March 2024. Q: I’m not married to my partner. I have kids from my marriage. Why do I need a will? Won’t everything just go to my kids, since my partner and I aren’t married? A: As of last year, your “domestic partner” becomes like a spouse, and will get half of your...
February 2024. Q: When I sign a power of attorney or will, who knows about it? A: Only you, your attorney, and anyone you tell. Your attorney can’t even disclose that he or she has met you, and certainly can’t disclose that you’ve signed a power of attorney or will,...
September 2023. Q: Do I need a trust? A: A trust is a bucket to hold money, for someone – a “beneficiary” – that needs the money but can’t have it in their own name. The classic beneficiary is a young child, someone with special needs, or someone consistently making...
By Tim Barkley. November 2021. It was a bright and airy day a quarter-century ago when a mild-mannered young reporter for the Mt. Airy News purchased the paper from her employer. A reporter was transmogrified into an editor, a newspaper’s name was changed, and the...
By Timothy Barkley. May 2021 You’re standing on a playing field, a ball in your hand, facing a crowd of burly guys running helter-skelter around the field. Some of them seem to be running at you. You weave and dodge. People are yelling and gesturing, and you...
