There are two issues many people prefer to avoid thinking about: death and debt. Unfortunately, both of these seems to be inevitable. Student loan debt is a part of life nowadays, particular for students obtaining advanced or professional degrees. As of 2017, the total national student debt is now over $1.4 trillion with college students graduating with an average of …
Illinois Family and Animal Law: “Custody” of Pets
As of 2018, matrimonial judges can consider the “well-being” of a pet in deciding whether there will be sole or joint ownership. The new law expands the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (“IMDMA”). Now, 750 ILCS 5/503(n) states that: “If the court finds that a companion animal of the parties is a marital asset, it shall allocate the …
4 Social Media Mistakes that May Put Your Company’s IP at Risk
Being active on social media is hardly a choice anymore for small to medium sized businesses—it’s a given. After all, your customers are there. Connecting with your target audience in the social web can boost your brand and level the playing field between you and big competitors with larger advertising budgets. But before you rush out to tweet a deal …
New York Matrimonial Law: Durational Spousal Maintenance Calculations
In New York State, the income cap for maintenance payor’s income in calculating temporary maintenance and post-divorce maintenance has increased to $184,000.00. Here is how maintenance would be calculated in an example where the incomes are as follows: Payor spouse’s Income: $200,000.00 per year. Payee spouse’s Income: $80,000.00 per year. Based on these figures, the adjusted gross income of the …
Pet Trusts: Some Considerations for Pet Parents
Estate planning is about protecting what’s important to you. Although much of the traditional estate planning conversation focus on surviving spouses, children, grandchildren, many pet parents wonder about what could happen to their “furry children” after their death or if they become incapacitated and unable to care for the pets. Read on if you’ve ever thought, “What will happen to …
Ask Cari: What License is Needed to Sell Wine in New York?
To sell wine in New York State, one would need a “Retail” license. The license options are: (a) Grocery or Drug Store Beer and Wine license, (b) Restaurant Wine license, (c) On Premises Liquor license, (d) Cabaret Liquor license, (e) Wholesaler or Manufacturer license-if you want to sell to other retailers, and (f) Liquor Store license. Cari and her team …
5 Steps to Take When Winding Down Your Business
There are many reasons business owners close up shop, including retirement, starting a new venture or, hopefully, because they’ve won the lottery. No matter what the reason, it’s important to diligently wind down a business before moving on. Here are five steps to take: Reach consensus. If you’re a sole proprietor, then the only consensus you need is your own. …
Ask Cari: Ag Law Today
I’m starting a podcast with Purdue University called “Ag Law Today”, that will be discussing a myriad of food of agriculture law issues that affect producers. One of the segments will be called “Ask Cari.” If you have a question that you would like for me to address on the podcast then please email me at cari@rinckerlaw.com with “Ask Cari” …
How to Fix 5 Common Estate Planning Problems
Not surprisingly, most people loathe reviewing their estate plan because it can be both confusing and daunting. Others do not want to think about death and avoid the topic altogether. If you already have put an estate plan together, you are ahead of the curve as many people do not have one. If you do not yet have an estate …
Wanna Catch-Up on My Old Podcasts?
So the cat is out of the bag – I will be starting a new podcast soon with Purdue University Extension called “Ag Law Today”. In preparation of entering this new podcasting, I have compiled my old appearances on podcasts. You can view it here. Happy listening and stay tuned for more info on Ag Law Today! Share this Article
Laws, Rules, & Regulations That May Not Apply To Small Businesses
An extraordinary number of laws, rules, and regulations govern businesses and their employees. A small business, however, may be exempt from one or more of them depending on its number of employees. For example: Discrimination Laws. Small businesses may be exempt from Title VII, the ADA and the ADEA: Title VII. Title VII prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on …