Featured

RSS Link
jeshoots-com-VdOO4_HFTWM-unsplash DIY tools Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Marking up or adding pages to your will or trust, on your own, is almost never a good idea. But there is one bit of do-it-yourself estate planning that you should seriously consider. As we progress through life, changes in our situation and how we want our assets to be managed and distributed often give rise to changes in our estate planning documents. (See our popular article, “ Has Your Estate Plan Aged as Gracefully as You? 🙂 Because some changes seem minor and easily made, we occasionally are asked by estate planning clients whether they can make a minor…
david-gabric-KdC5agsz6ik-unsplash cannabis pot Photo by David Gabrić on Unsplash
Photo by David Gabrić on Unsplash
Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana Use In Arizona – Does This Stop Users From Being Arrested And Charged For DUI By Drugs? Since the legalization of recreational THC use here in Arizona, we have fielded a lot of questions about whether police can still arrest drivers for DUI when all they have consumed is THC.  Our clients have asked things like “why did they arrest me for DUI last night?  I did not drink; all I did was smoke some weed a couple hours before.  It’s legal now right?” There are two different ways the State can prosecute someone for DUI…
https-www-undeniableruth-com-wp-content-uploads-2021-01-20210118_203235-jpg
A few weeks ago, I received a message from one of my classmates from high school that said her child recently came out to her and her husband as non-binary and said their pronouns are they/them. My friend asked how she can educate herself and what guidance I could offer for dealing with relatives who may be less accepting. When I responded, I started with, “Oh geez – your life just got a lot more complicated, but in a good way.” I gave her my number and asked her to let her kid know that they have an Oggy Ruth…
https-lawquestionsanswered-files-wordpress-com-2021-01-calendar-2428560_1280-6-jpg
QUESTION:   WILL THE DEADLINES SET BY THE SMALL BUSINESS REORGANIZATION ACT OF 2019 ACTUALLY SPEED UP SMALL BUSINESS BANKRUPTCIES? ANSWER:    SMALL BUSINESS REORGANIZATIONS WILL ONLY BE FASTER IF THE DEADLINES ARE ENFORCED. Other than sunrise and sunset, few deadlines are self-enforcing! The mandatory expedited deadlines in the Small Business Reorganization Act won’t speed up cases unless judges enforce them.  If the Standing Trustees and the creditors actively urge courts to enforce the rules, there is a chance that small business reorganizations will be timely completed. What are the basics of the new Subchapter 5 Small Business Bankruptcies? Currently, small business…
tim-gouw-1K9T5YiZ2WU-unsplash student loan Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash
As the cost of college increases, a student-loan crisis looms over the United States. The problem with student loans is that it doesn’t allow recent graduates to take risks, test different career options, or follow dreams. Instead, they accept their first job offer to alleviate student loan debt as fast as possible. If you’re struggling to pay back your student loans, moving to another country may seem promising. Better job opportunities and a lower cost of living could assist with managing expenses. But, is moving to a different country to avoid your debt a good idea? Keep reading to learn…
cameron-smith-9pkMcZpsezI-unsplash capitol hill insurrection Photo by Cameron Smith on Unsplash
Photo by Cameron Smith on Unsplash
The recent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has resulted in consequences for lawyers connected to the event.  One such person is John Eastman, who was a law professor at Chapman University.  He spoke at the “Save America” rally preceding the riot and assisted in several of the lawsuits challenging the presidential election results.  In the wake of the riot, Eastman retired from Chapman with an agreement that he will pursue no legal action. During the January 6th rally, Mr. Eastman stood next to Rudy Guiliani, as the former New York mayor called for “trial by combat”.  In his own speech,…
online-marketing-hIgeoQjS_iE-unsplash doctor health insurance Photo by Online Marketing on Unsplash
Photo by Online Marketing on Unsplash
Written by Catriona Coffey. The new year has much in store for electronic health information exchange compliance!  Today’s post provides an overview of anticipated changes to the health information regulatory landscape in 2021, including increased interoperability efforts and telehealth expansion due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is not surprising that many of the topics discussed below are a direct result of the interoperability requirements created by the 21st Century Cures Act (“Cures Act”) enacted in December 2016. Information Blocking Section 4004 of the Cures Act prohibits “information blocking,” or any practice by a health IT developer of…
bill-oxford-OXGhu60NwxU-unsplash verdict gavel court Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash
Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash
If you read the news reports about medical malpractice trials, you would be forgiven for believing that the sky is falling, that the inmates are running the asylum and that juries are going crazy making multi-million dollar awards in every malpractice case that goes to trial.  Notwithstanding the barrage of news stories, nothing could be further from the truth. The news media thrives on sensationalism.  “Man bites dog!!!,” screams the headline.  The media has little interest in trials in which patients are sent home with nothing, which is the case over 85% of the time.  Study after study, many conducted…
https-irp-cdn-multiscreensite-com-cb2def88-dms3rep-multi-us-capitol-6b0c0169-png
