[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.22.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]By: Jeffrey D. Stauffer – Executive Director

In June 2017, the Elville Center for the Creative Arts celebrated its three-year anniversary. Founded in 2014 by Stephen Elville, the mission of The Elville Center is to improve the quality of life of children of all ages by providing them the opportunity to learn music theory and application, experience cultural events related to the musical and creative arts, and to use music and the promotion of music-related activities to transcend social and economic divisions. The Elville Center partners with local and regional businesses, non-profit organizations, and school music programs to give the gift of music to children of all ages who want to participate in music but don’t have the means to do so on their own. The Center and refurbishes donated musical instruments, purchases new instruments for programs, provide rental instruments and music lessons for students, funds field trips, and helps organizations develop music programs.

Since our spring update, one of the Elville Center’s most exciting new projects is the establishment of a music program for children with autism in partnership with the Howard County Autism Society (HCAS). With the leadership of Executive Director Melissa Rosenberg, along with volunteer parents of children with autism, HCAS’s mission is raising awareness and educating the general public about the complexities of autism. HCAS offers many social activities for children and their families, and this winter the Elville Center is excited to collaborate with Howard Community College and The Music Institute to develop group classes and individual lessons that will bring music to children with autism. Research shows that music and music therapy can be very therapeutic to children with special needs. Along these lines, this program will enhance these young people’s lives by facilitating the joy of music to and for them. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and our goal is to have this dynamic initiative in place and providing music education and services to children by February 2018.

As our past updates have always mentioned, the need for support in Baltimore City’s school music programs is a dire one. The Elville Center has continued to work with its partner schools in the City to help them with their music-related needs, and along the way has continued to discover more needs, such as those at Coppin Academy High School. This public charter high school on the campus of Coppin State University has a music program under the new direction of Jesse Williamson, a Master Teacher of music education. After receiving a request for assistance from Mr. Williamson, the Elville Center responded by facilitating repairs for numerous instruments and providing much-needed trombone and flute cases, along with a strap for the school’s bass clarinet. On a monthly basis, the Elville Center continues to refurbish many instruments that need care so that they may be put into working condition and is actively bringing many donated refurbished instruments to the School, including an alto saxophone, a bass saxophone, a flute, a trumpet, a Yamaha keyboard, and a baritone euphonium (thus far). The Elville Center also helped Mr. Williamson transport an important piano from his previous school to Coppin Academy and arranged to have it repaired and tuned for the new school year.

“This year, I transferred to Coppin Academy High School #432, and The Elville Center has been helping me to get many of my instruments repaired and refurbished and ready for my new high school band students. My Band II students have already begun playing their instruments and I am grateful beyond words to the Elville Center for all of their support,” said Mr. Williamson.  “Over the years I have spent thousands of dollars of my own money in support of my program, but it is heartening to know that there is an organization that seeks to help teachers like me make a difference in the lives of children who otherwise might not have the opportunity to play an instrument. Coppin Academy is a small public charter school with an urban population of students, most of whom cannot afford to buy an instrument. It is my goal to instill in them a love of music and foster discipline and self-confidence to go on to greater things in life.”

Another Baltimore City school the Elville Center has just begun to provide assistance to is the K-8 Empowerment Academy. The new music teacher at this school, Marcus Neal, is a teacher the Elville Center has partnered with before at another inner-city school, Franklin Square Middle. The Empowerment Academy encourages arts enrichment for all of its students, which is a unique philosophy for a Baltimore City school. The Elville Center is working to bring recorders, xylophones, and boomwhackers (yes, boomwhackers!) to the music program’s younger students, and as Mr. Neal is working to develop a band for grades 5-8, the Elville Center is working to provide more standard brass and woodwind instruments to the older students.

In what is undoubtedly The Elville Center’s most ambitious venture thus far, the Center is now a major sponsor of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, a professional orchestra whose home is located near the Annapolis State House in hee historic Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. The Center will be paying for the bus transportation and tickets for hundreds of children to attend the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra’s “Concerts for Schoolchildren” series. This partnership with the ASO personifies our mission to give children the opportunity to experience extraordinary cultural events related to music they never would have experienced without such outside support. The Elville Center is honored to partner with an organization such as the ASO, one that aligns with our mission and vision so closely, and we are very excited about the impact this sponsorship will make on so many children in the Anne Arundel County community.

“Schools in lower-income communities often do not have the resources to afford tickets or transportation to enjoy cultural events outside school,” said Patrick Nugent, Executive Director of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. “The Elville Center has made it possible for these schools to attend the Annapolis Symphony’s Concerts for Schoolchildren free of charge, for the first time in our history. Early exposure to classical music can captivate a child’s imagination and bring benefits throughout their education and their life. The Symphony is immensely grateful to the Elville Center for its commitment to ensuring children from all backgrounds can enjoy the pleasures and benefits of classical music.”

The projects The Elville Center for the Creative Arts is spearheading right now are all very unique in scope. We are supporting music programs and organizations all over the state – founding new music programs and enriching established ones, and facilitating music-related opportunities to thousands of students! Participants in these programs come from a wide variety of backgrounds – many from disadvantaged situations that need support just to participate in music, and some with disabilities where music therapy can offer so much to enrich their lives.

