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 moreThe recent verdict by a New York jury finding Anthony Marshall guilty of stealing from his aging mother Brooke Astor while she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease is a hopeful one for elder abuse experts. Elder abuse is an issue that is all too common in our society, but one that rarely gets much attention. And […]
Read moreThe anticipated upcoming changes to estate tax laws have many people thinking that now is not the ideal time to create an estate plan; however, now is the best time to talk about estate planning with your family and loved ones. The winter holidays are coming up soon, a time for coming together and spending […]
Read moreSome people start planning their estate as soon as they have children, others don’t feel the need to start planning until they reach an age where they feel mortality creeping up on them; but according to the Wall Street Journal article “Preparing for the Worst”, it’s never too early to start planning your estate. As […]
Read moreThis is a topic I frequently cover in my monthly estate planning presentations. Many people think that owning property in joint tenancy means they don’t have to create a will or estate plan. Why bother with a will when all the property is going to your joint tenancy partner anyway? In fact (some people may […]
Read moreIn an ideal world elderly parents and their adult children always get along, and when those parents pass away their children quietly and respectfully follow their wishes regarding the distribution of their estate. Unfortunately, we don’t always live in an ideal world, and inheritance and estate planning can often cause tension between parents and children […]
Read moreHave you ever wondered just how little you could get away with in your last will and testament? Aletta Stager of Brooklyn, NY holds the distinction of having executed one of the shortest wills on record—a mere 2 lines long! “Nov. 29, 1895. I give to my cousin, Nettie M. Cowan, all money that I […]
Read moreA woman today often has to wear many hats: daughter, wife, mother, employee, boss, caregiver, family CFO, etc. Women are unique contributors both within their families and in society at large, often taking care not only of young children but of elderly parents as well; but too often women can forget to take care of […]
Read moreAn 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 moreWhen clients come into our office to design their estate plans one of their biggest concerns is how to dispose of their tangible personal property. Sometimes clients spend more time determining how to dispose of these personal mementos than they do the big ticket items such as bank accounts, real property, and investments. This is […]
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