Barna, Guzy & Steffen, LTD. Announces New Shareholder
July 29, 2025 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.
The law firm of Barna, Guzy & Steffen, LTD. announces that Bobbi Hermanson-Albers was voted in as a Shareholder. Bobbi is a 2014 cum laude graduate of Hamline University School of Law. Before joining BGS, Bobbi worked as a family lawyer at a boutique Minneapolis area law firm and as a Judicial Law Clerk in the Tenth Judicial District with Judge B. William Ekstrum. Bobbi joined Barna, Guzy & Steffen in 2019 in our Estate Planning department. Today, Bobbi focuses her practice on estate planning, tax planning, long-term care planning, probate court proceedings, estate and trust administration, and guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. Actively involved in the community, Bobbi holds leadership roles on professional associations related to her practice. She is the Secretary for the Minnesota State Bar Association Elder Law Governing Council and active with the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys-Minnesota Chapter, Board of Directors as Secretary, Education Committee. The firm would like to congratulate Bobbi on her accomplishments and commitment to the mission of providing clients legal service with trust, dedication and professionalism. BGS believes these ingredients are the essence of integrity, and it strives to nurture these values within the firm. For more than 85 years, the attorneys at Barna, Guzy & Steffen have been committed to providing comprehensive legal…
Read MoreIs There a New Cellphone “Touch Law” for Minnesota Drivers?
July 14, 2025 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.
A rumor has been circulating on social media and across the internet that a new “touch law” went into effect on June 5, 2025, in 31 U.S. states, including Minnesota. The purported law bans handling or touching your phone while driving. This claim is misleading, however. Such a law did go into effect in Pennsylvania on June 5 and is known as “Paul Miller’s Law.” But the other states mentioned in the claim, including Minnesota, already have similar laws that have been in place for several years. In Minnesota’s case, the hands-free cell phone use law went into effect in 2019. So, while there is no new “touch law” in Minnesota, drivers should still act in accordance with the existing law. What is Minnesota’s Hands-Free Cell Phone Law? Minnesota’s hands-free law makes it illegal, in most cases, to use a handheld cell phone while driving. This includes when a driver’s vehicle is stopped at a traffic light or in a traffic jam. However, it is legal for drivers to use cell phones in hands-free mode. This means that drivers are permitted to use their phones through voice commands or with a single-touch activation. So, you are allowed to make or take phone calls, send or receive messages, listen to audio, and receive GPS…
Read MoreWhy Every Minnesota Adult Needs a Health Care Directive
July 8, 2025 | Kate Frederickson
At Barna, Guzy & Steffen, our estate planning attorneys help people plan for a variety of future scenarios. And while many adults wait until later in life to complete their estate planning documents, there is at least one document that anyone over the age of 18 should have: a health care directive. What Is a Health Care Directive? A health care directive is a written document that can do two things: (1) appoint a health care agent to act on your behalf in the event of your incapacity; and (2) outline your wishes regarding your medical care and end-of-life wishes. A health care directive becomes effective upon your incapacity, or when you are unable to communicate your wishes due to illness, injury, or incapacity. Historically, an individual may have needed a living will and/or a variable healthcare power of attorney to articulate their wishes regarding medical care and life sustaining treatment. In Minnesota, now an individual only needs one document, a healthcare directive, to outline all of their wishes and instructions. Why Is It Important for Everyone Over 18? Putting your wishes in writing is the best way to help make sure your preferences are known and followed by family and friends. Many people assume health care directives are only for older adults…
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