Regardless of background, the one thing these students all share is a strong and enduring desire to participate in music.

The Elville Center for the Creative Arts needs your support to further its important work so that these important projects continue to be successful now and in the years to come. The need is great and growing. We need your monetary support to help refurbish instruments, obtain supplies and new instruments, and facilitate cultural learning experiences. We need those instruments you don’t use anymore that are taking up space. We also need volunteers, especially for our upcoming April 2018 Fundraising Event.

If you would like to donate or learn more about the Elville Center for the Creative Arts, please visit www.elvillecenter.org, or contact Jeffrey Stauffer, Executive Director, at 443-393-7696, or jeff@elvillecenter.org. And, don’t forget to mark your calendars for Saturday, April 28th, when the Elville Center for the Creative Arts hosts its first annual fundraiser! Details will be forthcoming.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

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By: Olivia R. Holcombe-Volke, J.D. — Partner

Estate planning for blended families (meaning, in this context, couples in second, third, or later marriages, where one or both spouses have children from outside the current marriage), can present unique challenges. Often, clients think that their preferences are simple, such as “I want to leave everything to my surviving spouse, and anything remaining after my surviving spouse dies will go to my own children.” However, even when the goals seem simple and straightforward, there are additional factors that should be taken into account in order to ensure that no intended beneficiary is left shortchanged by the vagaries of the law, human behavior, and unanticipated circumstances. In cases of second or later marriages and/or children of one but not both spouses, the planning is rarely “simple.” That being said, it is not impossible to accomplish most client goals in a blended family; it merely requires a bit more attention to detail in the planning.

What are some of the risks? The following are just a few:

• Spouse A leaves all assets to Spouse B, with any remaining at death of Spouse B to go to Spouse A’s children. Spouse A dies. Spouse B uses up all assets of Spouse A, while protecting/preserving his own assets. At death of Spouse B, there are no remaining assets to go to Spouse A’s children; all of Spouse B’s assets go to his own children.
• Same estate plan as above. Spouse A names her adult child as trustee and financial attorney-in-fact, and authorizes distributions during Spouse A’s incapacity to Spouse A, Spouse B, and Spouse A’s children. Adult child, concerned that all assets will be spent by Spouse B following Spouse A’s death, such that Spouse A’s children will not inherit anything, distributes significant assets to himself during Spouse A’s incapacity, such that at death of Spouse A, no assets remain to go to Spouse B.
• Spouse A and Spouse B intend that all assets will go to all of their children (including children of both and/ or only one of them) after the death of the second spouse to die, but fail to specify what is meant by “my descendants” in their estate planning documents. Accordingly, at the death of the second spouse to die, all assets go only to that spouse’s children and grandchildren, and not the children of the first spouse to die.

The common thread in estate planning for blended families is in the details – or lack thereof. And the risks stretch beyond the unintended consequences (whether of benefits or harm) set forth above – there is also a much greater likelihood of disagreement, and worse, litigation, resulting from ambiguity and uncertainty in the terms of an estate plan. As many of us know, an unfortunate truth of most humans is that when money is on the line, trust, understanding, and forgiveness tend to be the first personality traits left at the door. While it is impossible to address every potential issue and guarantee that no disagreements or unintended consequences will occur, the greater the detail that goes into thinking about and drafting an estate plan, the greater the likelihood of a wholly positive, wholly intended outcome. Details to consider include:

• Incapacity planning – who is being given the authority to access, manage, and distribute assets; what is their level of discretion; and to whom are they authorized to distribute?
• Post death planning – what is the timing for distribution of certain assets – is it at the death of Spouse A, or only after the deaths of both Spouse A and Spouse B?
• Who are the beneficiaries – to whom does the term “descendants” refer?
• Are there separately owned assets that can be designated directly to or for separate beneficiaries?
• Is it necessary and/or worthwhile to hold the assets of Spouse A’s assets in trust for the benefit of Spouse B, to ensure the ultimate distribution to Spouse A’s intended beneficiaries?
• Who will be the trustee or financial agent, and what do they stand to gain or lose by taking certain allowable actions?

The starting point for successful estate planning for blended families is to engage in a thoughtful, honest, and thorough discussion with your estate planning attorney, your spouse, and your children or other intended beneficiaries. By discussing priorities that are known, and potentially discovering risks and, perhaps, other priorities that were previously unknown, the details vital to accomplishing the goals of the estate plan will become clear. Particularly if each spouse has a different preference for the ultimate disposition of their respective estates, it is imperative to address this in the planning stage, rather than trusting that it will be taken care of, or leaving it to be taken care of, after the first spouse dies.

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In December 2017, Elville and Associates was proud to announce that two of its attorneys were recognized by Super Lawyers, a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Stephen R. Elville, Principal at Elville and Associates, was selected to the 2018 Maryland Super Lawyers list. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. This is Mr. Elville’s third selection to Super Lawyers, having previously been named to the Maryland Super Lawyers list in 2015 and 2017.

