The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • SALK Day 20 – Tyler Allen Law Firm

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    Ruth Carter

    Today’s sponsor is Tyler Allen of the Tyler Allen Law Firm, PLLC in Phoenix, Arizona.  He asked me to tell you about his estate planning services for LGBT couples.  This is a topic that is hugely important because LGBT couples need to create legal agreements between the partners in order to obtain a fraction of the rights that are automatically bestowed to their married heterosexual counterparts.

    Photo courtesy of Tyler K. Allen

    Tyler Allen assists LGBT couples in estate planning.  This includes creating wills, living wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare powers of attorney.  Allen takes the time to understand each client’s unique situation and designs an estate plan that ensures that the client receives the maximum benefits for themselves and their loved ones.  His goal is to foresee and prevent problems in determining who should receive your possessions after you pass.

    Arizona is not as cool as Iowa, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Washington, DC where same sex marriage is legal.  Therefore, it is imperative that LGBT couples protect their rights and relationships with domestic partnership agreements.  This is a legal document that is similar to a prenuptial agreement.  It declares how property will be owned in the relationship and how it will be distributed in the event of one partner’s death or if the couple breaks up.

    Arizona is also severely lame in that it only recognizes one parent – the biological or adoptive parent – as a child’s parent.  Allen can also create parenting agreements to protect the best interests of LGBT couples’ children.  These agreements state what the couple’s joint rights and responsibilities are.  These agreements are exceedingly helpful to ensure that both parents can continue to be in the children’s lives if couple ever separates.

    Committed LGBT couples need powers of attorney for each other.  A power of attorney lets a person decide who will make decisions for them in the event that they are incapacitated.  Married heterosexuals are automatically given the power to make decisions on their spouse’s behalf under these circumstances.  LGBT couples need healthcare powers of attorney to make medical decisions for their partner and financial powers of attorney to make financial decisions.  Without a power of attorney, the person’s family and not their partner will be given the power to make these decisions, regardless of how long the couple has been together or whether the partner is the only one who knows what their partner would have wanted.

    If you need assistance in establishing an estate plan or domestic partnership, please contact Tyler K. Allen for a free consultation.  He also maintains a fabulous gay rights blog.  If you are not LGBT, you can contact him too – he’s open to heteros too – married and unmarried.

    Sponsor A Law Kid is my endeavor to pay for my last semester of law school. Today’s sponsor is Tyler Allen.   For more information about Sponsor A Law Kid or to see what days are still available for sponsorship, visit my Sponsor A Law Kid page.

  • SALK Day 19 – Why I Love Star Trek

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    Ruth Carter

    Today’s sponsor is my dear friend from high school, Sara Shea.  She asked me to write about why I love Star Trek and how it continues to be relevant in my life.

    I started watching Star Trek with The Next Generation when I was 13.  I saw my first episode on a Saturday night while I was waiting for Mom to finish making dinner.  It only took that one episode for me to be hooked.  Watching the show became a fixture in my schedule through adulthood.  I also sought out other Trekkies.

    I was often a withdrawn, angry, and lonely child.  My experiences with people taught me that most people could not be trusted and that it was every man for himself.  I had seen the dark side of humanity and I believed that that was how everyone was.  I had learned that trusting people led to being hurt and so it was better to be alone and trust no one.

    I fell in love with Star Trek because of the interpersonal relationships between the characters.  Each person was vastly different and yet all of them were accepted with their talents and their faults.  I admired the level of devotion between them – they never abandoned a friend in need.  They also had integrity. My experiences had taught me that people will be deceitful and hurtful if it benefitted themselves.  On Star Trek, I saw characters who did what was right – even to their own detriment, and they protected those who could not protect themselves.

    Watching Star Trek gave me hope.  It gave me a different perspective for seeing the world, to have hope that people could behave better than what I had previously seen and experienced.  It taught me that the battered and weak could become strong and empowered.  Star Trek gave me examples to emulate, of people who can support the unpopular but right argument.  It’s a hard thing to do, and often a lonely position to be in.  Star Trek was one of the things that taught me that I have a responsibility to be that person.

