Author Archives: Jay Butchko
The Eight Most Essential Estate Planning Steps
You might be surprised to find out that six in 10 adults haven’t yet drawn up basic estate planning documents, such as a will or durable power of attorney. However, this is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure that you and your loved ones are protected, should something happen…. Read More »
Why Treating All Employees the Same versus Running a Business “Like a Family” Is Important In Avoiding Business Litigation
As attorneys who regularly work in business litigation here in Florida, we regularly see CEOs, business owners, and managers of all kinds of businesses—not just 501c3 nonprofit corporations—who choose to manage their employees “like a family.” From a legal perspective, this can be very problematic. While it makes sense to have sincere concern for… Read More »
The Ins And Outs of Philanthropic Giving In Your Estate Plan
As Florida attorneys who regularly practice in estate planning, we frequently receive questions concerning how couples should go about incorporating philanthropic giving into their estate plan. Below, we discuss how to incorporate these goals into your plan, regardless of whether your motivations are tax-based, personal, etc.: Choosing One or More Charities Perhaps you’ve already… Read More »
Top Estate Planning Mistakes Made By Divorcing Women
Divorce is rarely an easy time for anyone, especially those who are most affected by its financial aspects. For women going through divorce, it can be especially important to stay focused on important financial matters because, according to some studies, a majority of married women leave control of major financial planning and investing to… Read More »
Florida’s Significant Foreclosure Spike will Bring New Wave of Foreclosure Defense Cases
According to a report recently released by Attom Data Solutions, cities throughout South Florida (Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and West Palm Beach) are experiencing an alarming increase in foreclosure starts, with filings up almost 30 percent over the previous year. Overall, Florida, as a state, is up 35 percent in foreclosure starts, representing the highest… Read More »
Simple Steps to Avoid One of the Most Common Estate Planning Mistakes
There is one major mistake that every level of wealth seems to make when it comes to estate planning, and it has to do with how they allocate assets amongst their beneficiaries and any charities they’d like to donate to, and whether that wealth comes from their IRA or other assets, such as a… Read More »
How to Avoid Business Litigation When Hiring Employees from Competitors
While agreements between companies not to hire each others’ employees are increasingly receiving more and more scrutiny, companies also have to be careful about hiring employees from a company that then turns around and accuses it of stealing customer or trade secrets. In sum, avoiding business litigation when it comes to employees moving from… Read More »
Businesses Coming Under Scrutiny for “No-Poach” Agreements
“No-poach” agreements—or agreements entered into by companies who agree not to hire each other’s employees—are currently facing a lot of scrutiny. A number of class action and multidistrict lawsuits have been filed against companies, accusing them of enacting practices that violate the Sherman Antitrust Act and striking deals with other companies to prevent employees… Read More »
Is Anything Missing From Your Estate Plan?
In our experience as estate planning attorneys, there can be a number of dangerous misconceptions and assumptions out there when it comes to the field of estate planning. Some of them involve who does and does not need to engage in estate planning, as well as figuring out who should be named as guardians… Read More »
Estate Planning Dos and Don’ts
Unfortunately, there are a number of things that can go wrong during estate planning, particularly when you are trying to do it without consulting with a professional estate planning attorney. Below, we discuss some of these potential disasters, and how to avoid them: The Trap of Joint Ownership Many elderly couples engaged in estate… Read More »