Most individuals, especially young ones, never think of estate planning or making a will or preparing for what could happen to them. Estate planning consists of your family, friends, charities along with your property, assets, money. It takes care of your future needs in case something happens to you and you are incapable of doing it yourself.
When you create an estate plan, you determine who will manage your assets if you are unable to do so, who will provide for your children, who will take care of you and make your health care decisions. It does not only involve writing a will, but includes financial taxes, medical and business planning.
When ready to plan your estate, a Estate Planning attorney can be of substantial help to you.
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\\ tags: assets, attorney, Estate Planning, lawyer, Palm Desert, Palm Springs
Recently I overheard a conversation about a woman that slipped in a grocery store. She hurt her lower back but did not know what to do about it and if she could do anything about it. I introduced myself and told her I am a personal injury attorney.
I asked her if she had inspected the area where she fell – if anything was on the floor in her way, and did anyone see her fall. She said the floor had some liquid on it and she slipped on that. She said there were several witnesses and yes, she did get their names and phone numbers. I asked her if she had spoken to the manager of the store and she said she did report it and he wrote down all the details. He was not aware of the spill.
I advised her that she could probably receive compensation for her injuries, which include medical bills, any lost income and pain and suffering. I told her to see her doctor immediately even though the pain had subsided somewhat. An experienced personal injury attorney can advise if a lawsuit is applicable against the grocery store owner.
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\\ tags: attorney, compensation, fall, injuries, lawsuit, pain, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Personal Injury, spill
Even though no one likes to think of death, it is equally difficult to imagine the potential pain and chaos that one could leave loved ones, especially without a well thought out estate plan. It’s wise to sit down with an experienced Estate Planning attorney to explore the many options you have. It can be a little confusing to sort through the different choices, but I find that by just defining the different documents, it helps my clients to understand.
A will is a legal document that details the distribution of an individual’s property and assets after death. It usually names who the executor of the estate should be. If children are involved, it will name who the guardian should be. Guardianship should be discussed early on with the proposed individual. An individual must execute their will according to California law in order to be legally valid and enforceable. Changes to an existing will are by codicil (document that complies with California law). A living will states whether the individual wants machines to extend his or her life if recovery is doubtful.
A revocable living trust (also known as inter vivos trust) is a legal document putting assets into a trust. The individual will have access to it during his or her lifetime. After death, the assets are transferred (by a trustee named beforehand) to the chosen beneficiaries – there is no court involved. A living trust is not in lieu of a will.
An irrevocable trust can transfer assets without power to amend, revoke or revise the original terms. Any income generated by this trust is the responsibility of the beneficiary. I honestly believe that everyone whether young or old, should sit down and plan what is to become of their assets once they die. An experienced California Estate Planning attorney is knowledgeable of all the California laws.
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\\ tags: attorney, Estate Planning, lawyer, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Trust, Will
In order for a police radar gun to be accurate, the officer must be properly trained. The road must be flat and straight with good visibility and minimal traffic. Recently, the National Bureau of Standards tested several radar guns and determined that all produced some false signals.
Radar errors are produced because of many factors, which include Panning. Panning occurs when the hand-held gun is swept across the dashboard of the vehicle. Any mechanical interference in the area of the road can throw off the readings. There are many factors involved.
Another factor that can effect the readings on a radar gun is high frequency interference. It is a fact that if someone were to whistle into their CB while operating a speed radar gun, it can create a high frequency sound which can then alter the speed that shows up on the radar gun.
Armed with this knowledge, I would hope that if anyone is stopped for speeding in Palm Springs or anywhere else in the Coachella Valley through the use of a radar gun, they will consider contacting an experienced traffic ticket attorney to investigate their situation.
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\\ tags: attorney, Coachella Valley, Palm Springs, Radar gun, Speeding, traffic ticket
A sexual assault occurs without the victim’s permission and usually involves force or threats. It can be devastating to be a victim of such violence. But a false accusation of sexual offense can be just as destructive, damaging an individual’s reputation more than any other type of crime. A sexual crime involves inappropriate touching, penetration of the vagina or anal area, rape and child molestation. It forces a person against their will to have unwanted sexual contact. Because of the heinous nature of these acts, just the association with this type of crime can leave a stigma that persists through time.
Prosecutors pursue these charges aggressively. Sometimes these charges are false or exaggerated, and made for unknown reasons. A good sex offense defense attorney knows how to do a thorough investigation into the lives of both parties involved. It is the responsibility of the plaintiff to prove he or she was sexually assaulted by the defendant.
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\\ tags: attorney, Cathedral City, Indio, lawyer, Palm Springs, Rape, Sex Crime, Sexual Assault
Sick people depend on doctors to make them better. A doctor has an obligation to do everything he or she can to diagnose the problem and then treat it. This includes additional tests if necessary. For example, the failure to diagnose cancer can be devastating. Cancer does not get better without early diagnosis and immediate treatment; undetected and untreated, it will progress and ultimately kill the patient.
Cancer is a disease that can appear anywhere in the body. Treatment has changed over the past 20 years, giving patients a much better survival rate, especially when the cancer is at a lower stage. Certain cancers (ovarian, pancreatic) have a very low rates of survival.
