Practice Areas

Corporate law deals with actions taken by or against separate legal entities called corporations, but also may include Limited Liability Companies, Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships and other legal entities.  This broad area of the law also includes formation of such entities, corporate governance, mergers, acquisitions, dissolutions, purchase or sale of corporate assets or stock, shareholder agreements and shareholder disputes.  Examples of services offered in this area include:

Personal Injury:   Involves any claimed violation of an individuals rights, other than property rights.  Claims are not limited to physical injuries, but also include those for invasion of privacy and libel and slander.  Further examples of personal injury claims are those arising from:

• Automobile, truck and motorcycles accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Dog bites
• Lead paint poisoning
• Medical Malpractice
• Dental Malpractice
• Defective products
• Defective or dangerous premises
• Slip & Fall accidents
• Nursing Home injuries
• Construction accidents  
• Workplace accidents
• Intentional or Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress
• Loss of Consortium
• Premises Liability, Products Liability, Negligence, Worker's Compensation

Personal Injury Fees: Contingent fee basis. Unless we recover money damages on your behalf, we receive no fee.  You are only responsible for costs such as charges by medical providers for your records, court filing fees, deposition costs, etc.

Accident Cases:   A more specific personal injury claim arising from an “accident”, which is an event that happens by chance or through a person’s or company’s negligence, carelessness, recklessness, intentional conduct or ignorance.  Accidents causing personal injuries may arise from:

• Motor Vehicles
• Dogs or other animals
• Trip and Fall on someone’s property
• Construction of homes or buildings
• Workplace or Employment
• Products
• Medical or Dental treatment, tests or procedures
• Hotels or Motels
• Public places
• Rental of Residential or Commercial Property

Accident Case Fees: Contingent fee basis. Unless we recover money damages on your behalf, we receive no fee.  You are only responsible for costs such as charges by medical providers for your records, court filing fees, deposition costs, etc.

Recovery in personal injury and accident cases:  Persons who have suffered a physical, mental, or economic loss or injury may be entitled to monetary compensation from the person(s) or entity/entities responsible.  Whether and to what extent a successful claim or lawsuit can be made, depends on many variables including: the type of claim, nature of the loss or damage, the existence of evidence to support the liability, damages claimed and the presence of insurance or other source of funds to pay for the loss.

Civil Litigation:    This area of practice includes every kind of legal dispute except criminal matters, such as lawsuits brought by one person or group against another to enforce a legal right or to recover money as payment for an injury or loss.  Some examples are:

• Claims for breach of contract – Such as contracts for construction, sales, supply, service, leases or promissory notes
• Claims to collect debts
• Claims for injury or damage to a person or property

By definition, civil litigation includes claims and lawsuits to recover damages in personal injury and accident cases, but is much broader to include all matters which involves the legal process or the courts.

Many such disputes are resolved by settlement, or some form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as mediation or arbitration.  However, often times, such efforts fail, a lawsuit must be filed, and the matter is then decided by the courts.  From an economic standpoint, having the court decide a matter through a hearing or trial can be expensive and take years to conclude.  Therefore, ultimately having the courts decide a matter should be considered after all other alternatives have been exhausted.

Civil Litigation Fees:  Hourly rate basis, except for collection matters which are either based on a percentage of recovery or an hourly basis.

Wills/Estate Planning:   A Will is a legal document that states your intentions regarding your home, money and other assets (your estate) when you die.  It also identifies who you want to handle your Estate (your executor/executrix), how you want your assets divided and who you want to be the guardian of your minor children.  Should you die without a Will (intestate) state laws will control how your assets are disposed of, and who will receive them.

Other legal documents including a Durable Power of Attorney or Advanced Health Care Directive-Living Will, are also recommended. 

A Durable Power of Attorney gives a person or persons of your choice the legal authority to act in your place in the event that you are unable.  Should you become incapacitated and not have a Durable Power of Attorney, your financial affairs cannot be taken care of by another unless your assets are jointly held with that person, or the court appoints a guardian to act on your behalf.

A Living Will allows you to retain control over whether your life should be prolonged by use of artificial means in the event you become incompetent and have a terminal condition or are in a permanent vegetative state.  Otherwise, your spouse, next of kin, medical provider, or in some extreme cases, the court, will make such decisions.

Estate Planning:   Estate planning is the process of considering the way assets are titled, taxes that will be due upon death, and the manner in which beneficiaries will receive your assets.

Its main purpose is to provide for your family and other loved ones, to protect your assets from being diminished by death taxes, and to ensure that your property goes to those you wish, rather than by law, should you die without a will.  It includes such matters as how property is titled, the need for life insurance, reducing taxes for your estate or your heirs, and establishing trusts either during your life or upon your death.  Since each person’s and each family’s needs are different, there is no single formula that can be followed for every estate. 

Fees:      Wills, Durable Power of Attorneys and Living Wills are all charged on a flat fee basis.  This fee includes meeting with the attorney to determine the general needs of the client(s) and covers some basic estate planning.  The fee also includes all notary and photo copying charges for the documents prepared.

