Read Charles Rubin’s blogpost: click here
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York "found the DOMA provisions unconstitutional under the lower “rational basis” standard which requires only that a law have a rational basis for its classifications to withstand an equal protection clause challenge. The court determined that the purposed bases
Non-profit organizations that meet IRS guidelines are exempt from paying income tax. The tax policy behind the exemption is that these types of organizations benefit the community and therefore reduce the burden on government. A similar policy is behind giving individuals a charitable deduction on their income tax returns for making gifts to charity.
This
On May 7, 2012 the Pennsylvania Superior Court issued an opinion in the case of Healthcare Retirement Corporation of America v. Pittas. The court found a son liable for his mother’s $93,000 nursing home bill under Pennsylvania’s Filial Responsibility Law. This high-profile case raises concerns.
Currently 30 states have laws making adult children responsible
To be poor and independent is very nearly an impossibility.
William Cobbett, Advice to Young Men, 1829
On May 21, 2012, the Supreme Court decided the case of Astrue v. Capato. This case may have consequences beyond the question the Court decided based on its deferral to state law.
Karen Capato, widow of
We wrote about Brooke Astor’s Estate and the litigation involving her son and lawyer. A perfect example of financial abuse of the elderly. 
Philip M. Bernstein of The New York Probate Litigation Blog reports on the final settlement here. Read the New York Times report here.
"Mrs. Astor’s storybook life took a nasty turn in
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
– Baron Acton
Financial abuse of the elderly is a crime. Michael Ostrowski, a 42-year-old from New York, was appointed as temporary guardian for his grandfather who has dementia. While serving as guardian, he misappropriated over $300,000 and lied to the probate court (we call
With the November elections approaching, there is much political talk (I could call it something else, but I am writing for a family newspaper) about the income tax. Candidates and commentators throw around revenue projections, tax rates, and statistics like so much confetti. I am not sure they know what they are talking about
On March 26, 27 and 28, the nine Justices of the United States Supreme Court sat for six hours to hear arguments on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The case is officially known as Florida v. Department of Health & Human Services. A total of 26 states (including
"A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on."
Samuel Goldwyn
Kelly Phillips Erb a/k/a Tax Girl drolly described this recent Tax Court case on her blog for Forbes. Mr. Seward was a regular customer at the Waffle House in Grand Bay, Alabama. From time to time he would buy lottery
