Author: Stark & Stark
College Students and Child Support
Posted in Business & Commercial Law
Does a child’s attendance at college away from home warrant a reduction of child support? This question was the basis for a recent Opinion by the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court. Continue reading
Your Health Insurance Probably Will NOT Pay for Medical Care in Motorcycle Accidents
Posted in Personal Injury
Please get the word out: check your Health Insurance policy language to make sure it covers you if you are injured in a motorcycle accident. Every day I see new clients who have been injured by an irresponsible driver and every day I have to explain, to their surprise, that they do not have the proper insurance to cover their medical bills. Continue reading
What Does it Mean to be a Certified Attorney?
Posted in Personal Injury
The answer to that question is not generally well-known outside of legal circles in New Jersey. You may be familiar with the term “board certified” or “board certification” as it applies to physicians. For the past several years in the medical field, many medical specialties have established boards, (i.e., American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, or American Board of Neuro-Surgery), which are managed by physicians within the specialty. These organizations establish standards for the practice of their specific specialty, and set minimum qualifications for a practitioner to meet in order to sit for an examination which tests their knowledge and skills. Successful completion of the process conveys the title “diplomate” of the board on the physician, who is thereafter “board certified” in that specialty. Continue reading
Stark & Stark Attorney Obtains $250,000 Jury Verdict for Injured Home Depot Employee
Posted in Injury Law, Stark Events, Stark News, Workers' Compensation
Denise Mariani, of Stark & Stark’s Personal Injury Group, recently obtained a $250,000 jury verdict for Rosetta Martin of Trenton, New Jersey. Ms. Martin, a security guard at Home Depot, sued International Motor Freight of Newark after she was seriously injured in 2007 when a disgruntled IMF employee slammed his truck door on her right arm at the Home Depot Distribution Center in Cranbury, New Jersey. Continue reading
The Difference Between Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships in New Jersey
Posted in Business & Commercial Law
Before the enactment of civil unions in New Jersey, the only option available to same sex couples was a domestic partnership, which provided limited benefits. Following the enactment of civil unions in New Jersey, the Domestic Partnership Act was revised such that these partnerships only became available to persons age 62 or older. Same sex couples who had entered into domestic partnerships prior to enactment civil unions in New Jersey had the option to maintain their domestic partnership status, or convert same to a civil union. Continue reading
Certain Residential Dwellings and Seasonal Rentals Now Exempt from Bulk Sales Notification Requirements
Posted in Business & Commercial Law
New legislation has recently been enacted which exempts sales of certain residential dwellings and seasonal rentals from Bulk Sales notification requirements. According to A-2748, which was signed into law on September 14, 2011, sales of a “simple dwelling house” when the seller is an “individual”, “estate” or “trust” (as those terms are used for purposes of the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act N.J.S.54A:1-1 et seq.) are exempt from the Bulk Sales notification requirements (N.J.S 54:50-38). A “simple dwelling house” under the new law is a dwelling unit including but not limited to a one-family or two-family building or structure, or a unit in a condominium or a cooperative. Continue reading
Income Tax Liability in Divorces: Innocent Spouse Relief
Posted in Business & Commercial Law
Generally, husbands and wives file joint tax returns while married. As joint filers, both parties are jointly and severally liable for any taxes, penalties and interest due as a result of those filings. When parties are divorcing, one of the spouses may raise an issue with regard to the truthfulness of previous tax returns filed Continue reading
In a Divorce, Are Retirement Accounts Subject to Equitable Distribution?
Posted in Business & Commercial Law
I have found that many of my clients who are going through a divorce have a lot of misconceptions regarding the division of their retirement accounts they established before their date of marriage. My clients’ initial impressions have been mixed. During initial consultations, some clients have informed me that their spouse would be entitled to 50% of the total retirement account, while others seem to believe that their retirement account is not subject to equitable distribution because it originated before their marriage. Continue reading
