4 Things You Absolutely Must Have in Your Will
While everyone knows that having a will makes everything a little easier on your family after you pass, not everyone knows what your will should include. Before you have your will drawn up, you should carefully consider these five must-haves.
Asset Division
While splitting money up can be easy, possessions cause a lot more trouble. There are memories attached to a lot of items, and more than one person might want something. When dividing up your assets, make sure you designate the new owners of any big-ticket items in your will. For other things, you can either divide them up before you die or you can leave a list of who gets what. This can be tedious, but it can be necessary if there are disagreements.
Donations
You aren’t required to leave all of your money to your family, but you will need to specify who you want to leave it to or it will be distributed according to legal tradition. Be aware that it certain areas, money donated after your death to charity can be considered taxable, so you will want to consult with your lawyer to find the best possible option for donating money.
Designated Guardian
If you have dependents, you should make sure that you designated someone to take care of them in the case of your sudden death. This is especially important for parents who have young children. You don’t want to consider dying while your children are still young, but you don’t know what may happen. Choose someone who will not only be willing to take care of your dependents but is also able to take care of them. Their favorite relative may seem like a good choice, but you need to make sure that it is the best choice.
Choose an Executor
The executor is the person that will make sure that you will is properly carried out, so this is a very important choice. The one catch is that this probably shouldn’t be someone who is close to the situation or that will be benefiting from your will. This will allow them to carry out your will without being personally influenced by what they want. Because of this, many people choose to use their lawyer as an executor. Whoever you end up choosing, make sure that they are okay with this role.
It’s never easy to consider what will happen after you die, but these things are crucial to make sure that your family is well taken care of. Don’t be afraid to consult with your family members and professionals when creating your will in order to make sure that everything is exactly as it should be.
References:
Considerations When Naming a Guardian
How Malpractice Lawsuits Can Hurt Your Medical Practice
Whether you are a physician or an owner of a health facility, it is essential for you to know how various situations can affect your practice. Physicians are duty-bound to offer medical care to their patients. As a physician, you will be expected to uphold the dictates of the Hippocratic oath which expressly require you do no harm to your patient. Being careful in the way you attend to your patients is very important both to you and to the healthcare facility that you are affiliated to. However, in some cases, you might be wrongly sued for medical malpractice. When this happens, you need not to despair; you should seek the legal counsel of a qualified attorney who will advise you on how to counter the suit.
What to do if you have malpractice insurance
If you have a malpractice insurance cover, you should inform your insurer of any malpractice lawsuit that is brought against you. Remember insurance covers are meant to protect you in case an insured event happens and in this case, the insured event is being sued for medical malpractice. Having this kind of insurance cover will reduce the stress that accompanies being sued by your patients.
Upon notifying your malpractice insurer, you will be assigned an attorney to help you with the case. You need to cooperate with your attorney and do exactly as he or she directs you to do. For example, if the attorney asks you for client records to help in building your defense make sure that you have supplied them in good time. These cases tend to be all about the victim. According to FLG, “a careless mistake can be devastating, leading to serious injury or death, changing your life forever.”
Should you fight or settle?
Similar to any other serious lawsuit, malpractice lawsuits carry some severe penalties which must be thought through when weighing between settling and fighting the case. Good news for you if you have an attorney assigned to you by your insurer or your own hired attorney because they will use their experience to weigh the merits of each move and advice on the best move. Don’t be afraid to settle when your attorney advises you to settle. This move might help you redeem your reputation and get back on track.
Parting shot:
Malpractice lawsuits can taint your medical career and tarnish the reputation of the health facility you work for. It is therefore essential for you to work with an attorney who will help you fight the lawsuit and emerge victoriously.
OSHA Laws All New Businesses Should be Aware Of
All businesses are required to comply with OSHA laws and regulations. These rules help in explaining the federal laws and regulations requirements that are concerned with safety and health in the workplace. Enforcing OSHA also helps to create a safe and healthy workplace for all workers in conformity with the law. It is therefore essential to understand the rules that will affect you when starting a new business. Here are some basics in getting OSHA implemented in all facets of your work.
