The holidays are approaching and for some individuals estate planning or powers of attorney are on their mind. Family members gathered around the dinner table, or around the Christmas tree, talking about times past, bring up memories or questions about where the year has gone. People always say “Next Year”. And then inevitably the year goes by and no Last Will and Testament or Power of Attorney was ever created. Good news however, because you, just like the majority of the clients at The Haggert...

Driving Mobility Affects Seniors’ Social Lives, Overall Health According to a recent study, elderly drivers who stop driving and have no transportation alternatives become less socially active and risk isolation. This can lead to a decline in both physical and mental health.  Teja Pristavec, a sociology researcher at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, sought to determine the effect of driving mobility on the social participation of older Americans. Her results were published online in...

Top Reasons Everyone Needs a Comprehensive Power of Attorney The benefits of a highly detailed, comprehensive power of attorney are numerous. Unfortunately, many powers of attorney are more general in nature and can actually cause more problems than they solve, especially for our senior population. This issue highlights the benefits of a comprehensive, detailed power of attorney, including some of the provisions that should be included. A proper starting point is to emphasize that the proper use...

In Missouri Pets are considered property. They do not have title to them that one can simply transfer to another person at the time of your death. At The Haggerty Law Firm we can assist individuals who figuring out what is the best tactic to consider when leaving money or property to your pets. I am sure that you have heard of pet trusts. This is certainly one option. However, there are many other options available to individuals who would like to leave their pets items of property. One must als...

At The Haggerty Law Firm, we often see many documents that were created in another state. Clients inevitably will move around the country and their documents might be from another state. Clients of The Haggerty Law Firm ask us do they need to be changed? Our response typically is yes. It is much easier to use a document in Missouri, based on Missouri law, if you are planning on living in Missouri. This can be anything from a Last Will and Testament, Revocable Trust Instrument to Powers of Attorn...