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Changes to Ohio Workers’ Compensation Laws

20 Aug 2021

On June 29, 2021, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 75 into law. This law appropriates funds for the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) for 2022-2023. It also created new changes to Ohio workers’ compensation laws. The bill goes...

Estate Plan: Can Your Spouse Inherit if You’re Legally Separated?

15 Aug 2021

An estate plan is a great tool: it ensures that your assets are distributed to the exact people you want to have them. What happens if you’re legally separated, and planning on getting divorced? If you die before the divorce...

When You Can Apply for a Mortgage After Bankruptcy

15 Aug 2021

Filing for bankruptcy can have a lasting effect on your finances. Even after your debts are successfully discharged, bankruptcy remains on your credit report for years to come. Many clients wonder if they’ll be able to get a mortgage after...

What to Do if You Can’t Find a Loved One’s Estate Planning Documents

25 Jul 2021

If your loved one has recently passed away or deemed mentally incompetent, you’ll need their estate planning documents. Wills, trusts, powers of attorney and other estate planning documents are designed to distribute their property according to their wishes. Unfortunately, sometimes...

Can I Get My Repossessed Car Back by Filing for Bankruptcy?

21 Jul 2021

Depending on where you live, owning a car is often necessary for getting to work, school and for running errands. A repossessed car can make a difficult situation even worse. Not only are you struggling to make ends meet, but...

Understaffing in Nursing Homes Creates a Serious Risk of Harm and Inequities

16 Jul 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected nursing homes and has torn the bandage off to reveal the historical problem of understaffing in those facilities. The HSOA Journal of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine recently published an article entitled, “Time to Ensure...

Slips, Trips and Falls Are a Leading Cause of Workers’ Comp Claims

05 Jul 2021

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, slips, trips, and falls are one of the leading causes of workers’ comp claims. About 15 percent of work-related fatalities fall into this category each year. They can happen at any workplace...

Socially Isolated Seniors More Likely to Suffer Falls

25 Jun 2021

When the elderly are socially isolated or live alone, they are much more likely to suffer falls. The most socially isolated seniors are 24 percent more likely to fall—and if they live alone, they’re 36 percent more likely to end...

Why and How Would Someone Disinherit a Child?

15 Jun 2021

Plenty of people have rocky relationships with their families, but few believe they’ll ever be disinherited. Whether you’re an adult child wondering why your parent failed to leave you an inheritance, or a parent hoping to prevent your estranged kids...

What to Do if You’re Sued by a Debt Collector During or After Bankruptcy

10 Jun 2021

Debt collectors are notorious for harassing debtors. Calling all day and night, sending threatening letters, and filing lawsuits are all common practices. When you’re in the process of filing for bankruptcy—or that debt was discharged in bankruptcy—it can be especially...

What Is a Trustee Required to Do?

20 May 2021

You might be considering using a trust as part of your estate plan—or someone may have asked you to be the trustee for their estate. Before you make a final decision, make sure you understand what is required of trustees....

How Divorce Affects Bankruptcy

15 May 2021

Unfortunately, not every marriage works out—and many of them fail due to financial issues. Whether you’re ending your marriage because you’re drowning in debt, or your divorce is the reason for your debt, bankruptcy may help you recover. Since your...

What to Know About Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Policies

10 May 2021

All nursing homes are required to have an elder abuse and neglect policy. These policies are designed to keep their residents safe, provide a method for patients and visitors to report abuses and demonstrate expectations of staff. However, just because...

Estate Planning for LGBTQ Couples

20 Apr 2021

Same-sex marriage has been federally recognized since 2015, thanks to the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges. This landmark decision afforded the same automatic legal protections to LGBTQ couples as heterosexual couples receive—but that doesn’t protect you if you choose...

Can You Discharge Student Loans in Bankruptcy?

15 Apr 2021

Love them or hate them (let’s be honest, you probably hate them), student loans are a fact of life for millions of Americans. Loans we took out in our late teens and early twenties can burden us for the rest...

