Waukesha Law Blog

While mothers in Wisconsin and other parts of the country are still likely to get more time with their kids in the event of a divorce, dads are no longer being kept out of the parenting loop. Over the years, the tendency to side with the mother has shifted to the point where more courts are encouraging divorcing parents to share parenting duties instead of automatically opting for sole custody.

While circumstances can vary, courts today often have an initial inclination towards two-parent child custody for legal purposes. However, for logistical reasons, equally splitting residential custody is not as common as splitting legal custody equally. Even so, a Seton Hall University law professor believes residential custody does not automatically favor the mother. Also, according to a 2014 study, 80 percent of mothers were granted sole custody in 1980. By 2008, that figured dropped to just over 40 percent.

In Wisconsin and across the United States, many people handle their estate planning via less expensive online legal services. Although drafting a will via a do-it-yourself website sounds like a good idea, this method can cause unexpected errors. For instance, the plan may contain typos or incorrect labels on the packages. Plus, some online estate plans may not include all of the essential documents. Even though online estate planning websites employ lawyers for legal advice, consumers cannot have personal consultations without paying exorbitant fees.

Additionally, some individuals have complex financial assets requiring more legal attention than the information found at an online website. Although most people today prefer doing things on their own via the internet, a personal consultation is often warranted. Many options exist for people who want to plan their own estates via online websites or software programs. The less expensive price for using a website or buying software appeals to the average consumer. However, an estate plan that's not thorough can lead to many problems down the road.

A Wisconsin resident who wishes to undergo the process of being cryogenically frozen at death might also be concerned about having access to funds on revival. A revival or future income trust can be created to allow this.

This type of trust is controversial for several reasons. One of the main reasons is that it is unclear that reviving a person who has been cryogenically frozen is even possible. In the United States, cryogenic freezing is primarily done by two companies, one in Michigan and one in Arizona. The cost ranges from $28,000 to $200,000. Around 400 people have been frozen, and roughly another 1,500 have arranged to do so. The process involves removing water from the cells in the body and placing the body in a large vessel. Cell activity is stopped by the presence of liquid nitrogen.

If one of your resolutions for the New Year was to expand your business, it is not too late to see that happen. Expanding a business can increase your profits, widen your customer base and build a solid reputation as a dependable and firmly established Wisconsin enterprise.

Of course, it is not as simple as just finding a new location and moving in. In fact, many business owners who open a new store without making appropriate preparations find that they actually damage their existing location. To avoid that possibility, you will want to move forward with caution and obtain as much information about the process as you can.