A new Washington Post-ABC poll shows support for gay marriage equality at a new high with 58% of Americans stating they support marriage equality. It’s no surprise that people between 18-29 years old support marriage equality by an enormous margin: 81% of people in that age group favor it. The real surprise is that the… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Estate Planning
Life insurance: a vehicle to address special concerns of unmarried couples and the unique family.
If you’re like most people you hear the term “life insurance” and immediately start contemplating your dinner plans or reminiscing about your last vacation. Let’s face it – the topic of insurance doesn’t generally captivate audiences. Although having adequate life insurance is important for most couples, unmarried couples should particularly consider how life insurance can help… Continue Reading
Wrap up of 2012
As you may know, I write this blog because I love educating those in our community about how to protect their families. Why then haven’t I written since September? Because in September both of my parents fell in and both died in November. Given the travel between hospitals in California and Minnesota and handling client… Continue Reading
Choosing a Guardian, Part 5: When to Talk to Others About Your Decisions
This post concludes the series on choosing a guardian for your child by discussing when you should discuss your decisions with those closest to you. Presumably, you are very familiar with the person you’ve identified to be your child’s guardian. That makes you uniquely qualified to pick the proper time and format for talking to… Continue Reading
Dead Father to Gay Son: Marry a Woman or Lose Inheritance
Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Robert Mandelbaum is trying to overturn his father’s will that says he must marry the surrogate mother of his child. However, Robert is already married to a man, Johnathan O’Donnell, reports the Daily Mail. Frank Mandelbaum, Robert’s late father who died in 2007, had set aside a $180,000 trust for his… Continue Reading
Choosing a Guardian For Your Child, Part 3: Talk to Your Chosen Guardians
Several weeks ago upon seeing a man on the side of the road asking for money our 3-year-old daughter asked, “what is he doing with that sign?” We braced ourselves for a difficult conversation in which we would explain how some people aren’t lucky enough to have the money for a home or food so… Continue Reading
Grantor Retained Income Trust: An Option for Nontraditional Couples
I’m asked quite often how I feel about the state-by-state recognition of same-sex marriage. On one hand, I’m delighted to see it happening at all, but the attorney in me can’t help but see all of the headaches come tax season. There is no Federal recognition for same sex marriage. That means doing tax returns… Continue Reading
Choosing a Guardian, Part 2: How to Keep Your Children Out of the Wrong Hands
In a post on my law-firm blog I wrote about how difficult it is for parents to choose guardians for their children; but most parents, even if they are unsure about who they want to serve as guardians, are positive in the knowledge of who they don’t want caring for their children. This is especially… Continue Reading
Health Care Directive, Part 2: How to Create One
You realize that you need to get a health care directive. But how do you create a valid one? A health care directive is a written document that informs other of your wishes about your health care by allowing you to name a person (“agent”) to make medical decisions for you if you are unable… Continue Reading
Should I Add My Child to My Account, Part I: Understanding the Perils of Adding Another Person to Your Bank Account
I recently met with a client who informed me that her daughter had financial power over her matters. ”You mean she has a power of attorney?” I inquired. She responded that “No. She has signing authority on my accounts.” After several more questions I discovered that her daughter was a joint account holder on her… Continue Reading