Elderlaw News May 2012
May 2012
- Who Gets Access to Your Online Accounts After You Die?
- Reverse Mortgage Borrowers Are Getting Younger, Which May Not Be a Good Thing
- Provision in Will to Kill the Cat Found Invalid
- Settlement Reached in Dispute over Astor Estate
Welcome to our E-Newsletter
ElderLaw News is a monthly e-newsletter that brings you reports of legal developments and other trends of vital interest to seniors and their advocates. This newsletter is brought to you by Julian Gray Associates.
Who Gets Access to Your Online Accounts After You Die?
You may have a plan for what to do with your physical belongings after you die, but what about your online accounts? In today’s social media-dominated world, a person’s digital presence lives on online even after he or she is gone. But who has the right to access those accounts? States have begun addressing this issue with new digital access laws.
Reverse Mortgage Borrowers Are Getting Younger, Which May Not Be a Good Thing
The age of reverse mortgage borrowers is dropping, according to a new study by MetLife. Unfortunately, reverse mortgages come with risks, so younger borrowers need to be careful.
Provision in Will to Kill the Cat Found Invalid
A Chicago judge has reversed a death sentence that has been hanging over Boots the cat for months. The feline’s owner, Georgia Lee Dvorak, died last Christmas Eve at age 76. Dvorak left no survivors, and her will, written in 1988, included a provision directing that any cat or cats she owned at the time of her death be euthanized “in a painless, peaceful manner.”
Settlement Reached in Dispute over Astor Estate
A settlement has been reached in the dispute over the estate of legendary New York socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor. The settlement gives $100 million to charity and cuts in half the amount going to her son, who was convicted of stealing from her.