When working with clients on their estate plans, one of the most important items to consider and understand is how real estate is titled. First, let’s discuss what “title” means. Title is a legal term that describes a bundle of rights in a piece of property. The rights in the bundle may be separated and […]
If a testator executes a Will before getting married and never updates the Will to include the spouse before he or she passes away, the surviving spouse is known as a pretermitted spouse. In such case, state statutes provide that the pretermitted spouse is entitled to inherit an amount equal to what the spouse would […]
Credit cards seem to be a blessing and a curse for many individuals. Establishing credit history is important for consumers to earn a high credit store, which will help in securing loans for large purchases such as homes and cars and starting up businesses. However, many people mismanage their credit cards and find themselves in […]
When I heard about the scandal at Penn State, I never imagined that it would lead to an Epilawg article on estate planning. But somehow, the topic of federal tax planning worked its way into this news story. An article on InvestmentNews.com reported that in July of 2011, Joe Paterno transferred his interest in the […]
It seems that the volatility in the stock market has continued our roller coaster of ups and downs this past quarter. Can this continue? Well it seems that it will with the daily changes of positive and negative news in Europe. As of last week the announcement has come! The European Central Bank has decided […]
This summer, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a policy statement making clear the responsibilities of debt collectors when collecting the debts of a decedent. The FTC (along with private plaintiff attorneys) is tasked with enforcement of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) regulating third-party debt collectors collecting consumer debts. Of particular interest to […]
September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001 Ken Kesey was an American author who wrote the great works of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Sometimes a Great Notion. In 1964, Kesey traveled across country by bus with a group of friends to appear in New York for the publication of his book Sometimes […]
I read a recent “LA Times” article and the message hit home. My parents have been telling my sisters and me for years now that we are receiving our inheritance when we need it most … now, for expenses such as our education, purchasing our first homes and our weddings. Apparently my parents are not […]
Name: Mary A. Szondy Employer: Self Position: Attorney Practice Area: Guardianships, Conservatorships, Estate Planning Location: Grand Avenue, Saint Paul Education: Undergrad at Hamline (’90) JD University of St. Thomas (’04) How long have you been practicing? I was admitted to the bar in 2004. I began my solo practice June 1, 2005. I was […]