Philadelphia Law Firm Blog by Meyerson and O'Neill Attorneys

In the state of Alabama, if a loved one dies without a will and leaves behind a spouse, what your spouse receives depends on whether you have living parents and children. If you do not, your spouse inherits all of your intestate property. The size of each share depends greatly on how many children you have and whether or not you are married.

Read the following to understand who gets what according to intestate succession:

• If a loved one dies with children, but no spouse, parents, or siblings, the children inherit everything.
• If a loved one dies with a surviving spouse but no children, parents, or siblings, the spouse inherits everything.
• If a spouse and children survive who are related to the deceased and the spouse, the spouse inherits the first $50,000 of the intestate property, plus half of the balance on the intestate property. The children inherit the remaining intestate property.
• If a spouse and children survive who are not related to the spouse, the spouse inherits half of the intestate property and the children receive the remainder of the estate.
• If only a spouse and parents survive, the spouse inherits the first $100,000 of the intestate property, plus half of the balance of your intestate property.
• If parents survive but no children, spouse, or siblings, the parents inherit all of the estate.
• If siblings survive, but no children, spouse or parents, the siblings inherit all of the estate.
• If the deceased has no living family, the estate is turned over to the state. However, this rarely happens because the law is designed to get your property to anyone who was remotely related to you. If there are any surviving cousins, great uncles, aunts, or siblings of a spouse, they will receive the estate before the state of Alabama.

To learn more about intestacy laws, visit www.nolo.com.

For more information about intestacy laws in Alabama, contact the experts at Meyerson and O’Neill law firm today at 877-373-8059.

You’ve just lost a loved one suddenly, and if passing without a will, you and your family are left with legal matters that are often confusing and stressful. In the state of Vermont, intestacy law is in place to divide any part of a decedent’s estate that is not effectively disposed by will, which passes to the decedent’s heirs, as modified by the decedent’s will.

Read the following to understand intestacy laws in Vermont:

• After all payments of debts, funeral charges and expenses, the surviving spouse shall receive the entire estate as long as all of the descendants are also descendants of the surviving spouse. The surviving spouse may receive the decedent’s furniture and furnishings, terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, and vehicles, as long as the descendants of the decedent do not object.
• In the event that one or more surviving descendants of the decedent who are not related to the spouse, and they are not excluded by the will, the surviving spouse shall receive one half of the estate.

• If there is no surviving spouse, the estate goes to the parents of the decedent equally.
• The estate is divided equally to the decedents siblings and the descendants of any deceased siblings.
• One half of the intestate estate goes to the decedent’s paternal grandparents equally if they both survive.
• The estate is divided in equal shares to the next of kin to equal degree.

To learn more about intestacy law, visit www.leg.state.vt.us.

For more information on intestacy laws in Vermont, contact the experts at Meyerson and O’Neill Law Firm today at 877-373-8059.

When considering purchasing Medical Malpractice Insurance, doing your research ahead of time is key. All parties involved – physicians and insurance brokers alike – are required to know every minute detail of what exactly is being purchased. This ensures many things, but mainly that the insurance will do its job smoothly in times of need. Here are three helpful tips to get you through the purchasing process with ease:

Know What Policy is Best For You: Prior to meeting with your broker, do a bit of research. Keep in mind what type of policy is best suitable for your practice and will provide the best care for a feasible price. Also, don’t forget that your broker is working for you, and not the company. He or she will attempt to offer you the best plan possible, so do not go into the first meeting with a malicious mindset!

Become Informed: It’s imperative that all aspects of your insurance options are known. While meeting with your broker, make sure to review all points of the policy itself, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Also, reiteration is always helpful. The more you know, the more prepared you will be under possible malpractice situations.

Choose a Reputable Insurance Company: Knowing the company whom will be providing your insurance is important. Whether it’s the history of the company, or the stability of their employees, finding out this type of information is significant before any kind of big insurance purchase. After all, under some circumstances, a medical malpractice insurance claim can make or break your career, so it’s best to ensure both the insurance provided and the insurance company operate under the highest possible standards.

While obtaining medical malpractice insurance is necessary for your practice, hopefully a claim will never appear throughout the entirety of your medical career. However, if a claim does in fact arise, it is best to have a reliable and trustworthy insurance company supporting you.

When you lose someone you love and they have left without a will for their estate, they are said to have passed away intestate. Understanding wrongful death laws can be difficult, as they vary from state to state.

