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OCTOBER 2018 HEADLINES HEGWOOD
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JANUARY 2020
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HOW I GREW 1 CLIENT AT A TIME
Reflections on a Decade of Growth
T wo years ago, I gave away 37 suits to the nonprofit Dress For Success. I just kept collecting them over the years thanks to all my court appearances. Today, it has been nearly 10 years since I have been in the courtroom full time. I still have three suits, but the truth is, if I am in the courtroom two to three times a year, that is a lot. So much has changed in the last decade. I have seen my own family change — these days, I have eight grandchildren — and I have seen Hegwood Law Group grow more than I ever imagined it would. Deep down I dreamed of this kind of growth, but then I realized if we just kept doing what we were already doing, focusing on constantly improving the client experience, the growth would come. Back in 2005, my grandparents started to decline. I was close to them — they were like second parents to me — and for the couple of years they needed help, I was their care manager and sometimes their caregiver. I took them to doctor’s appointments and made sure they always had people checking in on them. My grandparents had a long-term attorney, and he did not do everything he should have for them. As their care coordinator, I saw the problems associated with inadequate planning first hand — my grandfather was
using COBRA for his health insurance and was paying enormous medical bills he shouldn’t have had to pay. His documents were not in order, and I was glad I was there to educate him about his options. As I sat in my grandfather’s hospital room, I gave him what I call our Come to Jesus speech. I explained the legal hierarchy and who his decision-makers were going to be in an emergency. I told him there were documents we could put in place to give him control over who
those decision-makers would be. Right away, he sent me home to get those documents.
me how the things that have occurred in my life have pushed me to the areas of law where I can help the most people in the most meaningful way. God always had a plan for me. Some days are harder than others, but there is always a plan. As we move forward into 2020, I look forward to continuing to serve my clients and seeing where that plan will lead me next.
My grandmother passed away in 2005, and just nine months later, my grandpa followed her. I still miss my grandparents, and one of the reasons I decided to focus on elder law at Hegwood Law Group was that doing elder law allowed me to spend time with other people’s grandparents, and that made me miss my own just a little bit less.
-Kim Hegwood
When I think back over the last decade of growth at Hegwood Law Group, it is clear to
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WHOWEARS THE PANTS? LADY JUSTICE!
How One Judge Lost a Frivolous Lawsuit and His Dignity
After losing an article of clothing from a dry cleaner, most would say “c’est la vie” and move on. At most, someone might leave a bad review and ask for a few dollars to cover the loss, but for one administrative law judge, that wasn't enough. He decided instead to launch an all-out legal battle. Roy Pearson, a Washington, D.C. judge at the time, sought $54 million to cover the loss of his pants after his dry cleaner lost them. He argued that the “same-day service” sign located in the window of the dry cleaners meant the company had to provide same-day service. However, Pearson never specified a specific time he needed his clothes returned. He also insisted that the “satisfaction guaranteed” sign meant the cleaners had to satisfy a customer’s wishes without limit. Based on those arguments, he claimed the signs were fraudulent. After the initial allegations, the dry cleaners scoured their business to find the pants and, to their credit, found the judge’s trousers untarnished. Even so, Pearson argued that he didn’t need to prove the pants were lost or damaged to satisfy his “satisfaction guaranteed” claim.
Unfortunately the judge, the court found his position to be ridiculous and ordered him to pay the dry cleaner’s attorneys’ fees. In response, Pearson sought that his own attorneys’ fees be covered to oppose this motion. for
In the end, Pearson did pay the dry cleaner’s legal fees, but the case isn’t the only thing he lost. The verdict also cost the judge his job and any semblance of professional dignity. Ten years after the case closed, the District of Columbia Board on Professional Responsibility sought a 90-day suspension. As the board put it, Pearson “failed to conduct an objective appraisal of the legal merits of his position. He made and continues to make arguments that no reasonable attorney would think had even a faint hope of success on the legal merits.” From a legal standpoint, we’d call this judge’s behavior “dissatisfaction guaranteed.”
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: LORRAINE BEAHAN
Nearly 20 Years of Service to Families
Lorraine Beahan has worked at Hegwood Law Group for the better part of 20 years. Before she settled in Houston, she lived in Austin and also the states of Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Florida. While living in Florida, Lorraine earned her paralegal degree. Then in 2000, she moved to Houston, where she worked at several different law firms before landing at Hegwood Law Group in 2002. She says that right from the beginning, she and our founder, Kim, worked well together. She has stayed all these years because she has felt supported at Hegwood Law Group. It is still that way today. “It’s a team effort,” Lorraine said when asked about the firm’s culture. “Everybody here works together.” Although Lorraine has filled a wide variety of roles at the firm — billing, probate, and family law, to name just a few areas of expertise — today she works as our
Senior Paralegal and Medicaid Coordinator. She says she has always loved helping the elderly and is happy in her current role. “I get to know the client through their families,” she said. “I really care what happens to them.” As the Medicaid Coordinator, Lorraine is responsible for helping clients through the
entire process — making the decision to admit their loved one to a long-term care facility and all the other decisions and challenges that come with it, even loss of life.
