News Category: Blog Articles
The Americans with Disabilities Act and Working in the Age of COVID-19
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
Can Relaxed Retirement Plan Withdrawal Rules Help Settle Your Divorce?
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
Overtime Gets an Overhaul
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
Pro Tips for Virtual Mediation in Divorce
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
Divorcing During COVID-19? It is more important than ever to get an estate plan in place.
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
Lasher Family Law in the Time of the COVID-19 Crisis
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
Creating a ‘Bridge’ Estate Plan – Why Spouses should Update their Estate Plan During a Divorce or Separation
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. Powers of
Congratulations to Smeraldo Restaurant!
In 1984, Carmine Smeraldo opened Il Terazzo 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
Think Twice Before Reimbursing Your Employees
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
LHS&E Attorneys Recognized as 2020 Best Lawyers
LHS&E is proud to announce that Ronald E. Braley, Linda Kelley Ebberson, George S. Holzapfel, Darin T. Jensen, Jamie Polito Johnston, Taro Kusunose, Tara K. Richardson, Maya Trujillo Ringe, Justin Sedell, Lisa Ann Sharpe, Shannon Sperry, Quentin Wildsmith, and Eugene W. Wong have been selected by their peers as Best Lawyers in America 2020 Edition.