Estate Planning, Probate & Trusts Frequently Asked Questions
March, 2017
What is an estate plan? What exactly is a trust and why might I need one? Can an estate plan help reduce taxes? I am in a same-sex relationship. How can we protect ourselves beyond a basic estate plan? I’ve heard about revocable living trusts. Should I have one? What is probate? My assets are relatively modest. Do I still need an estate plan? What happens if I die without a Will? I am young and healthy. Do I really need a financial Power of Attorney and Advance Medical Directive?
Selecting Your Executor And Trustee
Your ability to select the person to manage your affairs after your death is one of the advantages of making a will or a trust. If you make a will, or a revocable trust as a substitute for a will, you nominate a person to settle your estate. If you create a trust, you name a person to be the “trustee” of the trust. The trustee is duty bound to follow the instructions in the trust instrument and the law governing trusts.
The Probate Process
Most people encounter probate for the first time after a close family member dies. Probate is simply the legal name for wrapping up the affairs of the deceased so that title to his or her wealth is validly changed over to the beneficiaries of the estate. This brief list of questions and answers is an effort to provide a perspective on the probate process.
Client Alert: The Importance of Promptly Denying Medical Bills Upon Receipt of the Form CMS-1500
February, 2017 | By Michael S. Fox
Recently, I had an opportunity to assist with the handling of a case wherein a medical provider was seeking payment of medical bills which we contend were properly denied; however, the provider was relying upon a narrow interpretation of the COMAR regulations to argue that we waived the right to contest the bills. Specifically, in…
Off-label Drug and Device Promotion in the Wake of Amarin
February, 2017
Recent cases involving promotion to doctors have challenged off-label promotion enforcement actions based on due process and First Amendment grounds, as well as physicians’ need for scientific information. By Marisa A. Trasatti and Marie Claire Langlois
The Internet of Things and its Impact of Data Retention, E-Discovery, Products Liability, and Cybersecurity
January, 2017
The exponential rise of the IoT implicates several important areas of law. Pertinent to this analysis are the areas of Data Retention, E-Discovery, Products Liability, and Cybersecurity. By Marisa A. Trasatti and Matthew S. Sarna