On February 16, 2016 Governor Wolf signed into law Senate Bill 166, which is designed to expand the scope of criminal records eligible for sealing by the courts. The goal is to provide ex-offenders with greater opportunities to secure better jobs, expand housing options, increase education and training possibilities and promote the promise of being … Read More

Flying remote-controlled airplanes was much easier years ago.  My brother and I had only two simple rules. The first was that we could never land in the Maguires’ yard.  The Maguires’ dog Shultz, an extremely large and vicious German Shepard (at least in the eyes of two small, young boys), patrolled their yard for intruders.  … Read More

Hollywood glamorizes the courtroom battle. As is the case with most things produced by Hollywood, reality is far removed from what appears on the screen. Litigation is frequently a drawn out process that can become frustrating for the parties involved in the case. It most often severs any future relationship between the parties. The final … Read More

In Boehm v. Riversource Life Insurance Company and James Day II, 117 A.3d 308( Pa Super. 2015), the Pennsylvania Superior Court decided a case of first impression in Pennsylvania dealing with a fraud claim under the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (UTPCPL).  The Court was asked to determine whether such a claim had … Read More

Buying a new home often conjures exciting images of more space, a bigger yard, an attractive neighborhood, and the like. Homebuyers should temper their excitement with a bit of caution to make sure they are aware of potential pitfalls before the agreement of sale is signed. Once the agreement is signed, it can be tough … Read More

On December 19, 2014, President Obama signed the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (“ABLE Act”) into law. The ABLE Act amends Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, and under the amended statute, individuals with disabilities and their families and friends can establish income tax free savings accounts for qualified expenses and remain eligible … Read More

When Mack learned that his Aunt Grace (all names changed except the author) passed away in October 2008, he expected to receive a letter from the attorney representing her estate indicating that he and her other nephew, Joe, and two nieces, Alice and Fran, would receive equal shares of Grace’s estate, as per her Wills … Read More

For many years, penny-pinching small businesses resisted profit-draining health insurance plans. Instead, many chose to reimburse employees for their purchase of a personal health insurance policy. Historically, these premium reimbursements have not been treated as income to the employees, offering a low cost alternative to expensive health care plans. The Internal Revenue Code provided that … Read More

At last! Military personnel may name a special needs trust as the beneficiary of their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). Prior to the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015 (NDAA), military personnel could designate only an individual, not a trust, as an SBP beneficiary. This meant that military families lacked a key estate … Read More

Non-compete agreements, also known as covenants not-to-compete or simply non-competes, can be a particularly sensitive issue to both employer and employee. The employer will want to maximize the protection of its interests while the employee needs to ensure that his freedoms are protected. Non-compete agreements can be vital to business interests, particularly where an employer … Read More

What can happen if an individual has no close family members or reliable advisers and does no estate planning? This was Huguette Clark’s predicament in her final years. Huguette was the daughter of copper baron and United States Senator William Andrews (W.A.) Clark. Empty Mansions, a historical biography by Paul Clark Newell, Jr. and Bill … Read More

Recent news headlines of attorneys stealing from their clients have caused great embarrassment to the legal profession. Fortunately, these instances are the exception. The vast majority of attorneys and law firms view client money as sacrosanct and implement the highest standards of care in guarding these funds. It is important for all of our current … Read More

Before the end of 2011, Governor Corbett signed into law Act 81 which changed some of the requirements and obligations for young drivers and the issuance of junior licenses. Most notably, under the prior law, before a junior license could be issued, a junior driver had to log at least 50 hours of experience behind … Read More