by KO | Jun 21, 2023 | Courthouse, Estate Planning & Elder Law
My recent column about estate planning documents generated several questions and comments about revocable trusts (sometimes called “living” trusts). Here is a quick summary of how these trusts work. Since the federal estate tax exemption is so high now — over $11...
by Mike Wells | Oct 10, 2022 | Courthouse
JANET AND I RECENTLY enjoyed a small gathering among friends in Winston–Salem. By chance, three of the invited husbands are from West Virginia, including me. We talked about our growing up days, among other things, and the comments our parents would say to us to...
by Mike Wells | Jun 8, 2022 | Courthouse
THE CONVERSATION with this young attorney was taxing to say the least. He was well-educated, with a lot going for him. He had a master’s degree in tax law and a solid academic record. He was a good-looking kid with an engaging presence. At least when he would stop...
by Mike Wells | Mar 1, 2022 | Character Law, Courthouse
Most every parent of high school seniors knows and covets the phrase “Early Decision.” If one of your children thoughtfully narrows their college search, applies for that college’s early admission program and is accepted, the exhilarating and sometimes exasperating...
by Mike Wells | Jan 13, 2022 | Courthouse, Improving your Sight Line Law
One of the most 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 us who watch...
by Mike Wells | Jan 12, 2022 | Character Law, Courthouse
Some of my fraternity brothers and I were studying that night for mid-terms in Alderman Library at UVA when we got the news. Ken Craft came in to tell us that the train delivering the casket of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander in WWII and the first...