William J. Kovatch, Jr., Attorney at Law, PLLC

Located in Alexandria, Virginia, we specialize in the legal needs of the elderly community. From estate planning to guardianships to Medicaid planning to special needs trusts, we strive to provide the best quality legal advice suited to your needs, values and goals.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Help Me Raise Money for the Cub Scouts!



Want to help me do something goofy and raise money for my Cub Scout pack?  Check out this video.  If I receive a total of $500 in donations to the Cub Scout Pack 95 before the annual Blue and Gold Banquet, I will dye my hair a goofy color scheme. Not only that, I will publish photos on the Internet.

I'm not afraid to get goofy in front of my boys for a reason.  And this seems like a good enough reason.

Plus, as an added incentive, you get to choose the color scheme.  The color scheme getting the most donations wins.  You vote with your dollars.  Your choices:  (1) blue and white to represent my high school, J.R. Masterman; (2) orange and green to represent my undergrad school, the University of Miami; (3) red, white and blue to represent my graduate school, The American University; or (4) scarlet and white to represent my law school, Temple University.  But wait, you could go off the board.  My daughter has suggested neon pink and purple.

If you would like to donate, make your checks out to Cub Scout Pack 95.  Mail them to me at: William J. Kovatch, Jr., 2121 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Supreme Court to Address Same Sex Marriages

The Supreme Court announced that it would hear two cases which involve same-sex marriages.  One case is from California, and concerns a ban on same sex marriages approved by California voters.  The other is an appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit which held that part of the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional.

The Second Circuit case concerned a lesbian couple who had married in Canada, but lived in New York.  One spouse died, leaving her estate to her surviving spouse.  The surviving spouse claimed the marital deduction against the federal estate tax.  The Second Circuit held that the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the Federal Government from recognizing same-sex marriages, violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The move by the Court does not necessarily mean that the Court will reach the central issue of whether same-sex marriages should be recognized in the United States.  Nonetheless, a possible outcome of the cases could be the resolution of whether same-sex couples can enjoy the same benefits under federal law as heterosexual couples.

By:  William J. Kovatch, Jr.
(703) 837-8832
info@kovatchelderlaw.com