Monthly Archives: October 2015

Haunting story of a lonely man’s death

george BellI read this story in the New York Times a few days ago and it still haunts me.

The Lonely Death of George Bell tells about a man who died alone.  No one realized he was gone and there was no one to plan his funeral or settle his estate.  This story goes thru the saga of what happened to him, what he left behind and who had to deal with all of it.  It’s more like a novella than an article but it’s well worth taking the time to read it.  I did and can’t forget it!

For more information about issues related to dying and settling an estate, go to www.diesmart.com.

New California Digital Privacy Law

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Earlier this month, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a very broad statute that protects digital privacy rights.

Called the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, it does not allow any law enforcement agency to force a business to turn over any metadata or digital communications without a warrant.  The new legislation seems to be the most comprehensive in the United States.

Here’s an article from Slate we found that provides lots of details about the new California law.

For more information on how to protect your digital assets, go to www.diesmart.com or look for our book  “ACCESS DENIED” on amazon.com.

California passes right-to-die law

131754-gov-jerry-brown_1This past week, Governor Jerry Brown of California signed a bill into law that makes it legal for a dying person to end his or her life.  When Brown signed the bill, he also released a letter to the state assembly explaining why he agreed to sign it.

He said, “The crux of the matter is whether the State of California should continue to make it a crime for a dying person to end his life, no matter how great his pain or suffering.  In the end, I was left to reflect on what I would want in the face of my own death.”

“I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain,” Brown wrote. “I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn’t deny that right to others.”

The law requires that patients are able to administer the life-ending drug themselves.  Also, their decision must be submitted in written form, signed by two witnesses and approved by two doctors.

California becomes the fifth state to have a right-to-die law.  New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington are the others.

For more information about end-of-life decisions, go to www.diesmart.com.

Are your loved ones protected when you die?

last-will  Larry and Susan had been living together for more than 20 years.  They never legally married; they said once had been enough.  A piece of paper wouldn’t change how they felt about each other.  Larry had been married before and had two sons.  Susan had also been married previously and she had a daughter.

When Larry’s father became incapacitated, they moved into his house to take care of him.  His father, to thank them for all they’d done, left the house to Larry in his will and named Larry beneficiary of his life insurance policy.  When his father died, Larry inherited the house and Susan and Larry continued to live in the house.  Larry promised to deposit the check from the insurance company into their joint bank account as soon as it arrived.

As Larry was crossing the street on his way home from work one day, he was struck by a car driven by a drunk driver and he died almost instantly.

Larry didn’t have a will and had not left any legal document naming Susan as his heir.  They lived in a state that did not recognize common law marriage so, when he died, his sons inherited everything.  They forced Susan to move out of the house and refused to give her any of the proceeds from the life insurance policy.  In essence, Susan was left with almost nothing!

Families today are very complex.  Some are the traditional married mother and father in their first marriage.  Many more are couples who were previously married to other spouses or who are legally married gay couples.  However, many people live together without benefit of a legal ceremony. This mixture of circumstances makes inheritance much more difficult and complex.

The only way to be sure your loved ones are protected is to prepare a will or a trust naming the person(s) you want to inherit your assets when you die.  Otherwise, state law will dictate who receives what.  Not you. It’s frightening that more than half of the people living in the United States today do not have a will and have not protected their loved ones. You can find a simple will form on the internet or can meet with an estate planning attorney to discuss the options that are best for you.

Don’t be like Larry.  Act now so those you love will be protected when you’re gone. For more information about wills and estate planning, go to www.diesmart.com.