Issues can pop up when you leave minors as beneficiaries. Read it about them here!
Category: Oklahoma News
Planning for your Digital Estate
As our world moves further along in the Digital Age, we as a society have become increasingly dependent and intrigued with the digital world around us. As a result of this dependence we have created and accumulated vast amounts of "digital assets". These digital assets range from and include the digital files on a computer,… Continue reading Planning for your Digital Estate
Do I Really Need an Attorney, or Can I Draft My Will Myself?
The COVID pandemic has caused many people to prepare for the worst and encouraged them to get their affairs in order. A major part of this has been estate planning and. in a time where social distancing is being encouraged, meeting an attorney at his or her office may sound less than ideal, many people are… Continue reading Do I Really Need an Attorney, or Can I Draft My Will Myself?
What are these new change to Oklahoma’s power of attorney laws?
Passed by the legislature in the spring, House Bill 2548 established Oklahoma's new Uniform Power of Attorney act and went into effect on November 1st under Title 58. This act, which provides for more uniform power of attorney documents from state-to-state, mostly focuses on the financial power of attorney. Unfortunately though, through some drafting oversight, the… Continue reading What are these new change to Oklahoma’s power of attorney laws?
Estate Planning in time of COVID-19
As most of you will be aware, the virus called COVID-19 or "coronavirus" has changed our everyday lives during this time. As of this post, more than 340,000 people in the United States have tested positive for the virus, and it has cause around 9500 deaths. Around the country, including in Oklahoma, courts are shut… Continue reading Estate Planning in time of COVID-19
Oklahoma Small Estate Affidavit
Oklahoma permits the distribution of a small estate without probate, if the estate is worth $50,000 or less in total. There are two ways to avoid probate using affidavits in Oklahoma - one for financial accounts, one for personal property. The first type of "Small Estate Affidavit" allowed in Oklahoma is one for financial accounts… Continue reading Oklahoma Small Estate Affidavit
The Importance of Placing Your Timeshares Into A Trust
Most, if not all, timeshare owners will have to decide, at some point in their life, who they want to receive their timeshares after they pass away. Most timeshares are real property interests, that are deeded into the owner(s)'s name(s). If a timeshare is held in an individual's name at death, just like any other piece of… Continue reading The Importance of Placing Your Timeshares Into A Trust
Avoiding the Terri Schaivo Case – The Oklahoma Advance Directive
One of the most prominent cases of Living Wills or Advance Directives was the Terri Schaivo case in the early 2000s. It is prominent for Living Wills, in that Terri Schaivo did not have one, and her situation caused a legal battle that lasted years and costed thousands of dollars for her family. In this… Continue reading Avoiding the Terri Schaivo Case – The Oklahoma Advance Directive
Edith Windsor’s Fight for Same-Sex Marriage Recognition
There is currently a legal battle in the federal courts regarding a Federal law mandating that marriage is between a man and a woman. EdiTh Windsor challenged the federal law in DOMA (Defense Of Marriage Act) as unconstitutional on equal protection grounds. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York recently held… Continue reading Edith Windsor’s Fight for Same-Sex Marriage Recognition
Do You Need to Update Your Advance Directive (Living Will)?
Many clients of the attorneys at Skillern Law Firm, PLLC believe they do not need a new Advance Directive since they had one drafted many years ago. Well, if you got your living will completed before 2006, you may need yours updated. During the 2006 Legislative Session, the Oklahoma Legislature amended the Oklahoma Advance Directive… Continue reading Do You Need to Update Your Advance Directive (Living Will)?