I spoke twice at this convention:

One talk was on Cremation Liability and the second was What’s New That Can Get You Sued.

Both topics of interest to [...]]]> I spent part of this week in Overland Park, Kansas for the 2013 Tri-State Funeral Convention. This was a convention cosponsored by Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska Funeral Director’s Associations.

I spoke twice at this convention:

One talk was on Cremation Liability and the second was What’s New That Can Get You Sued.

Both topics of interest to anyone in the profession!

One of the things we talked about during the What’s New That Can Get You Sued talk is if and when do you have the right to refuse to serve a family? This was all tied to the Boston Bombings. The short answer here is that you can refuse to serve a family as long as you are not discriminating and you have a legitimate business reason.

Overall, great conference!

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How Traditional is Cremation?: A Legal Look at Recent Changes in the Cremation Market

Moderated by Poul Lemasters, Esq. Friday, April 12, 3 to 3:50 p.m. Cremation has been around forever and many may argue [...]]]> I wanted to post a roundup of a few speaking engagements I am doing for ICCFA this April. They might be of interest to you!

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How Traditional is Cremation?: A Legal Look at Recent Changes in the Cremation Market

Moderated by Poul Lemasters, Esq.
Friday, April 12, 3 to 3:50 p.m.
Cremation has been around forever and many may argue that things never change. But, even cremation is evolving through services, technology, regulation and overall consumer knowledge. Unfortunately, with changes come certain risks. In the case of cremation, one very common risk is that a professional will do something wrong and get sued.

In this seminar, Poul Lemasters, Esq., and a panel of experts will look at various changes in cremation and the new risks of liability associated with them, including:

• Regulation: an update on recent trends in laws
• Cremation: an update on changing standards and the risks of not keeping up
• Alkaline hydrolysis: review the current trend and the risks involved
• Technology: an overview on some new technology and how to risk manage

Most importantly, this seminar will provide proactive procedures to prevent these new risks.

Poul Lemasters, Esq., is principal at Lemasters Consulting in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a coach with the ICCFA Cremation Coaching Center at www.cremationcoach.com.

The Case of the Botched Pet Cremation
Moderated by Poul Lemasters, Esq.
Saturday, April 13, 2:30 to 4:20 p.m.
The pet cremation has been handled improperly and everyone is a suspect: including the veterinarian and the pet crematory.

Join us for a mock trial in which people from outside the profession will sit as jurors to hear the case. Did any of the defendants have the proper procedures or safeguards in place? Are the defendants guilty by association?  What went wrong, and how could this have been avoided?

You’ll hear the evidence on both sides, and then you’ll find out what our panelists think—including the trial participants and the jurors. Will the jury convict one or more of the companies involved? How much, if any, damages will the jury award the family for the loss of a pet?

• Poul Lemasters, Esq., (plaintiffs’ attorney) is principal at Lemasters Consulting in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Don Ferfolia (defense attorney) is an attorney at Snell and Ferfolia LLC in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio.
• Vivianne Villanueva Dhupa, CPLP, (plaintiff) is owner at Peaceful Paws Pet Cremation in Encinitas, California.
• Kevin Woronchak, CPLP, (veterinarian and owner) is president of Until We Meet Again Pet Memorial Center in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
• Brett VanDeWoestyne, CPLP, (pet crematory owner/operator) is manager/director of cremation of Vandemore Pet Cremation Services in Geneso, Illinois.
• Jon Remkus, CPLP, (expert for the plaintiff) is manager at Hinsdale Animal Cemetery & Crematory, Willowbrook, Illinois.
• Jeremiah Neville, (judge) is with Terrybear Urns & Memorials, St.Paul, Minnesota.

The $10,000 Cremation: A Legal Look at What It Really Costs to Provide a Cremation
Poul Lemasters, Esq.
With more and more states enforcing new requirements for a cremation service, the cost to perform a cremation has increased.  Most every change has a direct liability associated with it.  With stricter identification procedures, environmental changes and the FTC, the cost to the cremation provider to cover potential liability seems unlimited.  This session will focus on several key areas of cremation liability. Examples of lawsuits and claims to stress the potential liability will be shared, and solutions and their “cost” to prevent and reduce the risk of lawsuits will be provided.

Thanks so much to the Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky for giving me the mic to share a bit of what I know! [...]]]> Two topics were on the docket when I spoke in front of the Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky:

• Law Review: Review of all the laws affecting Kentucky funeral directors
• Seminar: A seminar on cremation

Thanks so much to the Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky for giving me the mic to share a bit of what I know! I really appreciate the opportunity and look forward to seeing everyone again in the future!

Kentucky Fun Fact: Middlesboro, KY is the only city in the United States built within a meteor crater. :)

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500 Brand New Winter Coats,  200+ Pairs of New Gloves, 100+ New Hats Donated to Cincinnati-area Adults and Children

30 January 2013—CINCINNATI—Imagine you are a fourth grader stuck outside [...]]]> Our fourth annual coat drive was a huge success and we’re proud to say that more than 500 brand new coats were donated to kids and adults this season.

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500 Brand New Winter Coats,  200+ Pairs of New Gloves, 100+ New Hats Donated to Cincinnati-area Adults and Children

30 January 2013—CINCINNATI—Imagine you are a fourth grader stuck outside at recess in a coat that is too small and not very warm. Unfortunately, that’s a reality for many Cincinnati-area children, and adults as well.

