Carole Albright, Managing Partner of Law Firm Carolinas, has been recognized by NC Lawyers Weekly as a 2024 Leaders in the Law Honoree. The award recognizes legal professionals who have gone above and beyond in their profession through contributions to the practice of law as well as service to the broader community. Carole is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law as well as a Certified Parenting Counselor and is past Chair of the Family Law Section of the Greensboro Bar Association. She co-chaired and helped organize and lead the Course Planning Committee of the NC Family Law Specialists for … Continue reading
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Like to Use Emojis With Your Professional Contacts? Enjoy Your Lawsuit.
The use of emojis has become a daily form of communication without getting into a long telephone or text conversation. It conveys, or attempts to convey, information to an intended recipient certain actions, feelings, thoughts or intended actions of the sender towards someone or something. It can apply in private conversations or in mass communications such as social media platforms. What happens when the recipient of an emoji takes the meaning to be vastly different than the intention of the sender? The ramifications of such a miscommunication can result in costly lawsuits and thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees as … Continue reading
Federal Gift and Estate Tax Planning- Part 7 of 7: Advanced Planning with Charitable Trusts
Using a Charitable Remainder Interest Annuity or Unitrust (CRATs/CRUTs) and Charitable Lead Trusts (CLTs) Charitable Remainder Interest Annuity and Unitrust as well as Charitable Lead Trusts are vehicles for the charitably inclined that can provide significant income and estate tax benefits. Both charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts are split interest trust where an annuity interest and a remainder interest are split among the grantor of the trust or other non-charitable beneficiaries and a qualified charity. CRATs and CRUTs Charitable Remainder Interest Annuity Trusts (CRATs) and Charitable Remainder Interest Unitrust (CRUTs) are the two types of charitable remainder trusts. … Continue reading
Federal Gift and Estate Tax Planning- Part 6 of 7: Advanced Planning with QPRTs
A Qualified Personal Residence Trust aka “QPRT” can be an effective gift and estate tax planning tool, especially in cases where an individual has a large amount of wealth of which a primary residence and secondary home make up a significant percentage. IRC Section 25.2702-5 governs the use of QPRTs. What property can be transferred to a QPRT? The IRS allows an individual to transfer no more than two residences (i.e. noncommercial property), including appurtenant structures and adjacent land for residential purposes (primary residence or secondary home) or interest therein to a QPRT. How is a QPRT structured? A QPRT … Continue reading
Adoption Is Great . . . Except for Some
Adoption, for most people, is a time of celebration. A time to welcome a child into their home and a time to expand their family. It is a wonderful avenue to establish and solidify rights to a child outside of a child custody proceeding. But what happens if a biological father, who would have wanted the child, did not know of a child’s existence prior to an adoption proceeding? The answer is, as it is in most cases, it depends. North Carolina adoption statutes set out the mechanism regarding how adoptions take place, who can adopt, and most importantly, whose … Continue reading
5 Law Firm Carolinas Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America
Five attorneys at Law Firm Carolinas have been named to the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Carole Albright, who is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law, has been recognized in the practice of Family Law. Keith Black, who is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law, has been recognized in the practices of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Steven Black, who is a Board Certified Specialist in Residential Real Estate, has been recognized in the practice of Real Estate Law and Community Association (HOA and condo) Law. Jim Slaughter has been recognized in the practices … Continue reading
Adam Marshall Named Partner at Law Firm Carolinas
Attorney Adam Marshal has been named a partner at Law Firm Carolinas, which has six offices throughout North and South Carolina. His practice includes community association (HOA and condo) law as well as land use, zoning and planning issues before the Board of Adjustment and Zoning Commission.
Is it “safe” for community associations to allow food trucks on common areas?
Food trucks are very on trend right now, and many homeowner and condominium associations are considering inviting them to gatherings and community wide parties. Hopefully, boards think before they make a call and reach out to their attorney or manager to make sure that they are proceeding legally. Here are some thoughts to consider when choosing when or how to invite a food truck to your next community event. First, boards generally have the right to decide whether or not to invite or allow food trucks on the common area. Common areas, such as pool decks, clubhouses, community parking lots … Continue reading
The Strange Case of Real Estate and Probate
One of the biggest talking points in estate planning and estate administration conferences is what assets do and do not pass via probate. To answer the basic question of what probate is, which is a topic in and of itself, probate is the court-supervised procedure by which assets pass from a decedent to devisee in the case of testate decedents (those who die with a Will) or from decedent to intestate heirs in the case of intestate decedents (those who die without a Will). The probate procedure in North Carolina, also sometimes referred to as estate administration, is outlined in … Continue reading
Miscellaneous Long-Term Care Planning Info and Options
Note: The allowances and income and resource limitations referenced in this blog are subject to periodic change and this info should not be relied upon without consulting with an attorney at the relevant time. In prior blogs, I have discussed Medicaid options for skilled nursing and the Special Assistance Medicaid program for an assisted living facility. In this blog, I will address some miscellaneous items to ponder when long-term care planning. Assistance for Elderly Veterans First, is your elderly loved one a Veteran? If so, Veteran’s Aid and Attendance may provide a small amount of assistance with long-term care cost. For … Continue reading
Who is the “Community Spouse” in Long-Term Care Planning and What Can They Expect?
Note: The allowances and income and resource limitations referenced in this blog are subject to periodic change and this info should not be relied upon without consulting with an attorney at the relevant time. When one of two spouses goes to a long-term care facility and applies for benefits, there is important lingo to be aware of when speaking with an elder law attorney and/or applying for benefits. The spouse in the long-term care facility is called the Institutionalized Spouse” and the other spouse is referred to as the “Community Spouse.” In this blog, I discuss the asset and … Continue reading
New Firm Facebook Page
Law Firm Carolinas has a new Facebook page where you can keep up with firm activities, read recent blogs, and find out where attorneys are speaking (and includes a photo from this morning’s Piedmont Education Breakfast where Steve Black spoke on Declaration Amendments: Pandora’s Box)? The new page can be found at www.facebook.com/BlackSlaughterBlack. We ask that you follow it, like it, and share it!
Jim Slaughter Recognized for Pro Bono Service
Attorney Jim Slaughter was recently recognized by the Greensboro Bar Association for his pro bono work by being named to the Herb Falk Society. The Herb Falk Society honors Bar members who have performed 75 hours or more of pro bono service hours during the year, which includes free or reduced legal services to clients and activities to improve the legal profession. This is Jim’s 7th year of recognition. His is pictured here with Judge Teresa Vincent, 2019 President of the Greensboro Bar Association.
Firm Recognition
The readers of YES! Weekly magazine have selected the firm as a “Best Lawyer/Law Firm.” It’s nice to be recognized! For more information on Law Firm Carolinas and our practice areas, please visit www.lawfirmcarolinas.com
When is a Limited Driving Privilege not a Privilege to Drive?
When a person finally reaches the age that he/she is qualified to receive a Driver’s License from the State of North Carolina he or she sees the opportunity for freedom from parental control and interference…at least that is what my children envisioned. I, as the parent, despite the dangers of driving enjoyed the freedom from car pools, endless trips to school, doctors’ appointments, tutoring lessons and sports practices. However a License is just a privilege to drive and is subject to revocation by the Department of Motor Vehicles under a variety of statutes, rules and regulations. Recently, I represented a … Continue reading