However, unlike Aiken and Hall, candidates running for office, can’t just take money from anyone, and while people may have big check books, the law limits how much money they can contribute to political campaigns. With the exception of a donation to a political action committee, (PAC), a limited liability company or a corporation is forbidden to contribute funds in order to influence a political election in any way. An individual is permitted to contribute, but the amount is limited by the law.

Each state has different laws regarding individual contributions. In fact, Federal campaigns have different guidelines as well. So how much can be contributed to a campaign in Arizona? According to the Secretary of State, Ken Bennett’s website, an individual can contribute $872 to a statewide campaign, $430 to a local campaign, and $424 to a non-statewide legislative campaign.  In total, the most an individual can contribute to a candidate and/or committees who give to candidates is $6,100 per calendar year.

Find out more information about Arizona’s elections, by clicking here, to visit the Secretary of State’s website.

So what happens, dare we ask, if by chance the wedding doesn’t happen? Would Angelina keep the ring or does Brad get it back? While these multi-millionaires may not actually care about the financial implications of such a question, if the situation arises for the average couple, the answer may be of more consequence.

According to About.com, etiquette would demand that the ring be returned if the engagement is called off, and the law in general, seems to agree. In many states, the engagement ring is looked upon as a gift that is given in anticipation of marriage, and if the marriage does not take place, then the ring should be returned.  Only in California, does it matter who broke the engagement, and in Montana engagement rings are considered an unconditional gift that do not have to be returned.

Unfortunately, sometimes it does take lawyers and a judge to sort it all out. As for Angelina and Brad – if they break up, the engagement ring will probably be the simplest of their legal issues.

Mother’s Day became popular throughout the United States. Ms. Jarvis, who ironically never had any children of her own, was incensed by the commercialization of the holiday by florists and card companies. According to EmotionsCards.com, Jarvis even filed a law suit to try and stop a Mother’s Day festival and was once arrested for disturbing the peace at a convention selling carnations for a war mothers’ group.

While Jarvis may have regretted her role in the creation of Mother’s Day, mothers everywhere are grateful for this special day of recognition.  Cards, flowers, gifts, and dining out are all popular ways to let a mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, or mother-to-be, know you care. While no one is legally bound to participate in Mother’s Day at least call the moms in your life and express your appreciation.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Almost a year ago, my monthly letter to my friends, clients, and business acquaintances talked about my son’s Noah’s graduation from law school.  Since then, Noah has passed the bar examination in New York and is in the process of setting up his own practice at 71 South Central Avenue, Suite 103, Valley Stream, NY 11580 – telephone 516-512-8949; email NG@NGoldsteinLaw.com.

I asked Noah if I could share a letter I sent to him with some tips that I’ve learned in my almost 40 years of practicing law.  He said, “Why not?”

Dear Noah:

I am so proud that you decided to open your own law office.  Having worked for others and worked for myself, I can tell you that the latter is far more rewarding.

I hope you will not mind my sharing a few lessons that I’ve learned during my years of practice that have contributed to my success and satisfaction:

• Do not compromise your integrity. Be honest with your clients, with your opponents, with the court, and above all yourself.  You need to sleep the sleep of  the just.
• Remember that ours is a service business.  To that end return clients’ calls within 24 hours.  Initiate calls to your clients even if nothing is happening in their matters, to provide them with peace of mind and to keep your relationship fresh.
• When in doubt or if pivotal, confirm communications in writing to prevent misunderstanding.
• Under promise and over deliver.
• Cultivate good listing habits.  Be attentive to what is not said as well as to what is said.  Try to put yourself in the client’s position and try to meet not only their legal needs but their emotional needs as well.
• Document the initial client meeting in writing with a memorandum prepared within 24hours of the meeting.  Send a copy to the client for confirmation.
• Send a copy of all outgoing and incoming mail on the client’s matter to the client unless  otherwise instructed by the client.  Explain what the incoming mail means.
• Keep your client informed of the financial status of their matter.
• Stay curious and be open to new ways of achieving results for your clients.  Be a constant learner and voracious reader.
• The most important rule in litigation and especially trials is to think, think, and think again.  Discuss the theory of your case with your wife without revealing confidences or breaking attorney client privilege.
• Remember the most important gift you give to your clients is peace of mind.
• And of course since you are the father of my grandchildren make plenty of time for your family.
  

All my best wishes for success and happiness.  After all you have the right genes for this and you have a pretty good sounding board if you need one.

Love,

Dad

PS – Thank you for letting me share and please accept my best wishes for a safe, healthy and productive summer.

