The Season 4 premiere of Downton Abbey aired in the U.S. this week on PBS. (The series is produced in England and Season 4 aired in the U.K. in 2013.) Downton Abbey is a series about a fictional aristocratic family living on an estate in the Yorkshire countryside. The heir to the estate of Downton […]

The parent-child relationship is pretty well defined. Children generally don’t advise their parents. It’s the other way around. However, this dynamic can shift as parents get older and children become adults. This becomes especially prevalent when considering estate planning and elder law issues. As parents grow older, adult children may start to have certain questions […]

According to Google, 97% of consumers search online for local businesses. As an attorney looking for local clients, local SEO should be part of your online marketing strategy. When your prospects perform an online search, the results are significantly influenced by their physical location, even on queries where they don’t specify a location. Firms that […]

Last night, we watched as the ball dropped in Times Square to kick off yet another New Year. To quote from the Great Gatsby: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” One year ago, we were teetering on the brink of the “fiscal cliff,” before Congress finally voted […]

Elder financial abuse is running rampant, and identity theft is part of the problem. You may assume that the vast majority of identity theft cases involve hackers and online scams. In fact, a lost or stolen wallet or purse is at the core of around half of the cases that have a known cause. If […]

As elder law attorneys, we often speak with clients who could potentially become caregivers in the future. Many of these clients are professionals who have careers of their own. Some may actually work in the healthcare industry. Individuals in this position may feel uniquely qualified to provide care for their parents. Most professionals are busy […]

Just last month, I blogged about Illinois and Hawaii becoming the 15th and 16th states, respectively, to recognize same-sex marriage. Now, New Mexico joins the list of those states allowing same-sex marriage (in order of recognition), as the 17th state: In addition to the states listed above, the District of Columbia allows same-sex marriage. Thus, […]

Santa Claus has one of the most memorable and beloved brands in the world. He has endured recessions, depressions and wars, defeated imposters and persisted despite philosophical foes. He is more than just a cultural icon; he is a marketing genius. But how did he achieve such global acclaim? He has mastered the secrets to […]

In my last blog, I talked about the benefits of using staffing agencies to help in your search for the ideal team member. For this installment, I want to share a few ideas on negotiating agency fees. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, I was in search of three new team Members at the […]

Nearly half of all American marriages end in divorce. Accordingly, it is important to consider that possibility when doing your planning. Impact of Estate Planning on Divorce Moving assets between spouses can be advantageous for tax planning. For example, often a couple will transmute separate property to community property in order to get a step-up […]