Kohler Law Offices, LLC

08/09/2024

It is almost time for college students to leave for school. Your daughter or son should sign a Power of Attorney and Medical Power of Attorney/Living Will. They are likely over the age of 18, and these documents will give you legal authority to act on his/her behalf should the need arise. We offer convenient and affordable options.

Call our office at (610) 430-7500 or send an email to [email protected] for more details or to schedule an appointment.

www.kohlerlaw.net

Disclaimer: the information in this post is only applicibale in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; is not intended as legal advice to any individual person; and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author or his firm and the reader.

06/18/2024

Thank you to my fellow lawyers for voting for me as a Top Lawyer, 2024, in the Main Line Today poll.

08/20/2019

I am honored that I was selected as a Top Lawyer in the Mainline Today poll.

Who are the best lawyers in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties? Attorneys are nominated via peer balloting, then vetted through our editorial process. Here, we present this year’s winners.

09/27/2017

If you are appointed as the Agent under another person's Power of Attorney, then you must follow some basic but very important rules. 1. You must keep your assets separate from the assets of the Principal (person who you serve under the Power of Attorney); 2. You must act in the best interest of the Principal; 3. You must act with prudence and consistent with the reasonable expectations of the Principal; 4. You must keep meticulous records of any actions that you take as an Agent; and 5. If called upon, you could be required to give a full accounting of all actions that you have taken as an agent under the Power of Attorney.

Disclaimer: the information in this post is only applicibale in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; is not intended as legal advice to any individual person; and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author or his firm and the reader.

09/19/2017

You are never too young to sign Estate documents. A Durable Power of Attorney and Healthcare Directive/Living Will can save your family, time, money and pain. If you don't have these documents in place, and you are incapacitated because of an injury or illness, your family will need to seek a guardianship on your behalf. A guardianship proceeding can be costly. On the other hand Estate documents are easy to complete and affordable.

09/15/2017

If you are involved in a divorce case, involving children, it is essential to be civil and considerate of how the divorce will affect your children. Children are not fully developed emotionally, and it is difficult for them to deal with the changes that will result from the divorce. If the parents engage in combative behavior and negative language about the other parent, it will take a toll on the children. I am not a mental health professional, and this is not offered as legal or psychological advice. However, I have formed the following opinions based on my observations and experience:

1. Don't bad mouth your spouse online, out loud or otherwise. You may think that the kids don't hear or aren't aware, but they hear and see more than you think. At the end of the day, your spouse is the parent of your children, and in most cases, the kids love their Mom/Dad. If you are negative about him/her, then it lowers the kids' opinion of him/her and you. Also, it creates a lot of stress for the kids because they aren't emotionally prepared for what is happening.

2. In most cases, you will be bound to your spouse for the rest of your lives. Graduations, weddings, grandchildren, holidays, birthdays and custody exchanges will cause the two of you to interact. Set the groundwork now for peaceful co-existence. It will be better for you and the kids, and it will save you thousands of dollars in legal fees.

3. Listen to the advice of your lawyer. You are paying him/her to lead you through the case. He/she is experienced, and you are paying for that experience. Follow it. If you don't trust the advice you are receiving, then hire a different lawyer.

4. Don't make your kids choose between you and your spouse. As I mentioned earlier, most times the kids love you both. Don't discuss the issues, proceedings or possible outcomes, unless absolutely necessary. When you talk about the case with the children or in their presence, you are unfairly asking them to pick sides.

This list is far from complete, but these items are important. In future posts, I will add to the list.

10/14/2013

Our team won first place in the Business Division of the 11th annual West Chester Rotary Chili Cook Off. There were a total of 75 entries in three divisions. Our entry was Beef and Beer Chili. Thank you to our team: Jeanne McQueen, Bill Dempsey, Shannon McDonald and Art Treston. Special thank you to Father Sharrett at St. Patrick's in Kennett Square for letting us use the church's kitchen to prepare the chili.

01/25/2013

In Pennsylvania there are some unique terms that you should be familiar with, if you are involved in a custody case.

The word "custody" actually encompasses two different concepts. There is "legal custody" and there is "physical custody". They are distinct from one another, but they each deserve attention.

The term Legal Custody is the right to make major decisions that effect the best interest of the child. Such decisions include medical, educational and religious decisions. Generally, legal custody is jointly held by the parents, and that is called "shared legal custody". However, under circumstances where one parent has shown himself/herself to be adverse to the best interest of the child or where one of the parents has abandoned the child, the court might grant legal custody to only one party. That is know as "sole legal custody."

Physical Custody is the time that the child spends with one of the parents. "Primary Physical Custody" is the time spent with the parent who has the majority of the time. "Partial Physical Custody" is the time spent with the parent that has less than the majority of the time. In most states, Partial Physical Custody is commonly referred to as Visitation.

If one of the parents has lost all rights to physical custody, then the other parent has "Sole Physical Custody".

Under some circumstances, one of the parents may only be allowed to have physical custody with a monitor present. The monitor may be an adult or an agency designated by the Court or by agreement of the parties.

To find out more about this topic and other legal matters, please visit our website: www.kohlerlaw.net or call us at (610) 430-3701.

West Chester, Pennsylvania lawyer focussed on Divorce, Custody, Support, Wills, Estates, Probate, Will Contests, Guardianships, Adoptions, Business Law, Corporations and LLCs

10/30/2012