What is a shareholder dispute or, in other words, shareholder oppression? The terms “shareholder dispute” and “shareholder oppression” are short hand references to business disputes between two or more owners of closely held businesses. Although the phrases both refer to “shareholders” they are used interchangeably by most people to refer…
Insights
Alimony Statute Amendments From 2014 Can Be Applied To Divorces Finalized Years Earlier
Today’s current economic reality is one of great uncertainty, especially when it comes to employment. Employees who could count on receiving an annual cost of living adjustment or performance bonus no longer have that luxury, nor the security that their years of experience and training will translate into an equal…
Recent Changes to New Jersey Estate Tax
On October 14, 2016, Governor Christie signed a bill that raises the gasoline tax 23 cents per gallon, effective November 1, 2016. There will also be a reduction in the sales tax from 7% to 6.625%, to be phased in over two years. Other provisions of the new law have…
Equitable Defenses for Spill Act Liability Other Than God, War or Sabotage
A New Jersey Supreme Court decision in 2015 settled the uncertainty regarding whether the statute of limitations was a valid defense to liability under the Spill Compensation and Control Act, N.J.S.A. 58:10-23.11, et seq. (the “Spill Act”). The Court in Morristown Assoc. v. Grant Oil Co., 220 N.J. 360 (2015)…
A “SEP” in the Right Direction, Part 1
Why in the aftermath of a chemical accident does the government seek enormous cash penalties for accident prevention, when instead they could do more to reap the benefits of improving the environment and the communities surrounding an incident, and at the same time the government could be more proactive in…
New Jersey Bill Would Prohibit Employers From Inquiring Into Compensation History
Earlier this month, the New Jersey State Assembly reviewed Assembly Bill 4119 (“A-4119”), which would amend the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination to prohibit employers from seeking compensation history from prospective employees. The purpose of A-4119 is “to strengthen protections against employment discrimination and thereby promote equal pay for women[.]”…
Child Support – How New Jersey Courts Calculate and Modify Support Obligations
In New Jersey, child-support is defined as a financial payment from one parent to the other to provide for the needs of their child or children. Child support is the right of every child and neither spouse can waive this responsibility. All parents regardless of their marital status have an…
Lifetime Gift Planning in New Jersey
New Jersey has been widely recognized as among the more onerous states in terms of transfers at death. While federal and state death tax laws have been loosened over the past many years so as to exempt more and more people from estate and inheritance taxes1, New Jersey has not…
“Pet Trusts”: Providing For Your Pets After Death
In today’s society, it’s becoming increasingly common for our pets to be treated as part of the family…but what happens to your pet or pets upon your death when you are no longer there to care for them? In the eyes of the law, animals are considered property…so you can’t…
Dealing With Digital Assets During Life and After Death
We live in a digital age. The advent of the personal computer, the rise of social media, online access to financial accounts and commerce, and the development of increasingly efficient programs and applications affording easy access to our finances, shopping, entertainment activities, and communications, have helped to create a world…