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Kelley Way has been creating blog posts across many topics of Estate Planning, Copyright and Trademark law. If you have a topic or question you’d like covered, reach out to Kelley Way here.
What’s the Difference Between Joint Tenancy and Community Property?
Most of my estate planning clients own property, so I see a lot of Grant Deeds. Sometimes a married couple owns property as community property, and sometimes they own property as joint tenants. I’ve had several clients tell me they have no idea what the difference is...
Key Items in an Author Illustrator Contract
Author-Illustrator Contracts Most people who write a book that requires illustrations (such as children’s or botanical books) aren’t artists. When self-publishing their book, these authors will need to hire someone themselves to create the necessary artwork. They may...
Estate Planning Consultation Checklist: Three things to do before you meet with an attorney
Many of my prospective clients ask me what they need to do or bring before their estate planning consultation. While it’s certainly acceptable to simply walk into an attorney’s office without any advance preparation (for me anyway; I can’t speak for other attorneys),...
Dealing with Foreign Assets – What Do I Do With My Non-U.S. Property?
Now and again, I get a client who owns property in a foreign country. Unsurprisingly, they want to know how to incorporate this property into their estate plan successfully. Since every country has a different set of laws, and some countries may not recognize a U.S....
Seven Things to Know About the Copyright Small Claims Court
The Copyright Small Claims Court is Now Open! It’s been a long time coming, but the Copyright Claims Board is finally up and running, and copyright owners with small claims can now file them for consideration. For those who missed my previous article on the subject,...
What Should I Put in My Trust?
One of the most frequent questions I hear at the trust signing is “What should I put in my trust?” It’s an excellent question, and the answer is a bit more complicated than “Everything.” The house is a given. For many people it’s their highest-value asset, and if it’s...
What Rights Do Foreign Works Have? Using Foreign Works in Your Book
I’ve had several people ask me about works that were copyrighted and/or published in other countries, and whether these foreign works have rights in the U.S. If they do have rights, are those rights different from those of U.S. works? The answer is the classic lawyer...
What Happens If I Die and I Don’t Have a Will or Trust?
Most people I talk to know that they should have a will or trust, but they’re not quite sure why. Perhaps more importantly, they wonder what happens if they die and they don’t have a will or trust? To be clear, dying without a will does not mean chaos and confusion...
When Should I Copyright My Work?
I am often asked, when should I copyright my work? Whether you have authored a book or created a piece of art, the good news is that you automatically have copyright. Specifically, as soon as the work is "fixed" (i.e. written down, recorded or in some other format...