Student loan debt has become a serious and growing problem in the United States. Although statistically having a college degree increases your lifetime earning potential, that degree often comes with a high cost, which most students and their families are unable to afford without a loan. A recent study found that approximately two-thirds of college…
By: Rudman Winchell Attorney Anthony A. Trask Maine courts, like so many others around the country, have awarded people with no legal connection to a child not only visitation rights, but full parental rights and responsibilities. These rare decisions were not based on any law, but rather, on a legal concept that has come to…
By: Rudman Winchell Attorney Anne-Marie Storey On April 26, the EEOC issued regulations addressing an employer’s use of arrest/conviction records during the hiring process. As you know, the EEOC has long taken the position that disqualifying an applicant based on an arrest or conviction could violate Title VII (and the MHRA) on the basis of…
By: Anne-Marie Storey Some significant changes have been made to the Workers’ Compensation Act this session. The following are a few of those changes: 1. Previously, an employer/insurer who wanted to reduce or discontinue benefits that were being paid to an employee through an order or award of compensation were required to petition the board…
Emergency Preparedness ReminderBy Anne-Marie Storey I spoke at the Emergency Preparedness Conference in Augusta yesterday on employment issues that can arise from such situations and thought this would be a good opportunity to remind you about potential wage and hour issues arising from emergency situations. Employers are only required to pay non-exempt employees for hours…
Legislature Amends “Independent Contractor” Definitions Effective as of December 31, 2012, the definition of an “independent contractor” under Maine unemployment, and workers compensation statutes will change, under a law signed by the Governor on April 18, 2012. The law, chapter 643 of the Public Laws of 2012, changes several sections in the Maine Revised Statutes….
By: Rudman Winchell Attorney Anthony Trask Raising a child is no easy task, even for parents who remain together. When parents split up, the process of making even basic decisions about their child can be complicated and major decisions, such as where the child will live, can become impossible. When parents decide to divorce Maine’s…
Shoplifting is a problem that all retailers have to face. As is the all-too-common threat that the retailer is falsely imprisoning the alleged thief while identifying them and notifying law enforcement officials of the suspected crime. Thankfully, Maine law protects retailers during this “detention” phase, so long as the retailer follows the process described by…
A revocable trust is a trust established during lifetime that the creator of the trust has the power to change or revoke. A revocable trust becomes irrevocable upon its creator’s death. Revocable trusts can provide important estate planning advantages, but they are not a universal solution to all problems.Planning for Disability A revocable trust facilitates…
Maine’s increasing use of cell phone tracking as an investigative tool implicates important legal and constitutional questions that are evolving across the country. Every cell phone transmits several types of information that, with varying degrees of accuracy, can be used to determine its location. Because so many people have cell phones, this information can be…
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84 Harlow Street
P.O. Box 1401
Bangor, Maine 04402
Tel: 207-947-4501
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P.O. Box 712
Ellsworth, ME 04605
Tel: 207-374-5833
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