Till Debt Do We Part?

Till Debt Do We Part?

In community property states, both spouses are responsible for any debt that has been incurred while they were married. 

That means if one spouse doesn’t pay an outstanding credit card debt accumulated during the marriage, then the other one must pay, or risk credit damage and collection actions. The credit card company doesn’t view it as “his” or “her” debt. Instead, they see one debt, and if they can’t collect from one party, they will try to get the entire balance from the other party.

To read more about divorce and credit card debt, click on the following link:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/07/12/divorce-and-card-debt-in-community-property-s…

However, if you are divorcing in Rhode Island, it is important to note that Rhode Island is not a community property state, but instead is an equitable distribution state. 

In Rhode Island, marital property is considered to be all property acquired during the marriage by both partners. If there is a divorce, the court will aim to distribute one half of this property to each spouse unless the court finds such a division to be inequitable or unfair. In order to decide this, the court looks at various factors such as length of marriage, age, health, employability, other sources of income and any debt.

Are you a resident of Rhode Island and considering divorce?

The experienced lawyers at Law Office of Jeremy W. Howe, LTD. and the mediators at Partners In Mediation offer you two options in order to proceed with your divorce or other family disputes and problems.

Learn about these options and which would work best for you by calling or contacting Jeremy Howe for a free comprehensive telephone consultation. Attorney Howe and his team of family court lawyers have been providing quality divorce and family representation in all Family Courts in Rhode Island for nearly four decades. He and his co-mediator have mediated hundreds of divorce, family law and elder law cases across the state of Rhode Island.

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For more information, please visit them on the web at http://www.counselfirst.com

World Elder Abuse Awareness Month

As the month of June drew to a close, many of us were unaware of the fact that June is World Elder Abuse Awareness month. Elder abuse is a sad topic, and one that is often under-reported and hidden from view. Its annual awareness month hopes to shed light on ways that people can detect or help when an elderly loved one is being abused.

Elder abuse can manifest itself in several ways. Physical, emotional and sexual abuses are a few tragic forms of abuse that some seniors suffer at the hands of their caregivers. However, financial abuse is a form of elder abuse that often goes unnoticed by loved ones. Financial abuse among the elderly is most likely to come at the hands of family members and caregivers, due in part to the fact that many seniors may be too trusting or polite to fully recognize when someone is taking advantage of them.

To read more about the different forms of elder abuse, and to learn what you can do to help detect and prevent it, click on the following AARP article:

http://blog.aarp.org/2013/06/14/elder-abuse-awareness-day-7-ways-you-can-help/

The attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy W. Howe, LTD., specialize in elder law. If you need advice for yourself or a loved one on ways to be protected from financial elder abuse, contact the lawyers at his Providence, Rhode Island office for a free comprehensive telephone consultation.

Attorney Jeremy Howe and his team of elder law and family court lawyers have been providing quality elder law representation in Rhode Island for nearly four decades. He and his co-mediator have successfully mediated hundreds of divorce, family law and elder law cases throughout the state of Rhode Island.
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To learn more about The Law Offices of Jeremy W. Howe, please visit them on the web at http://www.counselfirst.com

Baby Boomers and Divorce

Baby Boomers are divorcing in record numbers. 

In 1990, 1 out of 10 people over the age of fifty divorced. Ten years later, a surprising to 1 out of 4 people aged fifty years or older, are choosing to end their marriages.

While the idea of divorcing after age fifty may seem especially painful because of old memories or fears of being alone later in life, recent research shows that the age and experience of Baby Boomers, makes them better equipped to handle the challenges associated with divorce. In fact an AARP study shows that 3 out of 4 Baby Boomer divorcees say that they made the right decision in choosing to divorce.

For Baby Boomers who may suddenly find themselves single again, there are some general principals and tips to help cope with life post-divorce.

To read tips for divorced Baby Boomers and to view an interesting info-graphic on the new “gray” divorce trend, please click on the following link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allison-pescosolido-ma/the-gray-divorce-tips-for_b_3454624.html

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The Law Offices of Jeremy W. Howe, LTD. are Family and Elder Law Attorneys in Newport, Rhode Island who specialize in Wills and Trusts, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Probate, and Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits.

Call them today at 401-841-5700 or visit them on the web at http://www.counselfirst.com

“Grey” Divorces are on the Rise

A prominent divorce financial strategist has revealed to Forbes Magazine some interesting trends taking place in divorces over the last decade. Some of the most notable divorce trends are:

1. As marriage rates decrease, divorce rates decrease proportionately.
2. Women are usually the ones who initiate a divorce.
3. “Grey” divorces, a name for divorces later in life, are on the rise.

To read about the trends in divorce, and to view a fascinating info-graphic about divorce, please click on the following link:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jefflanders/2013/06/20/not-your-mothers-divorce-three-21st-century-trends/

Are you a resident of Southern Rhode Island and considering divorce? The experienced lawyers at Law Office of Jeremy W. Howe, LTD. and the mediators at Partners In Mediation offer you two options in order to proceed with your divorce or other family disputes and problems. Learn about these options and which would work best for you by calling or contacting Jeremy Howe for a free comprehensive telephone consultation.