Meghan E. McCulloch, Associate Attorney at Elville and Associates, was selected to the 2018 Maryland Rising Stars list. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. This is Ms. McCulloch’s third consecutive selection to the Risings Stars List, having previously been selected in 2016 and 2017.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, makes its annual selections using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice areas. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazine and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.

“Being chosen for the 2018 Super Lawyers list is an honor for me and for our firm,” remarked Mr. Elville. “And, along those lines I hope it represents and reflects the good things we at Elville and Associates are doing collectively for our clients and their families.  If so, then I feel confident we are accomplishing our mission.”

Mr. Elville, principal and founder of Elville and Associates in 2010, works with individuals and families to provide a unique attorney-client experience and peace-of-mind solutions. Mr. Elville focuses his practice in the areas of estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, asset protection, and tax planning. Mr. Elville has extensive experience working with clients involved in crisis situations. He also brings a proactive, unique, and highly-personalized approach to pre-crisis planning as well.

Mr. Elville is widely known for his methodical, education-centric planning approaches, which include the Elville Legacy System (ELS™), Elville Self-Direct Select (ESDS™), and Elville Self-Direct Protect (ESDP™). Mr. Elville routinely handles client matters in the following areas: wills, trusts, estate tax planning, retirement plan benefit planning, asset protection, powers of attorney, living wills/advance medical directives, Medicaid planning and qualification, estate administration, Veteran’s benefits planning, fiduciary representation, nursing home selection and placement, guardianships, special needs planning for children and adults, and IRS tax controversy.

Mr. Elville is also the founder of The Elville Center For the Creative Arts, a non-profit corporation; Elville Self-Direct, Inc., a legal education corporation located in Annapolis, Maryland; and Greencrest Productions, LLC, Mr. Elville’s production studio, also located in Annapolis.

Ms. McCulloch, upon hearing of her selection, said, “I am proud to have been named to the Rising Stars list for the third year in a row.  This recognition by my peers for the work I do on behalf of my clients is truly an honor.  My greatest joy as attorney is helping my clients through some of the most challenging times in their lives and it is never my aim to do work for recognition, but rather to do work that is worthy of recognition.”

Ms. McCulloch joined Elville and Associates in October 2017 after seven years at a Baltimore firm where she was the leader of the firm’s Disability Department. Ms. McCulloch handles claims for Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), childhood SSI benefits, and disabled widow(er) benefits at every level of appeal, from the initial application up to and including representation before the U.S. District Court of Maryland. She has a wealth of experience in addressing the unique needs of individuals and families as they navigate through the disability process. Her work in accepting childhood SSI cases and federal court appeals are unique, as most disability attorneys do not handle these types of cases. Ms. McCulloch also concentrates her practice in the ever-changing and complex area of elder law.

As mentioned above, the selection process for Super Lawyers is a rigorous process to find the most exceptional lawyers in their practice areas in each state. We congratulate Stephen R. Elville and Meghan E. McCulloch for their Super Lawyers and Rising Stars recognition for 2018!

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By: Jeffrey D. Stauffer – Community Relations Director, jeff@elvilleassociates.com, 443-393-7696

On Saturday, June 4th, 2017, over Fifty Client Care Program members and their families attended the first annual Elville and Associates’ Client Care Program Social Event, held at the Bowie Baysox game at Prince George’s Stadium.

Along with field-level box seat tickets to the game, the Picnic Pavilion was reserved for guests, and a picnic fare All-American Buffet was served along with sodas, iced tea, lemonade, and summertime desserts.

This summer day for fun did not disappoint! And neither did the home team as the Baysox, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, won an exciting game over the visiting Altoona Curve in 11 innings, 7-6.

Beginning last fall, after much planning and design, Elville and Associates made its Client Care Program (CCP) available to its clients. The mission of the CCP (“planning that works”) is to provide clients with the comfort and assurance that their estate and elder law plans will work no matter how their goals or situations may change over time, and to ensure that planning remains consistent with changes in the laws. To learn more about the CCP and its many benefits, please contact Mary Guay Kramer at 443-741-3635 or mary@elvilleassociates.com.

The CCP Social Event represented the second of four scheduled CCP events this year for Elville and Associates, with the third event being our annual Client Education Event held on Saturday, October 28th at the Retreat and Conference Center at Bon Secours in Marriottsville. This year’s topic was “Understanding Healthcare in an Age of Change,” and a superb lineup of guest speakers from Anne Arundel Medical Center (Jan Wood, President of the Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation, and Barbara Jacobs, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of the AAMC Foundation) along with very entertaining Medicare Specialist, Mark Trent, presented with Elville and Associates’ Principal, Stephen Elville. Complementing the presentations, delicious food, door prizes, and gift baskets was music from the Riversdale Chamber Ensemble, a trio of musicians from the Columbia Orchestra, including Concertmaster Brenda Anna, Conductor, Jason Love, and violinist, Paul Li, that filled the room with wondrous musical movements throughout the event.

