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Limiting the Damage - Steps Taken Now Can Lighten Your Tax Burden Later
Bruce M. Fogel
2008-12-22
While year-end tax planning is always and in all ways important, it is especially crucial in 2008. The time is now to apply new tax rules to secure your best ...
Your Child's Education - Navigating and Advocating for Families with Special-needs Children
Julie A. Dialessi-Lafley
2008-12-22
It is difficult enough for parents and family to ensure their child is receiving an appropriate education in today's education model without the added difficulty of navigating the often-barely chartered ...
Will in a Box - The Dangers of Estate Planning Software Programs
Todd C. Ratner
2008-12-17
The recent sophistication of software has contributed to an increase in homegrown estate planning. These mass-marketers of legal services misinform people into thinking that they are saving money and that ...
Profile in Courage - Attorney Marty Dunn Stands Tall Against ALS
2008-12-08
Marty Dunn first started noticing a slight slurring of his speech about a year ago. Soon, others noticed as well. Eight months later, he would be officially diagnosed with ALS ...
Crafting Severance Agreements - A Well-designed Document Can Help Employers Avoid Lawsuits
Paul H. Rothschild
2008-12-08
An unfortunate reality of any business, especially in the current economic climate, is that an employer will, at some time, have to terminate an employee. Employers must carefully navigate this ...
Estate Planning from the Male Perspective
Julie A. Dialessi-Lafley
2008-12-01
FAST FACTS Only about 20% of men survive their female spouse A husband dying without an estate plan leaves his wife and family unprotected and fails to ensure that his ...
Givers Gain - Use Charitable Giving to Your Advantage
Gina M. Barry
2008-11-18
With tax season quickly approaching, could you use a break on your federal income tax return? The recent economic crisis has left the nation financially stressed and has created a ...
Gina Barry recently founded The Joy of Jasper
Gina M. Barry
2008-11-18
Gina Barry would like to share the "Joy of Jasper." Barry, a local lawyer and horse enthusiast, recently founded The Joy of Jasper Inc., a nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing ...
Promises, Promises - Navigating the World of Personal Guarantees
Adam J. Basch
2008-11-10
Due to the difficult financial situation of many companies and their customers, depending upon which side of the issue you are on, it is more important than ever to attempt ...
The Numbers Game - Personal Income-tax Considerations for Tax Year 2008
Bruce M. Fogel
2008-11-10
When it comes to the bottom line -- meaning the one on your tax return -- proper planning is of the essence. And to plan effectively, one must know the ...
Good Grief!
Gina M. Barry
2008-10-17
Imagine that today you passed away. Your loved ones would be devastated, but would, nonetheless, be called upon to tend to your final affairs - arranging your funeral, managing your ...
Health Care Proxies and Powers of Attorney - Providing Your Voice When You Are Unable to Speak for Yourself
Gina M. Barry
2008-10-16
If you were to become incapacitated and unable to make your medical and financial decisions, do you know who would speak for you? Ideally, you have executed formal legal documents, ...
Employee BlackBerry Use - What Is Private, and What Is Employer-accessible?
Kevin V. Maltby
2008-10-15
A blackberry is a handheld device that makes it easy for people to stay connected to each other regardless of where they are. It is so convenient that it becomes ...
Ethical Wills - Bequeath Your Values Along With Your Valuables
Gina M. Barry
2008-10-13
To my daughter, I leave my love of laughter, To my son, I leave my passion for knowledge . . . As a responsible provider, you want to ensure the ...
Choosing the Right Entity Type - Make Smart Decisions to Protect Your Liability and Tax Status
Dennis G. Egan, Jr.
2008-10-13
So, which entity type is best for your company? The short answer is: It depends. It depends on factors such as the assets to be held by the business entity, ...
Planning Your Estate: When a "Simple Will" Won't Suffice
Hyman G. Darling
2008-10-01
Fast Facts: Over 700,000 American adults with disabilities have parents age 60+. A special needs plan may be modified as needs change. A special needs trust manages assets while protecting ...
