As parts of the country begin to re-open following closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, employers will face many issues regarding the best way to bring their employees back to work. Throughout the pandemic, federal agencies, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, have provided guidance for employers regarding the application of federal laws to Read more >
The new CARES Act has relaxed retirement account withdrawal rules for some retirement plans due to COVID-19 related reasons. These relaxed withdrawal rules apply to IRA, 401(k), and other “eligible retirement plans” as defined by the CARES Act. COVID-19 has disrupted life for all of us, with tens of millions of Americans losing jobs because Read more >
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries announced sweeping changes, effective July 1, 2020, to the rules determining whether an employee in Washington State is entitled to receive overtime compensation. In Washington State, the default rule is that all employees are entitled to overtime compensation. There are exceptions, however, when the employee meets three important Read more >
If you are going through a separation and/or divorce, it is important to review your estate plan as early as possible. In Washington State, you can start your estate planning when you know that you intend to file for divorce. You can also draft a new Will while a divorce is pending. Even with an Read more >
In the shadow of COVID-19, change in the way that lawyers resolve cases has become a necessity. In the area of Family Law, and in divorce cases, social distancing and quarantine have altered the tools used to assist parties with their disputes. Pre-pandemic, more than 90 percent of divorce cases settled prior to trial. With Read more >
Posted on April 20, 2020 by
Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson
The Family Law Practice Group of LHS&E is virtual! Thanks to remote access, electronic files, secure document sharing, and meetings via Zoom as well as conference calls we are able to near seamlessly continue to serve our clients. We are closely monitoring State, County, and Court issued Emergency Orders directly and via information exchanges on Read more >
While many people consider updating their estate planning documents following a divorce, it is best to update these documents when planning for a divorce or separation process, or risk potentially disastrous results. Washington law automatically overrides some, but not all, existing estate planning documents upon the filing of a marriage dissolution or legal separation action. Read more >
Posted on December 31, 2019 by
Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson
In 1984, Carmine Smeraldo opened Il Terrazzo Carmine becoming a staple of Pioneer Square in Seattle. After his sudden passing in 2012, no one was sure what would happen to this main stay, but his sons, Carmine Jr. and Phillip along with their mother stepped up to keep the doors open. Since 2012, the family Read more >
Under the recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), as of January 1, 2018, employees are no longer able to deduct unreimbursed employee business expenses on their individual tax returns for tax years 2018- 2025. Previously, any qualified expenses that employees incurred while on the job could be deducted on their individual tax return subject Read more >
More and more often, families define themselves as “a blended family” when one or both of the parents have children from a prior marriage. This creates unique issues in the area of estate planning, as one of the most common goals in blended family estate planning is to provide for both the current spouse of Read more >
