You’ve gone through the trouble of creating an estate plan that includes a revocable living trust. Now what do you need to do?

Here is a checklist for you to consider:

1. Have you notified your successor trustee? You have probably named a relative, close friend, or a trust company to act as successor trustee after you die. Have you told tem about the trust? Maybe you want to go over it with them. Share your thoughts and wishes. Tell them where your valuable papers and itms are located.

2. Have you transferred title to your assets to the trust? A trust comes into being (becomes legal) when you transfer an asset (probably more than one) to it. You will need to transfer title to your bank and brokerage accounts, real estate, promissory notes held, individual stock certificates, etc., to the trust title, usually, John Smith and Jane Smith, trustees of the Smith Revocable Trust, dated January 1, 2005 (or something similar).

3. What about your thoughts on burial or cremation? Do you want to be kept on life support no mater what your age, condition, or likelihood of survival might be? Have you decided who will be in charge of making decisions for you if you can’t?

4. Are there assets that are not in your trust (retirement plans, IRA accounts, life insurance) that your trustee needs to know about?

5. Is there a change in your life or family that requires a review or revision to your estate plan? Have you recently received an inheritance, remarried, or have a close one die? All of these events should prompt a review of your estate plan and revocable living trust documents.

This is a short list to get you thinking in the right direction. The point is that once the revocable living trust is set up, your work and attention does not stop. You need to maintain the revocable living trust so that it can deliver all of the benefits that it can promise.

A will contest challenges the validity of the testator’s (will signer) intent and seeks to set aside the document or some of its terms. This article describes some of the grounds to bring a successful challenge.

In California, a will contest begins after a will is submitted to the probate court. An “executor” or “personal representative” will request that the court confirm the validity of the will, and then grant permission to distribute the decedent’s estate according to the document’s terms.

A person that was disinherited, completely omitted, or left a smaller amount than expected, can challenge the will on a number of grounds:

Undue influence. This is perhaps the most common element that can be shown to contest a will. An elder with substantial signs of dementia (long and short term memory loss) can become quite vulnerable to improper suggestions and manipulation. In essence, undue influence means taking advantage of another person’s weaker state of mind.

Coercion. This is another form of wrongful manipulation, and similar to “menace”. It involves using threats or intimidation to badger one’s desires and wishes into submission. Wrongfully imposing one’s own wants onto another.

Fraud. This intentional act requires the abuser to have misrepresented a material fact to the victim. The victim must have relied upon the fact, taken action against (what would otherwise have been) his or her better judgment, and caused damage to himself or another.

Duress. This is similar to taking advantage of another’s weaker state of mind, but generally applies to a psychological problem brought on by a specific set of circumstances (the recent death of a loved one, pending medical emergency, etc.). It involves the exploitation of the victim’s stressful mindset.

Mistake. Often, the testator simply made a mistake. For example, inadvertently forgetting to mention one of her seven children (with whom a loving relationship had always existed). The elder law attorney who drafted the will may have made a mistake and went unnoticed when reviewed by the client.

These are some of the ways that a will contest can occur.

Do you know What is a Irrevocable Trust? If you don’t, you are not the only person. Many people that do not have an understanding of what the meaning of an irrevocable trust is.

Although you may not know the meaning of the word, you have probably heard of trust before. When it comes to trusts there are two kinds. One of them is revocable and the other is irrevocable.

Now to give you a better understanding, it is important to get the gist of what a trust is. A trust involves a legal arrangement that a person makes for the things they own for when they die. This arrangement comes down to a written document, called either Trust agreement, or a Declaration of trust.

The individual who makes the document and bares the estate is the trustor or grantor that is listed. The other individual, who is given rights to the property for someone else, is listed as the trustee. This person has the obligation to protect the assets that are transferred within the trust.

Irrevocable trusts differ slightly than the general definition of a trust. Irrevocable trusts are when the grantor, or trustor no longer has legal control over the assets. This applies even in the case the person is alive.

There is still a trustee involved, who has the responsibility of managing the assets in the best interest for the beneficiary. The trustee should carry out the wishes of the trustor. Additionally, some tax benefits come along with these kinds of trusts.

Inter vivos trusts and living trusts refer to those who set up the trust while they are alive. Testamentary trusts, refer to those who put the information contained in their wills. A lot more information exists, in relation to irrevocable trusts. The best thing to do, is get all the information you can. This way you will know what you are getting yourself into.

Birth Injury lawyers are a dime a dozen. If you are reading this article then chances are you or someone you know are in need of the best Birth injury lawyer or law firm there is.

The key to finding a reputable birth injury lawyer is to do your research. This sounds easy enough but can quickly become daunting.  If you are searching for an attorney on the Internet it is important that you hone in the keywords that you use so that your search results are refined and more closely match your search.

You certainly don’t want a general practice lawyer representing such a critical matter and therefore need to ensure that you don’t waste time looking at all the personal injury lawyers in the net.  You are looking for someone who specializes in birth injuries.

So, when conducting your search make sure that you use keywords that are relevant. And for best results you should insert your city or state first… followed by the keyword “birth injury lawyer” or attorney etc.  This will ensure that you maximize your time and efforts when trying to find the best of the best.