The final CCP event of the year, a comprehensive Social Security Workshop scheduled for December 9, 2017, was rescheduled due to weather, and is now scheduled for Saturday, January 20, 2018, at Anne Arundel Community College. CCP members and their guests will be educated by guest speaker Kurt Czarnowski of Czarnowski Consulting, as he presents “Social Security – A Hit or Myth Proposition”. Mr. Czarnowski, a renowned expert in the field of Social Security for over 34 years, will travel from Norfolk, Massachusetts to present at what is anticipated to be our most widely-attended CCP event yet.

Our first Elville and Associates’ Client Care Program event of 2018 will be held in March at Anne Arundel Community College. Details will be forthcoming in February.

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By: Guest Contributor Judith Krummeck — Evening Drive Host, 91.5 WBJC

What do Robert Schumann, Jean Sibelius, and Igor Stravinsky have in common? Yes, their last names begin with “S,” but it’s more than that. How about Georg Philipp Telemann, Giuseppe Tartini, and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky? Again, it’s more than simply a letter thing, or the fact that all six of these men were classical composers. Add to the list George Frideric Handel, Leopold Mozart, and Johann Sebastian Bach’s sons, and it becomes even more interesting. All of them started out studying law. Let’s look at this curious phenomenon chronologically, with a little bit of help from Wikipedia.

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 –1767) became a composer against his family’s wishes, and he was almost completely self-taught in music. He entered the University of Leipzig to study law, but eventually was able to settle on a career in music. Telemann was, and still is, one of the most prolific composers in history.

George Frideric Handel (1685 – 1759) was born in Halle to an eminent barber-surgeon who, according to Handel’s first biographer, John Mainwaring, was adamantly opposed to his son pursuing a career in music. However, Handel did receive musical instruction in harpsichord, violin, organ, and oboe, as well as composition. Handel’s father died when his son was a schoolboy of 11. It had been his father’s wish that he would become a lawyer and, perhaps, to fulfill a promise to his father, Handel matriculated at the University of Halle. Although he didn’t enroll in the faculty of law, he almost certainly attended the lectures of the famed jurist, Christian Thomasius. Shortly after starting his university education, Handel accepted the position of organist at the Calvinist Cathedral in Halle, and that marked the beginning of his musical career.

Four of Johann Sebastian Bach’s sons became professional musicians, and Bach supervised all of their musical educations. Two of them, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710 – 1784) and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 – 1788) enrolled as law students in Leipzig University. (Some believe that Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732 – 1795) also studied law there, but there is no record of that.) In an age of royal patronage, father and sons alike knew that a university education helped prevent a professional musician from being treated as a servant. Friedemann’s first job was as the organist of the St. Sophia’s Church at Dresden, at which point his musical career began. Carl obtained his degree at the age of 24, but never practiced law, instead turning his attention immediately to music.

Leopold Mozart (1719 – 1787) is best known today as the father and teacher of his son, Wolfgang Amadeus. From an early age, Leopold sang as a choirboy. At school, he appeared in student theatrical productions as an actor and singer, and became a skilled violinist and organist. His parents had planned a career for Leopold as a Catholic priest, but this apparently was not Leopold’s own wish. He enrolled at the University of Salzburg to study philosophy and jurisprudence. He received the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy, but the following year he was expelled from the university for poor attendance. A year later, he began his career as a professional musician.

Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856) is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. His father, who had encouraged the boy’s musical aspirations, died when Schumann was 16. Neither his mother nor his guardian encouraged a career in music. Schumann went to Leipzig to study law so that he could meet the terms of his inheritance, writing to his mother, “My whole life has been a struggle between Poetry and Prose, or call it Music and Law.” At 20, he left the study of law, intending to pursue a career as a virtuoso pianist, but a hand injury ended that dream. Schumann then focused his energies on composing.

Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957) was the son of a Swedish-speaking medical doctor who died of typhoid when the boy was three years old. His uncle was interested in music, especially the violin; it was he who gave Sibelius a violin when he was ten years old, and later encouraged him to maintain his interest in composition. After graduating from high school, Sibelius began to study law at the Imperial Alexander University in Finland but, showing far more interest in music, soon moved to the Helsinki Music Institute – now the Sibelius Academy.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893) began piano lessons at five and, within three years, he could sight read music as well as his teacher. His parents were initially supportive of his musical gifts, but decided to send him to the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in Saint Petersburg to prepare for a career as a civil servant. At 19, Tchaikovsky graduated as a titular counselor, a low rung on the civil service ladder, and was appointed to the Ministry of Justice. That same year, the Russian Musical Society was founded with the aim of fostering native Russian talent. The classes that the society offered were a precursor to the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, and Tchaikovsky enrolled at the Conservatory as part of its premiere class, happily putting his civil servant career behind him.

Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) was brought up in St. Petersburg, beginning piano lessons as a young boy, studying music theory, and attempting composition. Despite his enthusiasm for music, his parents expected him to study law. He enrolled at the University of Saint Petersburg in 1901, but he attended fewer than fifty class sessions during his four years of study. He had already begun to spend more time on his musical studies than on law, and he started taking twice-weekly private lessons from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Four years later, the impresario, Sergei Diaghilev, heard two of Stravinsky’s early works, and commissioned him to write The Firebird for the Ballets Russes. The rest, as they say, is history.

