The Dove Firm PLLC

Financial exploitation of the elderly is a serious problem, with one in twenty older adults victimized each year according to the Department of Justice.  In May of 2017, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney created a new special prosecution team -- the Elder Financial Fraud Unit -- to serve as a community resource addressing the special needs of elderly victims through a program of aggressive prosecution, education and deterrence. The unit consists of two experienced prosecutors, two investigators and one support staff member, all of whom are focused exclusively on financial crimes against the elderly. By the end of 2017, 79 cases were filed. The unit also partnered with Guardianship Services to create the the Financial Exploitation Prevention Center of Tarrant County, whose mission it is to connect Tarrant seniors with the vast network of resources available to them. If you, or anyone you know, has been a victim of elder financial fraud, there are resourc...

Come visit with representatives of the Dove Firm at Arlington's annual "Aging Well" expo, this Wednesday, March 21st, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Arlington Convention Center. The expo, which is free, will be packed with local professionals, and will feature health and wellness screenings, a variety of informative presentations, and door prizes. You can learn all about health, wellness, volunteering, and housing opportunities available to senior citizens. Look for our booth -- we'd love to meet you! More information can be found at the Aging Well Expo website:   http://www.arlington-tx.gov/agingwell/  

The Treasury Department’s new tax withholding tables, based upon the recently passed tax reform bill, went into effect for all employers on February 15, 2018. That means that about 90% of all employees will see a decrease in tax withholding from their paychecks, resulting in an increase in take-home pay. The amount of the tax savings will of course vary from individual to individual, but as an example, a single taxpayer earning $50,000 a year will see his/her take-home pay go up by a little under $200 a month because of the lower withholding called for by the tax law changes.

The federal ABLE (“Achieving a Better Life Experience”) Program, signed into law in December, 2014, was created to encourage and assist individuals and families in saving funds for the purpose of supporting individuals with disabilities. The Texas ABLE program, enacted a year later and administered by the Texas Comptroller’s Office, is not yet open for enrollment, but the Texas Comptroller announced on February 16, 2018, that significant progress had been made on implementing the program. The program manager is completing the marketing, enrollment, and record-keeping websites and developing program material. No date has yet been announced as to when the Texas program will be open for enrollment. In the meantime, however, eligible Texas residents can open an account in any state with an active ABLE program that accepts out-of-state residents. Over twenty states currently have active ABLE programs, and most of those programs will accept Texas residents. Of further note, there have been som...

Meeting with an attorney can feel like a daunting task for some.  The Dove Firm hopes that all of our potential clients leave our office feeling better than when they came in.  In order to do that, our attorneys need adequate information to review.  What you bring in will depend upon your legal need. For example, here are a few things you may want to bring in with you, if you are meeting with an attorney about an elder law issue for the first time: Copies of all estate planning documents, including powers of attorney, wills, and trust agreements. A most recent personal tax return A list of assets, including real estate addresses, bank and financial accounts, personal property, and approximate values of each Insurance policies, including life insurance and long-term care insurance Contact information for family members and caregivers Copies of any court order regarding a guardianship currently in place This list may be longer or shorter, depending ...

Today, June 15th, is the annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) as first declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012. Elder abuse is increasingly recognized as an important worldwide problem, and one that is likely to grow as many countries experience the rapid aging of their populations.  In the U.S. alone, some 10,000 people turn 65 every day. The focus of this year’s WEAAD is financial abuse of the elderly — a very common form of elder abuse which, for the most part, remains hidden and unreported. It is hoped WEAAD will raise the general awareness of this form of elder abuse and by so doing reduce its frequency.