — legal requirements, funding, trustee selection, and keeping Medicaid eligibility intact.
Vermont Probate Threshold: What Assets Go Through Probate?
Vermont requires probate for individually-owned real estate and personal property over $45,000. Learn what triggers probate, what avoids it, and when simplified probate applies.
Self-Proving Affidavit in Vermont: Does a Will Have to Be Notarized?
Vermont wills don't require notarization, but a self-proving affidavit under 14 V.S.A. § 108 eliminates the need for witness testimony in probate. Here's how it works.
Vermont Simplified Probate: When Informal Administration or Small Estate Procedures Apply
Learn when Vermont allows simplified probate — informal administration, small estate affidavits under $45,000, and how to avoid formal court supervision.
How to File a Deed with a Vermont Town Clerk: Step-by-Step Recording Guide
Complete guide to recording deeds in Vermont's decentralized town clerk system — fees, Property Transfer Tax Return, and common filing mistakes.
Unmarried Partner Inheritance in Vermont: What You Don't Automatically Get
Vermont's intestacy laws give unmarried partners zero inheritance rights. Learn how to protect your partner with a will, beneficiary designations, and powers of attorney.
When to Update Your Will in Vermont
Life events that trigger a will update in Vermont: marriage, divorce, new children, interstate moves, and the omitted child rule under 14 V.S.A. § 332.
Vermont Will Template: How to Write a Will That Holds Up in Probate
What a Vermont will template must include to be legally valid under 14 V.S.A. § 5. Witness rules, self-proving affidavits, and common mistakes that invalidate wills.