Lawyers

Hello, I have and older aunt who is beginning to think about end-of-life issues and is planning to move into an assisted living community. She has no family nearby and is trying to do everything on her own, which is daunting. I want to guide her as she thinks about how to downsize her life and deal with her affairs in a way that makes sense for her. She doesn't have much in assets -- just a house that she financed with a HUD loan that she will have to sell before she can move. She is planning to hire a lawyer to get a will together, but I don't know if it will be worthwhile for her to spend the money to do that, given how little she has. Suzanne, Billings, MT

President Obama has released his budget proposal for the 2012 federal spending plan. A growing national deficit has prompted the White House to...