Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is being accused of being anti-military after statements she made on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on gays in the military. Her supporters attest that she has a profound respect for the military, balanced with her commitment to anti-discrimination policies. However, the White House is pessimistic on winning GOP votes for Kagan.
Family of Maryland inmate Rodney Jennings was awarded $2M last week after suing the state for his death. Jennings was struck and killed by a dump truck while working on a roadside trash-removal crew. Family alleged that state corrections officials failed to provide adequately safe conditions for the inmates of the roadside crews.
At 155 active cases this year, mortgage-related litigation has reached a daunting high. This jump in lawsuits is due in part to companies suing each other, rather than cases between lenders and home owners. Included are investor-related mortgage cases, such as shareholder lawsuits and class actions alleging deception regarding earnings and other financial issues.
On an emotional morning in the Supreme Court this week, justices, lawyers, law clerks and journalists bid a fond farewell to Justice John Paul Stevens as he retired after 35 years as a justice. Several lawyers and journalists wore bowties as an affectionate tribute to Stevens’ trademark neckwear.
The U.S. Supreme Court expanded Second Amendment gun rights to the states this week, stating that the right to keep arms is “among those fundamental rights necessary to our system of liberty.” However, Justice Samuel Alito Jr. did reassure anti-gun-violence advocates that the decision did not universally mean that an individual can carry a weapon in any manner without regulation.
Estate Planning
The attorneys at InHouse Co. Law Firm understand the importance of an estate plan and provide estate planning services for estates of all sizes. For many families protecting their primary residence is their main concern, or perhaps, the goal for a family may be to preserve wealth for future generations. Regardless, InHouse Co. is dedicated to preserving the hard earned assets of our clients. Each family is unique and each family has its own goals and desires. Whatever the case may be, the attorney's at InHouse Co. Law Firm can effectively guide you from the initial planning process till all necessary documents have been drafted and finalized. The need for an estate plan is extremely important as an effective estate plan provides for the distribution and management of your assets upon death, in addition to addressing future needs if you are no longer able to take care of yourself.
Not having an estate plan (either a Trust or a Will ) in place at the time of your death leads to Intestate Succession, which gives the state of California control over how your assets will be distributed upon your death. An estate plan also helps in avoiding the Probate process, by placing the distribution of the estate outside the court system which can save a family time and money. Further, an estate plan may provide tax benefits as certain devices can effectively minimize income, estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax liability.
The estate planning services that InHouse Co. Law Firm provides include the following:
- Revocable Living Trusts
- Wills
- Powers of Attorney
- Advance Health Care Directives
- Life Insurance Trusts (ILIT)
- Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT)
- Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT)
- Family Limited Partnerships (FLP)
- Chairtable Remainder Trusts
- Chairtable Lead Trusts