#MeToo justice: Progressive settlement planning in the new year
By Samuel Dolce, Esq. (Republished from LinkedIn) As America continues to grapple with the #MeToo movement, the large-scale civil law suits the movement brought are beginning to settle. Survivors are finding justice and monetary compensation through the civil trial process. And while trial attorneys have tackled the challenge of building cases with limited evidence, complex… Read more
Suddenly I realized that Legally Blonde had let me down hard …
By Jordyn Burnell, 2019 corporate challenge winner It was my first day working at Milestone. The concepts of “settlement planning” and “attorney fee deferral” were as foreign to me as Egyptian hieroglyphics, and I even googled the meaning of “plaintiff” [and other super basic legal terms] while sitting at my desk waiting for my first… Read more
Structured settlements vs. lump sum payouts
In cases of personal injury, when the resolution occurs, there are several options for the settlement. Two of these options include a structured settlement or a lump sum payout. Both options have advantages and disadvantages, and the right choice entirely depends on the plaintiff’s specific circumstances and their confidence in their money management abilities. Learn… Read more
How Michigan fell short in protecting sex abuse survivors
This year, we saw unprecedented efforts to help protect survivors of sexual abuse. In New York, the Child Victims Act now allows people who were victimized as minors to seek justice against their abusers until age 55 in civil cases and age 28 for criminal cases. A new California law gives survivors until age 40… Read more
Seeking closure after a sex abuse lawsuit settlement
Through the years, our firm has helped many people plan for settlement in sexual abuse cases, including those involving the Boston Archdiocese and Boy Scouts of America, as well as the more recent Michigan sex abuse scandal. By guiding these plaintiffs as they plan their financial futures, we hope to provide just a little positivity… Read more
Qualified settlement funds and year-end planning for attorneys
As most mass tort lawyers know, there is a significant advantage to having clients’ settlement monies and their fees in a qualified settlement fund (QSF). For strategic settlement planning, most lawyers who refer their mass tort cases, or those who have solely a single-event tort practice, would benefit from knowing the inner-workings of QSFs and… Read more
Reasons to open a special needs trust
A special needs trust is a valuable financial option for certain individuals and families, but the details can seem daunting. Special needs trusts are established to work with need-based programs—they’re intended to help pay for necessities that government benefits don’t cover. These trusts can be established in certain scenarios for any person with special needs… Read more
Plan for future wealth by deferring fees
Cash flow is not always opportune for attorneys who work on a contingency basis. Income can arrive sporadically, even when a law firm is seeing consistent success. To top it off, a large incoming fee can put a lawyer into a higher tax bracket. This roller coaster of a financial situation can be nerve wracking… Read more
Keeping benefits with a special needs trust
For many injured plaintiffs and their families, a personal injury lawsuit is their first experience in the legal world. Upon hiring an attorney, it’s a deep-dive into the world of litigation: depositions, negotiations, maybe a jury trial. Settlement talks make it seem like a welcome reprieve is on the horizon (finally, it’s almost over!), but… Read more
What is a structured settlement?
When an injured party wins a settlement as the result of a lawsuit, it doesn’t necessarily mean their struggles are over. How to responsibly budget and spend their new settlement monies poses a challenge, but—depending on the type of case and the plaintiff’s individual circumstances—a structured settlement may be the answer. What is a structured settlement? In… Read more