Arab Family Law Lawyers | Guntersville Estate Planning Attorneys | The Hawkins Law Firm

We always find out from divorce clients whether they executed a Will prior to their current marriage.  Some divorce clients think that a Will executed prior to marriage that does not provide for the soon-to-be divorced spouse has their desired result of omitting that spouse from inheriting if the client dies before the divorce is… read more.

Published on April 23, 2012 at 11:04 am

1.         Types of Stock Options There are two types of options, which may be granted to eligible individuals, and these types of options are labeled based upon their income tax attributes. The two types are “incentive stock options” and “nonqualified stock options” (a nonqualified stock option is a label for anything that is not a… read more.

Published on April 20, 2012 at 3:08 pm

Most people who are terminated believe their termination is wrongful, and indeed that might be the case. However, before investing time, money and emotions to pursue damages against an employer, a terminated employee should be aware of both state and federal law that applies to terminated employees and employees who claim unfairness in the workplace…. read more.

Published on March 9, 2012 at 3:02 pm

Last fall the Alabama Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling restricting Mobile County Probate Judge Donald Davis from dictating the type of treatment mental health patients can receive. The case has been touted as a landmark case regarding the clarification of patient care. Judge Davis can still order mental health counseling, but is not… read more.

Published on March 5, 2012 at 5:20 pm

Alabama’s probate code mandates several requirements that must be followed in order for a will to be valid. An invalid will could cause the estate to be probated according to the laws of intestate succession, where the wishes of the will-maker (the testator) are completely ignored, and the estate is distributed according to the decedent’s… read more.

Published on March 5, 2012 at 5:19 pm

A Company’s most valuable asset might also be its best kept secret – trade secret that is. Trade secrets consist of confidential business information that can give a business a unique advantage over its competitors. The non-authorized disclosure of confidential business information can create a broad range of costly issues for companies, including loss of… read more.

Published on January 23, 2012 at 4:13 pm

Earlier this month, Natalee Holloway’s parents, Dave Holloway and Beth Holloway, sat somberly in a Birmingham, Alabama courtroom while a judge declared their daughter dead. Natalee disappeared on a high school graduation trip to Aruba in May of 2005. The 18 year-old was last seen leaving a bar with Joran van der Sloot, who remains… read more.

Published on January 20, 2012 at 9:32 am

Following one year of federal estate tax repeal, estate taxes once again became effective on January 1, 2011. For 2012, the federal estate tax exemption, or the amount an individual can pass on his or her death free of federal estate tax, is $5 million for an individual, reduced by certain lifetime gifts, adjusted for… read more.

Published on January 19, 2012 at 3:09 pm

Alabama law recognizes many different types of business entities, including corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, and more. Choosing the right entity to organize your business under is important; it can have significant impact on vital issues such as liability, taxation, management and control, transfer and dissolution, and other essential matters. The traditional… read more.

Published on October 31, 2011 at 7:22 pm

GINA is pretty new to your workplace, so you may not have met her yet, but you still may. GINA is the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, and she has been in effect since 2009. GINA’s job is protect employees from discrimination on the basis of their genetic information at any stage of the employment process,… read more.

Published on October 31, 2011 at 7:21 pm