Surely many readers of this article are scratching their heads worrying about what to do with the large cache of aging wills stored in their offices or placed in designated safe deposit boxes. Will storage is an ongoing issue for attorneys for two basic reasons. First, attorneys who regularly retain clients’ original wills are easily … Continued
Artificial intelligence continues to evolve behind a new generation of autonomous, goal-seeking systems that can act on behalf of humans. An upcoming New York State Bar Association CLE course entitled Agentic AI and Vibe Coding for Lawyers will explore the questions of liability, duty of care, confidentiality, and professional responsibility related to this technology. Computer … Continued
The New York State Bar Association recently honored Linda McMahon with the Ray of Hope Award for her 30-year commitment to the Lawyer Assistance Program. McMahon retired in 2020 after spending her career as the program’s administrative assistant. She worked under four directors and brought a rare degree of commitment, devotion and compassion. She also … Continued
Most plaintiffs in lawsuits pay their lawyer a contingent fee. If the case settles for $1 million, the lawyer is paid a percentage, say 40%. Checks can be cut in different ways, but in most cases, the lawyer receives the gross proceeds, deducts the fee and expenses, and sends the balance to the client. As … Continued
New York State Bar Association President Kathleen Sweet issued the following statement today: “The New York State Bar Association denounces Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche‘s declaration of ‘war’ on the judiciary and bar association disciplinary bodies. “At a recent conference of the Federalist Society, Mr. Blanche characterized the Department of Justice’s resistance to ethical oversight … Continued
New York State Bar Association members now receive free access to Smokeball Bill, legal-specific software that simplifies trust accounting and billing! Unlock Your Free Access With built-in tools for three-way reconciliation, invoicing, and matter-based time tracking, it’s designed to help small law firms reduce manual tasks and save time. You don’t need to piece together … Continued
As we move further and further into the digital age, gone are the days when a fiduciary could merely collect the decedent’s mail to discover assets and claims, review the decedent’s address book to find potential heirs, and collect photographs to distribute to family members. Increasingly we as a society are relying on our often … Continued
Surrogate’s Court controversies create the perfect environment for grieving family members – whether bloodline, marital or chosen – to escalate any existing conflict and emotional strain between them. Surrogate’s Court proceedings routinely concern the probate of wills, administration of estates and complex trust proceedings. Given the inherent familial nature of the parties to these types … Continued
Dear Colleagues: Please allow me to report briefly on the Association’s recent activities. We are collaborating with several organizations around the country in support of the rule of law and advocating to preserve and enhance access to justice. One example of this vital work is our advocacy to save funding for the Legal Services Corporation. … Continued
Kathleen Sweet, president of the New York State Bar Association, issued the following statement today about the government shutdown: “Because of the continuing government shutdown, our federal courts cannot maintain full operations. While certain limited functions will still be performed — including those that protect human life and property — the inability of our courts … Continued