Lincolnton North Carolina Legal Blog

Parents should include plans for their children in their estate

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Estate Planning on Friday, May 10, 2019.

Parents of young children need to ensure that they have plans for the kids just in case something happens to both adults. This isn't an easy thing to think about, but making these estate plans now can help you feel more secure since you know that your children will be cared for if you aren't around any longer.

There are several things that you need to do when you are making these plans. One of the most pressing is to decide who is going to raise the children for you. This individual needs to be named as a guardian for the kids. It is a good idea to have more than one option in your estate plan. You could have a primary, secondary and tertiary just in case there are issues with the primary option.

Ease the stress that children feel on transition days

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Family Law on Friday, April 26, 2019.

One of the most stressful things that children have to deal with during their parents' divorce is having to move back and forth between homes. For likely their entire lives, they have been living in the same house with both parents. The days that might be the hardest for them are the ones when they go from one parent's house to the other's. It is up to both adults to help them thrive despite these challenges.

Children who understand the concepts of days and hours might benefit from knowing the schedule ahead of time. This could help them plan for the transition ahead of time. You might consider making a calendar to show when they will go to the other parent's house. If there are schedule changes that deviate from what the child is accustomed to, let them know ahead of time.

Be sure to put estate planning on your baby to-do list

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. on Thursday, April 18, 2019.

If you are like other North Carolina expectant parents, you have a long to-do list before the baby arrives. With so many tasks to take care of in a relatively short amount of time, you may wonder whether you will forget something.

What you may forget to even put on your list is estate planning. This is something that many new parents neglect to address, but it could prove one of the most important things you can do for your new arrival.

First-time homebuyers must be careful

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Real Estate on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

Buying your first home is a big step in any adult's life. Many don't realize that they need to ensure that they have legal protections during the process. The last thing you want to do is to buy a home only to find out that it has major problems and then to find out that you don't have any recourse. Having an experienced team to work with you is beneficial.

When you are looking for homes, make sure that you are thinking about your needs first and your desires last. One mistake that some first-time homebuyers make is trying to buy more house than they need or having too big of a mortgage. Just because you are approved for a specific loan amount doesn't mean you have to buy a home that is that much. Instead, that is the upper cap on your purchase. Make sure that you know how much you can afford monthly, as well as what down payment you can make.

Criminal defense strategies must consider jury perception

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Criminal Defense on Thursday, March 28, 2019.

When you are facing a criminal charge, you have to come up with a strategy for your defense. This can be challenging because you must think about a variety of things that can have an impact on the specific points you can use in that defense. Because of the uniqueness of each criminal case, you can't rely on a cookie-cutter defense when you are trying to determine what to do. We know that this can be a complicated process, but we are here to help you work through it.

Your defense strategy has to encompass everything that you do with your defense. It must include considerations about the way you are pleading. If you think that you are going to entertain a plea deal, that has to be a factor in your decisions. You also have to think about the evidence and witnesses the prosecution will call because you have to try to refute as much as possible.

Do single, childless adults need an estate plan?

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Estate Planning on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.

Adults who don't have children might wonder why they should have an estate plan in place. They might not have anyone that is counting on their support when they pass away. Even if you don't have any dependents, you can still set up the estate plan.

One thing to remember when you are in this position is that not having an estate plan means that the state's intestate laws will apply to your assets. The state has a predetermined method of distributing things if you pass away without an estate plan. If you don't have anyone who meets the criteria, the assets remain with the state.

Parenting plan terms must be handled carefully

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Family Law on Friday, March 1, 2019.

The parenting plan that you and your ex agree to can have a big impact on your children. It is important that you try to get the terms set as quickly as possible because your children can settle into the new way of life, including the schedule, when you have everything set. We know that this isn't always easy, but it is important that you try to work things out so that you can move forward and help your children to do the same.

When you are trying to figure out what to include in the custody agreement, remember that the focus has to be the children. Everything in the parenting plan has to be based on their needs. Trying to put the focus on the adults will almost certainly make things more difficult.

Missteps can invalidate some or all of your will

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. on Friday, February 22, 2019.

Estate planning is a prudent step for North Carolina readers of all income levels, including those who do not have vast wealth or valuable assets. By making the effort to plan for what will happen after you pass, you can have a say over what happens to your stuff, who gets what and even plan for the care of your beloved pet. There are many benefits to planning ahead, regardless of money, health status or age.

If you are ready to move forward with the estate planning process, you would be wise to first take the time to learn about the process. Common estate planning mistakes can cost you dearly and ultimately invalidate some or all of your plans. This doesn't have to happen to you.

Stress can cause serious problems for children

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Family Law on Friday, February 15, 2019.

Divorce is hard on children, so parents must ensure that they are watching for signs that their children are getting stressed. There are many signs that can point to this possibility, so pay close attention to how your children are faring.

Stress can cause many things to happen to kids. One of the primary considerations is that divorce impacts their emotional health. This can lead to them struggling in different ways, including in their ability to cope with changes.

Know your rights and options during your criminal case

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Criminal Defense on Friday, February 1, 2019.

When you are facing a criminal charge, you are going to have to make some very serious decisions. The first one that might come up is whether you will speak to investigators or not. Remember that you do have constitutional rights. One of these is that you don't have to answer questions without having your lawyer present. It is usually a good idea to clearly invoke this right so that you don't say anything that will implicate you in a crime.

We understand that you might have some questions about what's going on right now, especially if this is your first time in the criminal justice system. We are here to help you learn about the options that you have in your case. These can vary greatly depending on the circumstances, so don't try to rely on what someone else did with their case unless yours is exactly like theirs.