Hegwood Law - June 2019

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OCTOBER 2018 HEADLINES HEGWOOD

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JUNE 2019

THE ULTIMATE SUMMER VACATION

My Daughter’s and My Journey Through Europe

W ith summer break officially underway, families all across the country are finalizing their plans for memorable vacations spent exploring a new place together. Traveling has always been one of my favorite pastimes, and I have been so fortunate to experience various amazing locations throughout the world. But the vacation that sticks out most in memory was a two-week trek my daughter and I took through Europe.

While she did not necessarily enjoy my picture shenanigans, my daughter and I had a fantastic time together. We left Florence for Rome and spent two days there. With all the rich history Rome has to offer, we could have easily

definitely made us appreciate how lucky we are to live where we do.

spent a whole week there and still had sights to see. Still, the places we were able to visit were breathtaking. Once we journeyed back to Switzerland, our amazement continued. One of the activities I enjoyed most was the ferry ride to Germany and seeing all the architecture that has stood the test of time. While there are many things I love about the U.S., our country’s youthful age means that we do not have access to beautiful buildings like those in Germany, some of which were erected as early as the 1300s. Although theU.S.might be lacking inhistorical architecture, I will say that being in the grocery stores in Switzerland made me grateful for the plethora of options available for all of us in the states. For example, my daughter and I walked into a Swiss supermarket in search of cereal and were only able to find three types. Compared to the full aisle(s) of sweet breakfast choices at the local grocery store here, we were quite surprised. The experience

To get to the international airport and catch our plane back to the states, we had to endure a nine-hour train ride from Geneva to St. Gallen. To this day, I still say my daughter was an amazing travel partner, except for an incident on the very last day of the trip. We did not have time to get a bite to eat before boarding the train, and the only food available on the train were sandwiches, but she assured me she did not want one. Not even halfway into the nine-hour journey, she made me wish I had coined the term “hangry.” Other than that small hunger- induced quarrel, we both agreed we had an unforgettable experience together. So if you are brainstorming for your next family vacation and cannot come up with a location that will serve you best, feel free to let me know! If Switzerland seems too far, don't worry. I have a lot of vacation stories to share!

“To this day, I still say my daughter was an amazing travel partner, except for an incident on the very last day of the trip.”

I had friends living in Switzerland, so we flew into St. Gallen before starting our five-day trek through Italy. After spending two days shopping around Venice, we spent the night in Florence because we really wanted to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. For those who might not know, the tower is the cathedral of the Italian city Pisa, and is known around the world for its nearly 4-degree lean, which is the result of an unstable foundation. Even if you have not seen the tower in person, you have likely seen photos of tourists posing comically to make it seem like they are holding up the whole tower themselves. While I wanted to partake in this widely known joke, my daughter refused to snap the (supposedly embarrassing) picture of me!

-Kim Hegwood

281.218.0880

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LAWSUITS FROM BEYOND Crazy Lawsuits Surrounding the Dearly Departed

Solemnly Spooked

We pride ourselves on being a country where everyone receives a fair trial. And while that’s not always the case, even the craziest claims still have to be heard in some capacity by a court of law. As you can imagine, this can result in plenty of spooky high jinks in the courtroom. Let’s take a look at some of the more baffling court cases in recent memory.

An unnamed New York resident — just what on earth is going on in New York? — claimed that the house they’d recently purchased was horribly and cripplingly haunted by unseen forces. The poltergeist was said to disrupt their daily activity, and the plaintiff was suing on the grounds that the home was notorious in the area for being

Dead Man Talking

In something straight out of a Coen brothers movie, a New York man had to sue The New York Times on three separate occasions to get them to stop reporting that he was dead. In all fairness, it seemed like an honest mistake prolonged by the ineptitude of his public counsel and a whole lot of terrible coincidences all rolled into one. Juan Antonio Arias just so happened to share the same first and last name as one “Juan Arias” who had met his untimely demise. After it was reported in a Times article, the living Arias accidentally had his own date of birth and Social Security number added to the death certificate of his now deceased namesake in a terrible mix-up from the coroner. As a result, he sued on three occasions after his lawyer missed certain deadlines to turn in proper documents. Thankfully, the issue was resolved, but not before he had his credit cards and Medicaid revoked after appearing to be dead

haunted and had a reputation as such, therefore it should have been disclosed to the buyer before closing. They won. That’s right; the court ruled that the seller misled the plaintiff and should have disclosed the nature of this potentially harmful house. Shockingly enough, this type of thing is required to be disclosed when selling a house in New York. Well, at least a buyer will have peace of mind knowing that they got a sweet new pad and a ghoul for pennies on the dollar.

SAFETY

The Best Graduation Gift You Can Give Your Child

1. Statutory Durable power of attorney — to designate someone to take care of his or her financial matters if they get sick or become incapacitated. 2. Medical power of attorney — to name someone who will ensure that his or her health care wishes are honored.

One of the most precious gifts anyone can have is family. This time of year proffers several opportunities to celebrate this gift. While Mother’s Day and Father’s Day shed some much-deserved light on parents for all the hard work they do to provide, encourage, and motivate their children, graduation ceremonies bring families of all kinds together to acknowledge the immense dedication of their students. If you are a parent or grandparent who is helping your recent graduate prepare to head off to college and into adulthood, one necessary but often overlooked aspect is organizing their legal affairs. Because many of these grads are entering into legal and/or financial contracts for the first time — housing leases and student loans, etc. — it’s of the utmost importance to bring your future college student into our office so we can prepare the following necessary documents.

