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Are Scholarships Tax-Free?


“I’m delighted to announce that your child has been awarded a scholarship.”  Music to your ears! Now some reality: Scholarships (and fellowships) are generally tax-free, whether for elementary or high school students, for college or graduate students, or for students at accredited vocational schools. It makes no difference whether the scholarship takes the form of

Thinking Of Converting Your Multi-Family Home To A Condominium?


With the skyrocketing real estate values in Greater Boston the last few years, many owners of two, three and four family homes have thought about converting their properties into Condominium ownership so that they can legally sell off one or more units and maximize their total value from the properties.  If you are thinking of

Administering an Estate in the Digital Age


Imagine that a family member has just passed away and you know they have important information stored on the internet. It could be in the cloud, in their email, or on a social media account. How do you access this information? The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) recently decided the case Ajemian v. Yahoo!, Inc.,

Massachusetts Child Labor Laws: Is Your Company in Compliance?


Two prominent franchises were recently found in violation of the child labor laws by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Burger King was found to have more than 800 child labor violations at stores across the state. Among the violations uncovered were minors working shifts that exceeded the total maximum daily hours allowed or shifts that

Lifespan of Restrictive Covenants on Massachusetts Real Estate


Restrictive covenants are, in a nutshell, private restrictions on the use of land. They are generally disfavored by state law, and developers must adhere to strict guidelines to protect their enforceability beyond a thirty-year period. Restrictive covenants typically arise during residential or commercial developments. Before selling off property, a developer could create restrictions governing certain

How To Prevent Elder Financial Abuse


Massachusetts General Laws define financial exploitation as the substantial monetary or property loss of an elderly person due to an act or omission of another person.  Financial exploitation occurs in the form of internet (or darknet) scams, forging signatures on checks, the illicit use of credit cards and the misuse of a power of attorney. 

Private Medical Insurance Liens Against Your Personal Injury Settlement


You may be surprised to learn that your health insurance provider has the right to assert a lien for the repayment of benefits paid on your behalf with regard to your personal injury case. This is what’s called demand for subrogation.   Subrogation is premised upon the concept that a person should not have their medical