insights, news and announcements for our members, colleagues and community
Buck Rogers speaks at the April luncheon
Please join us for lunch as we celebrate Law Day. This year’s theme is “The 14th Amendment: Transforming American Democracy?”
Be sure to RSVP by Tuesday, May 9, for our monthly luncheon on Thursday, May 11, at the historic Old Courthouse on the square, 101 E. Court Square in downtown Decatur.
By Pat Salem, CPA, CFE
IAG Forensics & Valuation
pat@iagforensics.com
Technology is constantly evolving as industry experts find new and improved ways to do things. They have brought us banking by phone, transfers via texting and mobile payments with Square. Even before these technologies became globally available, we were making on-line payments using service providers such as PayPal, SecurePay and Authorize.net.
As technology evolves the question businesses need to ask is, are the internal controls evolving as well?
If you missed the FLS breakfast on May 4, be sure to join us for the next one on June 1! The Family Law Section Breakfast is held on the first Thursday of each month, 7:30-9 am at the historic…
Veteran Representative Mary Margaret Oliver spoke at the April 6 breakfast meeting of the DeKalb Bar Association’s Family Law Section. She represents the citizens of District 82, serving in the House of Representatives from 1987 to 1992, and 2002 through the present day, and the Senate from 1993 to 1998. She currently serves on the Judiciary, Appropriations, Juvenile Justice, Governmental Affairs, and Science and Technology Committees. Fresh from the 2017 regular session of the 154th Georgia General Assembly, she summarized the bills that passed and the reasons why some worthy bills failed.
by Arman Deganian
President, DeKalb Bar Association
litnerlaw.com
As a fifteen year resident of DeKalb County, I often pass by historical markers on my way to and from work on DeKalb Avenue and Memorial Drive. I’ve rarely taken the time to stop and read them but, on a recent walk with my dog, I slowed down and took stock of a number of these markers. I’ve always been interested in the Civil War in Georgia, but I never realized how devastating the war was to the communities of DeKalb County, or that the Battle of Atlanta began in DeKalb County, just down the street from my home.
By Dan Branch, CPA/ABV, ASA – Partner
IAG Forensics & Valuation
dan@iagforensics.com
According to Georgia law, elder abuse is any intentional or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult. It includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, self-neglect or abandonment. It might be physical violence, isolation, or identity theft or the theft or embezzlement of a senior’s property.
Unfortunately, the number of elder abuse cases in Georgia is growing. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation recently labeled the increase, especially across North Georgia, as the “Silver Tsunami.” Based on information from the National Council on Aging (NCOA), an organization whose mission is to improve the health and economic security of older adults (typically considered 60+), the abuse can take many forms – phone scams, Medicaid/Medicare fraud, home improvement scams, counterfeit prescription drugs, homeowner/reverse mortgage scams, lottery scams and, probably the most heart wrenching, the grandparent scam where a scammer calls an elderly person, pretends to be a grandchild, and proceeds to ask for money to be sent via Western Union or MoneyGram (which don’t always require ID to collect the money).
From the State Court of DeKalb County, State of Georgia:
We need the help and cooperation of the DeKalb Bar Association in making our court records accurate and understandable.
When you e-file, your labeling of the documents carries over into the docket – electronic filing has in some respects outsourced the creation of the court’s record to the filing parties. The mislabeling of electronically filed pleadings creates inefficiency and inaccuracy related to the court’s record. The standing order presented below is an attempt to address that situation.
