How can you protect yourself from exploitation and financial abuse if you become incapacitated? These crimes can be hard to spot. After all, perpetrators go to great lengths to present themselves as helpers, not hustlers. Fortunately there are steps you…
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According to a 2020 survey conducted by caring.com, only 23% of American adults have a will, and only 6% have an advanced health care directive that will speak for them if they become incapacitated. The fear of succumbing to COVID19…
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Online web sites that allow the creation of do-it-yourself estate planning documents have some serious downsides. Among them: making it easier for people with nefarious motives to create fraudulent documents. From Arkansas comes an interesting case that illustrates the danger….
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Here is another, and surely not the last example of the perils of an ambiguously worded last will and testament. This story was reported in the September 7, 2019 New York Daily News. New York City psychologist Jill Morris died in 2016 of…
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In June 2012 Walter Samaszko, 69, died at his Nevada home, a recluse whose only asset was a small checking account and under $200,000 in stocks. Or so authorities thought. When authorities began clearing his Carson City home, they found…
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Not all parents enjoy a warm relationship with all their children. I’ve met with many parents – some pained, some resigned, others angry – who have been estranged from their children for years. They may have tried reaching out and been…
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The U.S. Supreme Court recently handed down its decision in the case of Astrue v. Capato. The circumstances of the case are ones most of us will never experience. Nonetheless, the case has lessons for everyone. It underscores the importance of creating a…
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South Florida radio personality Neil Rogers died Dec. 24 at the age of 68. You either loved him or hated him. He had no close family, but left behind legions of bereaved fans. And he left behind something else: Two contradictory Wills. The…
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The late Gail Posner bequeathed $11 million to her beloved chihuahua, Conchita. Her son got a relatively paltry $1 million. As you can guess, he is now suing his mother’s estate, claiming that she was pressured by her staff to change…
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