By Nathan Vinson
English, Lucas, Priest & Owsley, LLP
If you want to save up for your child’s future college education, 529 plans have long been a great option. Lovingly named for the section of the IRS tax code where these reside, 529 plans allow families to save for college with some tax advantages. The plans are sponsored by states, state agencies, or educational institutions, and can be either a prepaid tuition plan or an education savings plan, depending on what the sponsor offers.
Western Kentucky University campus
A prepaid tuition plan allows you to pay today’s rates for future college education. This can be a tremendous savings if you’re 100 percent certain your kid is absolutely going to a specific college (or going to college at all). These are typically state-owned colleges and universities, and you can only pre-pay tuition, not room and board. Kentucky’s prepaid tuition plan is closed, and will be reassessed annually, the plan says on its web site; Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust does still offer a 529 plan that allows for college savings, and you can find more on that here.
An education savings plan is simply a vehicle for saving up for future college costs, and that includes room and board. These funds can also be used for private school tuition at elementary, middle and high schools, up to $10,000 per beneficiary. That $10,000 cap, though, doesn’t apply to college – just to K-12 education. Read More
By Aaron Smith, Partner
English, Lucas, Priest and Owsley, LLP
Just a few short weeks ago, attorneys Buzz English and J.A. Sowell from our firm took a case to trial because our client felt it was the best option, and we concurred.
In that case, we were defending a truck driver and the company he worked for against a lawsuit filed by a pedestrian he struck at night while driving. Our observation from that case is that sometimes it is best to go to trial --- and we had that lesson reinforced for us and our clients again this week in Simpson Circuit Court. Read More
By Buzz English, Partner
English, Lucas, Priest and Owsley, LLP
Buzz English
In the modern-day legal system, it is becoming increasingly rare to take a case to a jury trial. But sometimes it is the best course, especially if you believe you are in the right.
In September, I was in Wayne County Circuit Court in Monticello, Kentucky, trying a case filed by a pedestrian who had been struck by my client, Beja Environmental’s driver, John Magazzeni. Attorney J.A. Sowell, also with ELPO, joined me in representing Magazzeni and Beja at trial.
The Plaintiff
Plaintiff, a 68-year-old woman, walked across a bypass road, just past a lighted intersection and Magazzeni collided with her. Obviously, the accident caused serious injuries, and Plaintiff was life-flighted to the University of Kentucky’s hospital, where she remained for months. Prior to trial, she claimed Magazzeni ran a red light and hit her. At trial, now 72 and assisted by a walker, she claimed she was standing on the median when Magazzeni hit her. Read More
