The relatively recent ability to provide very high-tech, expensive medical procedures to pets raises interesting questions for pet owners, veterinarians, and ethicists alike: Can we justify spending tens of thousands of dollars on a bone marrow transplant or chemotherapy for our dog or cat? Can we ethically own a pet if we are unwilling or […]

The social media revolution is in full swing, and it seems like everyone has joined in – from middle school kids to grandparents. From a lawyer’s perspective, the pervasiveness of social media is great news. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and a host of other social media sites are proving to be excellent resources for professionals who […]

Over the past two weeks, I’ve looked at the insurance, tax, and asset protection considerations involved in transferring real estate into a trust. This week, I’ll touch on funding issues unique to irrevocable trusts, as well as those unique to revocable trusts. Irrevocable Trusts Typically, there are two categories of issues to consider when deciding […]

It’s appropriate this blog post is appearing on April 16, National Healthcare Decisions Day. The initiative is designed to encourage individuals to prepare and discuss their advance medical directives. Advance directives enable families to know what kind of care is desired, should a loved one become ill and not be able to communicate. Studies indicate […]

How seriously does your law firm take social media? ALM Legal Intelligence recently conducted an online survey with 179 lawyers and law firm administrators, querying them about their social media habits. The survey results seem to indicate that the legal industry is starting to catch on to the power of social media. But there were […]

Last week, I discussed how the transfer of real estate into a trust could trigger issues regarding Homeowner’s Insurance and Title Insurance. There are many other issues to consider. This week, I’ll look at tax and asset protection considerations. Taxes Capital Gains Tax: Transferring a residence to a grantor trust (like a revocable trust) does […]

Today is exactly one week before National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), April 16. The sole purpose of this grassroots initiative (now in its 5th year) is to encourage folks to do their own advance care planning. I’ve blogged here previously about ways you can use NHDD to help both your firm and your community (see […]

I’m in the process of spending three days at the Arizona Biltmore in Scottsdale. I’m at a great conference covering all manner of marketing and client retention topics wrapped in a cloak of social media touches — the conference really hits a home run. I’m looking at how the event is run, how the company […]

We spend a lot of time stressing to our clients the importance of properly funding their trusts. But, which assets belong in a trust and which are best left titled in the client’s name? When it comes to real estate, this can be a tricky decision. Funding real estate into a trust can lead to […]

The way you look in the mailbox will tell a lot about you, your firm and the services you provide. That is the very first impression that you make with your targeted audience. What do you want them to think or perceive? I see financial professionals with expensive business clothes, nice cars, nice homes, nice […]