By Tim Barkley. September 2021. “I don’t need a power of attorney. My spouse and I own everything jointly.” “My daughter is on all my accounts, so I don’t need a power of attorney.” “I’m not letting anybody take control over me! I’m not signing that paper!” “I don’t...
By Tim Barkley. June 2021. Probate. The word has achieved a Dickensian notoriety conjuring up greedy lawyers, helpless widows and children, and unscrupulous creditors. The avoidance of probate is now a cottage industry, carried on in the back offices of lawyers and...
By Tim Barkley. February 2021. “My dad is in assisted living. We need to pay his bills, but his power of attorney says it only works if he’s incompetent. I can’t get anybody to say he’s incompetent. They say the doctor will check up on him and make an evaluation, but...
You Have the Power. August 2020. By Timothy S. Barkley, Sr. The lady in the parking lot was excited: “Thank you! You don’t know how much you’ve helped us.” I was taken aback, but rose to the occasion: “Certainly!” I must have looked puzzled, because she laughed and...
By Tim Barkley. July 2020. “I have a buyer for my husband’s work van, and he can’t sign because he has dementia. We need the money. What can I do?” “We have a buyer for my mom’s business, but she just had a stroke and can’t sign papers. What do we need to do?” The...
