Law Office Of Charles M Morris

08/17/2019

It's happened again.
An elderly client called me yesterday saying she was "Terrified" because someone had taken over her computer and was threatening her. WHAT YOU SAY!!! She was a victim of a fake phone call from an individual claiming they were with Microsoft.
This Microsoft imposter told her that her computer notified Microsoft that it was infected and Microsoft wanted to help. Fortunately, they scared her so much she did not follow their directions.
Had she done what they told her to do, they would have taken over her computer, held it for hostage, gotten her bank account info, her passwords, etc..
First and foremost, Microsoft is not going to call you about a problem. Neither is your bank, the Social Security Admin, the IRS, the FBI, nor anyone else. To add to this list, none of your relatives are going to call you and ask for money because they have been kidnapped (yes that's happening) They will contact you through official means......NOT the phone and NOT via email.
What should you do??? Have a talk with your elderly parents and anyone else you care for that is susceptible to being scammed. Yes this includes that hair brained friend who falls for all the facebook scams!!
We've read about some individuals being taken for their life savings. So talk to them before they get taken. Let them know that they should call you or some other person BEFORE they take that step from which there is no return.

06/29/2018

Credit Freeze and Unthawing will be Free in Georgia beginning July 1st.

ATLANTA, GA – This year, Governor Deal signed Senate Bill 376, allowing Georgians to freeze and thaw their credit reports free of charge beginning July 1, 2018.

12/05/2016

Today I met with a lady whose mother had passed away and she needed help probating her Will. This process is going to cost the client a lot more than necessary. Not because I'm doing unnecessary work....NO, it's because her mother tried to save money and used Rocket Legal to prepare her Will. The Will set out 15 specific paragraphs about how her Estate is to be distributed. This included a specific paragraph about how she was leaving out one of her daughters. However, the Will has a later paragraph that conflicts with that decision. The outcome...the daughter that was to be left out of the Estate is going to share with the other siblings on a property worth about 2 million dollars. Not the Mother's intent but it's now too late to correct this. To make matters worse, the Will was not properly signed by the witnesses and we're trying to tack them down to correct this issue. The lesson learned.....don't try to be your own lawyer unless you are absolutely sure you're doing things right. The money you save by using Legal Zoom or Rocket Lawyer or those forms at Office Depot will usually cost more in the long run.

06/10/2016

Have you had a change in your life? Move to another state, death of a loved one, marriage, divorce, birth of a child or grandchild. Take the time now to review that Last Will and Testament you signed several years ago. There may be changes that you want or need to make. Marriage and Divorce usually void a Will. So if you're recently married or divorced you need to make a new Will. Otherwise, the State of Georgia will decide how your property should be distributed upon your death!! Questions? Give us a call.

05/04/2016

MINIMAL ESTATE PLANNING: You're young with a home, have small children, are on your second marriage with children from your first marriage...all very good reasons you need to plan for the future.

As a minimum, every adult should have a Last Will and Testament, a Power of Attorney, and an Advance Directive for Healthcare.

Why you say??: without a Will, the State of Georgia will decide how your property is divided up when you pass away. This means that your estate may be divided up between your spouse and your small children. Do you really want your children to own the house in conjunction with your spouse?

With Children, what happens if both you and your spouse are seriously ill, injured or killed (think auto accident)? Do you want the State of Georgia to decide who is the Guardian over your children or do you want a say in how this is handled?

If you get really sick or injured, who gets to make healthcare decisions for you? Without an Advance Directive for Healthcare, things can get very complicated. In some instances, your spouse or parents may have to go through the Probate Process to have a Legal Guardian appointed. This can be very costly and time consuming.

Additionally, without a Power of Attorney, your spouse or parents may have to have a Conservator appointed to handle your financial and other business affairs. This could be even more expensive involving the Probate Court and Bonding company.

Think you're too young to even think about these issues? Think of the young 40 year old father of 3 who was hit head on by a drunk driver killing him instantly. He had delayed taking the steps for his Estate Planning. This created more work and problems for his widow in dealing with the aftermath of his death. None of this should have occurred.

Call us today at 770-943-3737 to discuss how we can help.

05/04/2016

FROM CLARK HOWARD'S WEB PAGE: A Georgia police department is advising drivers to not use hazard lights while driving, even in the rain.

In some states, the use of hazard lights is permitted while driving, but in many states, it's illegal.

But the Johns Creek Police Department put out a call to Facebook this week urging drivers to not use their hazard lights while driving.

The metro Atlanta police department warned that using hazard lights may actually signal to other drivers that you are stopped or stalled on the road, and the lights can reduce the ability to see if the vehicles ahead are braking.

Hazard lights also "turn off your ability to use your turn signals," the police department wrote in its January 5 post.

Instead of using hazard lights while driving, consider not driving at all until road conditions improve.
"If you cannot see, pull over to a safe place and wait (until) driving conditions are better," the department wrote. "Your flashers should only be used while your vehicle is stopped or disabled on the roadway or shoulder. This is a sign for emergency services that someone is in need of assistance."

03/11/2013

SAFETY ALERT: If you're involved in a collision, stay in your car unless you're absolutely sure it's safe to get out. Especially if you are on an express way, etc. If you do get out of your car, then move completely off the roadway and away from traffic. It's too easy to step in front of oncoming traffic.

Atlanta police and the Georgia State Patrol were investigating a fatal wreck Monday morning that shut down a major southside highway.

07/17/2012

If you are in a collision on the interstate, do not get out of your vehicle until emergency services arrives. Even then, it's much safer to stay in your vehicle unless you have to get out to have it towed.

A motorist was killed early Tuesday after he wrecked his car on a downtown Atlanta interstate ramp, got out to inspect the damage and was struck by a second vehicle, police said.