There are myriad other stories like this about lawyer-musicians, and it begs the question: what is it about the law that lends itself to music, and vice versa? My guess is that it has something to do with the parallels between process and form. In the way that I understand legal argument to be structured around precedent and statutes, so musical composition, for all its creative spark and genius, begins with form – sonata form, rondo form, symphonic form. More often than not, a composer chooses a key signature for a composition, and all the harmonic progressions and key changes are hinged on that home key. Similarly, a legal precedent may be challenged, but it is argued on the basis of what already exists as law.

Whatever way you look at it, the legal mind and the musical mind seem often to find a synchronicity. If you are reading this, perhaps you find that too.

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By: Victoria B. Hathaway – Guest Contributor, Director of The Silver Group of the Bob Lucido Team of Keller Williams Integrity

Did you know that over the next two decades, “Boomers” will swell the nation’s older adult population by 30 million, and an estimated 16 million older adult households will be moving in the next decade?

If you are an older adult who is thinking about a downsize of your possessions and your home, doing the downsize, preparing your home for sale, selling your home, and deciding where to move can feel like a very daunting project. Knowing what to do first and having detailed information about vendors and resources are the keys to a safe and successful experience.

When I am called upon for a consultation, the area expert real estate agent from my team and I both attend. We cover a wide range of topics, usually spending at least two hours (frequently longer) in order to answer all questions and provide specific resources.
Let’s take a look at the process, step-by-step, to examine how you, the home seller, should experience a listing consultation!

Choosing The Right Agent:
I recommend that, if you have the time and energy, you should take advantage of having multiple presentations by Agents. The benefit of understanding that different Agents have different personalities, experience, expertise and marketing budgets cannot be underestimated for the benefit of you the Seller. Listing a home is a specialty all its own, involving guidance for pricing, preparing the home for Buyers, marketing, advocating for the Seller through the home inspection and appraisal, and negotiating the contract against the Buyer – something totally different from the specialty of being a Buyer Agent. Make sure to ask what makes the Agent “different” and what makes their firm “better”?! Marketing budgets, accolades and awards, years of experience, value-added services such as free staging and moving trucks, and researching the length of the listing contract (ranging from a 24-hour cancellation policy to several months) are specific issues that can and should be deciding factors when making the decision about who you will hire for this very important process.

Home Visit:
In a home visit, the Agent will be able to personally assess the condition of your home (whether out-of-date, fully updated, or something in between) as well as any structural improvements, and additions or needed repairs, as they help to guide you in pricing your home accurately. You should not use your tax assessment or Zillow to determine the selling price of the home. Seeing your home enables the Agent to share guidance about various paths to selling, including selling as-is, refreshed, or completely renovated, and the pluses and minuses of each. This is the time when the Agent should make specific recommendations for what to repair and replace, and help you to understand how each of these paths affect pricing, expectations for the selling timetable, and how Buyers are most likely to behave when making offers in each of these formats. Perception is reality, so for example low-ball offers are common with as-is properties, and multiple offers with bidding wars are common for homes that are updated and renovated. Care should be taken to determine what is best for you as the Seller, your unique situation, and needs.

Market Analysis & Pricing:
As the Seller, you should be presented with a detailed market analysis of the home, showing all recent market activity (usually up to three months back in time and in close proximity to your home) including pricing for homes that have sold, are under contract, or are currently on the market. Out of this array, a close examination of which homes are most like your home (square footage, age, condition, improvements) will help your Agent assist you with recommending the right selling price.

Timing:
The Agent should be knowledgeable about the timing of your home sale, educating about how the time of year may impact the process and creating predictability around the Buyer. For example, many families with school-age children are home shopping in the spring and early summer in order to be settled prior to the start of the school year. Winter shoppers tend to be serious Buyers and know they are coping with reduced inventory at that time of year, which is good for you as the Seller. Another aspect of timing the sale is for your Agent to pay close attention to your requirements for your move timetable. If you are under contract with a senior living community, it is normal to have a structured timetable and occupancy date for the move. Your Agent should help you determine if you must sell in order to be able to make the move or if you are able to move first and then sell.

Staging:
Once you have determined your home’s pricing and timing for the sale, the next step should be a visit by your Agent’s professional Stager, who has specialized training in visual merchandising, current color palettes and finishes (cabinets, hardware, lighting, trims, walls and flooring) most in demand by Buyers. The Stager will help guide you in preparing your home for the greatest possible appeal to Buyers. Working to declutter and to use what you already own, rearranged to best effect, should always be the goal.

Although most Sellers are in residence during the home’s selling period, many times older adult Sellers have already vacated the home and this is absolutely fine! Homes that are both vacant and/or empty do not present a selling challenge and your needs as Seller should always be paramount.

