Like most things in life, planning for your death or disability is more complicated than it first appears. That’s why a lot of people don’t do it. Deciding who will get your things when you die is an important first step. But if you are leaving someone more than a few thousand dollars, there are…

Almost everyone who owns a corporation, limited liability company (“LLC”) or other “reporting company” as that term is defined by the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) must provide information to the federal government about the company by the end of 2024 or face stiff civil and criminal penalties. The CTA went into effect January 1, 2024. The stated…

I am always surprised at the creative things that people find to argue about. I have litigated almost every kind of dispute imaginable – and some that you could not make up. Disagreements between family members after a loved one’s death are often the most damaging. The anxiety of dealing with the death of a…

This time of year seemed a lot slower when I was in elementary school. I don’t remember a continuous holiday season running from Halloween until the new year. But when each holiday season arrived, colors were brighter, smells were stronger, and it felt like there was more intensity to my surroundings. I was better able…

Lent is often a season of reflection and self-denial. Sacrificing sugar or caffeine isn’t exactly 40 days in the desert, but it can bring focus to the significance of the season. The story of sacrifice that ends on Easter is long and complicated. We see in the very beginning that God’s favor can be gained…

Families are complex social groups, mostly due to their complex members. They are malleable, rigid, resilient, and fragile all at the same time. They are both linear and cyclical. In one sense, you can’t escape or be kicked out of your family. Your hereditary health problems are here to stay. But the requirements for membership…

I often feel compelled to complain about young people. I envision millions of unemployed Millennials sipping $5 coffees while playing video games on their MacBooks as I work on weekends. But Millennials in particular have faced a difficult set of circumstances. Boomers worry about sequence of return risk if they retire in the wrong year….

Many people are surprised to find that their spouse must sign a deed when the spouse doesn’t own the property. Similarly, a spouse with no ownership interest in a property may not like the idea of signing a deed of trust that secures a promissory note that he or she did not sign with property…

One morning a few weeks ago, I saw two sharks swimming down the beach just a few feet off the sand. They were probably 4 or 5 feet long. I know that sharks are always there. But it still kind of bothers me when I see them. About that same time, I saw two wrecks…