A few days ago, I noticed some unusual charges on one of my credit cards, including a $60 charge for Chipotle, which, while delicious, is not an establishment I have been frequenting during the quarantine. (Although I really could go for a carnitas bowl right about now.) It only took me a few minutes to
Due to the economic impact caused by COVID-19, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents have found themselves unexpectedly unemployed or underemployed. The federal and state governments have responded with changes to the unemployment compensation system to provide some additional economic assistance to qualifying employees. This article summarizes the changes, the process for applying for
On March 16, 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declared a statewide judicial emergency drastically reducing the functions of Pennsylvania courts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It then issued several subsequent administrative orders outlining the impact the judicial emergency will have on court functions throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
In response, most county courts of
A key feature of the recently enacted federal CARES Act is individual stimulus checks that the federal government will pay to help ease the financial burden the COVID-19 pandemic has caused. The CARES Act refers to these payments as a “Recovery Rebate for Individuals.”
Here are some answers to common questions about these new changes.
On March 27, 2020, the president signed the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act into law. One of the key provisions of the Act provides substantial relief for federal student loan borrowers.
The U.S. Department of Education has put together a guide to help students, borrowers, and parents navigate the Coronavirus forbearance process. The guide will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
Federal Student Loan Payments Stopped
Under the CARES Act, federal student loan payments will automatically stop from March 13, 2020, through September 30, 2020. Note: This does not apply to private loans. If you have a question as to whether your loans are federal or private, contact your loan servicer.
During this time, auto-debit payments will be suspended. In some cases, loan servicers have accepted payments made after March 13, 2020. Any payments processed between March 13, 2020 and September 30, 2020, can be refunded by calling the loan servicer.
Continue Reading Student Loan Forbearance During Coronavirus – The CARES Act
The past few weeks have been challenging for everyone. We know that each of our clients has been impacted in different ways. As we work to help you with the questions and concerns that arise with new developments every day, rest assured that we are still here to help. Our three physical office locations are
For the first time, you can now cast your ballot by mail. Recently enacted election reform laws now allow all registered voters in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to vote by mail. Prior to the change in the law, only voters who obtained an absentee ballot, after explaining why they were unable to vote in person, could vote by mail. Now, anyone who wishes to, regardless of whether they are or are not able to make it to their polling place, can vote by mail.
You can check your voter registration status online to determine if you are registered to vote and where your polling place is. You can also register to vote online or by mailing a voter registration form to your county voter registration office.
Continue Reading Get Out The Vote (Or Stay In And Vote From Home)
I have been thinking a lot lately about all of the new “holidays” that are being invented. While I am all for celebrating National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day and National Sibling Day, I am having a hard time keeping up. While scrolling through Facebook recently to catch up on all the cute baby pictures my friends have been posting, I saw a notice from the Facebook Privacy Team about “Data Privacy Day.” Turns out, Data Privacy Day is an annual event that occurs each year on January 28th.
This announcement from Facebook got me thinking about how private my online presence is across all of my personal accounts. Although I am very cautious about my social media privacy settings, only allowing my “friends” and approved followers to view my content, I am not so sure about how secure my other accounts really are. So, I decided, to go all in on celebrating Data Privacy Day.
Continue Reading Something to Celebrate: Data Privacy Day!
This past spring, I wrote a post about the permitting requirements for businesses and organizations that transact business within the spotted lanternfly (“SLF”) quarantine zone, which includes Lancaster County. Since that time, we have entered the time of year where the SLF eggs have hatched and the large, red, yellow and brown winged insects have
When “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin died on August 16, 2018, her family thought she died without a Will. There were many questions about what would happen to her estate and what Aretha’s wishes were upon her death.
In legal terms, it was believed that Aretha died intestate, or without a Will. You can read more about Pennsylvania’s intestate laws and how an estate is handled when someone dies without a Will here.
In many cases, when someone dies without a Will, it can cause controversy in an already grieving family. For Aretha Franklin, we can only assume that the vast size of her estate and the legacy attached to it left her heirs wondering Who’s Zoomin’ Who?
Continue Reading Oh Me, Oh My It’s Time to Get Your Estate Plan in Order: Lessons from Aretha Franklin’s Death and Her Handwritten Wills