Author Archives: Jay Butchko
What Makes a Non-Compete Agreement Valid and Enforceable in Florida?
As competition between businesses has been more fierce than ever before, an ever-increasing number of business owners are using non-compete agreements to protect their companies from unfair competition. If you are a business owner who needs to protect their company interests from former employees, you could benefit from drafting a non-compete agreement (NCA) and… Read More »
What Happens to a Business When the Owner Dies Without a Succession Plan?
When a business owner passes away, one of the two things happens: A succession plan is put into motion; or If there is no succession plan, what happens to the business depends on the company’s structure. When a business owner does not have a succession plan, their family members and business partners are being… Read More »
False Advertising: What Consumers Need to Know About Deceptive Advertising Practices
State and federal law prohibit manufacturers, retailers, and companies from using misleading tactics or false and deceptive advertising practices to increase their sales and profits. A consumer who has been a victim of deceptive advertising practices can seek legal recourse by contacting an experienced consumer fraud lawyer. Most states, including Florida, adopted the Uniform… Read More »
6 Common Alternatives to Foreclosure in Florida
If you are having a hard time making your mortgage payments, it may seem that you cannot avoid foreclosure. However, you need to understand that there are several alternatives to foreclosure in Florida. In more than 50 years of combined legal experience, our foreclosure defense attorneys at Suncoast Civil Law have helped thousands of… Read More »
How to Make Sure Your Life Sustaining and End-Of-Life Care Wishes Are Respected During This Difficult Time
Understandably, the coronavirus pandemic has created a significant amount of panic in terms of people wanting to make sure that they have everything in order when it comes to their estate plans. This mass panic has been exacerbated by reports from those on the front lines concerning patients who have been unable to communicate… Read More »
Business Litigation Likely to Follow the Coronavirus
There is no question that the coronavirus is going to lead to a significant amount of litigation, whether that involves consumer fraud issues, foreclosure issues, homeowners’ association disputes, disputes between landlords and the tenants, business litigation, and more. The virus has brought about severe changes in the workplace, interrupted supply chains, forced workers into… Read More »
Too Many Homeowners’ Associations, Including Those in Florida, Discriminate Against Minorities
According to statistics, approximately 60 percent of new single-family homes and 80 percent of homes in new subdivisions are part of homeowners’ associations (HOAs), with almost 8,000 new HOAs formed every year. Yet, according to a recent report, HOAs have not only historically facilitated segregation, but are still doing so today, even in spite… Read More »
Proactive Wealth & Estate Planning Strategies You Should Consider Before 2021 Arrives
With each change in administration often comes changes to the estate tax and estate-tax exemptions, leaving many rushing to estate planning attorneys in an effort to properly protect their assets before the new laws can be implemented. Given the current ability to gift significant funds to your beneficiaries and others free of transfer tax… Read More »
Using Estate Planning to Cover a Child or Grandchild’s College Tuition
College tuition costs are escalating every day; not to mention all of the other costs that inevitably go along with them, such as funds needed to cover equipment, living expenses, school supplies, textbooks, and more. For many families with children, the thought of covering these costs is nothing short of daunting. However, many also… Read More »
Items That People Often Forget to Consider in Their Estate Plans
We previously discussed the importance of being prepared in terms of your estate planning, given the circumstances that the COVID-19 pandemic has put us in. A number of people panicked, wanting to ensure that their estate plans were in place in case anything happened, while others hoped that the pandemic would die down. Instead,… Read More »