Author Archives: Jay Butchko
What Is Legacy Planning, And How Does It Relate to Estate Planning?
When most people think of “estate planning,” they think of ensuring that major assets – like the family home – as well as investments, etc. are passed onto their loved ones. However, there are a number of other additional concerns involved, especially for those who want to ensure that a particular legacy is left… Read More »
Setting Up a Special Needs Trust the Right Way Is Imperative
When it comes to setting up a special needs trust, it is imperative that families work with an attorney who not only knows about the complex federal, state, and local laws and rules surrounding the specific type of estate planning required for the specific type of circumstance, but also all of the many programs… Read More »
FTC Lawsuit Against Match for Shady Subscription & Other Business Practices Brings a Number of Corporate Practices into Question
In late September, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it was suing the Match Group for issues related to fraudulent business practices and consumer fraud and protection. The Match Group is the owner of most of the notorious dating apps; not just including Match, but also Hinge, OkCupid, PlentyofFish, Tinder. According to the… Read More »
Creating Estate Plans for Musicians & Musical Works
As estate planning attorneys here in Florida, we talk a lot about planning for assets, but what happens when those assets are song lyrics and recordings? These types of assets (i.e. intellectual property items—copyright, name/likeness, trademark, etc.) are incredibly important, and present an entirely different type of challenge than physical property (like jewelry or… Read More »
Injunctive Relief in Consumer Fraud Cases
Consumers have long been able to sue for damages in connection with consumer fraud, but what about injunctive relief? Courts have recently issued split decisions on whether, in addition to collecting damages, a consumer can also force the manufacturer to change a label.. Specifically, the Ninth Circuit recently held that the consumer who was… Read More »
Estate Planning for Land & Heirs’ Property Loopholes
As Florida attorneys who assist clients with estate planning, we talk a lot about planning for the future when it comes to your income, assets, and accounts. But what about land? Land that is passed on without a will face as a number of complications; it becomes what’s known as heirs’ property, whereby your… Read More »
Estate Planning for Your Business
We have previously discussed estate planning for your personal property, but what about estate planning for your business? Many people do not realize that having an estate plan in place for your business (to plan for when you pass) is absolutely essential, and this plan should be “living,” i.e. adaptable as circumstances change. Taxes… Read More »
Should You Register Your Business?
As attorneys who work with clients here in Florida on business formation, one of the common questions that we receive is whether a business has to be registered with the Florida Secretary of State’s Office and, if so, how to do that. There are some questions, especially from small independent contractors, who may be… Read More »
Consumer Fraud Lawsuit Filed Against Google Concerning Health Care Privacy
A new consumer fraud lawsuit has been filed against Google and the University of Chicago Medical Center, alleging that healthcare providers failed to protect the privacy of hundreds of thousands of patient medical records. The lawsuit is linked to the companies partnering in research linked to hospital readmissions and, in doing so, allegedly allowing… Read More »
Foreclosures Spike in Florida
According to recent reports, Florida is now experiencing a significant spike in foreclosures (including bank repossessions, default notices, and scheduled auctions). Just in the month of May 2019, there was a 23 percent increase in foreclosures compared to May 2018; with one in every 1,200 homes experiencing a foreclosure filing, reflecting the third highest… Read More »