Author Archives: Katie Synor

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Trusts: The Advantages and Disadvantages

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Katie Synor

Only a few years ago, people set up living trusts almost exclusively to save on taxes. Today, they are used to avoid Probate and for other purposes. This article explains the living trust. It is not meant to be a … Continue reading →

TRIAL TIPS FOR CLIENTS

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Katie Synor

  TRIAL TIPS FOR CLIENTS Preparation is the key to successfully presenting accurate information in court.         WHAT TO WEAR? We advise our clients to dress conservatively. Court is a somber, conservative and non-colorful environment, so the … Continue reading →

How to best work with your lawyer

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Katie Synor

First ask about the cost of legal representation. If your situation will require more work beyond the first consultation, remember to ask for the lawyer’s fees in writing. You do not have to hire the lawyer after the initial consultation. … Continue reading →

What is Estate Planning?

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Katie Synor

What is Estate Planning? “Estate” is the legal term used to define your property and money—basically, everything that belongs to you. Estate planning attorneys tell you different strategies you can use to transfer your belongings after you die. By planning … Continue reading →

Proposed Legislation Would Give Adoptees Access To Medical Information

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Katie Synor

Missouri lawmakers are debating a bill that may make it easier for adoptees to find their birth parents. If House Bill 252 is passed, it would require the Missouri State Health Department to provide birth parents with a contact preference … Continue reading →

Legislation Passes Senate Eliminating Adoption Tax Credit For Out-Of-State Adoptions

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Katie Synor

Legislation that passed the Senate this week may steer Missouri couples more toward adopting a Missouri child over adopting one from outside the area. Legislation passed the Senate eliminating a $2 million annual allotment of tax credits for those couples … Continue reading →

Paper Calls For Regulation Of What Happens To Digital Assets After Death

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Katie Synor

With more of people’s lives spent online, the issue of what to do in the event of their death with their digital assets is an ever more-pressing question. According to a paper written by a University of Illinois law professor … Continue reading →

Attorney G. John Richards, Former Lincoln Co. Prosecuting Attorney Dies

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Katie Synor

The former prosecuting attorney of Lincoln County died Tuesday evening following a crash last week, he was 51. According to his web site, Attorney G. John Richards was seriously injured last Thursday morning in a crash on Route 47, west … Continue reading →

MO Court of Appeals: Adding Spouse To Property Turns Property Into Marital Asset

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Katie Synor

A divorce case dividing assets reviewed by the Missouri Court of Appeals last week determined a farm that had belonged to the husband became marital real property after the wife’s name was added to it. The case, JJ v EJ … Continue reading →

Three Charged In Abduction Of 5-Year-Old On Transplant List

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Katie Synor

Three people have been charged in the abduction of a 5-year-old boy who was taken from a St. Louis Hospital where he is very sick and on the heart transplant list. Porter Stone was kidnapped Tuesday after he completed an … Continue reading →