Responsibilities as an Employer
Under the provisions of the OSHA Act, an employer must provide a safe and conducive workplace for employees, free from hazards that may cause physical harm or even fatalities. It applies regardless of the size of the business. The OHSA requirements should be readily available in the workplace for the employees to access them upon request. Any new employer must also display OSHA’s Safe and Healthful Workplaces poster in a notable and conspicuous location at the workplace where prospective employees and current employees can see it. It helps inform employees of their rights and responsibilities under the OSHA Act.
Keep Records of Injuries and Illnesses
Employers are required to keep a record of occupational injuries and illnesses reported in the workplace, especially if the number of employees is 11 or more. It is done using OSHA Form 300, Log of work-related injuries and illnesses. However, such records are not required in a most retail trade, insurance, real estate, finance, and other service industries.
Employers are required to inform their employees of any hazardous chemicals at the workplace and their dangers. This information includes the identities of the chemicals employees might be exposed to on the job and also describes the protective measures to be taken to prevent adverse effects. The chemicals manufacturers and importers must also evaluate their products and give elaborate information on hazards to customers. This includes things like signs for slippery and wet floors and fire exits.
Business Inspection
All businesses covered by the OSHA Act must comply with set safety and health standards at the workplace. Businesses are also subject to inspection by federal or state compliance safety and health officers who have knowledge and experience in the occupational safety and health field. Depending on your industry and your state, you may be subject to these inspections on an annual basis.
OSHA provides several services that primarily benefit new businesses a lot and these services include advice, education, and assistance to new business. It works with professional organizations, unions, and community groups concerning issues of a safe and healthy workplace as they provide consultation, instructions, publication, and partnership services. Don’t neglect this important aspect while building your business and hiring new employees.
Slow Down! 4 Ways Reckless Driving Can Come Back to Haunt You
Reckless driving is not a joke. You see it all the time when people fly past you, when vehicles weave in and out of traffic, and when people make the decision to drink and drive. Reckless driving isn’t funny, and it’s sometimes deadly. What might start out as a joke racing another car at a red light could end with hit-and-run accidents that cost you your future.
Serious Injury
When you are speeding, it will take longer for you to stop, or you may not see a car until it is too late. You are less likely to be checking your mirrors. Imagine being the person responsible for someone’s inability to walk, or that causes someone to lose a limb. It happens all the time when people drive recklessly. Not only could you hurt someone else, you could hurt yourself. A few minutes of speeding or careening around the highway can end in hundreds and thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Death
Not only could you be responsible for seriously hurting yourself or someone else, you could kill someone. Reckless driving is responsible for 33% of fatal accidents. While the guilt you may feel from being responsible for someone’s death will never go away, you could be the one who doesn’t walk away, and you will be leaving your family to deal with that. If you do kill someone, you will have to deal with the legal ramifications and the jail time that accompanies that.
Drunk Driving
Driving while drinking is one of the most irresponsible and reckless things that you can do. The facts are well known, but there are still too many people who think they are invincible. When you are under the influence, your judgment and reaction times are severely impaired, to the point that you are a serious danger. Not only are your more likely to hurt someone or yourself, you are less likely to stop at the scene of the accident. Your judgment is impaired, so you may not even realize what you have done. Now you have added a hit-and-run to your already bad decisions.
Loss of License
You may not face the consequences of reckless driving right away, but they will catch up to you eventually. If you accumulate enough tickets to prove that you are not a safe driver, you will lose your license and have to pay through the nose to get it back. This includes hefty fines, driving school, limitations on your license when you get it back, and other penalties, depending on the severity of your offense.
Making the decision to drive recklessly is too dangerous. Remember that what happens today could still haunt you for the rest of your life, and you’ll never get over it. Make wise decisions, and stay out of the car if you cannot drive without endangering yourself or others.