Read the following to understand priority under intestacy law in Connecticut:

• If a spouse is living but no children or parent, all of the estate goes to the spouse.
• If a spouse and parent are living but no children, the first $100,000 and 3/4 of the estate goes to the spouse. The remainder is divided equally among the parents.
• If a spouse and children are living, the spouse takes 1/2 the estate. If the children are also the spouse’s, the spouse also takes $100,000. If the children are not the spouse’s, the spouse only takes 1/2 of the estate and the remains are divided among the children of the same generation.
• If children are living but no spouse, shares of the estate are divided equally among children of the same generation.
• If there is no spouse or children living, shares are divided equally among the parents.
• If there is no children, parents, or spouse living, shares go to brothers and sisters or descendants. Shares are divided equally if they are in the same generation. If there are no living brothers and sisters, the estate goes to the next of kin.

When there are multiple generations involved (such as grandchildren):

• The estate is divided into as many shares as there are living members of the nearest generation of children, including deceased children who left behind children of their own. Each surviving heir in the nearest generation of the victim receives one share and the share of each deceased person is divided into the next generation in the same manner.

For more information on Connecticut wrongful death laws, visit justice.gov.

If you or someone you know is dealing with a Connecticut wrongful death case, contact the experts at Meyerson and O’Neill law firm today at 877-373-8059.

If you have lost a family member or friend without a will, they are said to have passed away intestate. Each state has specific laws as to how the remainder of the estate is passed down, due to priority of pecuniary loss.

Read the following to understand priority of California intestacy laws:

• If the spouse but no children, parents, brothers, sisters, or descendants of deceased brother or sister are living, the spouse takes all.
• If the spouse and one child are living, the spouse takes 1/2 and the remainder goes to the child or the issue of the deceased child.
• If the spouse and two or more children are living, the spouse takes 1/3 of the intestate, the remaining portion goes to the children divided equally of the same generation.
• If the spouse is living and parents or brothers and sisters, but no children, the spouse takes half and the remaining portion goes to the victim’s parents. If there are no parents, the shares are divided to the children of the parents (brothers and sisters of the victim) equally, as long as they are in the same generation.
• If the children and parents are living but no spouse, all shares go to the children of the victim equally, as long as they are in the same generation.
• If parents are living but no children or spouse, the victim’s parents take all. If there are no parents, the children of the parents take equal shares, as long as they are in the same generation.

When family members of different generations are involved:

• The estate is divided into as many shares as there are living members of the nearest generation children, including deceased children in the same generation who left behind children of their own. The share of the deceased is divided equally among his or her descendants.

To learn more about California wrongful death laws, visit justice.gov.

If you or someone you love has a wrongful death case in California, please contact the attorneys at Meyerson and O’Neill law firm today at 877-373-8059.

A friend or loved one has passed suddenly, and if left without a will, their loved ones are to deal with the complicated matters involving their estate. The Massachusetts Wrongful Death statute interprets each case according to intestate law.

Read the following to understand the priority under Massachusetts intestacy laws:

• If the spouse is living and relatives but no children, the spouse takes the first $200,000 and half of the remainder of the estate. The next of kin takes the remaining balance.
• If spouse and children are living, the spouse takes half of the estate and the children take the balance.
• If the spouse is living but no children or other relatives, the spouse takes all.
• If children are living and no spouse, the children of the same generation take all divided equally.
• In the instance that no spouse or children are living, the parents take all shares of the estate divided equally.
• If there is no living spouse, children, or parents, the brothers and sisters of the victim in the same generation.
• If no one listed above is living, whoever is the next closest in kinship takes the estate.

When there is more than one generation involved:

• The estate is divided into as many shares as there are living members of the nearest generation of children, including deceased children who left children of their own behind. Each receives one share and the share of the deceased is divided among their children in the same order.

For more information on Massachusetts intestate law, visit justice.gov.

If you think you have a wrongful death case, contact the experts at Meyerson and O’Neill law firm today at 877-373-8059.

Virginia Wrongful Death Laws

Losing a loved one is a tragic time for any family. Determining the loss and division of a loved one’s estate can of add stress to painful situation. Damages are distributed by the state according to intestacy law. Know how the estate should be divided according to Virginia intestate law.

Read the following summary of wrongful death and intestacy laws in Virginia:

• If spouse is living and children, all of the estate goes to the spouse.
• If spouse and children are living, the spouse takes all, unless children are not descendents of the living spouse. In those special cases, 2/3 of the estate is given to the children and 1/3 of the estate goes to the spouse. The children divide shares equally among those of the same generation.
• If the children are living and no spouse, the children take all in equal shares divided amongst those in the same generation.
• If parents are living and no spouse or children, parents take all divided equally.
• If no parents, spouse, or children are living, brothers and sisters and their descendants take all in equal shares of the same generation.

