An update on SBA loans

By Katherine Iskin | June 12, 2024

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is an agency in the US Government that provides loan guaranties to banks that allows them to provide financial help to small businesses. This lets lenders give loans to small businesses that might otherwise be too risky without this additional level of insurance. The most common SBA loan is called…

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Estate Planning for Young Adults: Why It’s Never Too Early to Plan Ahead.

By Laura Faulstich | April 8, 2024

Young adults in Indiana can benefit significantly from estate planning, regardless of their age or financial situation. An estate plan can provide peace of mind, protect loved ones, and ensure your wishes are honored in the event of incapacity or death. Estate planning is simply making legal arrangements for the management and distribution of your…

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Michigan Policy Shift as to Slip and Falls

By Georgianne Walker | April 8, 2024

The Michigan Supreme Court overturned a 2001 precedent that had all but ended most slip and fall cases in Michigan before they began. In July 2023 in a 5 to 2 Opinion authored by Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement, the majority of the Michigan Supreme Court introduced a new framework for premises liability that puts the…

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My Spouse and I Are Getting Divorced – What Will Happen to Our Pets?

By Marissa Claxton | March 20, 2024

Today, most people consider their pets as family members. So, what happens to those pets when two spouses divorce? Will one party be awarded “primary physical custody?” Is there a “parenting time” schedule ordered? Are the “best interests” of the pets considered? While custody disputes over pets in divorce proceedings have become increasingly more common,…

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Corporate Transparency Act Filings

By Sean Towner | February 16, 2024

Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) in 2021. The CTA took effect on January 1, 2024. This new federal law requires certain companies (such as corporations, LLCs, LLPs, etc.) to provide information about its Beneficial Ownership (as defined in the Act) to the U.S. Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The required information that…

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Small Claims in Indiana: Access to Justice

By Savannah Gutierrez | February 16, 2024

Small claims courts in Indiana provide individuals with the opportunity to resolve specific eligible disputes with simplicity and convenience. Pursuant to Indiana Code § 33-28-3-4, the following types of cases are eligible for the small claims docket: There is an important caveat to utilizing the convenience of the small claims docket – any amount sought…

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Using bankruptcy to correct mistakes made by small business owners

By Katherine Iskin | February 7, 2024

No one starts a business with the intention of having it stumble or fail. But mistakes happen – whether by accidental missteps or economic conditions – and not all businesses are profitable. Here are ways that bankruptcy might correct or mitigate mistakes made by small business owners: 1) Reorganizing tax debt One very common misstep…

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Top 5 Mistakes Small Business Owners Make

By Sean Towner | December 5, 2023

Owning your own small business is an adventurous challenge. Some small businesses will prosper, steadily growing over the years and blossoming into large, wildly successful companies. Others will stumble and ultimately fail due to a myriad of reasons. Here are 5 common legal mistakes made by small business owners: Hiring employees is exciting and indicative…

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DISCOVERY IN WORKER’S COMPENSATION CASES

By Bradley Varner | October 30, 2023

The Worker’s Compensation Board favors informal discovery, yet formal discovery is provided for in 631 Indiana Administrative Code (“IAC”) 1-1-3 – Rules of practice in proceedings: Except as provided below, the board will not be bound by any technical rules of practice in conducting hearings, but will conduct hearings and make investigations in reference to…

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Seeking Dismissal in Defense of a Client

By D. Andrew Spalding | October 24, 2023

One of the first questions we ask when engaged to defend a client in a matter: Is it possible to secure a dismissal before our client must expend unnecessary time, resources and emotional energy? Indeed, some claims have merit and are appropriately pursued. Many claims, however, do not – at least against the client we…

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