PUBLICATIONS
PUBLICATIONS
Whether you are an individual, small business, or large publicly held corporation, our attorneys are dedicated to delivering skilled legal counsel and exceptional service to our clients.
Impact of No-Fault Automobile Reform: PIP: Medical Coverage Options
To drive legally in Michigan, state law requires the purchase of no-fault automobile insurance. This includes Personal Injury Protection benefits, often referred to as “PIP.” In general, this includes medical bills, medical mileage, attendant care, work loss, and...
Donations made for purpose of benefitting a specific individual
This article explores one type of “designated” donations a nonprofit charitable organization may receive and explains the rights and responsibilities of both the donor and the charitable organization with respect to each. A frequently asked question is whether someone...
Employment Myths Busted… Again
The Internet’s vast resources provide employees with access to information about employment laws and regulations – which may be inaccurate or taken out of proper context. This is becoming increasingly true in response to employers’ handling of COVID-19 restrictions,...
12 Ways Estate Planning Can Benefit You
An effective estate plan usually includes a will, a trust, a durable general power of attorney, and a designation of patient advocate. It is well worth the time and effort to put an estate plan into place because the plan will enable you to achieve important...
Pets in Divorce
In this month’s American Bar Association Journal, I read an article discussing attorney Mark Cushing’s book entitled “Pet Nation: The Inside Story of How Companion Animals Are Transforming Our Homes, Culture and Economy.” The subject of his book is the generational...
Administering a Digital Estate
By: Rachel Selina As technology evolves, so does the process by which personal representatives deal with property during probate. Michigan’s Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, passed in 2016, addresses the increased use of online accounts. The Act provides...
Implementing a Company Vaccination Mandate: What You Need to Know
By: Rachel Selina In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, on September 9, 2021, the Biden Administration issued a series of executive orders implementing a mandatory vaccination plan for all Federal employees and Federal contractors, subject to some exemptions. ...
Legal Considerations for Remote Work Policy
By: Sandro D. DiMercurio The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many employers to implement a Remote Work policy within their respective organizations. Many states issued stay-at-home orders which caused employers to transition, on the fly, from a traditional office...
Are you ready for divorce?
By: John J. Schrot Jr. If you are reading this you may be contemplating the prospect of divorce. Divorce is a significant decision, which undoubtedly will alter your life. A decision to divorce should be measured. A divorce generally takes much more financial and...
Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
By: David M. Foy Testing after Positive for COVID-19 or Exhibiting COVID-19 Symptoms If an employee tests positive, they should isolate for 10 days after the positive test. If the employee thinks they have COVID-19 because they are exhibiting symptoms, employers can...
How has COVID-19 affected the EB-5 program?
By: Randolph M. Wright and Simon M. Edelstein The EB-5 visa program is also known as the Immigrant Investor Program. The program grants lawful permanent residency status to a foreign individual who makes a qualifying investment in a new commercial enterprise. The...
Child custody and substance abuse
By: John J. Schrot, Jr. Drug and alcohol abuse/addiction is definitely a consideration when it comes to determining custody of a child, whether in the context of a divorce, post-divorce, a non-marital situation, child protection proceeding, or otherwise. Parenting...
Common pitfalls in the sale of goods internationally
By: Omar Sawaf In an increasingly globalized world, mid/small sized U.S. manufacturers are tapping into international markets to boost revenues (and vice versa). These efforts offer tremendous opportunity, but also carry risk for the inexperienced firm. A critical...
Parental Peace of Mind – Maintaining Access to Your Child’s Medical, Financial and Educational Records once that Child Reaches the Age of 18
By: Patrice M. Ticknor When your child turns 18, you lose some legal rights as a parent with respect to access to his or her medical, financial, and educational information. Additionally, when your child becomes an adult you lose the ability to act on his or her...
Can My Private Employer Fire Me For Bad Behavior Outside of the Office?
By Sandro D. DiMercurio Hearing stories of people being terminated for their off-duty conduct or social media posts seems to be more common than ever before. In a day in age where technology and electronic media is at the forefront of people’s lives outside of work,...
How the Secure Act Affects the IRAs in Your Estate Plan
By Patrice M. Ticknor and Harvey B. Wallace II The Secure Act was passed by Congress in December 2019. A major goal of the Act was to raise revenue by accelerating tax on Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) by changing the pay-out rules for most non-spouse...
The Importance of Trademark and Copyright Protection
Berry Moorman attorneys first make sure that no one else has registered a similar name, logo, or tag line, etc. If the Mark is new to your business, we recommend contacting us to perform a registration search prior to expending money on the new Mark, in case you run the risk of having your registration application denied.
What is a Revocable Living Trust?
A revocable living trust is a legal relationship where a trustee holds title to trust assets for the benefit of the trust beneficiary. The person who creates the trust and transfers his or her assets to it is called the grantor or settlor.
Legal Marijuana and Family Law
By John Schrot, Jr.
Be careful if and when you light up, or otherwise consume, marijuana, as you may get burned. In spite of shifting legal and cultural norms, using recreational or medical marijuana can work to your disadvantage in divorce and/or child custody/parenting time cases.
FMLA Case Law Update for Employers
By David M. Foy, Esq. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished After Leave Given to Ineligible Employee In 2018, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals considered whether summary judgment was warranted where an employee was terminated after she was unable to return to work on a...
How can Employers Avoid Abuse of FMLA Intermittent Leave by its Employees
By Sandro D. DiMercurio, Esq. As an employer, do you find that your employees are conveniently taking intermittent leave on Fridays or Mondays or both, in an effort to extend their weekend? Do you ever feel that your employees are taking advantage of their...
Does your Rental Property Qualify for a 199A Deduction?
The IRS, in its new proposed Section 199A regulations, defines when a rental property qualifies for the 20 percent tax deduction under new tax code Section 199A. One part of the good news on this clarification is that it does not require that we learn any new...
Primer on Crowdfunding 2018
By Randolph M. Wright With entrepreneurs facing difficulties raising enough funding for their startups, crowdfunding has become increasingly popular. Crowdfunding involves using social networking and a strong product campaign to gather support from the general public...
Unmarried Cohabitation Relationships
By John Schrot, Jr.
A client recently advised me that her daughter became engaged and the couple plan to marry in the near future. As the intended couple have only known each other briefly, she further related her belief that the couple should in the interim cohabitate to better understand one another; and, she asked me about the complications thereof. I suggested, in part, their use of a cohabitation agreement.
