LegalEase – October 2021

October 19, 2021

From Our Computers to Yours

We hope you are all doing well and adjusting to new schedules and activities.  For many, that means back to In-school learning, returning to the workplace, eating inside restaurants, and finally taking care of those medical appointments that were put on hold.

Business at the Courts has evolved as well.  The Maryland Judiciary has reopened and is fully operational.   If you are going to a courthouse, plan ahead. Each Court has its own protocols for entering the building.

Our office has remained open throughout the pandemic, working hard to help you with your legal needs.  While most of our client contact is still over the phone or on Zoom, we do have in-office conferences, with everyone masked for safety.

We hope you enjoy this issue of LegalEase.  Keep reading for:

  • New Maryland Laws
  • Estate Planning for Non-traditional Families
  • Believe It or Don’t
  • Q&A

As we welcome a beautiful, new Fall season, we remain,

Your Attorneys,

Steve Bienstock
Senior Partner

NEW MARYLAND LAWS

Maryland, My Maryland,

Maryland’s official, but racist, state song since 1939,
has been repealed after 10 attempts since 1974.

 

Effective July 1, 2021

  • The state’s 211 crisis call center now allows trained counselors to check in with people who need mental health support, instead of waiting to take their call in a crisis.
  • College athletes can now earn money from endorsements and use of their name or picture.
  • The minimum wage in Montgomery County was raised to $15/hr for larger businesses.

Effective October 1, 2021

  • Child support guidelines have been updated.
  • Expungement of certain criminal charges is now easier.
  • There are now civil and criminal penalties for exploiting older or susceptible adults.
  • A nonfamily guardian of a minor or disabled person now can’t get rid of property without court authorization.
  • The law concerning sale, rental, and transfer of rifles and shotguns has been tightened.
  • An adoptee over 18 or a biological parent can now have access to birth certificates and adoption records under certain conditions, regardless of when the adoption occurred.

Effective January 1, 2022

  • If you’re an organ donor, you can now designate specified purposes (research, education, transplantation, or therapy) for your donation.

ESTATE PLANNING FOR NON-TRADITIONAL FAMILIES

      As most of you know, if you die without a Will, you have no say in what happens to your estate. It goes where the law says it goes. If you are in a committed relationship, same sex or otherwise, under Maryland law that person has no right to inherit, or make decisions for you if you’re not able. So it’s crucial that you have a Will and other estate planning documents to make sure your partner is included.  If you have them, read through them every few years to make sure they still do what you want. If you don’t have them, give us a call to get the ball rolling.

BELIEVE IT OR DON’T

Let’s Talk About Technology

  • In the late-19th century, a London plumber named Thomas Crapper manufactured the first successful flush toilet, and his name put on every one. Soon, everyone called it “The Crapper”.
  • In 2013, Bill Gates admitted that the Ctrl+Alt+Delete command was a mistake and should have been a single button.
  • The fax machine was invented 30 years BEFORE the telephone.
  • Before 1687, clocks were made with only an hour hand.
  • The founders of Hewlett-Packard flipped a coin to decide whose name came first.
  • The average keyboard contains 3,295 germs per square inch.

Q&A

Q.  When someone passes away, what happens to the unused burial plots they own?

      A. Generally speaking, when you die, all your property is distributed according to your Will. Burial plots, however, must be specifically provided for in your Will in order to pass to whom you wish. 

Q.  I’m in a lawsuit and hear the term “Discovery” a lot.  What is that?
     A. Discovery is the exchange of information between the parties in a lawsuit.  The Court rules say that everyone is entitled to get information from the other party ahead of time so trial can be more focused.

Do you have a question for us?
Are there any topics you would like to hear more about? 
Email us at info@BienstockLegal.com !