Trust Mill Con-Men Fined $6.4M for Illegal Practice of Law
The Ohio Supreme Court has recently taken strong action against two co-owners in a company participating in an illegal “trust mill” operation. According to this article from the Associated Press, the two owners, Jeffrey and Stanley Norman, have been permanently barred from marketing or selling their trust products in Ohio after they were found to […]
Read more
Changes to New York Powers of Attorney May Lead to Changes for All
An interesting article in this week’s Time Magazine online addresses some of the weaknesses in the Durable Power of Attorney (POA) document—especially as regards the elderly—and how New York State is addressing these weaknesses. If New York’s experience with the beefed-up POA is favorable it is quite possible that other states will adopt similar changes. […]
Read more
What We Can Learn From the Kennedy Trusts
While I was up in the San Francisco Bay Area last week, I sat and watched the moving memorial of Senator Ted Kennedy. Whether you agreed with his politics, the recent death of Ted Kennedy has given us an opportunity to reflect on the unique nature of trusts not only as a tool to protect […]
Read more
In the News: What Does it Mean to Have a Health Care Directive?
There seems to be a lot of fear around President Obama’s proposed healthcare reforms, most of that fear centering on the end-of-life planning included in the proposal. As a firm that deals with elder law issues, it is important to us that our clients be informed about their choices as to health care and end-of-life […]
Read more
A Living Will Is Good For You, Good For The Country
President Obama’s pet project of health care reform seems to have a lot of people worried. His talk of living wills encouraging people to specify their end-of-life wishes in particular are the topics bandied about most often in tense (or downright frightened) conversations. Some people seem to think that the very act of specifying your […]
Read more
Not All Healthcare Directives Are Created Equal
Google is getting into the healthcare industry. Google recently made it possible for individuals to store their healthcare records online through their Google Health Records Management Service, a move that has met with mixed reviews. Even more recently, Google Health has started offering another, similar, service: storage of your “end-of-life wishes” along with your healthcare […]
Read more
Sharing the Nest When Adult Children Fly Home
If you have adult children then you know that it’s more than just credit limits and investment accounts that have been affected by the slow economy; companies also are tightening their belts, and people of all ages are finding it harder to get (or keep) jobs. As a result, more and more adult children have […]
Read more
Michael Jackson’s Will Answers Few Questions
The past week has been filled with media speculation about Michael Jackson and his will: Did he have one and what might be in it? Well the waiting is finally over… kind of. It turns out Michael Jackson did create a will, which was submitted to the California probate courts earlier this week. The will […]
Read more
Michael Jackson’s Death Leaves A Legacy of Questions
Michael Jackson’s death on Thursday shocked the world. As fans and mourners line up to pay their respects (and snap up Jackson music and merchandise) the question now on the minds of many is: What will happen to Michael Jackson’s estate and to his children? It is still too early to know what legal steps […]
Read more
If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is
One of our clients recently contacted us regarding his good fortune: “We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners International programs… Your address attached to ticket number 2051146 won in the second category, you have therefore been approved to receive a sum of 1,000,000.00 Euro. Congratulations!!!” You probably recognize the […]
Read more
