Features
Electronic Fetal Monitoring on Trial
When an infant is born hypoxic, acidotic and neurologically depressed and goes on to develop permanent brain damage, questions are raised as to when the injury occurred, why it occurred and whether it could have been prevented through the exercise of reasonable care. The answers to those questions will determine whether there is a valid basis for pursuing a claim of medical malpractice.
Getting the 'Benefit' Out of Retirement Plan Benefits
It is not uncommon for a client's wealth to be concentrated in one or more retirement plans. As such, the disposition of such retirement plans, both during life and after a client's death, are often at the heart of the negotiations for a prenuptial or divorce agreement. Understanding the various income tax savings as well as the traps associated with retirement vehicles will give your clients the advantage when involved in such negotiations and thereby enable your clients and their beneficiaries to maximize the benefits of these valuable assets. This article offers a few practical strategies to help your clients get the maximum benefit from their retirement plans, with the lowest tax cost possible.
The Mediation Process
Part One of this article discussed the adoption of the Uniform Mediation Act (UMA) in New Jersey and the similarities and differences from the adoption of the UMA in other states. The conclusion addresses the risks and benefits of mediating a divorce.
Divorce Mediation Centers Subject to Lawyer Ethics Rules
A court ethics committee has warned New Jersey lawyers who run divorce mediation centers that they are covered by the Rules of Professional Conduct, and the panel has found one center in violation.
Features
Collecting Support from a Payor Who Has Filed Under Chapter 11
Matrimonial attorneys may believe that the Bankruptcy Code protects support creditors, insuring that they will be able to collect both ongoing support and support arrears. While it may be true that the support obligations cannot be discharged, during the pendency of a Chapter 11 case ' and that could be for years ' collection of support is increasingly a matter of federal law to be adjudicated by a federal court that is concerned with balancing the claims of the support creditor against the claims of all the other creditors.
Features
Movers & Shakers
News about lawyers and law firms in the insurance industry.
Case Briefs
Highlights of the latest insurance cases from around the country.
Number of Occurrences: Continuing Disagreement in Asbestos Cases
Recent cases have highlighted the continuing disagreement among courts on one of the highest-stakes issues in asbestos coverage litigation: determining the number of occurrences that arise from asbestos exposure.
The Limited Scope of Arbitration: A Basis for Removing Claims Subject to Rescission Actions
Automobile insurance carriers in New Jersey and New York are routinely faced with the issue of whether a fraudulent insurance claim for personal injury protection ('PIP') benefits must be adjudicated in statutorily mandated PIP arbitration or whether those claims may be adjudicated in a court of law. In cases involving fraudulently procured insurance policies, this issue was squarely decided on July 27, 2007 by the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court in <i>Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company v. Fiouris</i>.
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- Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric CodeIn an effort to minimize the release of toxic gasses from cables in the event of fire, the 2002 version of the National Electric Code ("NEC"), promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, sets forth new guidelines requiring that abandoned cables must be removed from buildings unless they are located in metal raceways or tagged "For Future Use." While the NEC is not, in itself, binding law, most jurisdictions in the United States adopt the NEC by reference in their state or local building and fire codes. Thus, noncompliance with the recent NEC guidelines will likely mean that a building is in violation of a building or fire code. If so, the building owner may also be in breach of agreements with tenants and lenders and may be jeopardizing its fire insurance coverage. Even in jurisdictions where the 2002 NEC has not been adopted, it may be argued that the guidelines represent the standard of reasonable care and could result in tort liability for the landlord if toxic gasses from abandoned cables are emitted in a fire. With these potential liabilities in mind, this article discusses: 1) how to address the abandoned wires and cables currently located within the risers, ceilings and other areas of properties, and 2) additional considerations in the placement and removal of telecommunications cables going forward.Read More ›
- Guidance on Distributions As 'Disbursements' and U.S. Trustee FeesIn a recent case from the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, In re Paragon Offshore PLC, the bankruptcy court provided guidance on whether a post-plan effective date litigation trust's distributions constituted disbursements subject to the U.S. Trustee fee "tax."Read More ›