Choosing the people to whom you want to assign responsibility in case the worst happens is a stumbling block that keeps many of us from creating estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Who should my executor be? Who could manage money for kids who will be my heirs? Who would…MORE
Author:
Recently, we have had two instances in which clients signed leases and were obligated to obtain an Occupancy Permit. In both cases, the prospective tenants were unable to obtain an Occupancy Permit because the use was not permitted. The landlord did not inform, or was unaware, that the use was not permitted in the zoning….MORE
Author:
We often hear from frazzled business owners about routine contracts gone wrong. What seemed like a simple service agreement has gone south. They want their money back, or at least cut their losses, but when they call to cancel the contract, they learn they are stuck. All too often, what the service representative told them…MORE
Author:
If you rent space in an office building, strip retail center or some other commercial building, at some point in time, you may need to find someone else to share your space because you have too much space, or you may need help in making rent payments. In some circumstances, you may realize that you…MORE
Author:
Far too often, couples who live in homes together—married or unmarried—don’t understand how the ownership of their homes is actually structured. In the hundreds of times that I’ve sat down with couples to review their estates, we’ve uncovered ownership issues as often as not. Many of those less than ideal situations can be updated or…MORE
Author:
The legalization of medical marijuana is ever increasing with 33 states now permitting the use of medical marijuana, including Maryland. Yet, Maryland has not passed employment protections for users into its medical marijuana laws. As a result, Maryland state law conflicts with federal law, leaving employers and workers scrambling to determine how to protect themselves…MORE
Author:
Consider the situation faced by an employer that does not, typically, allow employees to work remotely. Then consider what happens when an employee with pregnancy related complications is instructed by her physician to go on bedrest for the remaining three months of her pregnancy. Moreover, the employee lacks sufficient PTO to cover the anticipated leave….MORE
Author:
Most developers and builders of homes in residential subdivisions and condominiums know they must provide purchasers with certain disclosures at the time of contract and they prepare such disclosures for their initial sales. But many forget to update or amend their disclosures as the development progresses and information in the initially prepared disclosures changes over…MORE
Author:
The new Maryland employer survey for reporting sexual harassment settlements is now open on the website of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR). Context Maryland was one of the 32 state legislatures to consider #MeToo legislation in the 2017-2018 legislative cycle. Across the country, approaches to addressing workplace harassment include restricting confidentiality agreements, restricting…MORE
Author:
Final decisions made by the Montgomery County Planning Board of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission can be appealed within a specific statutory timeframe to the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. The Maryland Rules set specific timelines for an appellant in ordering transcripts, issuing notices, and preparing written memoranda to argue your case. The…MORE
Author: