Criminal Law
While some law firms narrow their practice to a few relatively lucrative areas of the law, it is our policy to assist our clients in good times and in bad. For that reason, we are often called upon to assist our clients and their families in the defense of minor criminal prosecutions.
Divorce/Child Custody/Support
At some point in our lives, most of us are touched by the divorce of a family member or friend. Many of our clients seek our services and support during the most difficult period of their lives. We offer comprehensive family law services, including issues such as divorce, equitable distribution of property, spousal and child support, child custody, visitation, and adoption.
Elder Law
Growing old is a fact of life. Our clients often seek our assistance when they are making arrangements for themselves, or family members who may be unable to do so. Our representation may involve nursing home planning, preparation of trusts, preparation of advance healthcare directives (“living wills”) and a wide range of other services. In each case, we strive to ensure that our clients obtain peace of mind, knowing that their loved ones will receive appropriate care in their golden years.
Estate Planning and Administration
Most of us work for our entire lives in order to provide for our families, and save for a comfortable retirement. To assist in that effort, we work with our clients to develop a comprehensive plan to avoid adverse tax consequences, and to achieve their personal financial goals. After the passing of a loved one, we assist the family to ensure that assets are transferred as the estate plan provides, and that tax consequences are minimized.
Land Use / Zoning
Throughout most of history, landowners were permitted to use their real estate as they saw fit. With increased residential and commercial development, however, municipalities throughout Pennsylvania have adopted comprehensive ordinances for land use planning and zoning. For over twenty years, our firm has regularly represented clients before township, borough, city, and county zoning hearing boards and governing authorities in connection with residential and commercial developments, easements, rights-of-way, variances, special exceptions, and conditional uses.
Litigation
Every attorney in our firm is admitted to practice before all of the trial and appellate courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Many are also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Members of our firm appear on behalf of their clients in administrative proceedings and state and federal court proceedings throughout North Central Pennsylvania. Our litigation practice includes a broad range of issues involving family law, criminal law, commercial litigation, collection law, real estate law, land use planning, Worker’s Compensation, Social Security/ Disability, personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, products liability, and other issues.
Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice
Although we prefer that our clients stay healthy, motor vehicle accidents, injuries from defective products, injuries from falls, construction accidents, injuries resulting from medical errors, and other mishaps are a fact of modern life. In some cases, these injuries can have a devastating effect upon the lives of our clients and their famlies. For over thirty years, our firm, and its predecessor firms have assisted our clients throughout North Central Pennsylvania to obtain the medical care, benefits, and cash recoveries to which they are entitled. Our firm usually accepts those cases on a contingent fee basis, meaning that we are paid only if we obtain a recovery for our client.
Real Estate and Historic Preservation Law
We assist our clients in their effort to identify, finance, acquire, and develop real estate, ranging from a young couple’s first home through the many steps required in a comprehensive commercial development. Our representation may include negotiation of real estate agreements of sale, leases, financing, governmental land use approvals, consideration of tax avoidance under “Clean and Green” legislation, and all related matters from the first day of negotiations, through the day of closing, and beyond. Our representation often includes work with other professionals including realtors, engineers, architects, and loan officers at financial institutions.
Pennsylvania is one of only a few states that recognize a constitutional right to historic preservation. Our firm served as counsel of record for Preservation Williamsport in recent litigation before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in which the Court recognized stringent requirements for the demolition of an important historic building. We are proud to represent individuals and municipalities in their effort to preserve and protect the treasures of our past.
Small Business Counseling / Commercial Transactions / Litigation and Collections
We are privileged to represent numerous small businesses throughout North Central Pennsylvania, together with healthcare professionals, design professionals, and financial institutions. Because small business ownership is part of the “American Dream”, many of our clients choose to “become their own boss” by the creation of a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation. In order to assist our clients in “building their dream”, we routinely work with them to form business entities, identify accountants and other professionals to serve their businesses, assist them to identify needed real estate or leased space, and assist them in securing financing needed to permit their business to grow. Our firm is proud of the fact that our relationship with our business clients often begins before their business entity is formed, and continues long after the business is sold or passed on to family members.
In the course of that representation, we are routinely called upon by our clients to negotiate and prepare contracts, initiate and defend contract litigation, and collect funds legitimately due to our clients in payment for their services. That representation may range from simple hearings before magistrate district judges, arbitrations, or complex litigation in state or federal court. Our firm is particularly proud of the fact that our professional relationship with our small business clients is usually measured not in months or years, but in decades of continuing professional service.
Social Security / Disability
Most citizens believe that retired workers and disabled workers are automatically entitled to some benefits through the Social Security Administration. Unfortunately, those benefits are often withheld because disabled workers are unable to prove their disability to the satisfaction of the Social Security Administration. We regularly represent clients entitled to disability benefits by assisting them in the submission of their claims, and litigating those claims before administrative law judges.
Worker's Compensation
Although most of us go through our lives without a serious work related injury, some do not. In those cases, we assist our clients to promptly report work related injuries, assist our clients to ensure that they receive appropriate medical care, and represent our clients throughout all appropriate administrative and appellate proceedings in order to ensure that they receive all of the medical care, occupational counseling, and cash benefits that are available under existing law.
