Blog Articles
When Will I Receive My Worker’s Compensation Payments?
At our firm we field many inquiries from individuals who have had the misfortune of sustaining a work injury that naturally have the question: When do I start receiving benefits from the workers’ compensation insurer? Very broadly speaking, as every case/situation is...
If A Tree Falls In Your Woods … Property Owner Liability.
When most people look at trees, legal liability is unlikely the first thing that comes to mind. You may enjoy the shade they provide in the summer and their array of fall colors. However, you should also be on the lookout for liability, particularly for those trees...
Guardianship Training is Now Required
As of January 1, 2023, Wisconsin law requires all new individual guardians to complete a state-approved training course. Prior to this year, Wisconsin only required corporate guardians to have formal training. Now every individual who is nominated to be the guardian...
Comparing Commercial and Residential Leases
Most individuals must navigate a residential lease at some point in their lives – typically for an apartment to live in before potentially purchasing a home later in life. In contrast, the majority of people will never need to negotiate or enter into a commercial...
2023 Fall Estate Planning Seminar
Anderson O’Brien, LLP hosted the Fall 2023 Estate Planning Seminar. Four of our skilled attorneys presented on these topics: Protecting Your Assets from Probate and Guardianship, Protecting Your Assets from Liability, and Protecting Your Assets from Nursing Home and...
Large Claims v. Small Claims In Civil Lawsuits
Most people have heard of small claims court and large claims court, but how do the differences between these two impact the claim that you may have? Generally speaking, large claims civil lawsuits involve civil claims where the damages are more than $10,000.00, or...
What Are The Rules For Emotional Support Animals When Renting?
What are the rules for landlords and tenants when it comes to emotional support animals? For landlords there are important rules to follow to avoid running afoul with Wisconsin and Federal Discrimination laws. An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is defined in Wis. Stat....
Update On Private Roads, Joint Driveways and Easements Article
This article was written in November 2018, now there are some important updates to share. Many properties in Wisconsin have some form of shared access. It can be as simple as a portion of the driveway crossing the neighbor’s property to more complicated scenarios...
Is It Time to Revise Severance Agreements and Employee Handbooks?
The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) returned to a longstanding precedent recently by holding that employers violate the National Labor Relations Act if they offer employees severance agreements that require employees to broadly waive their rights under the...
Is Joint Representation a Good Idea?
It is common for a group of people to want one attorney to represent them all in a legal matter. Whether it is a married couple looking for estate planning representation or if it is two people who own a property together and are both looking to evict a tenant or sell...
U.S. Supreme Court Votes Unanimously On Tax Lien Case
There are many cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court that receive scant attention from the public. Despite ideological divisions among the justices, it is not uncommon for the Court to vote 9-0 in case. In the case of Tyler v. Hennepin County, Minnesota, the Court...
What is a Guardian Ad Litem?
A Guardian ad litem (GAL) is an attorney who is appointed by the Court to represent the best interests of a minor child. If the parties are represented by counsel, the attorneys often give their recommendation to the Court about who they think would be a good fit as...
The Coporate Transparency Act Implications for Small Businesses
Do you own a small business? Are you a member of an LLC or a shareholder in a closely held company? (A closely held company has a limited number of shareholders and is often a private company that does not trade publicly). If so, you should be aware of the Corporate...
More Protections for Pregnant Workers
If you are an employer with pregnant employees, employees returning from parental leave, or employees who have had a child in the last two years, then please read on. Effective on December 29, 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act...
Stepping Down as a Presonal Representative
There are a number of factors to consider before agreeing to take on the responsibility of serving as Personal Representative of someone’s estate. If a friend or family member has asked you to serve in any of these roles, it is important for you to think carefully...
Is That Damage to Your Vehicle Less Than $1000?
For those who may have been involved in an non-injury minor car accident, you may have heard from the other driver or bystander, “that damage is under $1000, no need to get the police involved.” A recent Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision, County of Monroe v. Kling,...
Litigation and the Risks of Social Media
Today social media use is an integral part of everyday life for many. There are numerous platforms people use for communication, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, emails, texts, etc. Electronic communications and interactions on social media...
Landlord Lag Time in Wisconsin
The benefit to renting over owning is avoiding unexpected repair costs, in contrast, it can mean having to wait for the landlord to make repairs. Who is responsible for making repairs and how long a landlord can take to make a repair depends on the issue. While a...