A Claimant for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits may think to themselves, “I’ve seen some of the people who’ve gotten disability and they got it in no time at all even though they don’t look too disabled to me – maybe because of how they pull it off with second-hand […]
News
Restitution in Criminal Cases
If you suffered financial loss as the victim of a crime, the prosecutor may be able to recover some of your losses in the criminal case. A criminal court can order a convicted person to pay restitution, but only for certain expenses. As the Court of Appeals emphasized in its […]
Power of Attorney or Guardianship?
There has been much confusion over the legal meaning and process of a Power of Attorney and Guardianship – even among professionals who deal in areas such as finances, who need to understand the distinctions. The demographics of our neighborhoods are changing as the population is aging, which makes this […]
Court of Appeals Decides Case Regarding Land Use Adjacent to Indiana Lake
The Indiana Court of Appeals issued an opinion in a property and land-use dispute concerning rights of access to Webster Lake in Kosciusko County, Indiana, an issue which has been the subject of litigation ongoing for more than twenty-six (26) years. At issue was the appropriate interpretation of the trial […]
Mortgage Foreclosures In Indiana
Indiana’s legislature has enacted various laws applicable to mortgage foreclosures in Indiana, including laws governing mortgage foreclosure actions and laws aimed at preventing residential mortgage foreclosures, which have been deemed a serious threat to Indiana’s economy. Under Indiana law, if a mortgagor (i.e., borrower) defaults in the performance of any […]
IRS Identity Theft
Recently many individuals have used other people’s social security numbers to file tax returns, claiming refunds are owed. Typically our clients discovers this when they go to file a tax return and learn that a tax return has already been filed under their social security number. Additionally, some clients learn […]
Securities Law Basics, Volume 2
Are you the victim of a fraud? Did your financial advisor, broker, or agent promise returns, but now he won’t call you back, or he keeps telling you he’ll have the money next week? What should you do? First, gather your records. Financial institutions do not keep records forever. In […]
Indiana Court of Appeals Rules on Post-Dissolution Domestic Relations Decree Concerning Ownership of “529 Accounts”
The Indiana Court of Appeals recently issued an opinion in a post-dissolution divorce case concerning the trial court’s post-dissolution decree that the husband’s pre-petition “529 accounts,” which are tax-advantaged college savings accounts authorized by 26 U.S.C. § 529, be combined with the wife’s separate “529 accounts” into a single, jointly […]
Indiana Court of Appeals Issues Opinion Concerning Hamilton County, Indiana Public Utility
The Indiana Court of Appeals recently issued an opinion in a public-utility rate-making case involving Hamilton Southeastern Utilities, Inc. (“HSE”), the largest investor-owned sewer utility in Indiana, which currently services more than 20,000 customers in Hamilton County, Indiana. The issue in the case stemmed from an order of the Indiana […]
Securities Law Basics Vol. 1
Did you invest in a “non-traditional” investment? Did you “loan” money to a business? If so, you might have purchased a security. The definition of a “security” includes all of the traditional investment options that most people think of like stocks, bonds, and transferable shares. But, there are two types […]