Jul 27
Many clients and prospective clients say they need a trust. My first question is, why? What do you hope to accomplish with a trust? The answers often include, I want to avoid probate; I want to protect my assets; I want to provide for minor children; I want to protect myself in case I become […]
May 7
While a lot of people are happy about the new tax laws, charitable organizations are less pleased. One of the reasons is that the broader standard deduction makes it less likely that taxpayer will itemize their deductions, which in turn does away with the deduction for charitable contributions. Absent the tax benefit, many charities fear […]
Apr 24
An estate plan isn’t a static document. It’s not a “one and done” event to be checked off your bucket list. Many years, even decades, might pass between the creation of an estate plan and the time you’ll need it. In that time, a lot of things can happen that could make your estate plan […]
Apr 19
Three parents of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting have filed separate lawsuits against radio host Alex Jones of Infowars, claiming defamation. Jones has spoken on his show frequently about how the Sandy Hook shooting was a “hoax” and never happened, claiming the parents of the victims are all part of a huge […]
Mar 29
People often as me about a will. Then they’ll say something like, “do I need a trust too? I’m leaving everything to my wife (or husband). And besides, we don’t have much.” Even if you’re leaving everything to your spouse and even if you don’t have a lot, a trust makes sense if you have […]
Mar 13
There’s a reason most college football players don’t make it in the NFL. They’re just not good enough. Likewise, there’s a reason most professional athletes don’t do well financially after their playing days are over. They’re not businessmen (or women). That’s why, at least when they’re playing, they have agents who understand business, especially professional […]
Mar 5
At last night’s Academy Awards presentation, Frances McDormand, winner of the Best Actress award, concluded her acceptance speech by saying she had two words to leave everyone with: “inclusion rider.” That led to millions of viewers frantically Googling the term to find out what it means. An inclusion rider is a provision in a contract […]
Mar 1
Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, a favorite book and movie of lawyers, died in 2016. To Kill a Mockingbird was Lee’s first and only novel for 55 years. In 2015 she published a sequel, To Set a Watchman, that features Scout, the young daughter of Atticus Finch, the principled lawyer of the first book, as […]
Feb 21
“Unbundled legal services,” also known as “limited scope representation,” is a concept designed to make legal services more available to middle-income earners who can’t afford full representation. It’s particularly applicable in litigation. With hourly legal rates anywhere from $150 to $400 (or more) in Utah and the expected cost of even a small civil litigation […]
Jan 31
At Easter in 2017, Steve Stephens randomly shot and killed 74-year old Robert Godwin, Sr. A few days later, while being hunted by police, Stephens killed himself. It appeared to be another senseless tragic shooting, the kind we’ve all become so used to hearing about. But last Friday (January 26) the estate of Robert Godwin […]