Outside of work, Lorraine enjoys weight lifting and spending time with her two grandchildren, a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old.
If your family needs assistance caring for your eldest members, give us a call at 281- 218-0880 to see how Lorraine — in partnership with one of our attorneys, of course — can help.
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TECH OF TOMORROW What’s Coming in 2020? Here we are in the future. We may not have flying cars yet, but 2020 promises to be an exciting year for multiple tech industries. Judging by predicted developments for this year, this new decade could see many of our sci-fi fantasies come to life. Here are a few of the most promising trends we have our eyes on. Expanded 5G Access While the long-coveted 5G mobile network became a reality in 2019, it was by no means widespread. Now, with many cellphone companies upgrading their equipment at the beginning of this year, it’s likely the average American will soon have access to this latest generation of mobile internet. If it’s anything like the rollout of 4G, we may not see much of a difference in our connectivity right away. However, as access increases, 5G devices will become more common, paving the way for some very high- speed experiences in 2021 and beyond. Extended Reality Extended reality, or XR, is an umbrella term covering virtual reality headsets, Instagram filters, augmented reality devices, and more, and it is expected
to become a household term this year. While price and hardware limitations have made this technology little more than a novelty until now, interest in XR is burgeoning in major industries like architecture and education. The line between digital and physical worlds may truly start to blur this year. Medical Implants While devices like pacemakers and artificial hips have been around for decades, a new generation of implanted care devices has begun to emerge. For example, Stimwave’s micro-
stimulators made a splash in the medical world last year when early tests showed they were an effective means of pain relief. As an alternative to drugs, these wireless implants block pain signals using an electrical field. This breakthrough alone may bring an end to the opioid epidemic. No one can say for certain what the future may hold, but with so many promising new technologies being implemented and improved upon today, the sky’s the limit for what we might see tomorrow.
FRENCH HOT CHOCOLATE
WORD SEARCH
This gourmet Parisian-style drinking chocolate (chocolat chaud) is thick, rich, dark, and silky. Just try putting it down after that first delicious sip!
Ingredients
• 8 oz quality chocolate bars, semisweet or bittersweet
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk • 1/2 cup heavy cream • 2 tbsp brown sugar • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • Crushed peppermint (optional)
directions
1. Into a medium sauce pan, break the chocolate into pieces and place on stove. Heat over medium-low and add the milk, cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. 2. Stir until the chocolate mixture comes to a low simmer and the drinking chocolate is completely smooth and slightly thickened.
3. The drinking chocolate should be substantially thicker than classic hot chocolate but not as thick as chocolate fondue. If it is too thin, simmer a little longer. If it is too thick, add another 1/4 cup milk. Ladle into mugs and enjoy immediately. Serves 6.
AQUARIUS CAPRICORN CELEBRATE CHAMPAGNE FIREWORKS
FREEZING JANUARY MIDNIGHT NEW YEAR PARTY
PIG RESOLUTION
SNOW TOAST WINTER
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HEGWOOD LAWGROUP Trusts | Estates | Probate | Elder Law | Family
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
950 Gemini Street, Suite 6 | Houston, TX | 77058
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1 How I Grew From 1 to 15 Employees
2 The Curious Case of Roy Pearson’s Pants
Employee Spotlight: Lorraine Beahan
3 The Tech of 2020
French Hot Chocolate
4 Our 2020 Event Breakdown
WHAT IS HAPPENING AT HEGWOOD
ADD THESE 2020 EVENTS TO YOUR CALENDAR!
‘10 Gruesome Estate Planning Mistakes’ Our team is immersed in estate planning and its related legal issues every day. As we have finely tuned our expertise, we have come to understand horrible mistakes many people are in danger of making with estate planning. In this workshop, we will delve into what these 10 mistakes are, how we can address your concerns, and how we can help you avoid these mistakes. ‘How to Plan for Children With Disabilities’ As a parent, you do all you can to care for your children as they grow. For parents of children with disabilities, this commitment to their care is monumental and lifelong. But what happens when you are no longer able to provide the care your child’s needs? Our “How to Plan for Children With Disabilities” workshop will detail how to ensure your child’s special needs are met when you are gone or no longer able to serve as their primary caregiver.
At Hegwood Law Group, we believe in the power of information. Our website and attorney Kim Hegwood’s books deliver meaningful information, and we believe these works create a powerful dialogue. But we know many people will still have lingering questions. To help those seeking guidance, our team hosts monthly workshops. As we finalize our 2020 calendar, be on the lookout for more installations of our most popular workshops. (And the best part is they are all FREE!) ‘To Probate or Not to Probate’ Probate is a common, yet often misunderstood, part of estate planning and elder law. In one of our regularly reoccurring workshops, “To Probate or Not to Probate: Everything You Need to Know About Probate in Texas,” you can learn the ins and outs of this court process. Our team will answer all your questions about the complex issues relating to this matter to help you and your family feel better prepared should your plan go into probate.
To learn more about our upcoming workshops, or to inquire about dates, please call our office at 281-218-0880.
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