You don’t have to look hard to find the advantages internet retailers enjoy over their brick-and-mortar counterparts — and I’m not just talking about the lack of a enraged landlord banging down the door for this month’s rent (not to mention last month’s). Indeed, lower overheads in general is a key reason why the e-commerce business model can offer the consumer more choices and more convenience at lower prices than rivals with physical premises maintain. But lower taxes, too?

What sounds like the plot of a BBC murder mystery tragically became reality for the family of Ann Sue Metz in 2009, when her husband killed her and inherited her estate. Though he was convicted and sentenced for the crime, Metz’s husband still assumed ownership or her property — which he proceeded to sell off from his jail cell, leaving Metz’s children next to nothing by which to remember their mother. To this day, Maryland is one of eight states without a Slayer’s Law — a st

A “Viking funeral” refers an ancient Norse funerary rite whereby the deceased’s bodily remains and prized possessions are put to sea in a wooden boat that is subsequently ignited by a flaming arrow. Though the tradition may be more Hollywood than history, it’s becoming a popular if exotic funeral arrangement for pets whose owners want to bid them farewell with fanfare. But what about for their owners? Is it legally possible? That was essentially the question posed to me yeste

Determining whether your business should be an LLC (or a Sole Proprietorship) is daunting even with a grasp of the basic differences. Ultimately, it’s a question of diligence between you and the corporate veil. The corporate veil is a legal concept most easily illustrated by the Wizard of Oz. The towering, Technicolorful personality of Oz is all smoke, thunderbolts, and righteous indignation. It is awesome in the truest sense of the word. But there’s something out of place. “

Many pet-owners don’t actually think of their animals primarily as “pets.” Instead, another word springs to mind: family. Estate plans should take care both of the client and the client’s family members, whether they are cat, dog, horse or human. The trouble is that when creating an estate plan, attorneys often forget that an estate plan can provide for long-term pet care through what is known as a pet trust. Why do we forget? Some attorneys just don’t have pets so they don’t

Not all small business owners wear slacks.  Instead, some opt for overalls or jeans and work boots and make their offices in barns and fields, tending livestock and crops. Regardless of the uniform, every small business owner faces an uphill struggle in the scheduled federal estate tax increase. The difference is that for farmers, the hill is steeper.  While every business and individual will feel the effect of the automatic spending cuts and tax increases to take effect in 2

Maryland voters Tuesday said “yes” to Question Six (the Maryland Same-Sex Civil Marriage Referendum), making the state one of the first to approve marriage equality by popular vote. While the narrow margin of approval (52%-48%) implies the state’s embrace of same-sex marriage was less a warm, full-bodied welcome than an obligatory, one-armed acknowledgement, that difference does not affect how the legal dominoes will fall. Estate Equality Effectively, the passage of marriage

Pictured: Probate. Last week, we began a simple explanation of why it’s so important for you to establish an estate plan even if the total value of your assets is small enough to pass untaxed by the federal ($5 million exemption) and the state (Maryland: $1 million exemption) governments. We discussed the most commonly employed means of protecting your estate: the will. Today, we will introduce you to a second that you should really give some thought regardless of whether you