Recent Blog Posts
Are You an Unmarried Couple Living in Maryland – Read This
A new law for domestic partners in Maryland came into effect on October 1, 2023. A “domestic partner” is age 18 or over; a sole domestic partner for another; not married; and in a committed relationship with the other. This is a significant change that affects inheritance tax and benefits if there is no… Read More »
A Horrible Result for An Unmarried Couple – MAJOR CHANGE – SEE BLOG FOR NEW MARYLAND LAW EFFECTIVE 10/1/2023
This is for all the unmarried couples out there living together. As an attorney handling estate matters for the past 50 years, one of the most difficult situations I have to deal with is a phone call from a significant other about the death of his/her partner and there is no Last Will &… Read More »
Non Compete Agreements – Are They Going to Be a Thing of the Past
Are Non-Competition Agreements Going to Become a Thing of the Past? On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to prohibit employers from imposing noncompete clauses on workers. Here’s a sample of part of the proposed Rule: § 910.2 Unfair methods of competition. (a) Unfair methods of competition…. Read More »
Financial Exploitation of Older or Susceptible Adults
The Maryland SAFE Act (Statute Against Financial Exploitation) In October of 2021, a Maryland law was put into place to address the financial exploitation of susceptible adults and older adults. The statute has “teeth”. An “older adult” is defined as someone at least 68 years old. The definition of a “susceptible adult” is more… Read More »
The Role of a Judge
On 2/4/2022, the case of Cador v. YES Organic Market Hyattsville Inc. was filed in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. This is the link https://mdcourts.gov/data/opinions/cosa/2022/0898s20.pdf The author of the opinion is retired Judge Charles E. Moylan who is still going strong at age 91. He’s been retired for 21 years. I first crossed… Read More »
First Responders – It’s Not Just Police, Fire and Medical But Others Too
On 12/6/2021, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals filed an unreported decision on an issue not important to this post. Reading through the facts, I was struck by the gruesome detail of what a first responder went through in his 10 years on the job. It’s not just police, fire and medical personnel but… Read More »
Why Do Lawyers Charge So Much to Do a Simple Will?
Why Do Lawyers Charge So Much to Do a Simple Will? Since this is coming from a lawyer, I think you should know my background and biases. My office is in Prince Frederick. In June, I started my 49th year of law practice. I do some estate planning but most of my work is… Read More »
Maryland Law Says Your Cherished Pet is Worth $10,000 – That’s It!
Maryland Law Says Your Cherished Pet is Worth $10,000 – That’s It! Maryland law includes this provision wich does not apply to livestock. “A person who tortiously causes an injury to or death of a pet while acting individually or through an animal under the person’s ownership, direction, or control is liable to the… Read More »
The Holy Spirit in the Jury Room
USA v. Corrine Brown Corrine Brown, a Florida Democrat who served more than two years in prison after being found guilty of running a sham charity, was granted a new trial by a federal appeals court. https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/201715470.enb.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1PktVCOx-99dU5mOJWVZmEdf73zk6UnbumflAu8uknUBN_fwmTEQpMia0 On May 6, 2021, an en banc panel of 11 judges of the 11th Circuit 7 to… Read More »
The Art of the Trial Lawyer and The Lure for the Untrained
I was an electronic engineer working for Westinghouse and an expert on the weapons control system known as AWG-10 that was in the nose of the F4-J Phantom aircraft. That before I decided to go to law school. In my engineering world, virtually everything was yes or no, 0 or 1, on or off…. Read More »