How Nursing Home Elopement Can Qualify as Abuse

10 Apr 2021

When you think of elopement, you’re probably thinking of the romantic kind—wedding bells, a fabulous destination, and two folks desperately in love. When it comes to nursing home elopement, however, the situation can be dire. In a legal and nursing...

Can You Qualify for Workers’ Compensation More Than Once?

05 Apr 2021

Depending on the type of work a person performs, it’s entirely possible that an employee could be injured on the job more than once. Many clients wonder if they’re allowed to file for workers’ compensation benefits more than once, whether...

Nursing Home Staffing Shortages Can Lead to Abuse

20 Mar 2021

When you have a loved one in a nursing home, it’s not just the quality of the staff that counts. Quantity matters, too. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, nursing homes have been under intense pressure to care for their patients...

Why You Need to Designate a Power of Attorney

15 Mar 2021

Estate planning involves more than writing a will. In addition to distributing your property after death, you should also give serious thought to what happens if you’re incapacitated. Who do you want to make decisions on your behalf when you...

Can I Receive Workers’ Compensation for Contracting COVID-19?

10 Mar 2021

Over 500,000 people have died due to COVID-19, and nearly 29 million have been infected at the time this article was written. Even if you survive the virus, it can come at a price: many people have suffered what appear...

Can I Use Bankruptcy to Discharge My Tax Bill?

05 Mar 2021

Tax time is here. If you’ve been hit with a large tax bill—especially when dealing with financial difficulties in the wake of the pandemic—you might wonder whether you can file for bankruptcy to avoid paying. As a general rule, bankruptcy...

how to file for bankruptcy when self-employed

Can You File for Bankruptcy While Self-Employed?

19 Feb 2021

It’s easy to get behind on your debts, especially after a year like 2020. That’s why many people are filing for bankruptcy in Ohio. But can you file for bankruptcy while self-employed? Since your income history is part of the...

Should I Settle My Ohio Workers’ Compensation Case?

18 Feb 2021

If you have a workers’ compensation claim, it might be difficult to decide whether to settle or whether to fight. The answer will vary depending on the facts of your individual situation. Some people want to settle their claim to...

Signs of Non-Physical Nursing Home Abuse

15 Feb 2021

When we think of nursing home abuse, it is often purely physical. You’ve probably heard horror stories of elderly patients left bruised and injured from rough care. Nursing home abuse can also be non-physical, which is much harder to detect...

How to Leave Cryptocurrency in Your Will

10 Feb 2021

Cryptocurrency is becoming more mainstream, but some practicalities—like leaving it to someone else in your will—have not quite caught on. A person could have millions in Bitcoin when they die unexpectedly, but if their loved ones don’t know it exists...

personal bankruptcy chapter 7 and chapter 13

Which Type of Personal Bankruptcy is Right for Me?

25 Jan 2021

When bills start piling up and there’s no hope of paying them off, filing for bankruptcy in Ohio can give you a clean slate. Bankruptcy provides the opportunity to wipe out your debts, but the type you choose will determine...

Can I Sue for Damages and File a Workers’ Compensation Claim?

22 Jan 2021

If you’ve been injured on the job, you’re entitled to file a workers’ compensation claim to make up for your lost wages and medical costs. If you’re also hoping that you can also sue your employer for damages, be warned...

Employment Law Uniformity Act

21 Jan 2021

On January 12, 2021, Governor Mike DeWine signed into law House Bill 352, the Employment Law Uniformity Act. The law becomes effective on April 13, 2021 and makes significant changes to Ohio’s framework for addressing workplace discrimination claims as codified...

How Trusts Can Help Avoid Probate

15 Jan 2021

When you plan to leave your estate to loved ones, a little strategic planning can ensure that most, if not all of your assets, can bypass probate in Ohio. Probate and its associated fees can account for some of your...

Events Triggering a Will Update

22 Dec 2020

If you have a living will, you may not have given much thought to updating it. After all, what could have changed so dramatically that you would need to update your estate plan? Actually, many life events, both big and...

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