Due to the overwhelming percentage of people that die without a will in Baltimore, Attorney and Baltimore City Orphans’ Court Chief Judge Lewyn Scott Garrett, along with associate Judges Michele Loewenthal and Stephan Fogleman, will participate in upcoming educational seminars on wills and estates for seniors. According to the Baltimore City Orphans’ Court which oversees probate matters, it has been estimated that there are probably more than 50% of people that die without a will in Baltimore, which is one reason why the seminars were developed.
“One of the most common issues we encounter on the bench is when the decedent did not have a will,” said Chief Judge Lewyn Scott Garrett. “It can be a very painful reality for surviving family members that believed their loved one meant to leave something for them but because they didn’t have a will the estate must go through probate. We are holding these seminars to educate people, particularly seniors on how they can prevent that.”
The Judges want to take the seminars out to the seniors to let them know the importance of having a will. Many seniors believe they don’t have anything of value so they think they don’t need a will. However if they were to sit down and take actual inventory of their assets they might be surprised. In the seminars, the Judges will discuss with seniors the benefits of planning an estate and preparing a last will and testament.
Lewyn Scott Garrett has been a Judge in the Orphans’ Court since November, 1995 and was recently appointed Chief Judge. At the age of 22, in 1978, Judge Garrett was one of the youngest candidates to ever be sworn in as a full fledged attorney. He earned his B.A. degree and Masters degree in Policy Sciences from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland Law School. Judge Garrett has maintained an active law practice for more than 28 years. His knowledge and skills regarding the law is a great asset to the Orphans’ Court.
For more information or to view a seminar schedule you can visit: www.OrphansCourtJudges2014.com/calendar.