Getting Into Trouble Helping Others
One way this happens is when a person has been named to act as a person’s agent under power of attorney (some would say to act as a persons power of attorney), and performs in that role in good faith…
Frequent Flyer Miles – Can You Pass Them On At Death?
Accumulated frequent flier miles can be valuable assets, but what happens to those miles after someone dies? Can a spouse or other heirs inherit them, or do the miles simply evaporate like a contrail? Whether they can be inherited depends…
Arbitration Required for Claims of Injury by a Nursing Home or Assisted Living Facility Resident?
As you may know, businesses and large companies often try to avoid exposure to the courts, by including in their lengthy agreements with customers an often unread provision that requires a customer to go through arbitration instead of the courts,…
The Ins and Outs of Estate Sales
Following the death of a family member, you may find yourself needing to sort through many possessions accumulated over the deceased’s lifetime. An estate sale is one way to distribute those items that you do not want or need quickly…
Uncomfortable Conversations
Uncomfortable conversations... of the many worth having, here’s one. While a large percentage of Americans do not have any estate plan documents, I suspect that percentage is particularly large for young, single, adults. We have seen a number of difficult…
Leaving Your Estate Unequally to Your Children
Parents usually want to leave their children equal shares of their estate, but equal isn’t always fair. If you plan to provide more (or less) for one child in your estate plan, preparation is important. It is natural for parents…
June Thoughts from Attorney Jim Young
From time to time, even those who want to be well informed about the extraordinary events impacting our country, want to take a time out, so to speak. I was in need of a bit of refuge recently, and looking…
How to Give Gifts to your Grandchildren
Gifting assets to your grandchildren can do more than help your descendants get a good start in life -- it can also reduce the size of your estate and the tax that will be due upon your death. Perhaps the simplest…
Public Hearing on Aid In Dying for Terminally Ill Patients
This coming week the legislature will hold a hearing on this year’s version of a compassionate aid in dying bill. Many of you know that for many years I have advocated for the adoption of such a law, similar to…
Make Sure Your Estate Plan and Other Essential Documents are Safe from Disasters
It's an unfortunate reality that with the increasing number of natural disasters across the country, including fires, floods, and hurricanes, the chance that you could lose your house and possessions has become more likely. You may already live in an…