Posts written by buteralaw

Post Death Capital Gains and the December Tax Legislation

In December 17 of last year President Obama signed into existence the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Authorization and Job Creation Act of 2010” to clarify the uncertainties surrounding the future of the federal estate tax – at least for the next two years.  As outlined… Continue reading

Joint Bank Account Law – Back to the Future

In our Spring 2010 issue we reviewed two significant Pennsylvania Superior Court decisions about joint ownership of bank accounts.  In that article we described how the Superior Court had decided, in particular instances, that the terms of a will could override the survivorship features that… Continue reading

The Queen’s English – So Big!

It is monosyllabic and tiny.  But it packs its own kind of punch and is infinitely versatile.  It can be an adverb, an adjective, a conjunction, or a pronoun.  It is just so.           As an adverb it must modify a verb, an… Continue reading

Slip and Fall Injuries

The winter of 2010-2011 will probably go down as one of our worst, especially for injuries caused by falls on the ice.  Falls can occur on sidewalks, driveways, parking lots – all of the public places where we walk.  Injuries from these falls can range… Continue reading

Major Changes Proposed for the Liquor Control Board

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has been criticized broadly for years for many of its policies, perhaps none more than those involving retail sales of wine and liquor.  The complaints are usually that prices are too high and selection too limited.  With a new administration… Continue reading

Pardon v. Expungement

Governor Ed Rendell will be leaving the Governor’s Mansion next month to make way for Governor Elect Tom Corbett.  One of the Governor’s powers is to grant pardons of convicted criminals.   Usually a change in the executive administration brings with it a rash of pardons… Continue reading

Queen’s English – Historically Speaking

Lawyers are often criticized for redundantly repeating themselves.  (That last sentence is an illustration.)  Some of these repetitive word formulas are deeply engrained in the law; and although they may be of no value now, they did serve a historical purpose.  As examples, if you… Continue reading

Have A Will, Keep It Current

A 2007 study by an affiliate of Martindale-Hubbell found that over one-half of adult Americans do not have a will.  What this statistic implies from state to state varies in the detail.  However, on a general level we can state what it means in Pennsylvania. First,… Continue reading

Latin Lovers Meets Truth or Consequences

Trial judges and juries are often faced with having to make judgments about the credibility of a witness’s testimony.  There are certain rules, however, which make this task a bit simpler. Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus is a term which literally means “false in… Continue reading

Using Experts in Personal Injury Cases

The use of experts in personal injury cases is a very important and valuable weapon in a lawyer’s arsenal to pursue recovery aggressively on behalf of an injured client.  While the costs of experts can be significant, those costs are often more than justified by… Continue reading