I recently blogged about financial elder abuse, citing the statistic that 66 percent of elder abuse perpetrators are family Members. Even worse than the idea of one of your clients being victimized by their family Members is the thought of one of your clients falling victim to a member of your staff. Yet that’s exactly […]

Here Are Critical Questions to Ask and the Tell-Tale Signs (Part III) Are all of their services done in-house? This is a big one and a critical question. If they sub-out all, most, or any of your mailing there is automatically a higher risk to you because there is no quality control. They may not […]

E-mail, voicemail, social media, smartphones…we live in a time of unprecedented interconnectedness. If we choose, we can give people unlimited 24-hour access to us. And this can be a huge mistake. Time is the most valuable resource we possess. We like to say that time is money. In reality, though, time is life. In order […]

Estate planning attorneys are in a unique position to protect their clients from financial elder abuse. Like those suffering other kinds of abuse, elders who are being financially victimized are not likely to call attention to the abuse or to be proactive in seeking help. In fact, they may not even realize they are being […]

I was recently watching a professional football game where they had a family down on the field honoring them for the service of their son who was serving our country in Afghanistan. As the announcer was describing this impressive young man, he appeared on the field and surprised his family who thought he was still […]

The 2012 Presidential campaign is under way, and among the issues it has spotlighted is the federal estate tax. Setting aside any political issues, I believe an estate tax can be a good thing from the standpoint that it motivates people (albeit for the wrong reason) to do what is in their best interests, which […]

FDIC insurance is confusing, especially when it comes to entities. Clients often ask about it, especially since the financial crisis of 2008. Here’s a quick breakdown of the current rules affecting common types of deposit accounts: The Basics: The FDIC insures deposit accounts at most – but not all – banks and savings associations. Account […]

I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death. After 30 funerals in 30 days, to quote The Grateful Dead, what a long, strange trip it’s been. No, my circle of family and friends has not been decimated. I did not personally know any of these people, but met them through the local […]

Attorneys are really good at the daily grind. We spend a lot of our time working inour businesses, doing things like: meeting with clients and prospective clients drafting and reviewing documents answering questions no one else in the firm is qualified to answer staying on top of changes in the law keeping documents and forms […]

Aside from his genius, Steve Jobs had two characteristics that have been repeatedly highlighted by the press since his death: he was a meticulous planner and he was an intensely private man with regard to his personal life. Not surprisingly, these qualities appear to have combined in Jobs’ estate planning. Unlike other well-known people who […]