On May 13, 2021 the CDC unexpectedly recommended that, with limited exceptions, fully vaccinated individuals can resume all indoor and outdoor activities without wearing masks or social distancing, except where required by law or workplace guidance. Individuals are deemed fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their final dose of the vaccine.…
Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C. Firm News & Events
Post-Divorce Modifications & Mediation
It is not uncommon in these difficult times for one ex-spouse to seek a modification of the divorce decree. COVID has caused changes in everyone’s life. A party may have lost income or even their job and seek to decrease alimony and child support. Or concerns over the safety of…
The Challenge Of Being A Sympathetic Divorce Lawyer
Nicole Kobis, Partner in Lindabury’s Divorce & Family Law group, recently contributed an article to Above The Law on the challenges of being a sympathetic divorce lawyer. The task of the compassionate divorce lawyer is not easy: it requires balancing sympathy and acknowledgment of the emotional turmoil occurring in my…
Divorce and the Business Owner
Divorce attorneys are often asked the following question: “I am thinking about getting divorced. I own part of a family business. What should I be doing?” There are two questions to ask before answering. Do you have a buy-sell agreement? Talk of a buy-sell agreement among partners (and between family…
The New Jersey Cannabis Microbusiness License: An Entrepreneur’s Guide
On Feb. 22, 2021 Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act, which established the framework for a legal, adult-use cannabis industry in New Jersey. By some estimates, recreational cannabis may grow to be a billion-dollar industry in the state over the next…
Zero Tolerance Policy? Not So Fast. Proposed Cannabis bill offers Clarification and Possible Relief to Some Employers.
After much anticipation, New Jersey’s Governor Murphy signed the “New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act” into law on February 22, 2021. While this law made adult use recreational cannabis legal, the extensive law, together with a few “clean up bills,” did a whole lot more than…
Estate Planning With Family Businesses
To the owners of family businesses, estate planning can sometimes be an after-thought. Owners are often so involved in building their business and managing its daily operations that they do not have time to devote to the planning that will become important when the owner is ready to hand over…
Unclaimed Property in New Jersey
Every state has an unclaimed property program holding forgotten property belonging to its residents such as uncashed checks, security deposits, abandoned accounts, and more. “Unclaimed property” generally refers to tangible (items in safe deposit boxes) and intangible (bank accounts, stocks, and checks) personal property. Eventually, the state takes over the…
Increased Estate & Gift Tax Exemption for 2021
The federal estate and gift tax exemption (known as the “basic exclusion amount”) has increased to $11.7 million per taxpayer in 2021. The exemption in 2020 had been $11.58 million. The increase means that in 2021, an individual can make gifts during life or at death totaling $11.7 million without…
NJ Passes the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act
On December 17, 2020, the New Jersey legislature passed the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (the “Act”), providing the framework for legal adult recreational cannabis use in New Jersey. The Act lays out the ground rules for licensing arrangements for the cultivation, packaging, distribution, advertising, and retail…