Baby boomers without children, solo agers, make up 20 percent of the boomer population. Like other singles, this generation must consider what actions must be taken in the case of incapacitation or disablement. Like all individuals a living will, a durable power of attorney and a simple will are must-haves when it comes to planning for the future. It is common for solo agers and singles to put off establishing an estate plan because many people don’t want to plan for death or incapacitation. Without these documents, the court can appoint a guardian you do not know and did not choose yourself to make decisions on your behalf. A guardian appointed by the court may not have your best interests

The Florida Bar’s G. Kirk Haas Humanitarian award recipient, Carl Schwait, used this award to his advantage by creating an event to highlight the need to balance and prioritize a person’s work-life in law school and after on. The event took place on April 10 and was able to put a fun spin on the talks and discussions about the serious topic of mental health. Daniel-John (DJ) Sewell, selected by Schwait as the Bar’s G. Kirk Haas Humanitarian award recipient, was one of the speakers at the four-hour event. University of Florida Levin law students, law school officials, and Bar leaders discussed the stress pursuing a legal education as well as the profession as a whole. The Bar leaders were abl

In the year 2017, Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency and worldwide payment system, was the subject of every conversation. Because the value of Bitcoin rose so quickly, it became extremely important to those who possessed it. Cryptocurrency is likely to become an estate asset; however, as of now, the current estate-planning laws have not been keeping up with the current estate-planning trends. There is “no entity to authorize access to another’s cryptocurrency.” Unlike other assets, cryptocurrency is transferred through technological protocol and not legal documentation. Instead, it is treated like property rather than currency when it comes to estate planning for tax purposes. The value of cryptocu

At Lauren Richardson Law, PLLC, one of our very own employees graduated from college this past weekend. With school officially over, it’s time to begin to think about estate planning and how to properly manage your assets. Usually graduates are overly focused with attaining employment and making money quickly instead of taking a step back and developing an effective estate plan. Estate planning is meant to ease future burdens and reduce stress. Here are some estate-planning recommendations for postgraduates. Create a durable power of attorney with advanced healthcare directives: A durable POA gives you the opportunity to choose who will be able to make financial decisions on your behalf and

In one of our first blog posts, we detailed the importance of mental health in the law community. According to the Dave Nee Foundation, lawyers are 3.6 times more likely to suffer severe depression. Here at Lauren Richardson Law, PLLC, we support the Florida Bar’s mental health awareness initiative. The Florida Bar and Young Lawyers Division (YLD) have combined efforts and designated the month of May as “Health and Wellness Month” for Florida lawyers.This is the fourth year in the row that the YLD has designated May as the “Health and Wellness Month.” The Florida Bar will be utilizing the hashtag, #WellLawyer, to promote its mental health initiative and will post relevant content on its soci

As members of the Gainesville community, the employees at Lauren Richardson Law, PLLC believe it is important to highlight efforts made by attorneys and UF Levin College of Law students in the local community. Members of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association (EJCBA) and local students have banded together to make a statement about felon restoration of voting rights. Both the Alachua County Library District and the EJCBA have hosted “Law in the Library: Restoration of Civil Rights Workshops” to attract focus to this issue. Three to six volunteers attend each workshop. This local movement is made up of around 45 volunteers that sit down one-on-one with felons to try to formulate a soluti