THE NEXT BIG HEALTH SECRET
Why Seeing an Attorney May Be Good for You!
Consulting with an attorney when you are facing legal trouble allows you to have an advocate and expert in your corner who is fighting for you and your rights. And according to recent studies, it may be good for your health too! According to NPR, a 2017 study of Veterans Affairs offices in Connecticut and New York found that veterans who saw clinic attorneys reported improved mental health within three months after their initial meetings. Additionally, in Colorado, a five-year survey of 69 patients from 2015 to 2020 found that patients in Medicaid programs who saw attorneys at their clinics had a decrease in the amount of physical health problems they were facing.
By consulting with lawyers — in addition to psychiatrists, social workers, and medical doctors — patients are lowering their stress levels, improving their physical well-being, and staying closer to their families. But how does this work? To answer that question, we have to examine the toll stress takes on our bodies. Constant stress, like concerns about visitations or deportation, can cause our bodies to fail. This often leads to headaches, heartburn, a weakened immune system, insomnia, stomach problems, and more. These problems then compound into other issues, causing the body to spiral when intervention isn’t possible. However, when the source of stress is relieved, the side effects are eliminated as well. This can powerfully help people who are facing potentially life-altering legal situations. So, while your attorney may not be able to perform heart surgery or help alleviate your knee pain, their expertise may be just what you need to feel better in the long run.
While further studies are needed to corroborate this evidence, the message is clear: Finding solutions to your legal concerns through an attorney is healthy!
This idea has led to several states permitting Medicaid patients to use some of their health care dollars toward legal clinical programs. For example, in Colorado, some chronically ill patients are struggling with immigration issues or problems as a result of losing their jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic.
HOW TO HANDLE JOINT ACCOUNTS IN YOUR DIVORCE
Joint accounts can be a difficult and tricky situation during a divorce. You may use that account to pay necessary living expenses, but your spouse could simply empty it, leaving you wondering what to do next. What actions can you take without interfering with any divorce proceedings? Even if your spouse was the breadwinner and you never directly made a deposit in your life, you have a legal right to funds in a joint account. This also doesn’t mean that the money goes to whoever withdraws the funds first. Both you and your spouse have a legal right, so there are consequences when one spouse decides the other doesn’t matter. A judge can order the spouse who emptied the account to return the money, make them pay for their spouse’s legal fees, and even give the aggrieved spouse a greater share of the marital property to make up for it. The most important thing you can do is to get lawyers involved early. A lawyer can help you enact a temporary protective order that bars both parties from touching the account unless they do so for an approved reason. Banks don’t have to follow these orders, but it can make your
spouse hesitate, since there can be severe consequences for violating court orders.
You also need to keep records regarding the account. Monitor every
withdrawal you make from that account and only spend money on necessities. Keep any receipts so you can state your case if any challenges arise. As soon as you know you’re getting a divorce, open your own account, even if you don’t have much to deposit. At some point, that joint account will close, and the best way to protect yourself is by having money that your former spouse can not touch. A judge can still allocate marital assets from separate accounts, but anything earned or received after the divorce gets filed should be safe.
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