Attorney And Innocent Client Killed Over $100,000 Will Error
MARCH 22, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 38 Walter V. Shell, a 71 year old man from Johnson City, Tennessee, blamed attorney John D. Goodin for a mistake in Shell’s ex-wife’s will. Last Thursday Shell tracked the lawyer down and shot him in the head. Lawyer Goodin, 81, was a well-known lawyer in Tennessee. He had […]
Surviving Parent Not Entitled To Custody Of Disabled Child
MARCH 15, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 37 Parents of minor children are usually entitled to have custody of those children. In a divorce proceeding the court will decide which parent should retain custody of the child, or whether custody should be shared. Of course, those proceedings are often hotly contested and may result in bitterness […]
Will Contest Loses, But Friends Not Charged With Legal Fees
MARCH 8, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 36 Lavina Kessler was 99 years old when she died in 1996. The Washington State woman left an estate of $2.4 million, including several parcels of valuable real estate. She also left a series of five wills and an expensive will contest proceeding. Ms. Kessler had known Frances and […]
Living Trusts Are Valuable Tools Alright, But Watch That Pitch
MARCH 1, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 35 “Since the Revocable Living Trust avoids the expensive and lengthy legal process known as ‘probate’” proclaims a national insurance sales agency in its brochure, “it is fast replacing the Last Will and Testament as the preferred method for asset distribution.” Elsewhere, the same insurance agency promises that the […]
Grandparents Given Visitation Rights After Death of Daughter
FEBRUARY 22, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 34 Gayla and David Dodge were married in 1988. In the first two years of their marriage, the couple had two daughters, Tori and Kacy. Shortly after Kacy’s birth, Gayla Dodge was diagnosed as suffering from kidney disease. Over the next three years, Gayla Dodge was in and out […]
Nursing Home May Be Liable For Punitive Damages In Death
FEBRUARY 15, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 33 The Connerwood Healthcare nursing home in Indiana had a history of problems with the care it provided to residents. Jeffrey Barcus was admitted to Connerwood in October, 1995, and his mother, Jennipher Forte, later alleged that the quality of care at Connerwood was what led to his death. […]
Bills Pending In AZ Legislature Would Affect Seniors’ Care
FEBRUARY 8, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 32 In the first four months of each year, the Arizona legislature meets to consider possible changes in Arizona law. Usually a handful of the legislature’s ideas impact seniors and their support network. New laws introduced so far this year would bring mostly small, but good, changes. A few […]
Placing Home And Accounts In Child’s Name May Be Mistake
FEBRUARY 1, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 31 When Vera Smith first came to our office, she was looking for help with her estate plan. She had heard about living trusts and knew that she wanted to avoid probate on her death, but wasn’t sure whether the explanations she had heard applied to her situation. When […]
Three Common Myths About Paying For Nursing Home Care
JANUARY 25, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 30 The possibility of nursing home placement terrifies many seniors and their families. The specter of loss of control and dignity is part of the problem, but financial concerns may also be overwhelming. It does not help that accurate information is so difficult to obtain. Myths about nursing home […]
Father’s Promise To Establish Trust Enforceable After Death
JANUARY 18, 1999 VOLUME 6, NUMBER 29 Jack and Frankie Bemis were divorced in Nevada in 1972. At the time, Jack was expecting a distribution from a California trust within the year. As part of the divorce settlement, he agreed (and was ordered) to set up a $25,000 trust for the benefit of the couple’s […]