Author Archives: Jay Butchko

Important Labor & Employment Considerations Involved in Purchasing a Business
When it comes to transactions involving business purchases, it is crucial that the purchasing company conducts due diligence concerning the businesses’ operations and potential liabilities; especially when it comes to human resources and labor and employment law matters. Specifically, it is important to ascertain whether there are risks that could affect the value of… Read More »

New Research Sheds Light on What Ages Divorce Is Less Harmful On Children
According to new research, although many parents decide to stay together and delay divorcing until their children are older because they think that is better for them, in fact, divorce is actually less harmful if it occurs earlier in childhood. Of course, when it comes to how a family will react to divorce, experts… Read More »

Florida Residents & Homeowners’ Association Disputes Over Painting
Florida citizens upset over their homeowners’ association charging them for painting that had to be done on residences have garnered news headlines of late. This is a common type of dispute that arises between residents and their homeowners’ association; a maintenance service that has been written into residents’ contracts increasing their association dues; and… Read More »

The Most Important Mistakes to Avoid During Divorce
As attorneys who regularly represent clients who are going through a divorce here in Florida, we consider it to be of vital importance to ensure that our clients understand the most important mistakes to avoid during the divorce process. Below, we discuss some of these mistakes in greater detail: Be Cautious & Careful When… Read More »

Appellate Court Sets New Precedent for Bad Faith Insurance Claims
An important insurance bad faith decision out of a New York appellate court clarifies important Court of Appeals precedent regarding the bad faith pleading standard, while also clarifying a number of issues that the courts have never addressed, including consequential losses and attorney’s fees. Even though decided in New York courts, this is… Read More »

As Hurricane Michael Insurance Claims Are Delayed, Floridians Could Be Made Homeless
There is no question that Hurricane Michael has wreaked incredible devastation to many Floridians, both destroying their homes and their places of work. While a number of media outlets have focused on the estimated damage to agricultural resources and related business operations, as of late, new housing has emerged as one of the most… Read More »

How a Landlord-Tenant Attorney Can Help You When It Comes To Good Tenants with Bad Credit
When it comes to being a landlord preparing your property to be rented by tenants, there are a number of helpful tasks that a landlord-tenant attorney can help you with. This includes precautions that will likely provide you with more protection than simply working with a property management company that does not have any… Read More »

A Look at the Damage to Florida Lives & Crops from Hurricane Michael
Hurricane Michael has been labeled the “third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in the United States.” As of November 26, more than 43 deaths in Florida have been linked to the disaster, with 23 of them all hitting Bay County alone. On Thanksgiving Day, thousands of Floridians remained homeless because they lost everything… Read More »

The Alimony Deduction Is Disappearing This Year
Any divorce finalized after December 31 will not be able to take advantage of the tax deduction, which was eliminated in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The deduction disappearing has a number of couples rushing to get things finalized before 2019 arrives, as payers (in the higher income tax bracket) will no longer be… Read More »

Citizens Insurance Offers To Settle Thousands of Hurricane Irma Lawsuits
On December 5, Florida-based Citizens Property Insurance Corporation announced that it would be paying a number of appraisers to review various hurricane insurance lawsuits and disputes related to Hurricane Irma and expediting settlement and resolutions of these disputes. Reportedly, if the appraisers cannot come to an agreement, Citizens will resort to paying “umpires” to… Read More »