Monthly Archives: October 2014

Living Trusts in Pennsylvania

We frequently speak with clients who already have or who are contemplating the creation of a “living trust” or, more formally, a “revocable trust.”  These vehicles are heavily marketed by attorneys and other estate planners as a means of avoiding probate, smoothing out the post-death… Continue reading

Failure to Pay a Motor Vehicle Judgment

Pennsylvania law has a little known provision which provides that any person who fails within 60 days to satisfy a judgment arising out of a motor vehicle accident can have his operating privilege suspended until the judgment is satisfied.  The Vehicle Code allows the injured… Continue reading

Inherited IRA’s and Creditors

The normally staid world of Individual Retirement Account planning has been shocked by the recent United States Supreme Court case of Clark v. Rameker.  Nearly every day a new article or seminar advertisement related to this case pops up on my e-mail. Under the Federal… Continue reading

“Incompetent, Irrelevant and Immaterial”

In the courtroom, especially in the case of a jury trial, information which is presented to the court is subject to various limitations and controls.  For example, in the case involving whether a driver ran through a stop sign in Pennsylvania without stopping it might… Continue reading

Small Claims Court

Pennsylvania’s small claims court system is a system of uniform statewide Magisterial District Justice courts. Each of the more than 500 Magisterial District Justices has exclusive jurisdiction over his or her specific geographic area.  Civil claims can be brought in the district where the defendant… Continue reading

What is RAMP Training and is it Necessary?

Opening a new restaurant or bar is usually a harried experience.  Hiring new employees, dealing with contractors and health inspectors, marketing the business, and buying food and alcohol all provide more stress than the normal operation of running the business.   Often a new liquor licensee… Continue reading

Security for Seller “Take Back” Financing

One way to increase the chances of selling your business  for the right price is to provide financing of at least a portion of the purchase price paid by your purchaser.  Suppose, for example, you are selling a restaurant business, including real estate, restaurant assets… Continue reading