December 6th, 2020 by admin
In the last column, we addressed the basic estate-planning documents everyone should have: will, financial (durable) power of attorney and health care advance directives. In this column, we will discuss when (and if) you need a revocable trust, which...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
November 1st, 2020 by admin
Perhaps it is a sign of the times, but more people ask these days what happens if they do not have estate-planning documents in place if they get seriously ill or they pass away.If you do not have a will, North Carolina statutes define who gets your property,...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
October 12th, 2020 by admin
As we reflect on the anniversary of the end of World War II, I hope we will pause and consider all the contributions in war and in peace of the greatest generation. They fought for us in that war and through the hardest of times. The abiding story of...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
October 12th, 2020 by admin
The Gambler, a Kenny Rogers song, gives sound advice for playing a card game of chance: Know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em. But it's also sound advice for a more serious game of chance: a jury trial in a civil lawsuit. When you ask...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
October 6th, 2020 by admin
Beyond their opinions in a court of law, the professional stories and character of Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first two women to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, teach us important lessons in the court of life. Their careers...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
September 5th, 2020 by admin
Before your financial challenges become too serious, readers are strongly encouraged to consult Financial Pathways of the Piedmont, a well-regarded and United Way supported nonprofit in Winston-Salem. Contact them at 336-896-1191 or info@financialpaths.org...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
August 3rd, 2020 by admin
When should you consider filing personal bankruptcy? Families facing serious financial challenges are strongly encouraged to seek some objective direction before bankruptcy, the last resort, is necessary. As discussed in the previous column, the best...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
July 27th, 2020 by admin
Here is my answer:An on-line will, if it contains all the necessary provisions the law requires and it is signed as the law requires, CAN be valid. But there are just too many things which can go wrong with homegrown wills in their provisions and execution...
Posted in: Ask SAM
July 1st, 2020 by admin
It started with a phone call.I was asked some years ago to host a weekly pro bono local legal call-in show for a radio station on a Sunday afternoon from 3-4 pm to fulfill the station’s required public service FCC requirement. The questions of the callers...
Posted in: On the Way to the Courthouse
June 30th, 2020 by admin
Over the next three columns, we will address some common financial challenges many of us face in these different economic times. This first column will address some valuable community resources you can access before you have more serious financial challenges....
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
June 11th, 2020 by admin
Scams perpetrated on our senior citizens total billions of dollars every year, and they likely will total more than that in 2020 because of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Be sure you and your loved ones are aware of several of the newer scams which are out...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
June 3rd, 2020 by admin
All of us would agree we live in decidedly different times than we have experienced before. Never in our lifetimes have so many people been so uncertain about so many things, and literally so afraid.The coronavirus and economic challenges are not the...
Posted in: On the Way to the Courthouse
May 1st, 2020 by admin
After handling hundreds of estate administrations over the years, I can assure you the best legal problems are the ones which never happen. The tips in this third and final column on the subject should help you take the best planning steps to avoid common...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
March 26th, 2020 by admin
UPDATED 6.3.2020: Office Procedures During COVID-19As of June 1, 2020, we are meeting with clients at the Wells Law office. We have adopted the following procedures for our lawyers, paralegals and staff who are working in our office. We also will require...
Posted in: On the Way to the Courthouse
March 26th, 2020 by admin
Here is the second column to discuss practical how-to tips to ensure a smooth estate administration. Over the years of handling hundreds of estate administrations, the best legal problems, I have found, are the ones which never happen. Use these suggestions...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
March 1st, 2020 by admin
A terrific opportunity for all citizens to get free legal advice is set for this Friday. Don’t pass it up. (Our three-column series on helpful tips regarding estate administration will continue next month.)Do you have a legal question you would like answered...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
January 29th, 2020 by admin
The administration of a loved one’s final estate can often be more difficult, expensive and time-consuming than it needs to be.Over the years, I have handled hundreds of estate administrations, and the best legal problems one may have are the ones which...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
January 28th, 2020 by admin
The first lawyer I ever heard my father speak of was Andy Blair.Mr. Blair was a hard working lawyer who had climbed his way up from his small town roots. My father admired hard work as much as most any other virtue, and he had deep admiration for this...
Posted in: On the Way to the Courthouse
January 28th, 2020 by admin
The Last Valentine’s GiftForty years ago this month, my mother gave to my three siblings and me the last Valentine’s gifts we would ever receive from her. Cancer was diagnosed shortly after Thanksgiving, and our mother was in the last battle of her life,...
Posted in: On the Way to the Courthouse
January 28th, 2020 by admin
One of the more surprising truths concerning the trial of a lawsuit is about eyewitness testimony. It is often one of the most unreliable forms of evidence there is.But how can a witness who is there to see the event in question be unreliable?Most of...
Posted in: On the Way to the Courthouse
January 28th, 2020 by admin
This is the second of two columns devoted to providing practical solutions to help people injured in a motor-vehicle wreck avoid common mistakes in handling their claims.Property-damage claims alone rarely justify the added expense of hiring a lawyer....
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
January 28th, 2020 by admin
This 2nd column on the 2018 major-rewrite power of attorney (POA) law will address common but avoidable mistakes individuals may make, and extra elder law planning provisions many individuals now provide in their POAS to protect their assets.New Revocation...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
January 28th, 2020 by admin
In the last column, we discussed the selection of a care facility. What other decisions might you face, and what steps should you take going forward to monitor the level of care of your loved one?Important contract issues.Many facilities require the admitted...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
January 28th, 2020 by admin
In the next two columns, we will identify common mistakes that people with legitimate injuries from motor-vehicle wrecks make in settling their claims. We’ll also provide some practical solutions.Have you documented clearly that the injuries you relate...
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
January 28th, 2020 by admin
North Carolina lawyers give back to the community, state and profession by providing many pro-bono or low-cost legal services to our citizens. Here are a few of them which offer free or cost-efficient venues to ask for direction on important legal matters....
Posted in: WS Journal Articles
January 27th, 2020 by admin
WHAT WOULD YOUR MAMA SAY?It was Pete Sparks' idea.Pete Sparks lived down the street from me when I was just a boy. He was a year older than me, so he of course knew a lot of things. One of which was the way to get to the Valley Bell,where one could get...
Posted in: On the Way to the Courthouse
January 27th, 2020 by admin
THE MOST IMPORTANT OPINION OF JOHN ROBERTSChief Justice John Roberts has written many legal opinions for our nation's most influential court of law. But his most important opinion may be about his insights concerning what really matters in the court of...
Posted in: On the Way to the Courthouse
January 27th, 2020 by admin
I have been asked literally thousands of questions about the law through several venues over the years. Some of these questions are about legal judgments on the official courthouse book of record.But the answers about courthouse judgments may surprise...
Posted in: On the Way to the Courthouse