It is recommended that you find at least 3 attorneys that you can call upon.  Some of the things you want to ask are:

• how many cases relevant to yours have they represented
• how many cases have they one
• what are their area’s of expertise
• how long have they been specializing in this area of law

Being diligent and efficient in your search for a birth injury lawyer is critical to ensure you find the very best.

“Doctor, there is an attorney on the phone to speak with you about…”  Not too many things get your blood pressure up as quickly as that statement!  Regardless of the reason for the call, the normal initial reaction is the fear.

The greatest protection against such fear is knowledge and planning.

The first thing you should know is that, according to a recent analysis by the Harvard School of Public Health, approximately 40% of the medical malpractice suits that are filed in the United States are groundless.  Analysis of many cases indicated that there was no evidence of a medical error being committed or any injury suffered by the patient.

The second, and perhaps most important, factor to know is that many such calls are a fishing expedition by the lawyer.  Presenting a friendly demeanor, the lawyer hopes to gain information that will be beneficial to the client.  This is why you really don’t want to talk to the attorney without preparation and possibly counsel.

Having knowledge of those two facts, you now need to plan what to do when that attorney does call.

Normally your staff fields your calls and they should be instructed to take messages, as opposed to ringing the call through to you.  If possible they should ascertain the reason for the call and, if applicable, the patient under question.

Once you receive the message, you should first review the patient’s chart to determine if there is any possibility of medical malpractice – or patient dissatisfaction.  If you think there is any chance of a claim being made, contact your insurance agent or company immediately and follow their instructions.

If it is necessary to reply to the attorney, one of your staff should return the call and explain that any communication from an attorney must be in writing.  This enables you to begin documentation and seek advice or counsel.  This is particularly helpful if the call is about a colleague.  The attorney may be seeking a free assessment of the case, looking for free expert testimony or even attempting to involve you in the lawsuit.

You are not required to provide any facts, documents or charts, except by the due process of law.  If documents are subpoenaed or you must appear for a deposition, your attorney can shield you from immaterial or incriminating questions.  Your attorney can also evaluate requests for charts or documents that may be unnecessary.

There is one critical mandate.  Do not, under any circumstance, decide to rewrite, revise or clean up any chart entry or patient records. Regardless of how well meaning you might be, any alterations can come back to haunt you in a trial.  Plus, many malpractice carriers will refuse to defend or pay claims for a physician who altered medical records.

Referring back to the opening analysis that 40% of claims are groundless, very few malpractice cases ever go to trial.  Even a request for patient records does not guarantee that you are being sued.  Most cases are dropped by the plaintiff or dismissed by a judge for lack of evidence.  That is why you do not want to react from fear or anger and perhaps create further problems for yourself and your case.

The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, based in Tallahassee, regulates the functioning of criminal lawyers in Florida. Founded in 1988, it has nearly 1,500 members. Its mission statement, according to its official website www.facdl.org, lists five important objectives, of which two are of great importance to consumers. They are: “To improve the criminal justice system at the judicial, legislative and executive levels” and “To promote the protection of the rights of individuals.” FACDL is the state organ of the National Association Criminal Defense Lawyers, whose Official website is www.nacdl.org.

Usually people imagine a criminal lawyer to be a professional involved in highly dramatic situations in courtrooms. However, this is only one aspect of their work. A criminal lawyer may spend one day with the client discussing the legal problem. He may spend another day in the study [library or a computer terminal] doing research on relevant points of law. He may spend yet another day in trial practice, actually pleading before the judge in court. Sometimes, he may also be visiting the scene of the crime.

Most criminal lawyers spend hours researching and developing legal reports and documents. Though the advantages of information and communication technology are immense, there is a downside too, particularly in relation to cyber and transnational crimes. This means that today’s criminal lawyers need to be equipped with the latest methods to handle these issues. In the US, there have always been excellent facilities for continuing legal education programs. The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers offers regular programs for its members.

All the obvious technological marvels aside, one of the greatest inventions for some individuals has been a bail bond. It is hard to imagine but once upon a time these did not exist.

If you were arrested, then you sat in jail until the judge sentenced you. Bail bonds are for the benefit of the people that have been arrested but cannot afford to sit in jail until the trial occurs.

Bail bond agents work on a pretty simple premise. A bail bond is a guarantee that you will show up to court. It works like this: the person is arrested, the judge decides what the bail will be and bail bond agents then pay a percentage to the court to allow the defendant to leave.

The bail agency is guaranteeing that the person will show up to court. If that does not happen, then trouble starts because they want to get their money back. If the defendant does not show up for the court appearance, then the money placed for bail is forfeited.

Bail bonds are not always used. There are times when the judge will release a defendant on his own recognizance. That means he will trust the person to show up to court and not flee before the court date.

The worse the crime, the less likely the judge will be to do this type of bail bond. He or she does not want the person to flee if the defendant thinks that he or she will be found guilty.

Bail bond agents act as a surety. They are a third person that agrees to be responsible. The usual arrangement is that the bail agency puts up a certain amount of money towards the total bond.

This is usually ten percent. Unlike posting a cash bond yourself, you will not get this ten percent back because it is the fee that the agency charges for getting you out of jail and putting up the guarantee that you will show for the trail or sentencing. If you put up a cash bond, then you will get the money back once you show up at court, minus the fees of course.

If you find yourself in need of bail bonds, either for yourself, a family member or a friend, then they work in the favor of the defendant. It allows them to get back to their lives while waiting for a backed-up court system to get to their case.