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Your Liability as a Landlord

Renting out your home can be a great way to make extra income, but it is essential to ensure that you have a firm understanding of all of the applicable laws. Although you will not be required to carry the same level of protection as a property management company that has a community with hundreds of units, you will still need to get landlord insurance to make sure that you are covered for a wide variety of potential issues. Keep in mind that your homeowner’s policy will not extend to many of the issues that landlords can face.

What is Landlord Insurance?

Landlord insurance will provide you with financial protection from damage to the building and any belongings that you have stored inside of it, including appliances.… Keep Reading…

Under Suspicion of Embezzlement?

Few things are more intimidating than being told you are being investigated for embezzlement. Embezzlement does not always mean money is being stolen in large quantities, sometimes it applies to misappropriation of funds or inflating expense reports that requires a lawyer to rectify.

Understanding embezzlement

Embezzlement charges may be felonies or misdemeanors depending on the amounts involved. Embezzlement is considered a white-collar crime and may also result in additional charges such as fraud. In some cases, before charges are filed, you may find you are the target of an investigation.

Investigative procedures

In some cases, embezzlement investigations are the result of simple mistakes or miscommunication. For example, an employer may think their CFO is embezzling funds because they see inconsistencies in bookkeeping entries. A careful review of the books can reveal these inconsistencies were merely a result of sloppy entries.… Keep Reading…

Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Are We There Yet?

By Aaron Blumberg

After years of promises that Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) was on its way, we finally have a plan in place.  On Tuesday, April 16, 2013 the “Gang of Eight,” a bipartisan group of Senator’s, unveiled an 884 page immigration reform bill, called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. It’s perhaps the biggest and most sweeping change to the immigration landscape presented in the last twenty years.  We are just in the very early stages of CIR and the next few months of committee revisions, Senate and House debate, and cries from the media and the public, will dictate what our future immigration system and border security will look like.  At least this much is known; the outline for CIR presented by the Gang of Eight addresses all of the broad measures that this country has been waiting for.… Keep Reading…

RPI Status: The Path Towards Legalization

On Tuesday, April 16th history was made when a group of both Republican and Democratic Senators unveiled a landmark comprehensive immigration reform bill, that finally addresses the plight of millions of hard working people who are living in the US without legal status.  The bill, known as the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013,” not only removes the threat of deportation for most people without a criminal record, but it also gives them a coveted path towards work authorization and eventually US citizenship.  Under this proposed bill, millions of people who have been living in the US without legal status since before December 31, 2011 would be eligible to apply for Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status.  RPI status would be valid for up to 6 years and then renewable for another 6 years.… Keep Reading…

Should researchers and scientists be able to claim human DNA as their intellectual property?

Should researchers and scientists be able to claim human DNA as their intellectual property? That is the question the U.S. Supreme Court must now decide after hearing oral arguments yesterday. Robert Barnes of the Washington Post reported that the Justices expressed trepidation as they listened to the parties’ explanations of patent law and the complexities of biochemistry.  The overriding hesitation by the Supreme Court may be due to the fact that this decision has the potential to shape the future of medical and genetic research as well as the potential to have profound impact on pharmaceuticals and genetically modified crops.

A coalition of researchers, genetic counselors, cancer survivors, breast cancer support groups, and scientific associations filed suit in 2009 against Myriad Genetics, a Utah biotechnology company, challenging the company’s patent of genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.  Myriad discovered and isolated the two genes, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, which are highly associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.… Keep Reading…

Sample Employee Handbook – Handbook Template

How to Draft and Employee Handbook

If you are considering writing an employee handbook, you may be feeling slightly overwhelmed by the information that you need to collate to include in it. This article sets out to offer you some tips on how to do just that. There is no right or wrong way to write an employee handbook; you should be guided by the needs of your business.

More articles on drafting an Employee Handbook

The main point of an employee handbook is to clarify rights and obligations between employers and employees. As far as employees are concerned it can give them a good overview of what your company expects of them, and as a manager or business owner it gives you a certain amount of legal protection from lawsuits and litigation.… Keep Reading…

How to Write an Employee Handbook – Sample Employee Handbook

How to Write an Employee Handbook

The employee handbook is a one-stop resource that includes all policies and procedures of an organization.  It reinforces what is expected of the employee and in turn identifies the organization’s goals and purpose, as they relate to the employee.

Free Employee Handbook Template from RocketLawyer

Before jumping into creating an employee handbook, you should first decide what information is to be included.  Consider your audience and what you are trying to convey.   Start by compiling a list of the topics that you’d like to cover, and then outline each subtopic. This will help to create the structure of your handbook.  Be sure to include your Senior Management team in your brainstorming sessions; these are the individuals that have been trusted with managing the different departments and have key insight in the various components of the organization.… Keep Reading…

Rise in Motorcycle Accidents Expected as Spring Arrives

Even those who don’t ride motorcycles can imagine the thrill of doing so. From feeling the wind quickly whip around a person’s face to taking time out to enjoy the scenery on a cross-country trip, there’s a little dream that meets everyone’s need.

Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents increased 130 percent between the years of 1998 and 2008, and this is a dangerous trend that hasn’t seen much improvement. Sadly, the warmer months tend to bring an increase in these accidents, so it’s important for all drivers, non-bikers included, to take the time to try and prevent these often tragic accidents.

Warm Weather: Blessing or Curse?

It’s really not hard to imagine why motorcycle accidents increase once spring hits. Bikers really have nothing other than the clothes that they’re wearing to shield them from the elements, and during the winter, this just isn’t a fun proposition.… Keep Reading…

What is a DUI Court?

By Chris Robinson

The DUI Court Program is meant to save the lives of innocent drivers while simultaneously combating alcoholism and DUI recidivism. Early reports are showing that this highly intensive program is proving effective, and this means that its use is likely to grow over the coming years. The programs provide benefits for the defendant and for society at large, so it’s really a win-win scenario. They are always something that those charged with DUIs should consider if they hope to avoid serious consequences.

What are Drug and DUI Courts?

The law in most areas of the country allows for lengthy jail sentences for those who have been convicted of more than one DUI. In states like Georgia and Florida, for instance, a second DUI conviction can land a person in jail for up to one year.… Keep Reading…