Posts written by buteralaw

Federal Minimum Wage Raised

President Clinton signed the Small Business Job Protection Act on August 20, 1996. Among other things, this bill raised the federal minimum wage from $4.25 to $4.75 per hour effective October 1, 1996 and to $5.15 per hour effective September 1, 1997.The bill also created… Continue reading

How Long Must You Keep Financial Records?

Now that you’ve gotten your tax returns filed and are looking at your bulging folder of receipts, notes and records, it is logical to wonder, “How long should I keep all this paper and all the paper from previous years?” Tax Returns. With regard to… Continue reading

Easements and Licenses

Suppose you grant your next-door-neighbor permission to erect a fence across the property line on your property in order to accommodate a tree growing on the property line. Or suppose a landowner allows another landowner to use a private road across his property in order… Continue reading

Trust Fund Taxes and the 100% Penalty

The Internal Revenue Code requires employers to withhold from wages and pay over to the government employment taxes at specified intervals. Because funds withheld from employee wages are not property of the employer but instead are earmarked for the government, they are commonly known as… Continue reading

“Full Tort” or “Limited Tort” The Auto Insurance Dilemma

We handle many automobile accident injury cases and recent changes in the insurance laws are catching some drivers by surprise.The Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law establishes two basic choices of automobile insurance coverage, commonly known as the “Full Tort” option and the “Limited Tort”… Continue reading

Shifting the Burden of Legal Fees to Your Opponent

There has been debate in the national press of late concerning “loser pays” provisions in litigation situations. Generally speaking, the “American Rule” is that each party bears its own costs, including legal fees relative to a claim, regardless of success or failure. This is at… Continue reading

Seven Reasons to Incorporate

We set up scores of new businesses each year, most of which are incorporated. While there are sometimes good reasons not to incorporate, such as businesses whose primary purpose is ownership of real estate, here are seven reasons why setting your business up as a… Continue reading

What Happens to Your Property If You Die Without a Will?

In Pennsylvania, as in most states, if you die without a will, your property will be distributed according to the intestacy laws. Exactly how your property is distributed depends on whether you have a spouse, whether you have children, and whether you have surviving parents.The… Continue reading

Don’t Speak Too Soon!

Here is the scene: You have just been hurt in a car accident at an intersection, the traffic light was changing, and you are not sure how fast you were going. Maybe you weren’t paying as much attention as you normally do. Is it your… Continue reading

Why We Take Personal Injury Cases on a Contingent Fee Basis

Why do attorneys take personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis? We hear this question from time to time and it is a subject worthy of discussion.Let’s say you dislocate your shoulder as a result of a slip and fall on a slippery patch… Continue reading