    There have been many times in my life when I felt like a freak – for being a geek, bisexual, and at times outspoken and aggressive.  Star Trek showed me that being different didn’t make me a freak; I just bring something different to the table.

    I love going to Star Trek conventions.  I love the overwhelming feeling of acceptance that I feel the second I walk into the convention hall.  It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet forward-thinking smart people.  For many of us, Star Trek is not just a show.  At the risk of sounding cultish, it’s a way of life; it’s a special perspective on the world.

    And in case you were wondering, yes, I’ve made the pilgrimage to Riverside, Iowa – the future birthplace of Captain Kirk.

    The signature of all of my emails is a quote from Star Trek: First Contact: “Don’t try to be a great man.  Just be a man, and let history make its own judgment.”  I love this quote.  It is constant reminder that my job is to work hard and have integrity.  It’s not my job to decide what my impact on others will be.  I give the attribution to the character, Zefram Cochrane.  It’s not a blaring announcement that I’m a Trekkie, but it lets my fellow Trekkies know that I’m one of them.

    Sponsor A Law Kid is my endeavor to pay for my last semester of law school. Today’s sponsor is Sara Shea.   For more information about Sponsor A Law Kid or to see what days are still available for sponsorship, visit my Sponsor A Law Kid page.

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  • SALK Day 18 – Henry’s Hope

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    Ruth Carter

    By the time Henry Foster was 3 years old, he had had a dozen surgeries and procedures, had dozens of diagnostic exams, seen over a dozen specialists, and had had hundreds of doctor and physical therapy appointments.  Initially diagnosed with failure to thrive, Henry battled dozens of infections, respiratory problems, and visions problems.  He could not crawl or walk until he was 2 years old.  He had to have a feeding tube placed in his stomach when he was unable to eat.

    After years of searching, worrying, and not knowing what was wrong with their child, the Foster family finally had an answer to Henry’s problems – he has mitochondrial disease.  His cells do not have enough energy for his body to properly function.  It is neuro-degenerative and progressive illness.  As Henry ages, his energy level will drop until there is not enough energy to sustain life.  Unless there are significant medical advances, Henry will die of this disease.

    Despite the fact that Henry is often feels weak or sick, he is always resilient, happy, and courageous.  He has never complained about constantly needing medical treatment.  His parents created Henry’s Hope in 2010 in honor of children like Henry and their families.

    The purpose of Henry’s Hope is to give “all children with life-threatening medical conditions have access to medical treatment, supplies, and support for their families – regardless of socio-economic status.”  The Fosters have seen firsthand that many families cannot afford the medical treatment necessary to arrive at a diagnosis for their children’s illnesses or the special food and medication required for them to survive.  Instead of focusing only on their child, they have created this organization to help other families that are not as fortunate as them.

    Beyond helping families receive proper treatment, the organization is dedicated to provide advocates for families, to help them navigate insurance companies and government entities.  They also provide advocates that help these families understand the physical and emotional aspects of having a child with a life-threatening illness.

    Henry’s Hope is dedicated to bringing attention to children with terminal and life-threatening illnesses and the lack of funding for research.  Henry’s Hope raises money to support research facilities that are working on more effective treatments and cures for these illnesses.

    Henry’s Hope is an organization dedicated to easing the suffering of these children – some of who are fighting for their lives, and to helping their families have the medical and emotional support they need.   Amazingly, this organization relies completely on donations and volunteers.  Please donate whatever you have – whether it is money or time – to help Henry’s Hope.

    You can also keep up with Henry’s Hope on Facebook and Twitter.

    Sponsor A Law Kid is my endeavor to pay for my last semester of law school. Today’s sponsor is Henry’s Hope.   For more information about Sponsor A Law Kid or to see what days are still available for sponsorship, visit my Sponsor A Law Kid page.