Five-Star Review! “Everyone was extremely courteous and knowledgeable. We had a list of items we were looking to have covered and the final paperwork was beyond our expectations. I will recommend them to anyone.“ Louisiana Estate Planning Attorneys: We are a Gretna law firm that has served the New Orleans area since 1980. Our estate planning lawyers are highly experienced at drafting wills, powers of attorney, living wills, trusts, and donations. We take pride in offering a personal and trusted experience. Call us today for a free consultation and find out why so many of our clients come back to us. Call us today for a free
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When to Update a Power of Attorney: A power of attorney (POA) is an important legal tool. It is commonly used for estate planning, medical management, financial management, and real estate transactions. A POA should be reviewed every few years for possible updates. It may become necessary to update a power of attorney when life situations change, a new agent is needed, or when there are changes in the law. You have the right to amend or revoke a power of attorney any time, and doing so is a relatively simple process. Reasons to Update a Power of Attorney: There
The Impact of Parental Alienation on Child Custody: When one parent manipulates a child to reject the other, it can have negative emotional and psychological effects on both the estranged parent and the child. What is Parental Alienation? A type of emotional child abuse known as parental alienation occurs when one parent consciously damages the child’s bond with the other parent. It frequently entails persistently disparaging the targeted parent, restricting contact or access, and interfering with the child’s ability to communicate with the alienated parent. This conduct hampers a child’s emotional growth, causing them great distress. Signs of Parental Alienation:
Adequate Protection Explained: Adequate protection payments are made to a secured creditor to provide protection for the creditor’s depreciating collateral. In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, a debtor is granted an automatic stay upon filing of the bankruptcy, meaning creditors cannot pursue usual modes of collection if payments are not made on time. While Chapter 13 filers are required to start making payments to the Trustee upon filing their proposed plan, the Trustee cannot distribute payments to creditors until the plan in confirmed. Since it can take many months for a Chapter 13 plan to be confirmed, secured creditors would then
When to Use an Expert Divorce Financial Analyst for a Community Property Partition: Are you considering divorce? Obviously, this step requires careful consideration of property issues and the best approaches for same. There are many things that you need to think about before you decide on your final move. One of them will certainly be the state of your finances. No one wants to leave a marriage bankrupt. Our firm works with a few of the very best forensic accountants and financial experts in the region to best maximize your results in all aspects of community property partition. Here is
Why You Should Have a Digital Estate Plan: Estate planning has expanded beyond the traditional scope of wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. In modern times, significant part of our lives exists digitally. Your traditional estate plan likely does not account for what happens to your digital assets after death. A digital estate plan comes into play as a method for organizing your online information. Creating a digital estate plan provides access to information that your family can use to carry out your final wishes. When your loved ones can rely on a written plan that outlines the passwords for
Louisiana Special Needs Trusts Explained: Special needs trusts (SNTs) play a crucial role in the lives of loved ones with disabilities. The primary benefit of a special needs trust over a typical testamentary trust or living trust is that it won’t disqualify the beneficiary from certain government benefits, such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). However, navigating the legal intricacies of setting up a special needs trust can be complex, especially given the unique trust laws and regulations of each state. Medicaid and SSI are needs-based government benefits that have specific income and asset requirements that change each year.
Bowes, Petkovich & Palmer, LLC adds Brady Smith as Of Counsel: Bowes, Petkovich & Palmer, LLC is pleased to announce the addition of Brady Smith to the firm. Brady brings over 8 years of experience to the firm where his practice will focus on family law, estate planning, successions, and real estate transactions. Brady is a native of New Orleans where he attended Jesuit High School. He then attended LSU where he received a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in business administration, and attended Southern University Law Center where he received his law degree. He was admitted to
Naming a Tutor in your Will is a Crucial Step: It’s difficult to think about the situation where a young child loses both of his or her parents, but this is the time when a tutor would step in to take care of the child. Naming a tutor is often overlooked when preparing a last will and testament, especially when someone writes their own will. In many instances though, naming a tutor is the main reason for writing a will. It is not uncommon for someone’s final wishes to coincide with the default laws of intestacy. For instance, perhaps a
Magazine Selects Partner for Publication: Bowes, Petkovich & Palmer, LLC is pleased to announce that the Louisiana Notary Association selected one of Maro Petkovich, Jr.’s articles for publication in its periodical, Signed & Sealed. The firm was honored to receive the surprising news of the Association’s interest in its article on Forced Heirship and Collation and happily facilitated their publication of the article. Maro Petkovich, Jr. serves as the managing member of Bowes, Petkovich & Palmer, LLC. He is an LSU Law Center graduate and is licensed in all Louisiana state and Federal courts. His practice centers on creditors’ rights, but