Whether you are buying a home, thinking of buying a home, or simply want more information, then please listen to the professionals with answers. In this recording of a presentation of SeminarWorks for Triangle Community Works, we heard from:

• Jeffrey G. Marsocci, partner protection planning attorney and author of Estate Planning for Domestic Partners: The Legal Secrets You Need to Know to Protect Your Partner and Your Future
• Tim McBrayer, realtor for Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston
• Tammi Rowe, mortgage planner with Integrity Mortgage
• Damon Yudichak, CPA—Certified Public Accountant
• Kathleen Marsocci, agent for homeowner’s insurance with Allstate Insurance

 Before you change title to your home as joint with a right of survivorship and before you sign a mortgage, you need to get the facts. For more information, please visit Triangle Community Works on the web at www.tcworks.org.

Jeffrey G. Marsocci speaks to the church-based community group CLOSER about the state of same-sex marriage, typical domestic partner goals, folk remedies that do not work, and effective alternatives to gay marriage. For more information, please order the book “The Gay Marriage Alternative” at Amazon.com.

Jeffrey G. Marsocci speaks to the church-based community group CLOSER about the state of same-sex marriage, typical domestic partner goals, folk remedies that do not work, and effective alternatives to gay marriage. For more information, please order the book “The Gay Marriage Alternative” at Amazon.com.

Jeffrey G. Marsocci speaks to the church-based community group CLOSER about the state of same-sex marriage, typical domestic partner goals, folk remedies that do not work, and effective alternatives to gay marriage. For more information, please order the book “The Gay Marriage Alternative” at Amazon.com.

Jeffrey G. Marsocci speaks to the church-based community group CLOSER about the state of same-sex marriage, typical domestic partner goals, folk remedies that do not work, and effective alternatives to gay marriage. For more information, please order the book “The Gay Marriage Alternative” at Amazon.com.

A six part series on the pitfalls of faulty domestic partner protection planning. For more information on effective planning, please download the free e-book The Gay Marriage Alternative at www.gaymarriagealternative.com.

SeminarWorks is a monthly program of Triangle Community Works, and the May program was an update regarding The LGBT Center of Raleigh.

The details are extremely important, and you can’t depend on the law to do exactly what you want. These two truths were highlighted in a recent U.S. Supreme Court case titled Kennedy versus DuPont where a huge but common life and estate planning mistake took center stage. After hearing this, run, don’t walk, to your financial advisor and insurance agent to check out your beneficiary forms. (For a complimentary e-book discussing written plans and other partner protection planning issues, please go to www.gaymarriagealternative.com).

With the release of Mr. Marsocci’s second book on partner protection planning, the question most often asked is “why are you doing this?” As part of promoting The Gay Marriage Alternative as a free e-book, Mr. Marsocci wrote a letter to several bloggers with an advance copy, and he discussed just that. (Please go to www.gaymarriagealternative.com to download the free e-book).

This is a special edition of Rainbow Legal Talk regarding a general item of interest to the community at large. Dr. Myers is a chiropractor with a practice in Raleigh, North Carolina, presenting on the weight loss system she created. The views of Dr. Myers are not necessarily the views of the narrator or Domestic Partner Publishing, LLC, and we have not been compensated for this presentation in any manner. 

As we move firmly into a period of economic bailouts and stimulus packages overlapped with our current tax season, it is important for domestic partners to understand the nuances of certain tax rules. While there is an abundance of simple “solutions” out there that may seem effective, they can do more harm than good and cause more tax grief than limited resources can bear. Having an effective partner plan can go a long way.

A special edition extra of Rainbow Legal Talk interviewing insurance professional Mark Brandt on getting the most out of life insurance, including choosing policies that can double as disability insurance and major medical insurance. Not specific to LGBT couples and individuals, but good information nonetheless.

Everyone has New Year’s resolutions. Some want to lose 20 pounds. Some want to take that class at the community college they’ve been talking about for years. Some want to finish the list of home repairs that have been hanging on the fridge for months. Whatever the resolution, this year it will get done. For domestic partners, one of the highest rated but least completed tasks is getting their legal and financial affairs in order.

In the midst of a Democratic electoral landslide, the LGBT community was delivered four crushing defeats in the form of state ballot initiatives. Specifically, the cause of gay marriage was set back by constitutional bans in Arizona, Florida and California, and the cause of families in general was set back in Arkansas by banning unmarried foster are and adoption. Despite the constitutional setbacks, all of the same private, legal solutions to achieve most marriage rights are still open to domestic partners.