Victoria Hathaway is the Director of The Silver Group of the Bob Lucido Team of Keller Williams Integrity. She is a Realtor, Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), Certified Senior Housing Professional (CSHP), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), President of the Coalition of Geriatric Services (COGS), and serves the Aging Studies Advisory Board, Johns Hopkins University. She may be reached at 410-979-4284 or via email at Victoria@BobLucidoTeam.com.

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By: Stephen R. Elville, J.D., LL.M. – Principal

During a recent trip to Monhegan Island, Maine, I was struck not only by the stunning beauty of the tiny place, but also by how the constantly changing weather affected everything I did during my stay; and how the Island’s lighthouse, a brown stone structure located atop the highest and most central point, served as the actual and figurative anchor of the community, two things I found remarkable. Although the lighthouse did not seem particularly large, nor its beam particularly bright, it was quite literally an omnipresent fixture – necessary to alert and guide mariners to safety amidst the vast and deep waters off the Atlantic coast, while binding everyone within its proximity and scope, visually and psychologically, to the land and geographic area, leaving no room for doubt about location, direction, routine, or even the expectations for each new day. The lighthouse was there every morning, afternoon, and evening; in sunshine, rain, or fog. Even weeks after returning home, my mind still returns to this small lighthouse.

Client legal education and client care are themes representing part of Elville and Associates’ practice philosophy; and, like the Monhegan Island Lighthouse, these concepts serve as actual and figurative anchors for our Firm, our Client Community, and our Advisor Community – guiding our clients and their families during constantly changing and tumultuous times – providing a visual, psychological, and legal reference point for family members, advisors, and trust fiduciaries. Elville and Associates is a client legal education and client care pioneer, innovator, and thought leader in Maryland estate planning, elder law, and special needs planning. The following non-exclusive summary will provide guidance and insight into how the Firm accomplishes the foregoing, and consequently how it strives to carry out its mission and purpose:

WHAT WE DO

Vision Statement

To become the leading estate planning, elder law, and special needs planning Firm in Maryland through the relentless pursuit of and adherence to the fundamental Firm values of educating and counseling clients and the constant recognition that the Firm exists to provide solutions to our clients’ problems and to exceed their expectations; in an environment that encourages and facilitates constant learning, improvement, and professional advancement for all employees, and where all members of the Firm are respected and encouraged to utilize and develop their own unique talents and abilities.

Mission Statement
To provide practical solutions to our clients’ problems through counseling, education, and superior legal- technical knowledge.
Philosophy Statement
Elville and Associates engages clients in a multi-step educational process to ensure that estate, elder law, and special needs planning works from inception, throughout lifetime, and at death. Clients are encouraged to take advantage of the Planning Team Concept for leading-edge, customized planning. The education of clients and their families through counseling and superior legal-technical knowledge is the practical mission of Elville and Associates.

HOW WE DO IT
• Elville and Associates is a purpose-driven firm with a commitment to client legal education and a “caring for clients model”.
• Elville and Associates’ Mission, Vision, and Purpose statements, developed at the time of the Firm’s inception, are framed and displayed throughout our offices, serving as a constant reminder to all employees.
• Elville and Associates has a dedicated asset alignment coordinator.
• Elville and Associates is one of the only law firms in Maryland to offer its clients a comprehensive, exclusive, education-focused, Client Care Program (CCP), and was only the 42nd law firm in the U.S. to attend the Client Maintenance Academy, now Client Care Academy in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Elville and Associates does not charge for initial estate planning consultations, which are substantial meetings that serve as the beginning conversations for the broader planning road ahead, as well as the starting point for our comprehensive educational process.
• At Elville and Associates, clients are provided with a wide range of planning choices, with our Legacy™, Self-Direct™, and Protect™ programs.
• All attorneys and staff at Elville and Associates are committed to the highest standards of customer service, and to providing clients with a unique client experience.
• Elville and Associates is committed to collaboration with other professionals, including Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), financial advisors, insurance professionals, geriatric care managers and medical professionals, and others.
• Elville and Associates hosts an Annual Client Event, open to all clients and their families.
• Elville and Associates publishes The Elville Benefactor, a custom bi-annual newsletter frequently recognized as one of the best newsletters of its kind.
• Elville and Associates offers clients premier services in estate and trust administration, and trustee services, through its Waypoint Trust Group™.
• Elville and Associates is committed to the community at large through its support of the arts in general, and through its work with The Elville Center for the Creative Arts, a non-profit, 501(c)(3).
• Elville and Associates is committed to the future through its documented succession and transition plan, ensuring that clients and their families will be cared for at the time of plan maturity. Like the Monhegan Island Lighthouse, the Mission, purpose-driven people (attorneys and staff) at Elville and Associates are committed to serving as beacons for our clients and the community.

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By: Jill Rosner, R.N., B.S.N. – Guest Contributor, Rosner Healthcare Navigation

The beginning of the year brings renewed hope for a fresh start and an opportunity to make changes in the areas of our lives that we all have on our “to do” lists. New Year’s resolutions, as we all know, rarely make it past the first few weeks. It’s probably best to make a list and start checking off what we want to see happen in the New Year.