Any additional estate planning other than that needed for a simple Will, and corresponding document preparation or finalization, such as a more complex Will and/or trust is required.  The additional work is based on the hourly rate.

Probate & Estate Administration:    Probate is the procedure used by the courts to prove that a Will is valid and genuine before authorizing the distribution of assets provided for under the Will.  Probate also covers the ongoing jurisdiction of a person’s estate including the collection of assets, payment of debts and the distribution of the remainder to the deceased person’s heirs. 

Estate Administration:  This covers the administration of a deceased person’s estate.  As stated above, it is the procedure involved in collecting a deceased person’s assets, paying their debts and distributing the remainder whether they die with or without a Will.  The procedure is carried out by the executor/executrix under a will or by an administrator if no executor/executrix is named.  However, most executors or administrators hire a lawyer to handle the actual process of administration. 

Fees:  Percentage of the gross estate (Lehigh and Northampton Counties).  Otherwise, on an hourly basis.  For all estates valued at Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000) or less, fees are based on the hourly rate.

Real Estate:           Real estate law covers a wide range of legal matters involving real property such as leases, sales, mortgages, deed preparation and filing, agreements of sale, listing agreements, claims against real estate, and disputes arising from the sale or ownership of real property.  Our real estate practice is limited to the review and preparation of documents relating to real estate, the assistance of buyers and sellers, and claims for personal injury or property damages arising from real property.  However, we are not Title Agents, and consequently, do not perform real estate closings on behalf of buyers.  An example of some of the services provided in this area are the following:

• Preparation and recording of Deeds and Mortgages
• Drafting and review of Agreements of Sale
• Representation of buyers or sellers in real estate transactions
• Preparation of residential and commercial leases
• Representing landlords or tenants in lease disputes, including evictions
• Claims involving defects to real estate
• Claims against real estate to collect money judgments 

Real Estate fees:  Based on the hourly rate.

Divorce/Support (Child and Spousal)/Family Law-Pre-nuptial Agreements:

Divorce:  Technically, a divorce is a Judgment from a court that legally ends a marriage.  It determines the former husband and wife’s rights and responsibilities concerning property, money to support one or both of them, and arraignments for their children.  Divorce ends all of the legal rights gained by marriage.  A divorced spouse no longer has the right to sex, support (except for alimony that may be awarded by the court) or a share of the other’s estate when he or she dies. 

If there is no marital property involved, (which generally includes all property acquired from the date of marriage to the date of final separation, including the increase in value during that period of property owned prior to marriage), husband and wife, who both agree to the divorce, can obtain a divorce decree in a little over ninety (90) days from the service of the Divorce Complaint upon the non-filing spouse.  If one of the parties does not wish to get divorced, the other party typically has to wait two (2) years from the date of separation before the court will address the divorce, and any economic issues which may exist.  When there are marital assets involved, the parties can reach an agreement as to how they are to be divided.  Otherwise, the court may be left to decide before the parties will be divorced.  Most divorces are eventually settled by agreement, rather than by court Order.

This area of the law usually involves one or more of the following:

• Divorce Complaint based upon fault or no-fault grounds
• Spousal Support during the pendency of the divorce, and often times afterwards in the form of Alimony
• Child Support
• Claims for Equitable Distribution (the division of the marital assets under the Divorce Code)
• Interim counsel fees

Spousal Support: If a husband and wife become separated while still married; one can claim spousal support from the other.  The amount of support is based upon state guidelines which consider the parties respective incomes.  For example, if the party claiming spousal support earns more than the non-claiming party, it is unlikely that the claiming party will receive an award of spousal support.  While one spouse can voluntarily pay another spouse support to maintain himself/herself while the parties are separated or during the pendency of the divorce, most cases require the filing of a Support Complaint with the Domestic Relations Office in the county in which the parties live.  A claim for support is heard by a hearing officer which takes all of the parties’ income information at an informal hearing to determine whether the claiming party is entitled to support, and if so, in what amount.  If a finding of support is made, either party may appeal the decision to a Judge.  Claims for support typically involve the following:

• The preparation of a Support Complaint if a claim is not included in the Divorce Complaint
• Representation of the party seeking the support, or the party against whom support is sought at a support hearing or before a Judge
• Claims for Alimony as part of the divorce action

Child Support:     All parents are required by law to support their children.  A child has a right to be supported by his parents, even if the parents are divorced.  When parents become separated or divorced, the physical custody of the minor children may be agreed upon or may be the subject of a custody action and ultimately determined by the court.  In any event, the custodial parent may, unless otherwise agreed, seek child support from the non-custodial parent.  As with spousal support, the amount of child support depends on the parents respective incomes.  The parent required to pay child support must do so until the child reaches the age of eighteen (18), or until the child graduates from high school, whichever is last to occur.  Child support cases typically involve the following:

• Complaint for child support if one is not already part of the Divorce Complaint
• Attendance at a support hearing, similar to that for Spousal Support
• Appeals from Support Orders

Family Law fees:  Based on the hourly rate.