Mark Mateya, Author at Mateya Law Firm

Power of Attorney Abuse:

Mark Mateya2015-01-08T13:32:33-05:00January 8th, 2015|Abuse, Power of Attorney Abuse|

Aunt Gertrude trusts her niece Milly; that’s why she appointed Milly to be her agent on her power of attorney document. Milly does not have any special training, she is simply a good- natured, good-hearted niece to Aunt Gertrude and she wants to help her Aunt. She has a high school degree and is reasonably intelligent. That’s good enough, right?

There was a time when I would have answered, “The most important thing is that you have a high level of confidence in the agent you have chosen. She can learn how to handle things, and she can always call on […]

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Taking Care of Our Loved Ones: My Own Story

Mark Mateya2014-12-24T12:32:00-05:00December 24th, 2014|Taking Care of Your Parents: My Own Story|

This is our mom’s second Christmas at her new home in assisted living. Last year was her first away from the home that she had lived in for over five decades and she often talked about missing her home and missing the way things used to be. Today, she talks about her friends and how they have enjoyed making Christmas crafts, how so many of them have friends or family visiting, and “My, isn’t it nice to see you again!”
Our story is like so many others. My brothers and I have tried to make the best decisions we can […]

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Estate Planning is more than a Will

Mark Mateya2017-01-17T22:30:24-05:00December 9th, 2014|Estate Planning and Administration|

Having a Last Will & Testament in place is important, the cornerstone of most estate plans. But there are other documents which should be a part of your estate plan as well. A Last Will & Testament does not go into effect until after you pass away. What about when you need help in the here and now? One document which may help is a power of attorney document.

You can appoint an agent through a power of attorney document. Your agent will be able to act on your behalf if you are unable or unavailable to act for yourself. Your […]

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Power of Attorney Abuse: The Times, They Are A Changin’

Mark Mateya2014-12-01T13:40:08-05:00December 1st, 2014|General, Power of Attorney Abuse|

Aunt Gertrude may wish to appoint her niece, Milly, as the agent on her Power of Attorney document. If she does so after January 1, 2015; they will both find out that many things have changed.

There have been fundamental changes to the way the Power of Attorney operates in Pennsylvania; such as changes in duties, changes in gifting, changes in potential liability, and changes in definitions of simple phrases like “good faith.” These changes affect both the agent and the ones accepting or rejecting a power of attorney document.

If you have a power of attorney document in […]

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Estate Administration – I can do this myself, right?

Mark Mateya2017-01-17T22:29:16-05:00November 20th, 2014|Estate Planning and Administration|

Occasionally we get a phone call at our office asking if it is possible to administer an estate without the assistance of an attorney. Beyond the obvious humor of the question being posed to an attorney, this is an interesting question.

On one hand, it seems that it should not require specialized assistance to pass from this world to the next. What is more fundamental than being born or dying? On the other hand, life in our era is complex and complicated.

When I am presented with this question, my answer is “If you know everything I know; you can certainly administer […]

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Taking Care of Our Loved Ones: My Own Story “Someone’s going to have to pay for this!”

Mark Mateya2014-11-13T12:38:21-05:00November 13th, 2014|Taking Care of Your Parents: My Own Story|

If you have followed my story at all, you know that my brothers and I have been working together to make the best decisions we can for mom’s care. This time, I want to talk about something that did not happen in our story, but we wish it would have.

Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI). LTCI is not cheap, but not having it is much more expensive. An individual of age 60 can usually get LTCI for approximately $3,000 per year, depending upon a variety of variables.

LTCI helps to underwrite the cost of long term health care. With […]

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Mateya Law Administrator

About Mark Mateya

Power of Attorney Abuse:

Taking Care of Our Loved Ones: My Own Story

Estate Planning is more than a Will

Power of Attorney Abuse: The Times, They Are A Changin’

Estate Administration – I can do this myself, right?

Taking Care of Our Loved Ones: My Own Story “Someone’s going to have to pay for this!”

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