Wednesday, March 30, 2011 Special Needs Considerations
Many of us have the privilege of knowing a special someone who experiences life from a different vantage point – perhaps one with specific physical challenges or unique cognitive impairments. One special person in my circle involved a man whose intellectual disability limited his ability to live independently, but whose special needs didn’t inhibit him from singing at the top of his lungs, dancing the polka merrily with his mother, or routinely asking for seconds and thirds of apple pie at family dinners. He brought and received happiness, just as any other family member or friend.
To read more of this interesting article... Wednesday, March 30, 2011 The Lesser-Known Tax
It’s tax season yet again – a time where we struggle to complete our income tax filings by the April 15 deadline. However, this article will not address any last-minute income tax tips; rather, we will explore the world of a lesser-known tax - the estate tax.
Click here to read more of this article. Tuesday, December 28, 2010 Executor: To Be or Not to Be
This is a two part article on Executors.
So your uncle asks you to serve as Executor. As his favorite nephew, you agree to take on the task. After all, it sounds prestigious and powerful, and maybe a little fun. Or perhaps, you simply feel an obligation to answer him in the affirmative. On the other hand, maybe you didn’t get asked while he was alive – you simply found out this fact after his passing when the Will was discovered. Now what do you do?
To read more about this topic here is the link: http://http://vtelaw.com/index.aspx?TypeContent=ARTICLES&Art_Title=Executor:__To_Be_or_Not_to_Be_(Part_1)&art_id=2205 Wednesday, August 04, 2010 The Plural of Executrix?
The Plural of Executrix?
Before you answer, picture this scene. You are sitting under a spotlight in the “hot seat,” surrounded by a crowd of onlookers masked by darkness and hearing the familiar voice of a day-time talk show host. At the conclusion of the answer, you are then offered the following selections: (A) Executrixes; (B) Executri; (C) Executrices; or (D) Executors. After making your selection, you then must declare it your “final answer.”
For the answer to this question and for the whole article please visit the link http://vtelaw.com/index.aspx?TypeContent=ARTICLES&Art_Title=The_Plural_of_Executrix__-_5_2010&art_id=1966 Thursday, July 15, 2010 New Article - Are the Kids Old Enough Yet?
Are the Kids Old Enough Yet?
“Junior!” she exclaimed with a sharp tongue, as her son attempted to sneak a pre-dinner bite of the dessert she was making. She only called him “Junior” when she demanded his attention, for he wasn’t even technically a junior. And she had been doing this for over sixty years. Yes, this scene actually describes a true story of an 85-year-old mother scolding her 62-year-old son!
While the parent-child relationship does evolve over a lifetime, it does retain a certain character. Parents may continue to command a certain respect, and children often continue to honor that position of authority. However, in the world of estate planning, there may come a time where the children need to take a position of authority. It may come when the parents are still living, but it will definitely arrive after the parents have passed. And will those kids, the “juniors” of the world, be ready?
For more of this article here is the link http://vtelaw.com/index.aspx?TypeContent=ARTICLES&Art_Title=Are_the_Kids_Old_Enough_Yet__3_2010&art_id=1909 Thursday, May 06, 2010 New Article - HIPAA, Not HIPPO
While HIPAA was signed into federal law nearly a decade ago, it still seems to cause much confusion. While you may hear about it regularly at the doctor’s office and the pharmacy, do you really know what it is or what you’re signing?
Let’s begin with its acronym. Many times it is mistyped as HIPPA or even mistaken for HIPPO. But, be assured there is no mention of a hippopotamus in HIPAA! It actually stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which was finalized in 2000 and modified in 2002. In that Act was a requirement that the government establish a set of national standards for the protection of certain health information, which is commonly referred to as the “Privacy Rule.”
For more of this article here is the link http://vtelaw.com/index.aspx?TypeContent=ARTICLES&Art_Title=HIPAA,_not_HIPPO_(5_2010)&art_id=1759 Friday, April 02, 2010 New Article - Spring Cleaning - Dust Off Those Documents
Spring Cleaning - Dust Off Those Documents
Although past experience reminds us that winter is not yet over, our printed calendars do suggest that spring is near. For many that season’s arrival initiates the annual exercise of cleaning – washing the drapes, dusting the ceiling fan blades, and an overall freshening of the house. For perhaps a smaller number of cleaning enthusiasts, this ritual also includes the re-organization of closets and sorting through file cabinets or stacks of paperwork. And for even a smaller percentage of cleaners, sorting may involve a review of legal documents.
If your spring cleaning tradition doesn’t include a legal document-sort, should it? Here are some suggested guidelines.
For more of this article here is the link http://vtelaw.com/index.aspx?TypeContent=ARTICLES&Art_Title=Spring_Cleaning_-_Dust_Off_Those_Documents_(4-2010)&art_id=1660 Wednesday, February 24, 2010 New Article - Decision Makers
When creating or updating an estate plan, part of the process involves the consideration of alternative decision-makers, such as financial or health care agents, trustees, and executors. For example, if you are creating a durable power of attorney, you will need to name an agent or agents to act on your behalf, primarily to make decisions of a financial nature. Invariably, parents consider naming children in these capacities. But how do parents decide which child or children? If the agents serve in a successive order, how do they decide what order? Often, parents simply look at birth order. And the most common first choice for parents is the firstborn. Read more...http://vtelaw.com/index.aspx?TypeContent=ARTICLES&Art_Title=Naming_Decision-makers_by_Birth_Order_Method_(2_2010)&art_id=1603 |