Estate planning, elder law, family transitions, business planning – the legal issues that affect your family are always evolving. Jennifer writes regularly to keep you informed, educated, and empowered. Browse the latest articles below, or search by topic to find what you’re looking for.
It is open enrollment season and one of the benefits your employer is offering is legal insurance. Should you sign up for it? The answer to that question, like many other legal questions, is – it depends. Before making your decision, here are some questions to ask. What exactly is covered? All legal insurance plans will hype up the benefits they offer, but...
The recent proliferation of online estate planning document services has attracted many individuals to prepare their own estate documents in what appears to be a low-cost solution. However, this focus on price over value could mean your wishes will not be carried out and, unfortunately, nobody will know there is a problem until it is too late and you are...
“Do it yourself” divorce is fraught with risks – even if your case is “simple” and both parties agree on all issues regarding division of property, support, and child custody and visitation. As many have learned the hard way, it is all too easy to make critical missteps today that will come back to haunt you down the road. The proliferation of DIY websites...
How much does it cost to have an attorney do your Will? I see this question fairly often and while it seems like a very easy question, there is no easy answer. Keep in mind the legal field is notoriously bad about publicizing information on legal fees. Law firm websites rarely contain information on what or how they charge for websites. Even between...
Some of the most common misconceptions I hear when it comes to the divorce process involve mediation. These misconceptions include the belief that a mediator can be used in place of a lawyer; that mediation is necessary to have a friendly divorce; and that mediation will always save you money. While mediation can be a great tool in the divorce process it...
A common misconception is that a divorce attorney is only needed when there are disagreements between the spouses. But when there is a complete agreement on all divorce issues many couples think a divorce attorney is an unnecessary expense. Instead they get free forms from the court, pay for forms over the Internet, or even hire a paralegal or other...
A frequent question I hear is “Will my spouse have to pay my attorney's fees?” My answer to this is “Don't count on it.” In Minnesota, attorney's fees can be awarded one of two ways: need-based or conduct-based. Need-based awarded mean that one party cannot afford the fees and that the other party has the means to pay. In many cases this can be a problem...
Once you have decided you need a lawyer, the next question is how do you find a lawyer? There are many different ways to find a lawyer, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the most common ways to find a lawyer: Referrals from Friends and Family By asking friends and family members for referrals, you are getting a...
A common theme among many going through a divorce is the desire to have a “nice” divorce in the most cost-effective way possible. There are many different opinions on how to accomplish this. Today I will explain five options and give some pros/cons for each. I will start off with two general caveats. First of all, I would encourage everyone to at least...
One of the most important things to understand when working with a lawyer (and one of the major deterrents in hiring a lawyer) is legal fees. Before hiring a lawyer it is important to understand the fee structure that is used, how much money is required upfront (also known as the retainer), what is covered by the lawyer’s fees, what the extra costs are,...
1. What areas of law do you practice? Does the attorney limit their practice to one or two areas, or do they take the “Jack of all trades” approach? There are many different areas of law; if an attorney practices a little bit of everything, does he or she have the depth of knowledge necessary for your case? 2. How many open cases do you typically have...
Just like all of you non-lawyers hear the horror stories of over-priced attorneys and expensive litigation (i.e. “I know someone who spent $50,000 on his divorce. All that for nothing!”), lawyers get to hear all of the horror stories of clients who think they can do it without a lawyer, and then suffer the consequences. Just in recent months I have heard...