By Attorney Chris Strohbehn Fall is a popular time to hit the road to enjoy the colorful foliage, and with the ideal mix of warm days and cool nights, there is no better area to enjoy the show than in Wisconsin. To many, the only thing that makes this better is to witness this spectacle of nature astride a motorcycle. Yet nothing can ruin your autumn ride like a serious motorcycle accident. Before you…

By Attorney Max Stephenson Same-sex marriage became legal in Wisconsin in October 2014. Same-sex marriage became legal nationwide in June 2015 with the U.S. Supreme Court case of Obergefell v. Hodges. However, it may come as a surprise to LGBTQ families that same-sex parents are advised to get a court order confirming both parents’ parental rights. A number of U.S. Supreme Court judgments have provided rights to LGBTQ parents nationwide. For example, Pavan v. Smith…

In 2011, former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed the Omnibus Tort Reform Act, which changed preexisting state laws related to product liability. In particular, Chapter 895 of the Wisconsin Statutes was altered extensively. These changes placed a greater burden on plaintiffs when filing a personal injury lawsuit against a manufacturer or distributor of a potentially dangerous product. The Reason for the Law Change The legislative history of Wis. Stat. §895.046 reveals that the legislation was…

By Attorney Jaclyn Kallie Homeowners often hire a general contractor to perform work on their property. The general contractor, in turn, may hire subcontractors to fulfill specific tasks. When the homeowner pays the general contractor their fee, they may assume that the general contractor will be found at fault if a subcontractor is not paid by the general contractor. However, in some cases, a mechanic’s lien may be placed against the homeowner if a subcontractor…

By Attorney Jaclyn Kallie Litigation refers to the activities and procedures of filing and prosecuting a court case. In civil cases, litigation involves a plaintiff seeking redress (compensation) from a defendant. A business can be included in all kinds of commercial litigation, but due to the cost of civil litigation, many businesses instead opt for mediation or arbitration. Business owners are understandably reluctant to engage in costly and possibly brand-damaging legal cases. However, there…

 By Ray Dall’Osto & Erin Strohbehn So far in 2019, Wisconsin has seen the beginning of the reinstitution of pardon policy by the Governor and passage of an expungement reform bill by the state Assembly. If approved by the state Senate, this bill would expand the age range in which expungements are available to previous offenders and go a long way to address unnecessary restrictions that have been placed on expungement petitions by several court…

By Attorney Chris Strohbehn Elder abuse and neglect is all too prevalent in today’s world. As baby boomers continue to age, the number of individuals in nursing homes continues to increase. In order to monitor and attempt to reduce the number of abuse victims, the National Center on Elder Abuse studies the trends and prevalence of elder abuse in America. According to one of their studies, it is estimated that 1 in 13 older adults…