Each year I try to give some suggestions to better our overall health. This year I’m making a list. When I meet with a new client and do an assessment, it’s a head-to-toe mind, body, mental health and social/environmental approach. I make recommendations in areas of: physical, safety, psychosocial, and anticipatory guidance.

So here is my checklist of things to do this year based on my personal approach: Physical Make appointments for healthcare providers:
• Primary Care (PC) — at least yearly or on the schedule given to you by your physician • Cardiology if recommended by your PC
• Specialists, appropriate for your medical conditions
• Ophthalmology, an eye check for vision problems, which can contribute to falls. Cataracts cloud the vision and over time you don’t notice the changes. Just take care of it before it’s too late.
• Podiatry if necessary
• Plan an exercise program that works for you. Walking 30 minutes per day is the best exercise. Seated chair exercises will improve strength and balance
• Get a prescription for physical therapy if your balance and mobility have declined and you have concerns of falling (although most only have this concern when the horses are out of the barn and it’s too late).
• Stop smoking. Cessation programs are available. This is the single most controllable thing you can do for your health. It’s not too late!
• Eat mindfully. Add fish to your diet and be mindful of meat consumption. Everything in moderation. Small baby steps are more successful than the big resolution.
• Drink more water! (Big note to self included) Water keeps us hydrated for better overall health.

Safety
• Move those rugs; you know the ones that slide around without non-skid backing.
• Check those smoke detectors.
• Make sure the lighting is working throughout the house and in stairways — and use them. Poor lighting contributes to falls.
• Do a home assessment to assure safety ultimately contributing to the ability to remain in the home longer for those who are wishing to “Age in Place.”
• Don’t trust anyone asking for money, even charities. Check them out first — scams and exploitation are out of control.

Psychosocial
• Stay active socially; those who have relationships and socialize remain mentally sharper than those who do not.
• Depression and anxiety are a huge public health crisis. If you have apathy, lack of drive and are not enjoying life, it’s time. The stigmas that keep people in a place of sadness or simply “flat” are worse than the remedy. Do something about it this year. You don’t have to live life in a fog. Talk to your doctor.

Anticipatory guidance
Life will change, we all get older, start preparing now. Do those advance directives this year. Update if you already have them. Make your wishes be known. Do your family a favor and stop avoiding future planning because you are afraid or in denial. You won’t die one day sooner because you met with an elder law attorney.

Take control of your destiny and rest easy with peace of mind that you will get what you want as you age not what others are guessing you want or what they think is best. Have a happy, healthy New Year!

Jill Rosner is a registered nurse, certified geriatric care manager and owner of Rosner Healthcare Navigation. She provides patient advocacy and care management services to clients with health and aging issues. Contact her at JillRosnerRN@aol.com.

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Step outside the boundaries of the employer/employee relationship, just for a moment. As a benefit professional or someone who runs a business, your focus is getting the business of the company done. Of course, that includes figuring how to get the best from your employees. Rewarding people fairly, in terms of money and benefits, helping them understand their importance in the business’ success, and communicating with them in a way that encourages their loyalty all contribute to that effort.

One day, though, your employees will no longer be your employees. It may happen when someone moves on to a different employer. Or, it could happen on the day your valued employee dies. How prepared is your employee for that day? Is there anything you can do to make it easier for those he or she leaves behind?

Estate planning valuable for everyone

Estate planning is the answer. It is also a relatively painless process that many people think doesn’t apply to them. They may reason that their assets don’t amount to much, and that they’ve asked a close relative to look after the kids. Maybe they don’t own stocks, bonds, or real estate, and foreign bank accounts are, well, a foreign concept. Not only that, but talking about one’s own demise is depressing. All of this is a perfect recipe for ensuring that things don’t go the way we’d like them to once we’re gone.

Now rejoin us inside the boundary, once again an employer. What does all of this have to do with you? You are in a unique position, because it’s likely that the majority of your employees’ time is spent in the workplace. You can help them reach both a conclusion and a plan: the conclusion that they need to make an estate plan, no matter how modest their means.

Stephen R. Elville is an estate planning attorney, and a Principal at his firm, Elville & Associates, P.C. in Columbia, MD (www.elvilleassociates-staging.bgbshlgq-liquidwebsites.com). In his practice, he spends a fair amount of time helping clients figure out how to organize their affairs today so their loved ones will face less of a burden tomorrow. Elville believes strongly in educating people about things that are hard to talk about. Of course, making an estate plan is one of those things.

At its core, an estate plan provides instruction for the things you own. It lets people know what you are passing along, to whom, and when. The usefulness of an estate plan, then, isn’t limited to the wealthy. Everyone owns things, and many want to see some of them passed along to people or causes they care about.

There is more to consider than simply “stuff,” though. For example, parents of minor children can’t rely on a verbal agreement about who will care for them if both parents are gone; they need a will to make the selection official. People also need to consider their own care if they become unable to care for themselves due to health or other issues. Those who provide care for a disabled family member should also think about that person’s ongoing needs, and make a provision for them as part of the estate plan.

