From Our Computers to Yours
Dear friends:
Happy Halloween!
October is National Estate Planning Month, and even though we’ve reached the end of the month, we want to take a moment to remind you of the importance of estate planning.
Life is unpredictable. Making sure that your family is ready should anything happen to you unexpectedly is critical. If you don’t have estate documents drafted yet—or, if you do but you haven’t reviewed them in a few years—we encourage you to think about what you need to do to get those documents in order. If you want to find out more, check out our newest episode of our podcast LegalEase, where we discuss wills.
As always, please be in touch, and we hope you have a spook-tacular holiday!
Your attorneys,
Steve Bienstock
Josh Bienstock
NEW LAWS IN MARYLAND
All of the following laws went into effect this year. If you think these may affect you in any way and/or have any questions, give us a call on 301-251-1600.
- Regulations now exist for the disclosure of protected health care information.
- Domestic Partnerships are now recognized for the State Employee Benefit Program.
- The state-wide minimum wage will increase to $14.00/hr next year for most employees.
- The Cannabis Reform Act legalizes recreational marijuana use.
- The use of cannabis by caretakers of minor children will not always be deemed neglect.
- Hospitals now have to reimburse more out-of-pocket expenses for free-care patients. Violations carry fines up to $50,000.
- Inpatient mental healthcare facilities are now required upon admission to provide a plan of treatment, discharge goals and estimated length of stay.
- The Gun Safety Act of 2023 prohibits wearing, carrying, or transporting firearms on school grounds, government land and polling places.
- You can now sue for up to 3x the amount of actual damages for hate crimes.
- Housing discrimination on the basis of having a service dog is now prohibited.
- The Maryland Dept. of Health is now required to run criminal background checks for youth camp employee applicants.
- State employees now have 2 years to file complaints for harassment by an employer.
- Custody hearings for significant relocation by a parent will be expedited.
- Hernias may now be considered an occupational disease eligible for workers’ comp.
- Fees for issuing a new certificate of title for a surviving spouse are now eliminated.
- The Child Victims Act of 2023 broadens the definition of “sexual abuse” and gets rid of the statute of limitations for filing a civil action for sexual abuse of a minor.
- Divorce has been streamlined and limited divorce is gone in Maryland.
- Domestic partnerships can now be considered for estates and trusts in Maryland.
- Registers of Wills now accepts electronically filed and signed documents.
- Bounced checks to the Court will cost you $30.00 now.
- Unpaid Court fees won’t keep you from expunging your record now. Expungement of malicious destruction of property is now available.
- There is no longer a spousal defense in cases of rape or sexual assault.
BELIEVE IT OR DON’T!
- Saliva Vanderlick was born in 1917 in Louisiana
- Joe Mama lived in Arkansas in 1930
- Ernest Snot died in North Carolina in 1970
- Willie Small Johnson lived in Gainesville, FL in 1940
- Minnie Bosom got married in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1884
- In 1910 Oklahoma a woman named Ima married Mr. F.A. Pigg
- Floyd Smelly, in 1921 in Alabama, named his daughter Nellie.
- And, in WV in the 1940’s, lived Kitty Poop.