A medical malpractice lawsuit comes into play when cancer is not diagnosed. The patient must prove that the doctor ignored symptoms or did not order diagnostic tests. Early diagnosis could lead to a much better outcome for the patient. Medical malpractice is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States – thousands of people die each year from easily preventable medical errors.
A medical malpractice suit must begin within three years from the date of the occurrence or one year from the date, the patient discovers the problem or disease. Contact a knowledgeable Palm Springs medical malpractice attorney who will protect your rights and discuss your options with you.
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\\ tags: attorney, cancer misdiagnosis, early detection, lawyer, Medical Malpractice
A friend of mine had stopped to help an accident victim in her Palm Desert neighborhood the other day. The police officer told her to leave the scene. She didn’t understand why he would make her leave when all she wanted to do was help. I don’t know what know what motivated that particular officer, but the California ‘Good Samaritan’ laws could be a factor. The California Supreme Court ruled if a ‘Good Samaritan’ stops to help someone in an auto accident and accidentally causes personal injury to that person, the the victim could sue him or her.
The ruling has been in effect for almost a year now. The reason for this law stems from an auto accident that happened several years ago. Two cars were traveling together. The first car had two passengers in it. It struck a pole. A woman in the second car thought the car might explode so she started to pull the women out of the car; however, she dropped the first one and caused injuries leading to her becoming a paraplegic. The hurt woman sued her friend. Because of the actions of the ‘Good Samaritan’, her friend became paralyzed. California State code states, “No person who in good faith, and not for compensation, renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from any act or omission.”
I advised my friend that sometimes helping an accident victim is a good deed but she needs to think twice before acting as a Good Samaritan. We went on to discuss whether the victim knew to contact an experienced and qualified personal injury attorney – one who can help prove the responsibility and liability necessary to receive compensation for all damages and injuries sustained.
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\\ tags: attorney, car accident, lawyer, Palm Springs, Personal Injury
I was driving on the 10 freeway on my way out to Riverside and saw the California State Highway Patrol chasing after a speeding driver. It made me remember a story I’d read about two families in Utah. Several years ago, during a police chase, an older gentleman and a young woman were killed when a driver flew through a red light with the police chasing him. It seems the police were watching a home and saw him leaving it. When the officer tried to pull him over, he sped through the streets and the red light – killing two innocent people.
The family has a wrongful death lawsuit against the City and the Officer. Wrongful death is when the loss of life is wrongfully caused by another individual. Although, it was the driver of the vehicle that struck the victims, the families of the victims believe that if the Officer had used caution when chasing the driver, their family members would be alive today. California has certain laws pertaining to wrongful death claims. A knowledgeable Palm Springs personal injury lawyer could sit down with family members and explain the many factors that affect outcome on these types of claims and an experienced personal injury lawyer will pursuit justice for those left behind. By the way, the driver was convicted of two counts of Automobile homicide.
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\\ tags: attorney, lawyer, Personal Injury, Riverside, Wrongful Death
A Florida relative of mine called me this morning with news about former NY Giants player Lawrence Taylor. It seems the ex-football player was involved in an auto accident and he allegedly left the scene. Regardless of who is to blame for an accident, leaving the scene can result in serious criminal charges. The seriousness of the criminal charges depend on the extent of the personal injuries involved, but leaving the scene of an accident can lead to murder charges if the injuries result in death.
The Florida Highway Patrol found Mr. Taylor shortly afterwards. He thought he had hit a guardrail and not another automobile. Mr. Taylor was booked at the local jail and released on $500 bail. There were major damage to both vehicles but no one was hurt.
Leaving the scene of a crime and being involved in a hit and run accident can lead to criminal charges. A good criminal defense attorney can make the difference in getting the charges dropped or certainly getting the charges reduced to a far less serious charge.
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An undercover drug operation recently removed millions of dollars worth of cocaine from California streets. The Sinaloa drug cartel transports cocaine across the Mexican border near the city of El Centro. It travels through the Coachella Valley and then extends to all parts of the United States and Canada. Out of 16 suspects in this incident, eight are now in jail. In evidence from this incident are 420 pounds of cocaine and 136 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of $19 million. The undercover police officer who risked his life for over eight months by posing as a drug trafficker for 24 hours a day is a hero.
Attorney General Brown said, “Riverside County will be safer, but, we need to keep it up. The highways are the rivers of narcotics and violence going up, guns and money go down. This country, while we are worrying what is happening in Iraq, cannot forget what is happening in Baja, California and in Riverside County.”
Federal and California laws prohibit the selling, manufacturing, distribution, trafficking and possession of cocaine and other controlled substances. Any individual found with these drugs will face criminal liability. However, the Fourth Amendment protects citizens from illegal search and seizure. The Controlled Substances Act classifies narcotics and other controlled substances into five categories known as Schedules I through V (ranked by abuse and addition potential).
Anyone caught with drugs in their possession will face serious penalties; an experienced Coachella Valley area criminal defense attorney can explain options to them. For additional information on illegal drugs and consequences of having them, visit www.publicagenda.org.
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