Many people think that “estate planning” is really just hiring a lawyer or downloading a program off the internet (which I do not suggest) to draft a Last Will and Testament. However, it’s more complicated than that. A good estate planning attorney will have you complete a questionnaire giving him/her information on your family tree, assets and liabilities in order …
Estate Planning Isn’t Just For the Elderly
Let’s face it. Estate planning is easy to push off. What’s another week… another month… another year… another five years… After all, I’m healthy. My spouse is healthy. We don’t have kids. We don’t have a lot of assets. I don’t care if what-little-I-do-have follows the rules of intestacy (i.e., the “default rules” if you die without a Last Will …
Animal Law Mediation
I was recently asked whether I handle animal law mediation. And the answer is, “why yes I do.” I am a previous member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Animals in the Law, New Jersey State Bar Association Committee on Animal Law, and the New York Lawyers’ Association Committee on Animal Law. I have also had …
Looking For New Year’s Resolution? How About Disaster Preparedness
Okay, so it’s not the most exciting New Year’s Resolution but it may be a whole lot more doable than dropping 30 pounds in 2012. On page 5 of this month’s Grassroots newspaper by New York Farm Bureau (“NYFB”) includes a nice submission by A. Edward Staehr of NY FarmNet about coping with a disaster (including grief counseling, recreating lost …
Thinking About the Next Generation
The National Agriculture Law Center has reported that approximately 90% of agricultural operations do not survive the transition to the next generation. I have to say- that statistic is a bit alarming. The primary reason for this is poor succession planning. Estate planning is just one part of workable succession plan. Estate planning focuses on asset distribution while succession planning …
What Should Be Kept Within a Fire Proof or Safe Deposit Box?
Your safe deposit box should have original papers while photocopies should be kept at home. For example, original birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees, deeds, titles to automobiles, citizenship papers, adoption papers, veteran’s papers, and contracts (e.g., partnership agreements) should be kept in a fire proof box while photocopies should be kept at home. Furthermore, I recommend keeping copies …
Where is Your “In Case of An Emergency” Information?
Rincker Law, PLLC provides clients with an estate planning binder so clients can keep photocopies of their Last Will and Testament, Power of Attorney, Health Proxy, Trusts, and information regarding assets. I also recommend that clients complete this information sheet and include it in the estate planning binder. Furthermore, I also think it is a good idea to complete the …
Fridays With Cari – Upcoming Webinar Series
Thanks to Ranch House Designs, there have been a few changes recently to www.rinckerlaw.com. I would like to bring your attention to the new “Events” page located here. Beginning in November, I am starting a new webinar series titled “Fridays with Cari” that will focus on a myriad of food and agriculture law issues including New York livestock animal cruelty …
Saturday Links
It’s been a busy week. I have been catching up on my blog feed before heading to the gym. This is what I found: This month’s Pennsylvania State Agriculture Law Brief has updates on the G-20 Action Plan, Hydraulic Fracturing, and the White House Rural Council. I excitedly received a Google+ invite this week from a respected family law …
Quit Postponing: NY Health Care Proxy
As I have noted in previous “Spring Cleaning” posts on Health Care Proxies and Living Wills, I think spring is the perfect time to look at your estate planning documents on an annual/bi-annual basis to make sure everything is up-to-date. A few weeks ago, I attended an Article 81 Guardian course for attorneys. It reminded me how important it is …