Food for Thought - The Matter of Personal Liability for Restaurant Debt
Mark A. Tanner
2008-09-29
Restaurants in Massachusetts can be organized to do business in many different corporate forms including Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Corporations and Limited Liability Companies. When restaurateurs choose to operate their business ...
New Laws of Marriage Life Planning - Are Crucial for Non-traditional Couples
Julie A. Dialessi-Lafley
2008-08-28
On November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that gay and lesbian couples have the right to civil marriage in Massachusetts. The ruling in Goodridge v. Department of ...
A Final Gift of Organization
Gina M. Barry
2008-08-23
One of the most important things to organize is your estate plan. Having an organized estate plan will ensure that financial matters are handled appropriately and expediently. Regardless of family ...
Caring for the Caregiver: A Real Dilemma Families Face in an Age of Living Longer
Julie A. Dialessi-Lafley
2008-08-22
2005 government-financed study reported that more than 1 million children in our nation take care of sick or disabled parents or relatives. The AARP says that about 65 million people ...
Designating Beneficiaries
Hyman G. Darling
2008-08-22
The beneficiaries and back-up beneficiaries named on retirement plans and life insurance policies must be carefully considered and properly designated. A single person without children, for example, may want siblings, ...
HIPAA: Understanding Its Effect on the Medical Community - and the Patient Since 1996
Julie A. Dialessi-Lafley
2008-08-22
Many have heard the story of the husband who drops his wife off at the Emergency Room (ER) and goes to park the car. By the time he finds a ...
By All Accounts - Payable - Whom Do You Pay First When Cash Gets Tight?
Paul R. Salvage
2008-08-22
We are facing some frightening times. Gas prices are at record highs, which not only affect what we pay at the pump, but push up prices on most goods, as ...
Ethical Wills - Bequeath Your Values Along With Your Valuables
Gina M. Barry
2008-08-22
To my daughter, I leave my love of laughter. To my son, I leave my passion for knowledge ... As a responsible provider, you want to ensure the future financial ...
Some Advice - on the House - A Primer on Real-estate Disclosures and After-sale Recourse
Donna L. Wexler
2008-07-18
Buying a home is often one of the most exciting and stressful events in your life. There are many things to consider. Unless you are a do-it-yourselfer, purchasing the house ...
409A and You - The Rules Are Changing, So Beware of Costly Non-compliance Penalties
Dennis G. Egan, Jr.
2008-07-01
As spring draws to a close, and attentions turn towards picnics, barbeques and ballgames, the clock continues to tick - it continues to tick toward December 31, 2008. While many ...
Where to Draw the Line - Use Caution with Non-competes and Confidentiality Agreements
Kevin V. Maltby
2008-06-20
Two areas of employment law often go hand in hand - confidentiality agreements and covenants not to compete (also known as confidentiality agreements.) They are found in many employment contracts ...
You Can't Take it With You . . . Consider Charity in Your Final Plans
Gina M. Barry
2008-06-20
If you were able to donate a large sum of money to your favorite charity, to what charity would you give that money? Surely, a few favorite causes come to ...
Batter-up: Stepping up to the Plate - Estate Planning for Men
Todd C. Ratner
2008-06-09
Women have made tremendous strides in the world of business and politics, as the traditional gender roles are fading fast. It has become increasingly rare to see the likes of ...
Veterans Pension and Benefits: A Little Secret That Veterans Need to Know
Julie A. Dialessi-Lafley
2008-06-02
The men and women who have served this country may be entitled to more than what they are getting. It is the unfortunate reality that until recently, very few people ...
Business Credit - How to Get It - A "Snapshot" That's in Focus and a Solid Business Plan Are Some of the Keys
Gary G. Breton
2008-06-02
What, if anything, can a business owner do to position his or her company to obtain the credit availability that it needs to both operate, and in many instances, survive ...