“This is our fourth year doing this, and our biggest success yet,” said Poul Lemasters, Owner of Lemasters Consulting and Attorney. “Coats get worn and kids grow every year, so the need continues to be present. Everyone should have a new, warm coat to carry them through the winter months, and this is why we do this coat drive.”

Lemaster’s Consulting, a Cincinnati-based business, partners with Old Navy’s Blue Ash, OH location to purchase the new coats and winter wear at a discount and with St. Vincent De Paul, Cincinnati Chapter who distributes the coats and winter wear.

This year, 500 new coats, 200+ pairs of gloves and 100+ new hats were distributed. The retail value of these items is more than $22,000.

“We are grateful to Poul, his family, Old Navy and Poul’s clients for their support, but not as grateful as the many struggling families who are touched by their generosity. Somewhere this morning, a little girl stood proudly at a cold bus stop showing off her new coat while her mother took comfort in knowing her daughter would be safe and warm this winter,” said Elysa Hamlin, Donor Communications Coordinator, Society of St. Vincent de Paul. “The generous spirit of Poul and everyone who contributed to purchasing over 500 new coats has given comfort and hope to many local families and we can’t thank them enough.”

The coats were distributed by St. Vincent de Paul on December 10, 2012.

“While the coats and winterwear are distributed here in Cincinnati, we get support from my clients all over the country,” said Lemasters. “Two well-known Cincinnati establishments have supported us every single year of the coat drive: Gwen Mooney Funeral Home and Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum. I am always so grateful to these businesses; both local and not-so, who contribute to keep residents of our city warmer.”

Supporting companies in this year’s coat drive include:

—Rebecca Ehlert, Wauwatosa, WI
—Michael and Victoria Uselton, Palmetto, WI
—Gwen Mooney Funeral Home, Cincinnati, OH
—Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, OH
—Legacy Funeral Group, Houston, TX
—Legacytouch / Cremation Safeguard, Lee’s Summit, MO
—Live Oak Banking Co., Wilmington, NC
—NGL Insurance Group, Madison, WI
—Paxus Services, Inc, Boerne, TX
—Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, OH

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Download a PDF of the press release here.

These are just SOME of the new coats we were able to donate.

We raised enough money to purchase and distribute almost 200 coats, over 150 pairs of gloves and over 100 hats.

These items had a reatial value of over $22,000!

The best part? These items [...]]]> This was a milestone year in our annual coat drive.

These are just SOME of the new coats we were able to donate.

We raised enough money to purchase and distribute almost 200 coats, over 150 pairs of gloves and over 100 hats.

These items had a reatial value of over $22,000!

The best part? These items were brand new! Brand new coats for the childen and adults that need them most.

A Special thanks to Old Navy who not only held back coats for us, but also gave us a generous discount so our dollars went farther.

And a special thanks to the companies who supported the coat drive this year. Thanks for all your Giving:

• Rebecca Ehlert, Wauwatosa, WI
• Michael and Victoria Uselton, Palmetto, WI
• Gwen Mooney Funeral Home, Cincinnati, OH
• Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, OH
• Legacy Funeral Group, Houston, TX
• Legacytouch / Cremation Safeguard, Lee’s Summit, MO
• Live Oak Banking Co., Wilmington, NC
• NGL Insurance Group, Madison, WI
• Paxus Services, Inc, Boerne, TX
• Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, OH

It was interesting because there were several speakers at the same time as me and I was going against discussions on “An [...]]]> Thought I’d share a bit from the last conference I attended: It was in Chicago on November 4, 2012 for the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association(ISVMA) and I spoke on Pet Death Care Liability.

It was interesting because there were several speakers at the same time as me and I was going against discussions on “An Approach to Paw Skin Disease”  ”Dental Radiology and the 6-Step Professional Periodontal Procedure for Animals”  ”Compulsive Disorder in Dogs” and “Pet Triage! Who Goes First.” With all that going on—some people actually picked a lawyer!

Hope to see you at a conference sometime soon! ;)

The reality is that copyright law is pretty straightforward. This complimentary whitepaper will quickly break down the basics of Copyright Law so you can make better decisions, protect your business and protect your families.

Click the link below to download:

LemastersConsulting-Copyright-Whitepaper

Please, [...]]]> Could you be violating a copyright and not even know it? You very well may be.

The reality is that copyright law is pretty straightforward. This complimentary whitepaper will quickly break down the basics of Copyright Law so you can make better decisions, protect your business and protect your families.

Click the link below to download:

LemastersConsulting-Copyright-Whitepaper

Please, leave a comment and let us know if this was valuable to you!

This is a fantastic picture. Thanks to Gary [...]]]> I just got back from ICCFA University where I attended a college and also taught 4 classes while there. In one of my classes, my students pulled a little prank and all started falling asleep on me! Quite humorous! Although I can’t blame them….Worker’s Comp Law isn’t exactly riveting.

This is a fantastic picture. Thanks to Gary Freytag of Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum for capturing the moment!

I had an awesome trip out to California to see Memory Glass this month. Not only did they trust me enough (or were just crazy enough) to work with Lemasters Consulting, they also trusted (or again, crazy) enough to jump out of a plane together! It was my first time skydiving and was truly exhilarating. I [...]]]>

I had an awesome trip out to California to see Memory Glass this month. Not only did they trust me enough (or were just crazy enough) to work with Lemasters Consulting, they also trusted (or again, crazy) enough to jump out of a plane together! It was my first time skydiving and was truly exhilarating. I want to give a very big shout out to Memory Glass and Nick Savage and Loren Dion (artists and owners). The photos show Loren and I after the jump, and one of me as proof that we did it!!