http://www.lawferrell.com serving Memphis & Northern Mississippi Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:17:41 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Even if you aren't rich and don't have children or a spouse, you still need to spell out your wishes in case you die or can't make medical decisions for yourself. Erin Burt of Kiplinger.com Everyone needs a Plan regardless of how much (or how little) money you have, your marital ... http://www.lawferrell.com/kiplingercom-wills-for-the-young-single-or-broke/ A new baby? Write a will First-time parents should name a guardian and make their wishes clear Excerpts from CNN Money Article By Staff Writer Jennifer Karchmer You just returned home from the maternity ward with your first bundle of joy in your arms and the house is stocked with diapers and baby ... http://www.lawferrell.com/cnn-money-a-new-baby-write-a-will/ The 2008 Session of the 105th General Assembly of Tennessee is beginning with a very important issue on its plate.  What to do the $400 million surplus of lottery revenue.  Many of our state lawmakers are divided along party lines, with the Governor and Democrats calling for need-based changes and ... http://www.lawferrell.com/tn-hope-scholarships-need-or-merit/ I ran across a great post from fellow Mississippi lawyer and blogger Ronald Morton. Here is an excerpt from his post on discussing how to contest a will in Mississippi. "The following are the situations in which a will may be contested:   Mental incapacity. You may contest a will if you believe your loved ... http://www.lawferrell.com/how-to-contest-a-will/ Think close to home and close to your heart.  Planned gifts provide an individual with the opportunity to combine their personal charitable interests with long-range financial and estate planning.  Making a charitable gift to your Alma Mater, be it your college or highschool, is a satisfying and fulfilling way for ... http://www.lawferrell.com/consider-your-alma-mater-in-your-estate-planning/ While doing some research on locations in Memphis and Shelby County where you can apply for passports I came across what I assume to be a little known fact regarding the shelby county probate court. You can actually apply for a passport at the downtown location of the probate court ... http://www.lawferrell.com/memphis-and-shelby-county-probate-court/ It seems that a lot of you have enjoyed the series on living trusts vs. wills from viewing the amount of traffic that these posts have seen. I hope that all of my subscribers will enjoy the final post in this series. Soon I'll have the entire list up on ... http://www.lawferrell.com/living-trusts-vs-wills-part-5-final/ What should everyone in Memphis and Mississippi look at before going to their estate planning lawyer? The new ABA Estate Planning Guide. It's a great source of information for all of your questions about wills, trusts, power of attorneys and probate both for here in Memphis, Tennessee and Mississippi. I've included ... http://www.lawferrell.com/aba-releases-its-free-estate-planning-guide/ Death and taxes: how to prepare for one while reducing the other. A tounge-in-cheek approach. Power of an Attorney Even a signing mistake can weaken your will’s validity, and it only takes one greedy nephew to tie it up in court for months and lop off up to eight percent of your ... http://www.lawferrell.com/power-to-you-write-your-will/ Continuing the Living Trusts Frequently Asked Questions theme. 13. If something happens to me, who has control? If you and your spouse are co-trustees, either can act and have instant control if one becomes incapacitated or dies. If something happens to both of you, or if you are the only trustee, ... http://www.lawferrell.com/living-trusts-vs-wills-part-4/