A story about a man’s unique tattoo went viral last week. An unidentified, unconscious 70-year-old man was rushed to the Emergency Room at University of Miami Hospital. The hospital began to try to help the man, but upon removing his shirt, they found a tattoo reading: “Do Not Resuscitate” with a signature below it. Legally, in the state of Florida, Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders must be printed on yellow paper and signed by a doctor. DNR orders, like all medical directives, should be easily amended (whereas a tattoo is obviously permanent and expensive to remove). The man arrived alone, unidentified, and could not communicate, so the tattoo was the only indication of any end-of-life wishes. When considering their options, Read More
Does Your Company Have a Sexual Misconduct Policy?
There is no time like the present for companies to review their sexual misconduct policies. The first step in such a review is to take a look at your employee handbook (assuming your company has one). In the handbook, among other things such as vacation and sick time procedures, your company’s sexual misconduct policies and reporting procedures should be clearly explained. It simply isn’t enough for an employer to have a blanket policy prohibiting sexual misconduct in the workplace (which should be a given). You must also have clear procedures for handling workplace harassment claims. What should be included in your policy? -How sexual harassment would be handled within the company. For example, a confidential investigation, no retaliation on the Read More
The Pitfalls of Online Legal Forms
There are many forms online now. You can find just about any contract simply by googling it: -Deeds -Wills -Divorces Many people use online legal forms to save money. They can sometimes work, but not always. So why even talk to a lawyer about your contract? There are risks in relying solely on online legal forms, without talking to a lawyer. At the bottom of a popular online legal form website, they even say: “We are not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. We cannot provide any kind of advice, explanation, opinion, or recommendation about possible legal rights, remedies, defenses, options, selection of forms or strategies.” This disclaimer is here for a reason. Take, Read More
Renting Out a Room in Your Home? Read This First!
Renting out a room in your house sounds like some easy extra income. And it can be fairly easy, if you take the right precautions. We had someone call us recently. They were a landlord who advertised a room for rent on craigslist. They signed up a tenant, with no background check. Their first mistake. They took a security deposit, but never created a written lease. Their second mistake. Four months later, the tenant is destroying the property and the landlord of course wants them out of their home. And they want them out today. If you do not have a written lease, you have to give your renter up to 60 days’ notice before even beginning the eviction process. 60 Read More
You just got married and had kids, you’re young and healthy, so you don’t need to worry about making a will, right? Wrong!
Death is not a pleasant topic. Discussing the subject is difficult even for couples who have been together for decades. Talking about making a will is not a conversation younger couples tend to even think about having. But for young couples with children, a will is important and necessary to prepare for the unexpected. No age is too young for couples to begin this conversation. A will has the ability to ensure that, should something terrible happen, your (minor) children will be cared for in the way that you, as a couple, decide is best. Passing away without a will affects the succession of your property and the guardianship of your children. If one spouse passes away without a will, Read More