The truth is, in my daily life, when I do stop to think about all I have to do on a regular basis, I do get overwhelmingly stressed.  However, I suppose I then put my Scarlett O’Hara hat on and declare, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.”  Truly, necessity is what tends to rule my life.  I envy other women who (at least) appear to be tremendously organized and somehow have time to cook several meals at a time and freeze them.  My nightly menu consists of meals I can prepare in 15 minutes or less while I do my very best to keep my kids from destroying my kitchen in the meantime.  However, at the end of most days, when I put my children to sleep (and usually have to go “back to work” in my home office), I wonder, did I hug and kiss them enough and do they feel safe and secure knowing that their mommy loves them more than anything in the whole wide world?  It is then then that I realize how thankful I am for the crazy stress in my life because it is the unbelievable blessings in my life that also create my stress.

For all the mothers (and fathers) out there with this kind of stress, in honor of Mother’s day and Father’s day coming up, let’s all pat ourselves on the back for the truly tremendous efforts we have made thus far in our lives and remember, and be thankful, for the amazing blessings we have in our lives. 

Sincerely,

Lori N. Brown

To aid in your ability to determine whether the charity is a valid charitable organization, the IRS just launched a new online search tool, Exempt Organizations Select Check, to help taxpayers more easily find key information about tax-exempt organizations, such as federal tax status and filings.

By using the tool, you can check if the organization:

• Is eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. Taxpayers can rely on this list in determining deductibility of contributions.
• Has its federal tax exemption automatically revoked under the law for not filing a Form 990-series return or notice for three consecutive years. (This is known as the Auto-Revocation List).
• Has filed a Form 990-N annual electronic notice. (Most small organizations whose annual gross receipts are normally $50,000 or less are required to electronically submit Form 990-N, unless they choose instead to file a completed Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.)

Exempt Organization Select Check also offers new search functions. For example, users can now look for organizations eligible to receive deductible contributions by Employer Identification Number (EIN). Also, information about organizations eligible to receive deductible contributions is now updated monthly, rather than quarterly.

To access the tool go to www.irs.gov and type in the search bar: Exempt Organization Select Check.

In addition, organizations that have automatically lost their tax exemptions can now be searched by EIN, name, city, state, zip code, country, exemption type, and revocation posting date, rather than only by state. EO Select Check also provides new pop-up help text to assist users in understanding the significance of auto-revocation search results, including the meaning of, and distinctions between, revocation dates and revocation posting dates.

If you have any questions regarding this note or need assistance with any other legal matter, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Dennis P. Brookshire

A common pitfall during a negotiation or dispute is to be so intent on advocating for one’s own position that one forgets to listen for cues from the other party.  Whether in business or at home, stepping away from an entrenched viewpoint during a negotiation, dispute or conflict, and trying to see the viewpoint of the other party—trying to see things from “the Plant’s Point of View”—can offer helpful clues that move the negotiation to consensus, or the dispute towards resolution.

Many lawsuits result from a small misunderstanding that snowballed out of control over months or years of neither side listening to the other’s viewpoint.  As counselors and mediators, my colleagues and I aim to help our clients explore opportunities for resolving disputes, or avoid disputes altogether.

Ideally, our clients would seek competent legal advice before finding themselves caught up these situations.  We could then use our professional skills as counselors and mediators to help both sides start on the path to maintaining or rebuilding a mutually productive, profitable, and satisfying relationship.

May’s gardening focus gives us an opportunity to pause and look at potential conflict areas in our families and businesses.  Is there a volcano eruption that can be prevented if one person is courageous enough to try to see the situation from the other person’s point of view?  If a particular situation comes to mind, perhaps it’s time to pick up the phone and call us for a word of advice.  We are always ready to discuss your situation and help you prevent future conflicts and resolve current disputes in a cost-effective and satisfactory manner.

Let us know how we can help your “garden” grow.

Sincerely,

Ruth Khalsa

The following is a handy checklist of the types of matters on which the average person or family frequently consults a lawyer.  Think of it as a “semi-annual checkup”.

A.  Wills and Trusts

1. TAX – if you have a taxable estate, there is a lot of money which you may give to Uncle Sam when you don’t have to.
2. PROBATE – you can avoid the time and expense of probate by planning ahead.
3. INTESTATE SUCCESSION – if you don’t have a will, the law will dictate where your money goes.  In multiple marriage families, this could prove to be a problem.
4. SPECIFIC REQUESTS – who gets your great grandma’s candlesticks?  Your memorabilia collection?  The dog or cat?
5. TRUSTEES – who is best suited to manage your money that you will leave to your minor heirs?  Is it the same person you want to care for them or should someone else be their guardian?  Are your heirs able to handle the money without advice from a trustee?  Will they be at age 30, 40 or 50?
6. GUARDIANS – who is best suited to raise your children?  Is it the same person you leave to handle the money, or another person(s)?
7. PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES – who should handle the winding up of your affairs when you die?
8. COMMON DISASTER – you may be able to avoid a double estate situation.
9. LIFE INSURANCE POLICY PAYEES – coordinate with your will and financial plan.

