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Philip J Hoskins, Attorney at Law
June Newsletter |
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10940 wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Tel: 310-209-8080
Fax: 310-208-8582
Email: philip@estatelawyer.onmicrosoft.com |
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Workshops |
I would be happy to set up a
free workshop for your group or
a small gathering of your
friends.
Email me or call me (310)
209-8080 to get started.
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Upcoming Workshops
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For the past several years I
have teamed up with a certified
financial planner in presenting
workshops specifically for the
LGBT community. These FREE
workshops are a continually
evolving examination of the
special legal and financial
problems and unique
opportunities for the LGBT
community! The persistent lack
of Federal recognition of LGBT
partnerships creates widespread
disadvantages for all members of
the community, regardless of
one’s relationship status or
economic position. The
introduction of State-level
recognition via Civil Unions,
Domestic Partnerships and
state-specific Marriages has
further complicated and
convoluted the protections
offered to all members of the
community.
The next ones
are all at 11
a.m.:
West Hollywood Plummer Park,
August 6
Pasadena Convention Center,
August 13
Long Beach First Congregational
Church, August 20
Email me for details
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My
Gift to You
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As a
summertime gift to you, I offer
a $100 reduction in my regular
fees for new estate planning
clients. This offer is good for
you or any friend that you send
this to and mentions this offer.
To take
advantage of this offer, I must
receive a down payment by July
15, 2011.
For individuals this means down
payments of $500
(Reduced fee is $795) and for a
couple $600 (reduced fee is
$1,095).
For more information about these
packages and fees,
click here
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Some Practical Suggestions
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1.
Do not sign the back of your
credit cards . Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.'
2. When you are writing checks
to pay on your credit card
accounts,
DO
NOT put the complete
account number on the 'For' line. Instead,
just put the
last
four numbers.
The credit card company knows
the rest of the number, and
anyone who might be handling
your check as it passes through
all the check processing
channels won't have access to
it.
3. Put your work phone # on your
checks instead of your home
phone. If you have a PO Box use
that instead of your home
address. If you do not have a PO
Box, use your work address.
Never have your
SS# printed on your checks.
4.
Place the
contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both
sides of the each license,
credit card, etc. You will
then know what you had in your
wallet with all the phone
numbers in case your wallet is
lost or stolen. We've all
heard horror stories about fraud
that's committed on us in
stealing a Name, address, Social
Security number, credit cards.
If your wallet was stolen or
lost, here's some critical
information to limit the
damage:
5. We have been told we should
cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free
numbers and your card numbers
handy so you know whom to call.
Keep those where you can find
them.
6.
File a
police report
immediately in the
jurisdiction where your credit
cards, etc., was stolen. This
proves to credit providers you
were diligent, and this is a
first step toward an
investigation (if there ever is
one).
But here's what is perhaps
most important of all:
7.
Call the
3 national credit reporting
organizations
immediately to place a fraud
alert on your name and also call
the Social Security fraud line
number. I had never heard of
doing that until advised by a
bank that called to tell me an
application for credit was made
over the internet in my name.
The alert means any company that
checks your credit knows your
information was stolen, and they
have to contact you by phone to
authorize new credit. Now, here are the numbers you
always need to contact about
your wallet, if it has been
stolen:
1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2.) Experian (formerly TRW):
1-888-397-3742
3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289
4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271
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Welcome to Summer |
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As summer approaches we think of
vacations, getting outdoors,
barbecues and other ways to
enjoy the marvelous climate of
Southern California.
For this Newsletter I want to
highlight some common sense
safety precautions and tips as
well as comment on issues
connected with aging. I always
welcome your feedback and
questions regarding these or
other topics.
Of course, I am an attorney,
so I have to say that nothing
written here is intended as
legal advice.
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Social Security
and Medicare |
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You may have seen in the
media lately a lot about
the health of these
federal programs and
what to do about
projected budgetary
problems. Yet Social
Security remains one of
the important elements
of any retirement
planning.
If you want to find out
how much you can expect
when you retire from
Social Security, here's
a
free calculator from
Social Security
that will tell you in
less than 2 minutes how
much you will get at
Retirement.
If you are approaching
62, you may wish to
visit the government
site for Medicare:
http://www.medicare.gov/
Among other topics,
there is a great tool
for selecting a provider
for prescription drug
benefits:
https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/home.aspx
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Specify your wishes for care during
later stages of life |
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Lately we have spoken with a
number of people about what
happens in the later stages of
life. It is a difficult time for
many of us and we may need to
consider special care and moving
to a treatment facility.