While the term “funding” seems to apply more to bank bailouts and wars, it also applies to making sure all of your assets are set up to properly work with your revocable living trust. One of the prime selling points of revocable living trusts is that all assets for both partners (or any other couple) avoid the costly and time-consuming probate court process. But in order for a revocable living trust to avoid probate, all land, accounts, and other assets are either owned directly by the trust or have the “transfer upon death” or “pay upon death” designations list the trust as a beneficiary. Not all assets are handled the same way, but they must be handled properly.

As banks and other financial institutions churn out fine print changes to account agreements, it is important to ask if your power of attorney documents are compatible. While financial power of attorney documents may be perfectly legal, financial institutions may still be able to legally reject it because the terms do not comply with “their preferred language.” Are you and your partner still protected?

One of the greatest income tax benefits “bestowed” on people by the government is the ability to fund retirement accounts and deduct the contributions from their income tax. One of the biggest tax burdens falls upon these retirement accounts when the owner passes on, with all of the amounts in the retirement accounts counted as income to the beneficiary. But there are now legal steps partners can take to cut income taxes on these accounts and allow the accounts to grow to astronomical amounts tax deferred… provided they take those steps. (Originally appearing as a column in Out in Asheville, 2008.)

In the wake of the California Supreme Court decision, the media seems to think that national gay marriage is just around the corner. But is it? And if so, how would it affect domestic partners living in North Carolina? Attorney Jeffrey G. Marsocci comments on the court decision, its impact, and why legal planning to protect your partner is still needed as much as ever.

Dr. Marion Somers, a nationally recognized geriatric care manager and author of "Elder Care Made Easier" sat down with Jeffrey Marsocci to discuss the unique issues that face an aging gay and lesbian population.

From http://www.drmarion.com:
Doctor Marion graduated with a B.A. with honors from City College in New York, an M.S. in Recreation Therapy from Lehman College (CUNY) in New York, and a Ph. D. in Human and Organizational Development with Specialization in Gerontology, Retirement, and Special Populations from the Fielding Institute in Santa Barbara, CA. She is trained as a New York State Nursing Home Administrator. Doctor Marion created and was the Director of the Professional Geriatric Care Management Certificate Program at Hunter College's Brookdale Center on Aging.

Eight states voted to ban same-sex marriage - but what does that mean? Not all legislation is created equally. Some of these states have left open the possibility of civil unions to be recognized in the future.

In other states, these amendments go further, defining what marriage is -- and isn't. Do they overrule partnership agreements or other private planning? Will these bans affect domestic partner benefits?

North Carolina attorney Jeffrey Marsocci weighs the differences in this new legislation and its implications nationwide. Later, he outlines how domestic partners can find legal protection with life and estate planning.

Attorney Jeffrey Marsocci discusses a growing legal misunderstanding among domestic partners looking to protect their assets: Limited Liability Company (LLC) vs. Revocable Living Trust (RLT). Which better protects you and your partner? How does one differ from the other? Should Limited Liability Companies be used in life and estate planning? What are the tax implications?

Using easy-to-understand concepts for seemingly dry material, Jeffrey Marsocci explains how to get the most out of your estate planning so you can relax and enjoy your life!

So you have a Revocable Living Trust -- now what? You must place assets in the trust for it to work!

Attorney Jeffrey Marsocci describes different ways to utilize your trust in order to protect your home and your accounts. What do you do with your car? Your home? That 401K from your first job? Your kid's college fund?
Different assets have different options -- not to mention different taxation issues. Get a grasp of these issues and more in this podcast!

In this podcast, attorney Jeffrey Marsocci introduces you to the basics of investing, as well as some of the pitfalls facing domestic partners who would like to invest together. The Financial Power of Attorney document is  explained as a useful tool for domestic partners.

Later, Financial Planner Darron Stover stops by to discuss Socially Responsible investment strategies that can put your money where your ethics are. For more information on Socially Responsible investing, visit www.darronstover.com . Wrapping up the show, Jeffrey will answer some listener questions. For comments or questions, please email us at comments@rainbowlegaltalk.com or visit our website at www.rainbowlegaltalk.com .

Why hire an attorney at all? How do you determine which attorney is best suited to your situation? What about legal fees? Would a gay attorney better understand the legal challenges of domestic partnerships? Attorney Jeffrey Marsocci answers these questions and more.

This podcast details the Basics of Estate Planning that Domestic Partners and other unmarried couples need to consider. Jeffrey G. Marsocci is the senior attorney at The Law Offices of Jeffrey G. Marsocci, PLLC, an estate planning law firm focused on providing privacy, security and peace of mind to their clients for more than a decade.