Several months ago, I wrote a Blog entry, “Wrongful Life?”, where I discussed whether, in New York, there is a legal remedy for “wrongful life” when a hospital or a doctor refuses to follow the terms of a patient’s living will and his or her health care proxy’s instructions resulting in pain and suffering by
Sally M. Donahue
I’m Dreaming Of A “Green” Christmas
Recently, I read a newspaper article reporting that Bing Crosby’s estate is selling an equal stake in the rights to Bing Crosby’s catalog to Primary Wave Music for an estimated $50 million dollars, making Primary Wave Music and the estate partners. Of late, contemporary musicians, such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, have made lucrative…
“TOXIC?”
Many people have been following the developments in the conservatorship of Britney Spears. It is hard not to since the matter has been in the headlines so often of late. Ms. Spears alleged gross financial and personal abuse by her father, who, until he was suspended earlier this week by Los Angeles Superior Court, had…
“Excuse My Dust”
Dorothy Parker is known for having been a prolific writer and poet. She was born in 1893 and died in 1967. She is famous for her satirical style and biting wit. She was a member of the legendary Algonquin Round Table, a group that included Robert Benchley, an American humorist, and Robert E. Sherwood, an…
Guardianships and Conservatorships – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Most of us know the name “Britney Spears” from her long show business career, which began when she was a child. By the time she was twelve years old, she starred in The Mickey Mouse Club. She later catapulted to stardom as a “pop” star. Most of us are equally aware that Ms. Spears suffered…
General Obligations Law Article 15 Gets Some Teeth
In this week’s New York Trusts and Estates blog entry, Sally M. Donahue discusses one of the many recent changes to the law regarding statutory short form Powers of Attorney, that change being the possible award of monetary damages, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs against a third party who is found to have acted unreasonably…
It’s Never Too Soon
As a trusts and estates practitioner, part of my practice is to help my clients formulate an estate plan. The plan usually includes a Will, a Heath Care Proxy, a Living Will and a Power of Attorney. Some people opt to place some or all of their assets in a Trust. Assets also can be…
What to do when your intellectually or developmentally disabled child is about to reach adulthood.
Parents who have children approaching adulthood, in New York, that being when the child reaches his or her eighteenth birthday, know that even such a happy occasion can bring its own version of angst. Watching one’s child undertake the rights and responsibilities of adulthood involves letting go of the control the parent has had since…
Dollars, But No Sense
I have been practicing in the area of trusts and estates litigation for so long that it is rare that I even raise an eyebrow at what people will do and say about their families in order to gain an advantage in a probate contest or other estate proceeding. I also have developed a varied…
Wrongful Life?
In New York, is there a legal remedy for “wrongful life” when a hospital or a doctor refuses to follow the terms of a patient’s living will and his or her health care proxy’s instructions resulting in pain and suffering by the patient?
Most people have heard of legal actions for pain and suffering and…