I have added a new choice to our
Advance Health Directives that
you may wish to consider adding
to yours. If I have already done
your Health Directive, I will
prepare a new one for you at for
a fee of $50 adding this
language:
“I wish to live in my home
for as long as that is
reasonably possible without
endangering my physical or
mental health and safety and to
receive whatever assistance from
household employees or personal
care givers may be necessary to
permit me to do so; provided,
however, that in the event my
agent determines that
appropriate household employees
or personal care givers are not
available without putting my
financial position or physical
or mental health or safety at
risk, then I wish to live in the
least restrictive and most
home-like setting deemed
appropriate by my agent. I
further request that I live as
near as possible to my primary
residence in order that I may
visit with friends and neighbors
to the degree my agent believes
that I will benefit from such
relationships. I wish to
return home as soon as
reasonably possible after any
hospitalization or transfer to
convalescent care. If my
agent determines that I am no
longer able to live in my home,
I wish that my agent consider
alternatives to convalescent
care which will permit me as
much privacy and autonomy as
possible, including such options
as placing me in an assisted
living facility or board and
care facility.”
Send me an
email if you want this
change made.
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When a loved one dies
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These are some of
the immediate steps
that need to be
considered when
someone dies for
whom we are
responsible.
When a loved one
dies, the details
that need to be
taken care of by
survivors may be
particularly
overwhelming during
such an emotional
time. This checklist
is intended to help
survivors handle the
situations that need
tending to, both at
the time of death
and afterward, as
efficiently as
possible.
Disposition of
Remains: Regardless
of the nature or
size of the estate
involved, there are
always questions
involving decedent's
funeral and
disposition of the
body. These issues
include the
possibility of an
inquest, decedent's
possible donation of
body parts, and
effectuating funeral
directions, if any.
All of these matters
must be addressed in
close consultation
with the decedent’s
survivors, both from
a psychological and
legal perspective.
Anatomical gifts
Gifts of body parts
are governed by the
California Uniform
Anatomical Gift Act.
Decedents usually
make these donations
personally; but
certain surviving
relatives and
fiduciaries may also
make them. Sometimes
the decedent has
executed a Power of
Attorney dealing
with this authority.
The funeral
Prior to death,
persons are entitled
to give oral or
written instructions
as to the preferred
disposition of their
remains (i.e.,
manner of
disposition, type of
funeral, etc.).
Subject to the
coroner's statutory
responsibilities,
these instructions
must be followed.
Decedent's funeral
directions control
whether or not they
are made in a will.
And, if made by
will, the
instructions must be
carried out
immediately, without
delay for probate
and notwithstanding
the will's validity
in other respects.
Access to decedent's
safe deposit box for
possible burial
instructions and
will. Individuals in
possession of the
appropriate keys
have a statutory
right of limited
access to a
decedent's financial
institution safe
deposit box before
letters issue. There
must be no living
co-owner of the box
and the person
seeking entry must
provide reasonable
proof of his or her
identity and proof
of the decedent's
death (e.g.,
certified copy of
decedent's death
certificate). Entry
may be made only
under supervision of
the institution's
employees. And,
although the person
entering the box may
remove burial
instructions, wills
and trusts, he or
she must photocopy
any removed wills or
trusts and place the
copies back in the
box. Moreover,
removed wills must
be filed with the
superior court and
copies mailed or
delivered to the
named executor or
beneficiary.
Funeral decisions
where no
instructions from
decedent
If decedent has not
provided for his or
her interment by a
will or other
direction, the right
to control
disposition of the
remains descends to
the surviving
relatives. The
statutory schedule
of priority is:
first to the
surviving spouse,
then to the
surviving children,
parents, next of kin
under laws of
succession, or the
public
administrator.
Prepaid funeral
contracts
You should ascertain
whether decedent had
executed a prepaid
funeral contract so
that you can make
arrangements and
inform any relatives
accordingly.
Obtain certified
copies of death
certificate
Certified copies of
the death
certificate will be
needed to effect
certain transfers of
decedent's assets
(e.g., securities,
joint tenancy
property; and, if
applicable, pursuant
to a Sec. 13100
declaration or a
Sec. 13200
declaration. They
will also be needed
to apply for payment
of various death
benefits. Usually,
the funeral home
will provide plenty
of copies. But the
trustee/executor
should verify that
the immediate
relatives have
received the copies
and should caution
them to preserve
those copies.
For expert
advice
regarding probate,
seek the assistance
of Los Angeles
estate planning
lawyer Philip J.
Hoskins. Call us
today. |
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Nothing contained in this email is intended
as advice on any issue discussed nor is it
intended to create an attorney-client
relationship.
Philip J. Hoskins
Attorney at Law
10940 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1400
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-209-8080; fax 310-208-8582
https://www.estateprobatelawyer.com
This e-mail is intended only for the person
or entity to which it is addressed and may
contain information that is confidential,
privileged or otherwise protected from
disclosure. Dissemination, distribution or
copying of this e-mail or the information
herein by anyone other than the intended
recipient, or an employee or agent
responsible for delivering the message to
the intended recipient, is prohibited. If
you have received this e-mail in error,
please contact Philip J. Hoskins at
310-209-8080 or by email at
philip@estatelawyer.onmicrosoft.com. Also, please
destroy the original message and all copies. |
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I am located in Westwood Village, 10940 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1400, Los
Angeles, CA 90024. We are near the junction of I-10 and I-405 .
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enlarge)
Contact us for more info
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