Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash November 2020 My Dear Barber, Keeper of the Coif, Star of Sideburns and Straight-Razor Shaves. Yes, I see that you see me walk by. Sometimes you wave. Sometimes I hang my head in shame. The look in your eye – is it derision? sadness? coveting a chop […]
Your Life and the Law
A Tale of Two Cons: Part II
Our previous story should be a lesson to all about how an innocent-enough pastime, Scrabble GO, can lead to the loss of hundreds or thousands of dollars. (In fact, I wish that story were concluded, but the fact is, some folks are too stubborn or have diminished capacity to understand.) This next story, ironically, takes […]
A Tale of Two Cons, Part I
Scams. Cons. Confidence games. The list of clever ways developed to cheat people throughout the ages is long. Our reaction, legally speaking, is strong, despite our love for movies about con artists, and well it should be. Of all the ways to steal from someone, tricking them by feeding them a lie is, at least […]
Medicaid for Long-Term Care
Medicaid, like Medicare, is an entitlement program that provides health insurance. Unlike Medicare, however, Medicaid is a “partnership” between the federal and state governments and requires more than categorical eligibility. It is “means tested.” That is because Medicaid was originally developed as a safety net. The reality is, however, that many Americans who have worked […]
Legacy Law, Part II: Death (and) Taxes
Nothing is certain but death and taxes, the saying goes. Some taxes are avoidable, some are inapplicable, and some (like sales and use tax) just about everyone must pay. One additional certainty – at least for the foreseeable future – is that less than 10 percent of Vermonters will be taxed for their generosity – […]
Legacy Law, Part I: Elder law
Rotary Clubs identify members by their profession. My name badge says “Elder Law.” I’ve always been uncomfortable with the term because people either think they know what it means or have no idea what it means. Until the mid-twentieth century or so, the “elder law,” as such, didn’t exist. For one thing, the average life […]
Elevator Speech
Welcome to the inaugural post of “Your Life and the Law,” the blog of Otter Creek Law, PLLC. Shortly after we opened, a friend of mine asked, “So, what’s your elevator speech? What do you do?” I’ll admit, this is something I’ve struggled with for a long time. Another question I get all the time […]