| Morning, Missoula. |
| Four things worth your two minutes this week. We skipped the courtroom gossip and kept what actually lands on families and small businesses around here — translated into plain English, as always. |
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By the numbers
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$1.3M
penalty for one abusive lawsuit
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$300K
stolen by a disbarred lawyer
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$190K
taken by one trusted employee
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1.The chatbot advice that nearly killed a pastor
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2.Junk texts just lost a federal guardrail
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3.Clients say their late lawyer stole millions
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4.One trusted employee, $190K gone
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The lead · CHATBOT CAUTION
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The chatbot advice that nearly killed a pastor
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| A pastor is suing OpenAI after following ChatGPT medical advice that, according to his lawsuit, nearly killed him. |
| The complaint says he followed the bot's detailed instructions and nearly died. People bring that same trust to legal questions — what a will should say, whether a custody order can be changed — and the answers come back sounding equally sure whether they're right or wrong. Montana has exact requirements for how a will gets signed and witnessed, and a chatbot won't be there to stand behind a document that misses them. |
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Why it matters: If an AI answer is already shaping an estate or custody decision, run it past us before you act — checking it takes a short conversation, and unwinding a bad document doesn't.
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Read at abajournal.com →
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SCAM WATCH
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Junk texts just lost a federal guardrail
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| A federal appeals court ruled that the law protecting you from unwanted telemarketing calls doesn't cover texts. |
| The Telephone Consumer Protection Act is the law behind the do-not-call list and much of the pressure that keeps robocallers in check. A Midwest appeals court just read its 'unwanted calls' protection literally — calls are calls, and texts aren't them. The ruling doesn't directly govern Montana, but decisions like this get cited nationwide, and the practical effect is less legal risk for the people blasting your phone. |
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Why it matters: For you and the older relatives in your life, it means the junk isn't slowing down — treat any unexpected text about money or a family emergency as unverified until you've called the real person or company at a number you already had.
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Read the full story →
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PROBATE FILE
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Clients say their late lawyer stole millions
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| Former clients of a Kentucky lawyer allege he defrauded them of millions — and the mess is being sorted out now that he's gone. |
| Two lessons for the rest of us. First, claims against someone who has died go through probate, and the window for creditors to come forward can be short — miss it and the debt is usually gone for good. Second, anyone holding money for you — a trustee, or an agent under a power of attorney — should be producing statements you can actually read, with someone besides them able to see the accounts. |
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Why it matters: If one person controls everything in your plan, build in routine visibility now — duplicate statements to a second family member, or a co-trustee — while everyone's still on good terms.
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Read the full story →
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SMALL BUSINESS
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One trusted employee, $190K gone
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| A Georgia law firm employee has been charged with forging documents and stealing over $190K from the firm. |
| If it can happen inside a law office, it can happen at any small business in town. The setup rarely varies: one trusted person touches the money coming in and going out, and nobody else ever reads the bank statement. |
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Why it matters: If you run a business, the cheapest control available is separation — have the monthly bank statement go, unopened, to a second person, even if that second person is your spouse at the kitchen table.
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Read the full story →
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Quick hits
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• A disbarred lawyer pleaded guilty to stealing over $300K from former clients to support a gambling addiction. →
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• A judge ordered Florida Virtual School and its attorneys to pay $1.3M for pressing an 'abusive' trademark lawsuit. →
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• The Supreme Court is being asked whether to take up the federal ban on home distilling. →
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Tip of the week
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Check the forms that outrank your will
Life insurance, retirement accounts, and payable-on-death bank accounts don't follow your will — they pay whoever is named on the beneficiary form, even if that's an ex-spouse or someone long gone. Log in or call each company and read the actual names on file, especially if your family has changed since you opened the account. If a name surprises you, request the change form the same day you find it.
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How was this issue?
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Until next week,
Elena, attorney & founder
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| P.S. Clear and headed for 88 in Missoula today — the paperwork will keep until evening. If your beneficiary check turns up a surprise, our door is open. |