In a groundbreaking move that marked a turning point in Massachusetts fiscal policies, Governor Maura Healey enacted a transformative $1 billion tax relief package on October 3, 2023. This comprehensive legislation, designed to alleviate financial burdens for families, businesses, and individuals statewide, brings about profound changes in existing estate plans, particularly focusing on the implications of the estate tax. The recently enacted law has significantly elevated the Massachusetts asset threshold subject to the estate tax, rising from $1 million to $2 million. Simultaneously, it elim ..read more

Whether you’re an executive seeking to negotiate a new contract or an employer looking to draft an employment contract, understanding the nuances of these agreements is crucial. Why Executive Employment Agreements Matter Executive employment agreements are your legal shield in the complex corporate world. These contracts establish the terms and conditions of an executive’s employment, covering everything from salary and benefits to job responsibilities, confidentiality, and termination procedures. When well-drafted, these agreements provide clarity and protection, ensuring that both employers ..read more

Business partnerships are associated with significant benefits, including lower costs for start-ups, reaching out to a new market, better solutions due to the different perspectives, greater borrowing capacity, shared burden and accessible moral support when needed. Accordingly, business owners should choose the right partners to enjoy these benefits. Nonetheless, disputes between partners may arise in the future, which can cost a business millions of dollars. Below are three common causes for these disagreements. Authority When partners don’t have an in-depth discussion about the le ..read more

When a supervisor offers something to an employee in return for a sexual favor, that’s a type of sexual harassment. Specifically, it’s called “quid pro quo” sexual harassment, and it’s illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Typically, it occurs when a boss offers an employee a raise, promotion or something else they’ve been seeking if the employee will have sex with them – or even just go out on a date with them. Sometimes the quid pro quo is more of a threat. A manager threatens to demote an employee, assign them an inconvenient schedule or give them a poor performance review if the ..read more

Getting a divorce when you and your spouse have wealth seems easier since there is plenty for you to share. Unfortunately, possessing valuable assets typically does the opposite—it makes your situation more complex. In any divorce, both parties deserve a share of marital property, but dividing assets in an equitable manner is no small feat for the average person. The following high net worth tips can help you emerge from divorce with a fair property settlement. Never lie about assets Even if you forgot about an investment or a vacation property, the court frowns on missing or inaccurate financ ..read more

You’ve always been an independent person, and your kids are pretty much the same. You accepted that your dreams may not be their dreams – and that includes your plans for (what is currently) the “family business.” Now, however, at least one of your children has expressed an interest in joining your team. On one hand, you’re delighted at the idea of having a child in place to take over the business when you’re ready to retire. On the other hand, you’ve heard that mixing family and business can be a disaster. What should you do? Here are some questions to ask yourself that might help y ..read more

In many cases of alleged sexual harassment, the accusations will come years or even decades after the event occurred. Naturally, this does lead people to ask why there was such a delay and why the reports weren’t made right away. In fact, some people will mistakenly use this as justification not to believe the person who is claiming that they were harassed. So what is the real reason for this type of delay? What does it mean for sexual harassment cases and how could it impact them? Fear of retaliation One potential reason that people have cited is that they’re afraid of retaliation f ..read more

When parents go through a divorce, the bitter fallout can severely affect their children. Hence, it is crucial for both parents to try and minimize the conflict and competition between themselves. Yet, some parents struggle. If you fear your spouse is one of those people, here are some things to watch out for after your divorce: #1. They compete on holidays You take your child to Disney World in Florida, so your ex takes them to Disney World in Paris. #2. They compete on things at home Your ex wants the child to spend more time staying with them than you. So they promise the child th ..read more

How much do you know about the ins and outs of cryptocurrencies? What about non-fungible tokens (NFTs)? You would not be alone in struggling to grasp the consequences of these virtual assets. That’s why you might need to learn fast if you are divorcing and believe your spouse does understand them. Many more people have found turning to the virtual world a far more secure way to hide assets during a divorce than doing so in the physical one. It’s not just that they’re confusing Virtual assets are also incredibly secure and opaque. The lack of transparency is a design feature to keep t ..read more

A law signed this month by President Joe Biden places a new limitation on what employers can restrict with nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in their employment contracts. Specifically, the Speak Out Act prohibits employers from using NDAs signed as a condition of employment from being used to keep employees silent about sexual harassment or assault they’ve suffered. The new law is considered a “next step” in ending restrictions placed on these victims. Earlier this year, President Biden signed a law that removed the requirement for employees to settle these cases in arbitration. Gretchen Carlso ..read more