When children of different generations are involved:

• The estate is divided into as many shares as there are living members of the nearest generation of children. Each surviving heir receives one share and a share is put aside for every deceased heir and divided upon his descendants in the same manner.

For more information on wrongful death and intestacy laws, visit justice.gov.

If you feel that you or a loved one has a wrongful death case, contact the attorneys at Meyerson and O’Neill law firm today at 877-373-8059.

District of Columbia Wrongful Death Laws

You’ve lost a loved one suddenly and without a will, the damages left behind are distributed by the state according to intestacy law. Intestacy law is defined by each individual state as the distribution of the estate amongst the remaining family.

Damages are distributed according to intestate law in DC:

• If the spouse is living and no children or parent, the spouse receives all of the estate.
• If the spouse and children are living, the spouse receives 2/3 or 1/2 of the estate. If the children are also the spouse’s, the spouse takes 2/3 of the estate. If the children are not the spouse’s, the spouse takes 1/2 of the estate and the remainder goes to the children.
• If the spouse and parent are living but no children, then 3/4 of the estate goes to the spouse and parents split the remainder equally.
• If no children or spouse are living, parents divide shares equally among each other.
• If there are no parents, children, or spouse living, the brothers and sisters divide the remainder of the estate equally among each other.

When children of different generations are involved:

• Damages are divided into as many shares as there are children of the victim, and a share is designated to the offspring of any deceased children divided equally.

For more information on the District of Columbia wrongful death laws, visit justice.gov.

If you or a loved one needs assistance regarding intestacy law, contact the attorneys at Meyerson and O’Neill law firm for a free case evaluation today at 877-373-8059.

Maryland Wrongful Death Statute

Intestacy law can be defined by each state as the laws that govern the disposition of an estate of an individual who dies without a will or final testament. Intestacy law can vary greatly from state to state.

It is important to understand the laws regarding intestate law in order to deal with the legal issues your loved one has left behind. Read the estate distribution of intestacy law in Maryland:

• A spouse and minor children are left behind (not including stepchildren), the spouse receives half of the estate, minor children receive the remaining half of the estate.
• If a spouse and adult children are still living (not including stepchildren), the spouse receives $15,000 plus half of the remaining estate. Adult children divide the remaining estate equally.
• If only children are left behind (not including stepchildren), the estate is divided equally among the children of the same generation.
• If spouse and parents are living, the spouse receives $15,000 and half of the estate. Both parents divide the balance of if only one parent is living the rest of the estate is given to that parent.
• If a spouse is living with none of the above heirs, all of the estate goes to the spouse.
• Parents are living and no others heirs, the parents divide estate equally or remainder goes to the living parent.
• If brothers and sisters are living and none of the heirs above, the estate is divided equally among brothers and sisters. If there was a deceased sibling, their share is divided amongst their children, the nieces and nephews of the victim.

If children of different generations are involved:

• The estate is divided into as many equal shares as there are children of the victim. For those children who may be deceased, their children receive their share.

For more information on Maryland intestacy law, visit justice.gov.

If you or someone you love is dealing with the legal issues of a family member who has passed away, contact the expert attorneys at Meyerson and O’Neill Law Firm today at 877-373-8059.

New York Wrongful Death Laws

You have lost a family member or a close friend. It is a time to grieve, not a time to be confused about the legal issues left behind that you must deal with. If your loved one was left without a will, legal matters can make this grieving time even more stressful and confusing.

Intestacy law determines the inheritance distribution between family members who are left with the estate of the loved one who has passed away.

The priority of intestacy law in New York includes:

• When there is a surviving spouse and parents, but no children or grandchildren, damages are distributed to the parents as well according to their pecuniary loss. Priority under intestate law if the spouse is living but no children, everything goes to the spouse.
• If the spouse is living and children, $50,000 and half of the estate go to the spouse, and the remainder of the estate is divided equally among the children of the same generation.
• If children are living and no spouse, everything goes to the children, divided equally of the same generation.
• If one or both parents are living and no spouse or children, everything goes to the parents divided equally.
• When there is no living spouse, children, or parents, but parents’ children are living, the whole is divided equally among the children as long as they are of the same generation.

When children of different generations are involved:

• New York intestacy law states that a share is set aside for each surviving child of the closest generation to the victim. Shares are set aside for each deceased member of the first generation who left behind children. The shares of the deceased member are distributed among all of the children of the next generation.

For further information on intestacy law, visit justice.gov.

Meyerson and O’Neill law firm specializes in these types of cases. If you are looking to speak with a New York wrongful death attorney, please contact us at 877-373-8059.