Law Offices of Steven M. Basche, LLC

05/20/2025

New video on the three types of probate in CT. Let me know what you think. https://youtu.be/8U77bCsukAQ

04/10/2024

Happy to be a member of the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce.

03/20/2024

Estate planning for college students. Send Your Son or Daughter to College with the “Half Six Pack”

Three Forms To Sign Before They Head Off To School.

Estate planning for college students? Are you nuts?

No, I’m not nuts. I’m not suggesting that your college student needs a full blown estate plan before they head off to Far Away University. But I am in the peace of mind business, especially for parents. And I know from personal experience that something may come up during your son or daughter’s college years-- and beyond—when you may wish you had their express permission to talk to a doctor or hospital about your son or daughter’s medical condition and without the proper documentation, you may be left out in the cold.

Several years ago I got a call from my son Ben who was away at college in New York. “Dad, I’m in the emergency room at St. Luke's….” It’s a good thing he called me because his mother would have been screaming after those few words. He had a weird rash and that didn’t seem to be anything serious, but when he uttered the word “meningitis” I was tempted to scream myself. I called Marie and we made a quick, nerve racked trip to NYC. Ben was fine, really, and he was conscious and able to confirm to the hospital staff that it was ok to talk to us about his condition.
And then the bill came. It should have been covered by insurance, but when I tried to make calls to straighten it out, I ran into brick wall. I wasn’t the patient and I didn’t have the ability to get or give information. I was just the person they thought was going to pay for the short $5,000 visit.

This got me thinking. What if Ben was not able to tell the doctors to talk to us? What if, god forbid, some decision about his care had to be made? I have to imagine that as his parents, the docs would have consulted with us. But why leave that up to chance? I recommend that parents have their son or daughter sign a power of attorney for health care decisions before they head off for school.

Parents should also consider the idea of a Durable Power of Attorney for their kids as well. This form would allow you to act on your son or daughter’s behalf if they were incapacitated. I have also put together a FERPA release which would allow parents to get access to educational records. Believe it or not, just because you may be paying the bill, you don’t have the right to get copies of your student’s transcript.

If you are interested in the “Half Six Pack” let me know and we will put it together.

12/14/2023

I'm very proud of my life long friend, Dr. Seth Lapuk, or Dr. Seth as my kids (and probably 100's of other kids) call him. He's a great doctor and has a big heart.

Connecticut Cardiologist awarded with the Leadership Legacy Award for impactful work December 14, 2023December 14, 2023 mary.ann.burns Connecticut board members pose with Dr. Seth Lapuk, (center) as he receives his Leadership Legacy Award. The American Heart Association proudly recognizes Dr. Seth L...

03/26/2023

https://youtu.be/LHSmhieKQQE

Steve Basche, an estate planning attorney from Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut explains why almost every one should have some sort of estate plan.

12/15/2022

If you’re going through a divorce, you probably feel a little overwhelmed by all the legal and financial items you must attend to before the marriage termination is final. These tasks can be difficult but revising your estate plan doesn’t have to be.

09/30/2021

Goold explanation of why income is usually distributed from a trust.

Did you ever wonder why the trusts in your estate plan for your children mandate a distribution of net income when your children reach a certain age, such as 18 or 21? Most lawyers do not discuss this provision with their clients, although this planning can have significant consequences for your fam...

09/29/2021

Tough subject, but important read.

Meeting your parent’s new partner for the first time over the holidays can be a stressful experience. Other than having to share your favorite family...

09/28/2021

Free coffee? Sign me up.

Take advantage of this "holiday" on Wednesday to get yourself caffeinated for free.

09/28/2021

Possible tax changes.

How is that defined? The tax plans in Congress essentially say a wealthy individual earns $400,000 a year. But that figure, a financial psychologist says, is “arbitrary.”

08/29/2021

I remember those days. Wish I had tried some of these strategies.

Let me give you nine different strategies, because you will almost certainly need them all.