If you own a small business with a storefront, sidewalk, or parking lot, a “slip and fall” accident is a very real threat. In Pittsburgh and across the rest of Pennsylvania, the winter months bring a series of winter storms that leave snow and ice behind. Customers who are injured… read more →
When a person dies, her estate must go through a court process called probate. The process entails a special court called a “probate court” which will decide how the estate of the person who died (the decedent) is distributed. This process entails the distribution of property according to the decedents… read more →
The U.S. Supreme Court defines sexual harassment in the workplace as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile work environment. Any form of harassment that fits into this definition is illegal and both employers and employees… read more →
Imagine a responsible estate planner who has written a will, a living will and has transferred much of his property in anticipation of death, incapacity or coma. The will covers his remaining property, the living will covers his medical decisions in case of incapacity and his previous property transfers have… read more →
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal law that requires all qualifying employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is any type of assistance that makes it easier for the disabled employee to perform their job. If the employer does not provide these accommodations… read more →
A living will is a document that allows you to state your wishes and directives concerning your medical care in case you are unable to communicate your choices. It is essentially a blueprint for how you wish to be treated when you are close to death. Mainly, it will allow… read more →
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act defines discrimination in the workplace. Title VII is a federal law and it addresses many different forms of discrimination in the workplace. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Title VII and most states also have laws that are similar to Title VII and… read more →
Sometimes events in life can lead you to want to make changes to your will. Perhaps your spouse died and you got remarried. You probably would want to write your new spouse into your will. Maybe you had a bitter falling out with a friend and you wish to remove… read more →
An employer can take several steps in a written employment contract to preserve the right fire at will. The right to fire at will means that an employer can fire an employee without a good business reason for doing so. However, why would an employer want to fire someone without… read more →
Here is a typical slip and fall case: a grandmother leaves her house on a snowy winter day to go shopping at the local supermarket. As she pulls into the parking lot a fresh half-inch of snow and ice layers the surface of the lot. She gets out of her… read more →