Spring 2014: Attorney Robert J. Shanahan, Jr. completed a 30 Hour Civil Mediation Training Course conducted by the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators (NJAPM): a prerequisite to appointment to the Roster of Court Appointed Attorneys for the Civil Division to accreditation by the NJAPM.
I often receive calls from people who have just lost a loved one and want to know what to do. Often, these calls occur within two days of the event, and the callers are either “shell-shocked” or, understandably, upset. They are very worried about how
BY ROBERT J. SHANAHAN, JR. ESQ. Generally, a court order creating a guardianship for an incapacitated person terminates upon the death of the ward. The guardian is relieved of his or her responsibilities as guardian and may not take any further action with regard to
By: Robert J. Shanahan, Jr. Esq. BACKGROUND Collaborative Law has been mainly used and developed in the Family Law arena, but it was never intended to be limited to Family Law. Collaboration, by attorneys, with accountants, physicians, social workers and others, has been happening in
By: Robert J. Shanahan, Jr. Esq. Much has been said about the use of mediation as a tool to avoid long and costly trials in civil litigation over the past two decades. It has been proven as a useful tool in settling business and family
As a BSA merit badge counselor, I once asked a group of Scouts for the definition of “community”, as in how to be a good member of a community. One Scout answered, “It means, I’ve got your back.” Of all of the definitions I have
It is often assumed that when an incapacitated person needs a guardian, all right of decision-making is taken from the person in need. While the removal of the right of self decision-making may be required in the vast majority of cases, it is not necessarily
Pending in the New Jersey legislature is a proposed law which would require Medicaid applicants to sell any life insurance policies they own and use the money toward nursing home care. Currently, New Jersey Medicaid applicants can keep term life insurance policies; they must cash
In New Jersey, and many other states, a surviving spouse has a right to one-third of a deceased spouse’s estate, despite provisions in the Last Will to the contrary. In other words, you may disinherit your spouse in your Last Will, but he or she
New Jersey Chief Justice, Stuart Rabner, announced a statewide program to monitor court appointed guardians and their care of the state’s most vulnerable citizens, the elderly and disabled who rely on legal guardians to manage their financial and health-related decisions. The plan calls for volunteers
The February 2013 edition of Consumer Reports (CR) has an interesting article on “7 Money Stumbles to Avoid”. CR completed a study about American’s money habits and found “several common and insidious blunders that could cause significant financial, and sometimes emotional, pain.” Guess what was
Many people leave a percentage of their estate, instead of a specific dollar amount, to one or more charities in their Last Will and Testament. Under New Jersey law, when a percentage of the estate is left to a charity, the State Attorney General's office
Mom or Dad will need nursing home care sometime in the immediate future. In order to preserve the asset for the kids, should Mom and Dad sign a deed and transfer ownership of the house to the kids for one dollar? Maybe not. First, if
The Board of Directors of Volunteer Guardianship, One on One, Inc. has elected Bob Shanahan as its Vice President. Volunteer Guardianship. One on One, Inc. is an organization which trains and supports volunteers to become guardians for those who cannot act for themselves and have no
On Wednesday, September 30, Bob Shanahan became the President-Elect of the Hunterdon County Bar Association. www.huntcolaw.org
Being an Elder Care attorney for over fifteen years, I have seen so many people in anguish over caring for their aging parents. Many times, I have heard men and women say, "The pressure is killing me." Most of the time, it is the women
Bob Shanahan has been elected President of the Board of Trustees for Guardianship One on One, Inc. Volunteer Guardianship recruits and trains volunteers to be guardians for those who have no family members to protect and assist them. See www.volunteerguardianship.org
Bob Shanahan has completed a two-day, Interdisciplinary Collaborative Law training session, which was held at the New Jersey State Bar Law Center, on November 19 and 21. Collaborative Law seeks to mediate matters by using the assistance of various professionals to work out differences and