Recently, I attended the 2024 Summer Meeting for the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) in Toronto. While there I presented to ACTEC’s Digital Property Committee on ghost hacking. Ghost hacking is when a...more
This is the second of three articles addressing the topic of what needs to be done when a spouse or loved one passes away. My last article addressed the immediate things that need to be done prior to the decedent’s funeral...more
Vacating an Arbitration Award- The Bullet Point: Ohio’s Arbitration Act strongly favors arbitration. Because of this, Ohio’s Arbitration Act limits the jurisdiction of a court once an arbitration has been conducted. It also...more
Death certificates have proven notoriously inaccurate for a variety of reasons, usually because they are incomplete and/or the certifier doesn’t really know the patient’s medical history. Even so, national and state agencies...more
If you have a wrongful death case involving an individual who passed away many years ago, you may encounter record retention policies that leave you with a filing cabinet full of “No Records” certifications from records...more
Patients diagnosed with a terminal illness often ask, “How long do I have?” Whether you receive a life threatening diagnosis or not, as you grow older, you will probably make plans based on how long you expect to live....more
Trial lawyers in personal injury cases frequently see death certificates within the (sometimes) voluminous pages of medical records at issue. The death certificate may be critical in a lawsuit for many reasons, not the least...more
In Washington - There’s still been no movement on the Phase Four coronavirus stimulus bill. White House Council of Economic Advisers Tyler Goodspeed appeared on Fox Business touting President Trump’s executive actions in...more
The Medical Board of California (“MBC”) began this project in 2013 when it required coroners to inform it of deaths resulting from opioids. The influx of coroners’ reports triggered an intense enforcement effort by the MBC...more
Under Texas law, physicians that will be called upon to complete and sign a death certificate in Texas are required to register to file the certificate electronically with the Texas Department of State Health Services. The...more
It’s almost impossible to fully prepare for a spouse’s sudden death, but it helps to keep one’s finances organized and communicate with a spouse about these matters. This article offers points to address in the event a spouse...more
In This Issue: - Sudden impact: When a spouse unexpectedly dies - New tax law affects estate planning strategies - All in the family: Transferring your vacation home - Estate planning pitfall: You haven’t planned for...more
Supreme Court Advance Release Opinions - SC19232 - Izzarelli v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. - Plaintiff obtained a judgment against a tobacco company upon a claim that it put in additives and manipulated the nicotine...more
As Juliet stated to Romeo in Shakespeare’s tale of star crossed lovers, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet.” Her statement emphasizes her love for Romeo as an individual, not...more
We've all been warned about protecting ourselves from identity theft, but one group of victims can't take action to protect themselves—the dead. Identity thieves steal the identities of more than 2 million deceased Americans...more