B.  LIVING WILL – establish or disconnect life support?  You must direct in writing specifically as the law requires.

C.  DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY – if you are incapable, who will run your business affairs, write checks, deal with creditors, etc.?

D.  MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY – who makes your medical decisions if you are not able to do so?  What if your children need medical care when you are out of town?
E.  OTHER POWER OF ATTORNEY – to close real estate deals, handle assets.

F.  REAL ESTATE

1. HOME – protect your biggest asset, whether purchase or sale.
2. TITLE POLICY – if title to your property was a bundle of sticks, which sticks are missing from the bundle that you are buying?  How do they hamper or devalue your interests?
3. LEASING – leasing your property to best economic advantage and with the best posture if legal issues arise.
4. WRAP LOANS / ASSUMPTIONS / SUBJECT TO – there is danger whenever you take on someone else’s loans and relationships!  Don’t be squeezed by parties without having any leverage.

G.  SMALL BUSINESS

1. LIMITED LIABILITY – the name of the game.  Don’t bet all your assets on any venture.
2. ALTER-EGO – dangers of form over substance.
3. RECORD KEEPING – lack of same can cost you.
4. TAX LIABILITY – be smart, take advantage of what the law allows.
5. PARTNER AGREEMENTS – the time to make them is when the bloom is still on the rose.
6. EMPLOYEE ISSUES – protect yourself from those who wish to set you up for a fall; non competes, confidentiality clauses:  when, and when not, to sign.
7. TAX BENEFITS – it cannot be mentioned enough.  Know what can be used to your advantage.

H.  FAMILY MATTERS

1. GIFT TO MINORS – don’t create taxable events, e.g. parents giving down payments.
2. PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT – for young and old alike.
3. SEPARATION – asset- and people-planning.
4. CHILD SUPPORT – there is no more important subject and time is always of the essence.

I.  PERSONAL INJURY – negotiate for yourself and lose money!  Don’t talk with the insurer until you talk with your lawyer!

J.  DEBT REFORMATION and BANKRUPTCY PLANNING

1. HOMESTEAD – protection is available.
2. NEGOTIATION – there is always room to save money with a comprehensive settlement.
3. ASSET PLANNING – if times get bad.
4. ANTI-DEFICIENCY – you may not have to pay for a shortfall on your mortgage if your home is sold from under you.
5. GARNISHMENTS

K.  DEBT COLLECTION – lawyers’ demands get attention.

L.  GOVERNMENT BENEFITS – help through the maze.

M.  BUSINESS, INVESTMENT COUNSEL – obtain over 35 years of experience with a phone call.

N.  BUSINESS BUYING/SELLING – fraught with perils and issues.  Make informed choices.

Spring cleaning and reorganization also applies to other areas of your life.  For those of you who own businesses, this is a good time to review your corporate documents and agreements with employees or others.  If your business is a corporation, has your company’s annual report been prepared and filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission?  Are proper “buy-sell” agreements in place?  Does your business have proper non-disclosure or non-competition agreements in place?  On a more personal level, do you have an estate plan?  If you do have an existing estate plan, does it need to be updated?  If there has been a death in the family, divorce, or addition to your family, then you should consult with an estate planning attorney to make sure that your estate plan carries out your wishes.

If you have any questions with regard to any of these items or any other legal matter, please contact me at your convenience and I will be glad to assist.

 Sincerely,

Christopher Lonn

Spring means beautiful weather, making plans for the summer and …”spring cleaning”.  Although cleaning your house or office is important, this year I decided to de-clutter my mind.  I found a few tips that I will try to use and wanted to share them with you:

(1)               Stop worrying.  Worrying over things we have no control over is not productive, in fact, dwelling over every little detail of the possible outcome spoils the present.  Enjoy the present!

(2)               Watch less TV.  Vegging in front of the TV is my simple way to relax after a busy day at work.  But, the modern journalism is based less on facts and more on opinions.  What starts as a quiet evening in front of the TV turns into anger and frustration with the economy downturn, crime increase and loss of values.

(3)               Stay away from negative people that drag you down.  Instead, stay in touch with people that understand you and make you feel great.

I hope you find these tips useful. Enjoy your life!

Sincerely,

Karine Isayev