Seek partners to provide workshops

As an employer, you can help employees understand why an estate plan is so important, and even help them access the resources they need to create one. How? One way is by holding workshops or seminars for your employees. Elville’s firm is regularly invited to provide this kind of workshop, and he believes it’s a benefit that can make a real difference in the lives of valued employees.

Over the years, Elville has learned a few things about how to approach the delicate subject of estate planinng in order to make the biggest impact. The lessons learned include when to hold a workshop, who should present, and whom to invite.

The timing. While a brown bag lunch with a simultaneous presentation has its merits, Elville says taking advantage of different times may yield better results.

“When we deliver this kind of workshop during the day while people are eating their lunches, they like it and they ask questions. But the response is often not as robust as we think it should be,” he explains. “People are thinking about the work they have to get back to. That’s why we like to give workshops at other times.” Off-hour presentations, if properly timed, may also allow spouses to attend.

The presenters. It’s easy to find a local estate planning attorney, but finding one with an educational mindset is key, Elville says. He recommends starting the search through your existing network, like your CPA or other local professionals with whom you do business.

“For this kind of workshop, employers should deal with a lawyer who believes in education and is willing to spend some time. While the lawyer may ultimately get business from educating your employees, I believe employers need to seek someone to provide pure education.

“At the end of the presentation they should let people know they are here to help and how to get in touch. If the lawyer is willing to commit some time to reviewing an individual’s situation, so much the better. Ideally, you can find someone who is willing to do that.”

The audience. Elville says that a scatter-shot approach may not be best, for the same reason that general financial education is not one-size-fits-all: different topics are relevant in peoples’ lives at different times. In order for an estate planning workshop to have the greatest effect, it has to be relevant to its audience and it has to receive the right promotion from the employer.

“Statistically, 80% of people between 30 and 45 don’t have a will, even if they have young kids,” he says. “They’re busy with other things, and they’re not focused on estate planning at all. Interest varies by age; 30 to 45 year olds are generally not concerned with a lot of the traditional things that people 55 and older are concerned about.

“The 30 to 45 year-olds come in for one reason: they want to get guardians appointed for their minor children. Those over 55 are often concerned about marital protection—what happens if one remarries after the other dies, for example. So if the employer finds a lawyer who can target presentations to various age groups, that could make the sessions more successful.”

Employees could greatly benefit from an estate planning attorney who is willing to meet individually with them privately following the general session. “If the employer could let employees know that there will be an attorney available to meet for a free, 15-minute consultation after the workshop, it could generate greater attendance. Maybe the communications could let employees know that one of the biggest issues in estate planning is that wills don’t get updated, and a lawyer will be here who can review yours.

“Employers feel wonderful about helping their employees this way, but they need to make sure employees see the reasons to show up and take advantage of it.”

2017 is sure to be a year full of changes. Employees need to make sure their plans are on track with changes in health care, estate taxes, capital gains, and other issues that may come along with a new Administration. Make this the year to help your employees plan for those who come after them.

Authored by:  Lisa Higgins, Guest Contributor – Express Written Communications (article originally published February 16, 2017 on compensations.blr.com (http://tinyurl.com/Elville-BLR)

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By:  Jeffrey D. Stauffer – Community Relations Director, jeff@elvilleassociates.com, 443-393-7696

Olivia R. Holcombe-Volke, associate attorney at Elville and Associates, has been selected to the 2017 Maryland Rising Stars list. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. For more information about Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.

Upon learning of her recognition, Ms. Holcombe-Volke said, “I became an attorney in order to assist clients with navigating the intimidating and often overwhelming terrain that is our legal system.  It turns out, sharing knowledge and experience with other attorneys is a vital part of this effort.  Being recognized as a Rising Star affirms my perception of how I can serve my clients well, and lets me know that I am on the right track to accomplishing that goal.”

Ms. Holcombe-Volke received her B.A.’s in Political Science and Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She then moved on to attain her law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

Ms. Holcombe-Volke handles all aspects of estate planning, including the initial drafting of wills, trusts, advance directives, and powers of attorney, as well as the continued revision and updates of those documents as life and statutory changes occur. She also regularly addresses the needs of elder law clients, assisting with Medicaid asset protection efforts, special needs planning, and the difficult issues attendant to mental and physical incapacity.

After graduating from law school, Mrs. Holcombe-Volke worked with a firm representing subcontractors in the busy construction law arena of Las Vegas. She then spent a year teaching legal and business English in Budapest, Hungary, before joining the firm of Joan M. Wilbon & Associates in Washington, D.C., as an associate attorney working with estate planning, estate administration, elder law, family law and general civil litigation clients.

Ms. Holcombe-Volke also currently serves as a volunteer attorney with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.

Elville & Associates engages clients in a multi-step educational process to ensure that estate and elder law planning works from inception, throughout lifetime and at death. Clients are encouraged to take advantage of the “Planning Team Concept” for leading-edge, customized planning. The firm considers counseling and education of paramount importance while working with its clients and surrounding community.

For more information about Elville and Associates, please visit www.elvilleassociates-staging.bgbshlgq-liquidwebsites.com or call 443-393-7696. You can also follow the firm on Twitter at @ElvilleAssoc.

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