Open House Success!

The Law Office of Katherine L. MacKinnon has been open for 20 years. We thought this deserved a celebration! Thank you to everyone who was able to attend - we had a lovely time showing off our new office space and celebrating 20 years of serving clients.

Office is Moving!

Our office has moved to St. Paul in the Midway area. Our new address is:

2356 University Ave. West #230
St. Paul, MN 55114

We are keeping our same phone number (952-915-9215). Give us a call to schedule an appointment!

Life insurance beneficiary forms - common mistakes

Filling out the beneficiary form for your life insurance can be more tricky than you think. There are several common mistakes, including:

• Naming a minor child without designating how the money should be distributed. Money cannot be given directly to a minor child. It needs to be placed in a trust account or special account for minors such as an UTMA or UGMA account.

• Forgetting to update the beneficiary form. An insurance policy is a contract, and the money will generally be distributed how your beneficiary form says it should be done. If you have your wife as your beneficiary, and get divorced but forget to change the beneficiary designation, usually the proceeds will go to your ex-wife.

• Only naming one beneficiary. If you only name one beneficiary, and that person predeceases you, there will be no beneficiary. Make sure to name at least one secondary beneficiary.

The problems caused by a mistake on a beneficiary form will not impact you, but will greatly impact those you love.

Check out more tips in this article.

We advise both insureds and beneficiaries who have questions or problems with life insurance. Contact our office if you would like more information.  

Star Tribune Article on Disabled Adults

 As attorneys who represent persons with varying disabilities, a recent article in the Star Tribune discussing the menial jobs given to people with disabilities was heartbreaking. The article talks about "sheltered workshops", where workers are paid wages for below the minimum wage and given tasks that are menial and unrewarding.

"Many states, inspired by a new civil rights movement to integrate the disabled into mainstream life, are shuttering places like this. Not Minnesota. It still subsidizes nearly 300 sheltered workshops and is now among the most segregated states in the nation for working people with intellectual disabilities.

The workshops are part of a larger patchwork of state policies that are stranding legions of disabled Minnesotans on grim margins of society. More than a decade after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Americans with disabilities have a right to live in the mainstream, many disabled Minnesotans and their families say they still feel forsaken — mired in profoundly isolating and sometimes dangerous environments they didn’t choose and can’t escape."

Full article: click here

Hopefully the attention given to this issue will inspire some changes in how Minnesota views its responsibilities to the disabled adult residents of our state.

Kate talks Obergefell and same-sex marriage

Kate recently had the opportunity to speak at Minnesota CLE about the recent decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___, 135 S. Ct. 2584, 192 L.Ed. 2d 609 (6/26/15).

In the ground-breaking decision, Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the Court’s majority, held that the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses afford same-sex couples the fundamental right to marry in all states. Additionally, the Supreme Court majority held that the same constitutional protections require a state to recognize a same-sex marriage lawfully licensed by and performed in another state.

Kate discussed the reasoning behind the decision and its implications on other areas of law such as employee benefits and religious expression.

You can see the telecast of the live CLE on September 3, 2015. For more information go to: Minnesota CLE video replay   

ERISA is a current hot topic in the federal courts!

There has been a considerable amount of interest recently in ERISA at all levels of the federal courts. Having a lawyer who understands and can navigate this complicated and changing area is critical to whether your case will be successful.

This article discusses why a business should hire experienced ERISA lawyers:

Top 10 reasons to have an ERISA litigator on speed dial

Although we represent claimants, the reasons behind hiring a lawyer who understands ERISA are still on point. It is exciting to hear that ERISA is such a hot topic!

 

Kate and Sarah are North Star Lawyers!

Kate and Sarah were recognized as North Star Lawyers for providing pro bono service to those in need of legal service but unable to afford it. Here we are holding the announcement in the Star Tribune: