The New Copyright “Small Claims” Proposal
Background: Perhaps the greatest intellectual property dilemma facing American writers is the difficulty of enforcing copyright claims when the damages are not large – and, conversely, the high cost of defending against frivolous or unjustified claims. Currently, all infringement lawsuits must be brought in federal court, and registration of the copyright is a precondition. (Unless a large...
Read MoreUsing an Annuity to Keep the Spouse of a Medicaid Applicant from Becoming Impoverished
When one spouse qualifies for Medicaid to pay for a nursing home stay, the spouse who is at home is often left without many resources. While Medicaid has rules to prevent community spouses from impoverishment, the protections aren’t always enough. There are steps that you can take to increase the community spouse’s income, and as a recent case illustrates, an annuity may be a good option....
Read MoreDigital Assets Raise Estate Planning Questions
More and more, we are conducting our business on the Internet, whether that’s online banking, shopping at Amazon and other sites, uploading documents and files to the “cloud,” posting videos on YouTube, or communicating with high school classmates via Facebook. So, what happens to all of our accounts and files when we become incapacitated or pass away? Will our spouses and...
Read More“Obamacare” Should Be of No Concern to Medicare Beneficiaries, Although Scammers May Tell You Otherwise
Starting October 1, 2013, people who lack health insurance can start signing up for coverage through the new Internet-based health insurance marketplaces set up under the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). Most of those who don’t already have insurance will have to buy coverage by March 31, 2014 or pay a penalty. But if you already have Medicare, you have nothing to worry about. You have...
Read MoreDealing with a Deceased Loved One’s Debt Collectors
The last thing anyone wants after the death of a family member is calls from debt collectors dunning the loved one’s estate. While some family members can be contacted by debt collectors, the family is protected from abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices. Usually the estate is responsible for paying any debts the deceased may have left. If the estate does not have enough money, the debts...
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