The $900 billion coronavirus relief bill that became law last week offers important benefits for most employers, small businesses and families. Here are some of the highlights.   STIMULUS PAYMENTS TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES       Households will receive a maximum of $600 per adult and $600 for each child. The payments start phasing out when 2019 individual adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 ($150,000 for married couples filing jointly) or when head-of-household income exceeds $112,500. For individuals without dependent children, the payments go to zero when an individual’s AGI reaches $87,000 ($174,000 for married couples).       According…
pierre-bamin-8we5qwdjWk8-unsplash late tardy Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash
Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash
Bidder beware.  Interpreting federal law can sometimes feel like solving a riddle.  For example, when is an early bid late? In the case, In re Sea Box, Inc., the Government Accountability Office (GAO) determined that a bid received by government servers eight minutes before the deadline was late because it did not arrive in the Contract Officer’s inbox until shortly after the deadline.  B-291056 (GAO Oct. 31, 2002).  To be clear, it did not matter when the bid was received by government servers, nor did it matter that the bid was fully in the control of the government…
ambitious-creative-co-rick-barrett-1w87hi01-o4-unsplash hospitality restaurant Photo by Ambitious Creative Co. - Rick Barrett on Unsplash
Photo by Ambitious Creative Co. - Rick Barrett on Unsplash
By Patrick Paul On January 5, 2021, Governor Ducey announced the allocation of $2 million in additional funding to assist local restaurants and other dining establishments expand outdoor dining, protect patrons and staff, and limit the spread of COVID-19. Consistent with Executive Order 2020-60 authorizing the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (DLLC) to accept and review requests by liquor licensees seeking to temporarily extend their premises outdoors to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19, this fresh funding announcement will capitalize the Safest Outside Restaurant Assistance Program. That program provides funding of up to $10,000 to assist restaurants and…
kelly-sikkema-wgcUx0kR1ps-unsplash taxes Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
When you need assistance in resolving a tax issue, you can rely on our experience and knowledge to efficiently and effectively respond to the IRS and find a reasonable resolution to your tax problem. The IRS and ADOR will not allow you to delay dealing with your tax problems. However, there is assistance that we can provide to help you deal with the IRS and ADOR. Rather than let the IRS take your property or bank accounts, you can negotiate a collection alternative to those actions. You can enter into an installment payment plan to pay the full liability. You…
ehud-neuhaus-Ql3ULtlplsQ-unsplash debt credit cards Photo by Ehud Neuhaus on Unsplash
Photo by Ehud Neuhaus on Unsplash
For credit card companies, Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. Each holiday season, American consumers charge billions of dollars to their credit cards, accumulating bills that can take a whole year or more to pay off. Often, expensive purchases are accompanied by debt. Most American consumers end up accruing debt over the holidays and, in doing so, set themselves up to pay big amounts in interest. While the best way to avoid debt over the holidays is to pay for all your gifts with cash or a debit card, it can be hard to ignore the holiday spending…
https-www-legalhie-com-wp-content-uploads-2020-12-stockings-1080x675-png
Seasons Greetings to all of our readers!  First, we want to wish you and yours a holiday season filled with health, happiness and hope!  We also want to thank you all for continuing to make Legal HIE such a popular and highly visited blog!  It puts a smile on our face seeing so many of you enjoying our posts and returning to our site often! As stockings are being hung by chimneys with care, we want to make sure you know that Legal HIE’s stockings are absolutely stuffed to the brim with tremendous tools, sample forms, polices and turn-key solutions…
add-weed-h3PWUqxpP_0-unsplash cannabis marijuana Photo by Add Weed on Unsplash
Photo by Add Weed on Unsplash
Recently Arizona just approved Proposition 207. But what does this mean for Marijuana convictions in Arizona? It not only legalized the possession and use of marijuana for adults (age 21 years or older), but Arizona now has its first expungement law. The push to legalize the adult use of marijuana is not new to Arizona. While attempts at decriminalization have failed in the past, this year, the effort passed through a ballot initiative of the people—namely, Proposition 207. Prop. 207 – Arizona Marijuana Expungement & What Does Mean Before Prop. 207, the possession of marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia was a…
clarisse-meyer-jKU2NneZAbI-unsplash legal trademark Photo by Clarisse Meyer on Unsplash
Photo by Clarisse Meyer on Unsplash
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will implement new fees in many of its services, including the filing of Trademarks. The new fees start on January 2nd, 2021. This means that you still have a window of opportunity to pay for trademarks at 2020 prices. “There have been several years without any increase in fees. The new fee increases are not a total surprise”, said trademark and business attorney Marcos E. Garciaacosta. “The work of the trademark examiners is pretty in-depth, There are costs associated with their efforts”. “It is important to note that USPTO is the…