Sometimes, clients visiting my office will say that they know that they need to do “something” regarding estate planning (maybe a new will?) but have no idea what goals they should be pursuing. Set forth in this column are five primary goals that you might consider to be the “ultimate objectives” of your estate planning. […]
Legal-Ease: Sick behind Bars
As they quarantine at home, some celebrities have made jokes about feeling like they are in prison. In response, many people have justifiably pointed out that being confined to a 10,000 square foot mansion is not comparable to prison. However, even for those of us who cannot leave our more modest homes, we can feel […]
Legal-Ease: Work Responsibility during quarantine
Regardless of the contemporary classification of a business as essential or non-essential, many employers have temporarily or permanently dismissed employees from their work positions. Further, some employees who have been asked to work have refused. As explained below, most employers may permanently terminate an employee’s employment during the virus crisis regardless of the business’s classification […]
Legal-Ease column: “Virus changing habits and laws”
State and federal legislatures have recently moved swiftly to change laws to address the unique circumstances presented by the current virus pandemic. Many of those laws have short-term durations, and the traditional (pre-virus) law will automatically return as the “norm” in several months or a couple years. Other of those laws passed by legislatures address […]
Legal-Ease column: “Emergency financial resources for small businesses”
On March 27, 2020, the federal government passed economic stimulus legislation commonly known as the CARES Act. The most popular aspect of the CARES Act has been the imminent payment of over $1,000 each to most Americans. The legislation also supplements state unemployment compensation for unemployed people. For small businesses, the federal government instituted two […]
Legal-Ease column: “Document signatures and social distancing”
Ohio passed new legislation that allowed for certain people to notarize people’s signatures, even when that notary public is not physically present with the signer. The new “remote notary” law requires expensive classes, extra tests and pricey software. However, “remote/electronic” notaries have the ability to notarize signatures on documents even when the documents are signed […]
Legal-Ease column: “Force majeure: legally unforeseen and uncontrollable acts of God”
I may hire a local restaurant to host my firm’s spring staff party. However, due to the ban on restaurants serving groups of people, the restaurant is legally prohibited from carrying out its end of the deal. The restaurant is in a tough spot. The restaurant is challenged financially, especially if it has to pay […]
Legal-Ease column: “Am I liable for infecting someone else with coronavirus?”
Coronavirus or the COVID-19 virus is all over the news lately. Events have been cancelled, and even healthy people (not just people who are at-risk) have been asked to work hard to avoid spread of the virus. In the instance of flu, high-risk individuals have a method of proactive protection in the event of exposure […]
Legal-Ease column: “Coronavirus and working from home”
The recent introduction of the Coronavirus has prompted several employers to encourage or require their employees to work from home. Obviously, not everyone can work from home, because not everyone’s jobs can be done from a remote location. When employees work from home, there are legal implications for the employer and the employee. For employers […]
Legal-Ease column: “Differences, similarities, Metamucil and the law”
As our nation’s presidential candidates seek to differentiate themselves, every subtle distinction in personality, wealth and philosophy between people is amplified. In this time of people’s differences being repeatedly pointed out, I am reminded of the lyrics to my favorite song, a country music song by Collin Raye, titled, “Not that Different”. The song reminds […]