3. HIPPA authorization.

While other preparations, like registering for classes and purchasing furniture and cooking supplies — not to mention teaching them how to cook — tend to top parents’ to-do lists, helping children with these documents is the best way to ensure their safety as they leave the nest. Here at Hegwood Law Group, our attorneys pay careful attention, so they can word each document precisely as you wish and help your child make wise (and legal) decisions about who to name for power of attorney positions. Start the process by going to HegwoodLaw.com/contact-us to fill out our brief contact information form, or give us a call at (281) 643-7673!

2 HEGWOOD LAW GROUP

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Celebrate Nature Photography Day

Tips for Capturing the Best Outdoor Photo!

Nature Photography Day is June 15, and it continues to garner enthusiasm with each passing year. It’s been designated by the North America Nature Photography Association as a day to promote the enjoyment of outdoor photography and to explain how nature photography can advance conservation efforts locally and worldwide. Almost everyone has access to a sufficient camera with smartphones, but not everyone knows how to best capture a beautiful nature scene. Here are some tips to help! Find the Angles Landscape photography isn’t about appealing to someone else’s sense of style; it’s about shooting what makes you happy. Take some time to study the work of other nature photographers you enjoy. What angles do they use? What colors do they coordinate within the frame? How close do they get to their subject? Try something different. Go against the grain, use a different angle, shoot a close-up where others would shoot wide angle. Find a good starting place and experiment a little. Harness the Light Nature photos often look great in the morning or evening light, but the type of lighting you use is often dictated by the scene you are trying to capture. It’s generally accepted that side- lighting, where the sun is coming from either side of the camera, is the most desirable for landscapes because the contrasts between light and

shadow can add depth to your photos. However, front- and back-lighting — where you shoot away from or into the sun — can also produce nice photos. Similar to angles, try experimenting until you find something that looks good to you. Crop for Texture Sometimes the difference between an amazing shot and a mediocre

one is distance. When photographing nature, try zooming in or moving geographically closer and cropping close on your subject. This could be tree bark, a leaf, the forest floor, or a lizard’s skin. The fine details of your subject can often create stunning images. In your quest to snap the most Instagram-worthy shots, the most important thing to remember is to respect the animals and the environment. Be sure to bring bags with you to take any garbage or other waste with you, and stay on designated trails while exploring. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be taking incredible nature photos in no time.

QUICK, CREAMY CHOCOLATE PUDDING

WORD SEARCH

Ingredients

• • • • • • • •

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa

3 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/4 cups milk

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 tsp vanilla extract

Whipped topping (optional)

directions

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt; gradually stir in milk. 2. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. 3. Pour into individual dessert dishes. To avoid a skin forming on top, press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Serve warm or refrigerate at least 2 hours. Garnish with whipped topping, if desired. Yields 4 servings.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt; gradually stir in milk. 2. Microwave on HIGH 7–10 minutes, or until mixture comes to full boil, stirring every 2 minutes. 3. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into dishes and serve as directed above.

BEACH

BREAK

FUN

HOT PLAY

JUNE

OUTSIDE

SUMMER

SUN

TAN

TRAVEL

VACATION

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 My Daughter’s and My Journey Through Switzerland 2 Crazy Lawsuits Surrounding the Dearly Departed The Best Graduation Gift You Can Give Your Child

3 Tips for Capturing the Best Outdoor Photo!

Quick, Creamy Chocolate Pudding

4 Join Us!

UPCOMING EVENTS HERE AT THE OFFICE AND IN THE COMMUNITY!

Check Out Our Upcoming Office Events:

Here Is a Community Event You Might Be Interested In:

Workshop: ‘How to Plan for Children With Disabilities’ June 11; 6:30 p.m. Hegwood Law Group offices Free admission Through our FREE workshop this month titled “How to Plan for Children With Disabilities,” we can help you find the assistance you need and show you how to ensure your child’s special needs will be met when you are gone or no longer able to serve as their primary caregiver. The workshop will take place at 6:30 p.m. in our office. Workshop: ‘10 Gruesome Estate Planning Mistakes’ June 25; 6:30 p.m. Hegwood Law Group offices Free admission Unlike many other practices, Hegwood Law Group focuses only on estate planning and related issues. Not only are our skills in this area finely tuned, but our attorneys are fully experienced in this aspect of the law. To help address any concerns you might have, we are hosting a FREE estate planning workshop titled “10 Gruesome Estate Planning Mistakes” at 6:30 p.m. in our office.

A Gulf Coast Juneteenth June 19; 7:30 p.m. Miller Outdoor Theatre Free admission

After receiving national attention following their performance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk” series, their late-night TV debut with Stephen Colbert and headlining at the global TED conference, The Soul Rebels have certainly made a name for themselves. You can catch a show here in Houston and enjoy their eclectic sound filled with elements of funk, hip-hop, jazz, and rock all played in their brass-band technique. To get tickets for covered seating, visit the Miller Outdoor Theatre website. General seating is free.