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The truth of the old saying that “there is nothing certain in life but death and taxes” was underscored by the frightening reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted many Americans to stop procrastinating and have their wills and trusts drafted.

When two parties bring in an arbitrator to handle their dispute, the arbitrator is supposed to be unbiased and objective. Could a joking comment made during a recent dispute undermine the parties’ trust in that neutrality?

A couple gets divorced, and one spouse seeks support from the former mate, who is now bearing the substantial costs of their adult child’s college education. Should that heavy – but voluntary – financial burden be considered when spousal support is calculated?

What happens if the person you thought was your lawyer isn’t permitted to practice law? If you are in the entertainment business and there’s a contract and money involved, expect the dispute to wind up in the courts.

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “He who represents himself has a fool for a client.” The need to get good legal advice certainly applies to someone involved in complex estate litigation who is alleged to have financially mistreated both his father and his sister – after getting out of prison.

California normally requires a home or other real estate to be reappraised for property tax purposes when it is sold or its ownership is otherwise transferred. There’s an important exception to this rule: reassessment can be avoided when a property passes from a parent to a child.