New Workers’ Compensation Rates for 2018
January, 2018 | By Julie D. Murray
The Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission has set the new workers’ compensation rates for 2018.
New Maryland Workers’ Compensation Legislation Goes Into Effect
October, 2017 | By Julie D. Murray
Four new laws have gone into effect as of October 1, 2017, that impact Employers and Insurers in Maryland.
Practical Construction Law For Maryland Contractors
July, 2017
This article offers Maryland contractors and subcontractors a practical outline of some of the legal principles applicable to their daily business activities in an effort to help them anticipate problems and to be better equipped to resolve potential disputes with a minimum of difficulty and expense. A limited outline such as this cannot provide legal…
Estate Planning, Probate & Trusts Frequently Asked Questions
March, 2017
What is an estate plan? What exactly is a trust and why might I need one? Can an estate plan help reduce taxes? I am in a same-sex relationship. How can we protect ourselves beyond a basic estate plan? I’ve heard about revocable living trusts. Should I have one? What is probate? My assets are relatively modest. Do I still need an estate plan? What happens if I die without a Will? I am young and healthy. Do I really need a financial Power of Attorney and Advance Medical Directive?
Selecting Your Executor And Trustee
Your ability to select the person to manage your affairs after your death is one of the advantages of making a will or a trust. If you make a will, or a revocable trust as a substitute for a will, you nominate a person to settle your estate. If you create a trust, you name a person to be the “trustee” of the trust. The trustee is duty bound to follow the instructions in the trust instrument and the law governing trusts.
The Probate Process
Most people encounter probate for the first time after a close family member dies. Probate is simply the legal name for wrapping up the affairs of the deceased so that title to his or her wealth is validly changed over to the beneficiaries of the estate. This brief list of questions and answers is an effort to provide a perspective on the probate process.