Update on Evictions in Pennsylvania During COVID-19

You may recall that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court put a stay on all evictions in Pennsylvania through May 11. Governor Wolf extended that stay through July 10. The stay covers evictions and foreclosures. It is important to understand that rent and mortgages are still due during this time. If you cannot pay, you cannot be […]

Wills and Powers of Attorney During COVID-19

One of the first legal issues that revealed itself when Governors began locking down states was, how are people supposed to get wills and powers of attorney? While it is easy enough for an attorney to talk to a client on the phone or via video for purposes of creating the documents, it is another […]

No Lease, No Rights, Not so Fast.

Many people are living in homes or apartments without a written lease. In some cases, there never was a lease, in others, the original lease expired. Sometimes, people believe that if someone is living in their property without a lease, it means the person has no rights. As the title of this post might suggest, […]

Landlords, Tenants, & Security Deposits

So many people have questions about security deposits, that I decided to write a detailed post on the issue. Please remember, this is general law. You will need to check the law in your jurisdiction, and also, with a landlord/tenant lawyer in your state. Do not assume what I write here works in every situation. […]

PA Supreme Court Analyzes Standing in Same Sex Parent Case

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court handed down a ruling on standing in a same-sex parent case. Conflicting Testimony Supports Biological Mother in Trial Court Very conflicting testimony related to the non-biological parent’s role in the child’s life. No adoption (not available at the time) no marriage (not available at the time). The trial court reviewed the conflicting […]

Pennsylvania Superior Court Rules on Social Media Authentication

Pennsylvania Finally Has Guidance on Social Media Authentication I have written and spoken many times on social media and its use in court. To an extent, I was engaging in a highwire act without a net, because no appellate court in Pennsylvania had provided any guidance on the issue of authentication for admissibility purposes. As […]

When the Federal Government Searches an Attorney’s Office and its Impact on Privilege

Are There Special Standards for Searching a Lawyer’s Office? There are, of course, many questions about whether there is a special standard for searching an attorney’s office. I was asked this question on Quora, and here is the answer I wrote. A Word About Attorney/Client Privilege and Its Limitations Attorney/Client privilege is a critical part […]

What is Legal Malpractice? When Can You Sue Your Lawyer?

Legal malpractice is when a lawyer violates the legal standard of care and causes permanent damage to a valid case. In plain English, this means the following: 1. Lawyers have what is known as a standard of care. This means that in a given set of circumstances, a lawyer is expected to do certain things. […]