SUMMER HELP WANTED- Some advice to protect yourself or your business.

Hiring the neighborhood kid to mow your lawn or help out around the office? 

Advice every homeowner or business should consider before hiring a minor

By: Atty. Steve Rosenberg 

Hiring the neighborhood kid to come over and mow your lawn every week may sound like a great idea for both you and the neighbor; but be careful before you hire a teenager to perform even the simplest of tasks.  If you are hiring someone under the age of 18 for a job around the home or a workplace, there are some important things you need to be aware of.    

You would be amazed at the type of cases which homeowners have been sued over even when they thought they were doing the right thing.

Stop…Think…Then Post!

Social Media in the Workplace

Some Advice Before Hitting "Send"

By Attorney Michelle F. Rosenberg

Just about everyone does it.  

As ownership and use of smartphones and tablets increase, so does the “at the workplace” use of social media venues such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, just to name a few.  Unfortunately, many employees visit and post on these social media platforms, using company property and during company time, without regard for whether or not their employer has any social media policies in place restricting or prohibiting such behavior.

Time to Dust off the Cobwebs on Those Important Legal Documents

Practical Steps for a "Legal Inventory" During Legal Spring Cleaning Time
By: Atty. Steven Rosenberg

For many of us, spring indicates a time of  renewal and getting a new start.  

Taking the squeegee to the outside windows and turning over the mattress are just some of the physical spring cleaning chores at my house. 

But this time of the year should also be used for a more important cleaning than just chasing after those cobwebs in the corner. It is time to dust off those cobwebs on every legal document and legal-based plans in your life.  Every person and/or business owner reading this should use spring to review and update the legal documents that govern their business or personal life.  Just like life, laws change and your legal matters must be up-to-date to reflect these changes or the results could be less than optimal.

We’ve put together a checklist of some of the legal “to do’s” for individuals, families and business owners. So wipe off those cobwebs from those legal documents and let's do a legal inventory:

Where There’s A Will…..

Even If You Have a Will, You Might Want to Read This

 By: Atty. Michelle F. Rosenberg


Many of us are reluctant to think about the consequences of our own demise; and although most people are aware that it is a good idea to have at least a Will in place in the event the inevitable occurs unexpectedly, surprisingly, less than 35% of adult Americans report actually having a Will. 

Likewise, many who have a Will, may not know that after a life changing event like a divorce, their Will may not be legally binding. 

Without a Will, the estate of the deceased passes to the heirs via the state’s intestacy statutes (in Massachusetts, General Laws, c. 190B, §2-101 et. seq.).  The result is higher estate tax consequences, as well as an outcome which  may not only fail to fully protect and provide for the loved ones left behind, but which may also be vastly different from what the deceased intended. 


It's A Dog's Life

The Battle Over "Fido" Becomes More Common

By: Attorney Michelle F. Rosenberg

It was the mid 1980’s.  I had recently begun a new job at a small firm that handled a lot of divorce cases when my employer approached me about arguing a motion involving custody and visitation for a five year old named Max.  Thrilled to be given such an important responsibility so early in my career with that firm, I jumped at the chance.

Watch This Blog: 

Then I looked at the case file.  Max was not a five year old boy; Max was a five year old beagle, whose owners were divorcing and were at odds regarding where Max should live post-divorce.

As far-fetched as it may seem, “custody” of the family pet is becoming an increasingly common issue in divorce cases.   In recent years, pets have achieved a status within the family unit that was previously unheard of.  While a generation ago, families may have formed “attachments” to their pets, today, it is not uncommon for pets to be considered actual “members” of the family, much the way children are – especially in families where the couple is either childless, or has children who are grown and have moved away.

BYOD=Bring Your Own Device = What Every Employer and Employee Should Know About This Growing Trend

Using a Personal Smartphone or Tablet for Work Duties Can Be a Bad Idea 

By: Attorney Steven Rosenberg

Watch This Blog:

B-Y-O-D is becoming more common in every workplace.   No, it's not an acronym for booze, that's B-Y-O-B.  This acronym means “Bring Your Own Device” to work and according to one new survey by Gartner, more than 40% of all employees surveyed admit they use their own personal device like a laptop, smartphone or tablet for their primary business duties.

The problem for employers is that most employees surveyed admit their bosses don’t even know they are using these tech tools to conduct company business.  If the issue is not specifically addressed in an employee handbook or other workplace protocols, employees could be downloading sensitive company information onto their own devices thereby exposing employers to potential loss of proprietary information such as customer lists, contact information, or even trade secrets.

New Trends in Divorce & Divorce Mediation-- As Massachusetts Economy Picks Up and Winter Finally Ends, Divorce Filings Increase Putting Pressure on Housing Market; Divorce Mediation Becoming a More Popular Choice

Divorces Continue to Increase As a Thaw Melts the Winter and Economy

The brutal winter and some aspects of the economy have caused some to put off taking a major step

By: Steven Rosenberg

Ending a marriage can be a costly and painful endeavor, in some instances. And when the economy is down and people don't have extra income coupled with the brutal winter weather keeping people inside, some couples choose to stay together instead of taking a step towards positive change and filing for divorce. Just as the thaw is occurring outside, there appears to be a thaw of the backlog and an increase of couples wanting to explore divorce as the next step in their lives is occurring.  

Child support, splitting assets and other costs associated with certain contentious divorces can seriously impact a family's savings.  

But as the economy picks up and spring wakes us all up from our winter slumbers, those couples who put off divorcing, appear to be exploring divorce as well as divorce mediation options more frequently. One trend we have noticed is these couples are seeking out more cost effective divorce options such as mediation, which allows couples to divorce using a mediator instead of judge.