Special Needs Children: Proper Planning Can Preserve Assets to Support Them When You're Gone
Hyman G. Darling
2008-06-02
One of the most pressing issues for parents of a disabled child is worrying about what will happen to their child when they become incapacitated or die. This issue is ...
From Bootstraps to Banking - There are Many Ways to Finance a Startup Business
Jeffrey I. Fialky
2008-06-02
As every new business owner is likely all too aware, initial capital funding is an essential component permitting a new business to be able to get off its feet. Indeed, ...
The Deed with Life Estate - A Smart Way to Preserve Your Home from Long Term Care Expenses
Hyman G. Darling
2008-05-02
It is likely that your home is one of the single largest assets you own. As a means of attempting to protect that home from long term care expenses, while ...
A Woman's Plan for Independence
Gina M. Barry
2008-05-02
Women age 65 and above are more than twice as likely as men to be unmarried - widowed, divorced, separated, or never married—and live alone. In 2004, the median income ...
Who Will Care for Your Minor Children if You Can't?
Todd C. Ratner
2008-05-02
Deciding who will care for your minor children if something happens to you is a tough decision in any circumstance, but it is a decision that you are most qualified ...
When It's All Going to the Dogs - A Primer on the Emerging Trend of Pet Estate Planning
Gina M. Barry
2008-04-14
Some people consider their pets to be members of their family. Other people have made a career out of breeding, raising and/or sheltering animals. When animal owners pass away, if ...
To Be or Not to Be - Factors to Consider When Contemplating Starting a New Business
Dennis G. Egan, Jr.
2008-04-14
While we've all heard that most small businesses fail within the first five years, recent statistics from the United States Small Business Administration put the number closer to 50%. While ...
Your Plan Your Way - Peace of mind through retirement and beyond
Todd C. Ratner
2008-04-04
During the course of your life, you've probably spent a lot of time worrying about making a decent living. But as the years pass, your attention is likely shifting away ...
Will Your Nest Egg Pay Your Nursing Home Costs? - Plan Now to Avoid Paying Later
Gina M. Barry
2008-04-03
You have spent the majority of your life working and building your nest egg so that your retirement will be well funded. Unfortunately, retirement comes at a time when the ...
Artificial Conception: Legal Issues Addressed during Artificial Insemination or In-vitro Fertilization
Julie A. Dialessi-Lafley
2008-03-25
With the amazing advancements in modern medicine and science, opportunities are now available for conceiving children through artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization, and embryo transplantation. These new techniques, however, have created ...
Caring for Your Ailing or Aging Parent - Personal and Financial Ramifications
Hyman G. Darling
2008-03-25
Caring for a parent is often considered a job or a task. But what if your family turned this situation around and looked at it as a rewarding experience that ...
For the Love of Your Partner . . . Plan Now
Gina M. Barry
2008-02-20
Times have changed, and many committed couples are now choosing to delay marriage, sometimes indefinitely. Although they are not married, they present themselves as a married couple would. They live ...
Some Things to Chew On - Estate Planning Considerations for the Baby Boomer/Sandwich Generation
Todd C. Ratner
2008-02-20
Sociologists and the media define the baby boom generation as those born in the United States between 1946 and 1964. Approximately 76 million people were born during this timeframe and ...
Don't Get Caught in the Web - Be Careful What You Post on MySpace, YouTube, and Other Sites
Kevin V. Maltby
2008-02-20
Employees these days must be careful about what they post on the internet, as it may affect their ability to be hired and promoted or even alter their current employment ...
'Tis the Season . . . to Review Your Estate Plan: A New Year's Resolution That's Easy to Keep
Gina M. Barry
2008-01-20
It's the time of year for New Year's resolutions. Most resolutions are so cumbersome, the maker of the resolution is unable to keep the resolution, which is self-defeating. A simple ...
In the Spirit of the Law - What an Employer Risks When Employees Drink At Functions
Robert S. Murphy, Jr.
2008-01-03
It's a call that any business owner would dread. Last night your employees enjoyed the evening at a business-sponsored event. Food was provided and alcohol was available on a "bring ...
