Estate planning can be a challenge for any family. When you consider multi-generational farm families, the process can become more complex. Every member of the family may have their own desires and opinions about the family farm, and this can lead to problems. For those members of the family that currently own the farm, it may be beneficial to consider …
This is always a hot topic in divorce, but in particular with farm and ranch families. I worked on Fact Sheets for family law issues affecting agriculture for the National Agriculture Law Center. You can read my Fact Sheet on children issues including “custody and visitation” here.
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 …
I hope that my readers had a wonderful Fourth of July. It’s one of my favorite holidays. As I noted in this previous post, I am completing a family/matrimonial law seminar series with Deborah Kaminetzky, Esq. The next seminar will be held on July 12, 2011 from 9:30-11am at the Marriott Hotel in Farmingdale, New York. It costs $25 to attend and …
There was an interesting article on page 5 of the May 16, 2011 edition of County Folks by Jay Girvin, Esq. of Girvin & Ferlazzo, P.C. about whether a livestock owners can be held liable if their animal wanders off their farm and causes a highway accident. You can review the full article online here. Mr. Girvin accurately noted that …
I hope all my readers had a nice weekend. After a tough workout, I was able to catch-up on my NetNewsWire Google Reader feed yesterday over a warm cup of coffee. I thought the following posts were worth noting: 1. I have worked as a legal consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization (“FAO”) of the United Nations in Rome. …
For those of you who missed it, in this previous post last fall I discussed why I thought prenuptial (“prenups”) agreements were “romantic.” Last night, I came across this Fact Sheet by Chris Zoller and David Marrison from The Ohio State University Extension Office discussing prenuptial agreements for farms. The Fact Sheet properly states that “[f]arm and agriculture businesses often …
As I wrote in yesterday’s post, divorce is something that affects people of every industry– including farmers, ranchers, and agri-businesses. A party does not necessarily have to be going through divorce to be owed child support. In New York, the court calculates (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) child support based upon the Child Support Standards Act (“CSSA”). The statutory formula is …
I want to preface this blog by saying that I’m a huge fan of marriage, family, Prince Charming, and (most) romantic gushy stuff (and if you want to send me flowers I prefer daisies or violet roses!). I believe that love is sometimes a choice and couples should do everything they possibly can to stay together- in the good times …