What do I do if my loved one dies at home? March 9, 2018 Tonight one of my clients is close to death, at home with hospice oversight and 24-hour care, and her daughter is feeling the stress of the unknown. What will she have to do when the time comes? Here are the immediate steps one might have to take if a loved one dies at home. … Read More
TheLegacyLawyer.Com introduces at-will appointment bookings. December 30, 2016 New or existing clients can now book their own appointments with TheLegacyLawyer.Com. Just follow this link, select the matter you want to discuss, select a day and time, an “book.” You’ll get an email reminder, and the time will be reserved for you. It’s our latest attempt to make working with lawyers as easy… Read More
Emergency Probate Powers August 26, 2013 | Leave a comment Letters of Special Administration are used to avoid waste or loss in an estate, especially where an executor has failed to get a prompt start on proceedings. Here is a real-life example of a question asked of me. My husband and I need to challenge executorship of my mother-in-law’s estate. Her husband is ill and… Read More
What is the difference between a will, a living will and a living trust? August 13, 2013 You should have at least a will, advance health care directive, and durable power of attorney. If your estate is over $150,000 you should consider a trust.… Read More
Six Claims by Trust Lawyers You Want to Avoid July 6, 2013 | 1 Comment Deciding whether to purchase a living trust is difficult. You want to protect your assets for your beneficiaries. In evaluating attorneys or trust companies, try to stick to the facts and be wary of exaggerated claims about their products. You want to be able to trust your lawyer, and know that they aren’t trying to… Read More
What do the Supreme Court Rulings on Gay Marriage Mean? June 27, 2013 Let me try to summarize very briefly the bottom-line results of the gay-marriage rulings by the U. S. Supreme Court on June 26, 2013. 1. DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act): The court said that the federal government has to treat people who were legally married in their state of residence as a married couple, even… Read More
When Can Gay Couples Marry in California? June 26, 2013 | Leave a comment This morning the U. S. Supreme Court ducked the question of whether same-sex couples have a right to civil marriage under the U. S. Constitution. However, it did so in a way that will uphold a decision by a California District Court that the ban on same-sex marriage under Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. So… can gays… Read More
Not to rain on anybody’s (pride-)parade, but… June 26, 2013 | Leave a comment Not to rain on the anybody’s (pride) parade, but the Supreme Court rulings today did little to advance the goals of same-sex couples. Neither ruling addressed the underlying question: Do same-sex couples have a right to civil marriage? The Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA today is a victory for state’s rights, but not a victory… Read More
Texas State Department of Irony had no comment June 26, 2013 On June 25, 2013, speaking about Texas’ attempt to dramatically reduce the ability to obtain an abortion in that state, Governor Perry said: “In Texas, we value all life.” Today, Texas is scheduled to execute its 500th inmate, a woman named Kimberly McCarthy. Texas has accounted for about 40% of the U.S. executions since the… Read More
What Should I Do Before Filing For Divorce? October 24, 2012 | 1 Comment What should I do before I file for divorce? What estate planning changes should I make? Can I revoke our family trust? Do I need permission from my wife to change beneficiaries? Can I make a new will without my husband? These are questions I hear from clients referred to me by family law… Read More