Attorney Howe and his team of family court lawyers have been providing quality divorce and family representation in all Family Courts in Rhode Island for nearly four decades. He and his co-mediator have mediated hundreds of divorce, family law and elder law cases in North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Cranston, Warwick and Westerly, Rhode Island and the surrounding communities.

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The Law Offices of Jeremy W. Howe, LTD. are Elder Law Attorneys in Newport, Rhode Island who specialize in Divorce, Wills and Trusts, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Probate, and Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits.


Call them today at 401-841-5700 or visit them on the web at http://www.counselfirst.com

Attorney Kristy Garside Receives The Rhode Island Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FAMILY LAW AND ELDER LAW ATTORNEY, KRISTY GARSIDE, RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR PRO BONO ACCOMPLISHMENTS

June 10, 2013, Newport, RI:  Kristy Garside, a family law and elder law attorney with The Law Offices of Jeremy W. Howe, Ltd., has been awarded the prestigious Rhode Island Bar Association’s 2013 Pro Bono Publico Award for her outstanding efforts in providing equal access to justice to the poor through the Volunteer Lawyer Program.  The Rhode Island Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico Awards program seeks to identify and honor individual lawyers who have enhanced the human dignity of others by improving or delivering volunteer legal services to the poor and disadvantaged.

Kristy Garside has been advocating on behalf of impoverished Rhode Islanders since law school, when she received her J.D., from Roger Williams University School of Law in 2004.  She has been an active participant in the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyer program for many years.  Garside offers her family law and elder law knowledge and expertise to the volunteer program, which provides legal assistance to low-income clients who are financially unable to obtain legal representation.  She is among over 1000 private attorneys in the State of Rhode Island who volunteer their time for this program.

Newport Attorney Jeremy Howe, of The Law Offices of Jeremy W. Howe, Ltd., offered his congratulations to Garside, saying, “We are very proud of Kristy.  Her legal work is of the highest quality, even when she isn't being paid. Kristy truly cares about the people she represents."  Garside will accept her Pro Bono Publico Award on June 13, 2013 at the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Annual Meeting Dinner.

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The Law Offices of Jeremy W. Howe, LTD. are Elder Law Attorneys in Newport, Rhode Island who specialize in Wills and Trusts, Estate Planning, Guardianship, Probate, and Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits.

They also are Newport Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers, Attorneys, Mediators, and Arbitrators providing services for Family Law issues such as Divorce, Child Custody and Visitation, Support, and Military Family Law.

Call them today at 401-841-5700 or visit them on the web at http://www.counselfirst.com

Are You or a Senior You Know Eligible For Benefits?

This article was published in our monthly Elderlaw News E-Newsletter, but thought it was so important it was worth pointing out again! this information could be useful to our clients and their families.  

"How to Track Down Financial Assistance Programs for Seniors," was posted on NBC's Savvy Senior page  

http://www.savvysenior.org/article_20120430.htm?type=quicklink.

The article suggests ways you can take advantage of over $20 billion in aid that millions of seniors are missing out on "simply because they aren't aware or savvy in navigating these helpful assistance programs." The first step this article suggests in identifying possible benefit programs available to you is to complete a free and confidential easy, 15-minute, on-line benefits check questionnaire at benefitscheckup.org. This on-line questionnaire will ask about your basic information, expenses, income, and assets. After completion, the service will provide you with a detailed report advising you of programs you may be eligible for from over 2,000 federal, state, and private benefit programs nation-wide and details on how to apply for each individual program. These programs could financially assist you in prescription drug costs, health care, utilities, and other basic needs. Visit the article for more information.

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The Law Offices of Jeremy W. Howe, LTD. are ElderLaw attorneys in Rhode Island who specialize in wills and trusts, estate planning, guardianship, probate, and Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits.

They also are Newport Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers, Attorneys, Mediators, and Arbitrators providing services for family law issues such as divorce, child custody and visitation, support, and military family law. 

Call them today at 401-841-5700 or visit them on the web at http://www.CounselFirst.com.

Forbes Notes the 7 Major Errors in Estate Planning

 Errors in Estate Planning

This article from our monthly Elderlaw News E-Newsletter about errors in Estate Planning talked about the "7 Major Errors in Estate Planning." The article was posted by Forbes and can be accessed at http://forbes.com/sites/robclarfeld/2012/04/25/7-major-errors-in-estate-planning/?typ. We like to know that other planners experience the same issues, and sometimes to hear it from someone else helps you to "hear" it!

This article addresses the benefits in having an estate plan, the risks associated with not having an estate plan, and common errors within those plans. The article also stresses the importance that "Estate Planning is not a Do It Yourself (DIY) task" and "relying on discounted, on-line estate planning documents is not only going to leave you uninformed and unadvised, but you also take the risk for inadequancies to be discovered in those documents when examined post-mortem."

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 The Law Offices of Jeremy W. Howe, LTD. are ElderLaw attorneys in Rhode Island who specialize in wills and trusts, estate planning, guardianship, probate, and Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits.

They also are Newport Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers, Attorneys, Mediators, and Arbitrators providing services for family law issues such as divorce, child custody and visitation, support, and military family law. 

Call them today at 401-841-5700 or visit them on the web at http://www.CounselFirst.com.