Blog Articles
Are They Really Faster and Cleaner?
In October 2020, the Department of Energy (DOE) adopted a rule defining a new dishwasher class as “standard residential dishwashers with a cycle time for the normal cycle of one or less from washing through drying.”[1] Not long after passing the 2020 Dishwasher Rule,...
National Health Care Decisions Day
National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is celebrated each year on April 16th. Founded in 2008, the mission of NHDD is to encourage and empower people to begin or continue conversations about their wishes for care through the end of life. Wisconsin is one of a...
What is Elder Law?
We are often asked What is elder law? While the definition of “elderly” is the subject of some debate, the most common defining point is someone who is 65 years or older, as that is when federal Medicare benefits begin. Elder Law, much like “Family Law” or “Employment...
Lease Rights Beyond the Property Line
A lease is an agreement between one party which owns real estate, (landlord or lessor), and another party who seeks to gain use rights to some or all of that real estate for a set period of time (tenant or lessee). The landlord remains the owner of the property, but...
Whose Insurance Should Pay for Vehicle Repairs?
After an accident, a new or potential client will often ask me: “Who should handle my wrecked vehicle – my insurance company or the at-fault driver’s insurance company?” True-to-attorney form, I often respond, “it depends.” Assuming both insurance companies have...
Waste in Real Estate
The word waste provides rich imagery for a fertile imagination. Waste is associated with many unsavory expressions: “wasted, waste product, waste away, and go to waste.” From a legal standpoint, however, “waste” is a narrowly defined concept in property law. It means...
Family Cabin LLCs
We all know someone who has a family cabin “up north.” Family cottages, cabins, and hunting land are a common estate planning concern in Wisconsin. The current owners want to preserve a place full of fun and memories for future generations. Unfortunately, the way...
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...