Happy Spring!

Spring is a time of getting people interested about what lies ahead. Change is a hallmark of Spring and at HoganWillig, we're anticipating many changes in the months ahead. We are looking forward to the rollout of our new website later this year. With our new website will come better information and resources for clients' legal questions.

We're also gearing up for the bustling real estate season when our already busy real estate department becomes even more hectic. We will continue a tradition of welcoming our summer law clerks who will fill our office during their school break and also look forward to continuing to acquaint ourselves with our new clients from our Ellicottville location.

The anticipation of better weather just adds to the sense of excitement, even at a law firm. We hope that the same is true for everyone especially our family of clients.

Happy Spring.

Divorce Does Not Have to be Difficult

By Ashlea Palladino

Although the end of any relationship is very emotional, if you follow these five steps, you can significantly cut down on cost, wasted time and some of the agony typically associated with the divorce process.

Set reasonable expectations. This means get off the internet. The most common mistake clients make is Googling everything before they meet with an attorney. Depending on where you are getting your information and how old that information is, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment and causing yourself unnecessary panic.
Familiarize yourself with your financial accounts before meeting with an attorney. If you have access to your financial documents, review recent statements (better yet, bring them with you) so that when you meet with your attorney you can paint an accurate picture of your financial circumstances. This will allow your attorney to assess your options, explain your potential exposure, and outline a fair settlement during your initial consultation so that you have a clear view of what to expect moving forward.
Repeat after me, "It's not MINE, it's OURS." Many clients don't realize that regardless of whose name an asset or debt is titled in, if it was acquired during the marriage it is marital property and your spouse will be entitled to a portion of it. Are there exceptions to this rule? Some, but you should discuss your circumstances with an attorney before assuming your spouse is not entitled to a particular asset you consider to be yours.
Accept that there is no "bad" guy. A beautiful thing happened in 2010 when New York's version of a "no-fault" divorce was created. Parties are no longer required to outline for the court the reasons why they want a divorce. This allows couples to focus on how to resolve the matter and move forward as opposed to focusing on the problems in their past that led them to this point.
Trust your attorney. Meet with more than one attorney to make sure you are compatible with who you ultimately decide to retain. But once you do select an attorney, tell him or her the truth (the whole truth) and follow his or hers advice.


Get SUM Insurance by Scott Michael Duquin If you are seriously injured in an automobile accident, $25,000 is not enough coverage to make you whole. SUM insurance is optional coverage that can be purchased to protect you and your family. Link	Section 179 Deduction by Amanda Wyzykiewicz If you are a small business owner, you'll be sure to benefit from the recent extension of the Section 179 expense decution. Link


HW attorneys Jean Harris and Linda Grear were recently interviewed in Buffalo Business First for an article about Medicaid changes.

Medicaid expansion covers more New Yorkers

The expansion of the federal program through a provision in the Affordable Care Act made health care coverage available for more individuals.

Though program expansion is optional for states, Linda Grear of HoganWillig has noticed more of them are looking into it, now that they're seeing it is not so scary. New York was one of the first states to join the program.

"It has helped with health care being made available to more families and more individuals, and it's helping to find diagnosis sooner for various diseases such as diabetes," said Grear. Read More


Buffalo Business First HW attorney Doreen Letty was recently a guest columnist for Buffalo Law Journal. She wrote about TRID, a rule aimed at making mortgages more transparent and easier to understand for consumers. Link	TWC News Hon. John J. LaFalce was interviewed by TWC News for a piece on the untimely passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Link	WBFO "You and the Law" Our attorneys also regularly serve as guest attorneys on the weekly public educational call-in series, You and the Law. Our recent talks included depositions, prenuptial agreements, and divorce support. Link

Attention Parents with College-Aged or High School Children:

HoganWillig understands the difficulty of getting accustomed to the burden of newly acquired financial responsibility. When first leaving the comfort of the family home, it can be a struggle for young adults to secure money management and budgeting skills, and in the same way, tough for parents to trust their children to make good financial decisions without their guidance.

HoganWillig is interested to know if there is interest in a money management and budgeting seminar for young adults, held by one of our attorneys. If you or someone you know would be interested in attending, or asking their children to attend, please email us at [email protected]


New Employee! New employee alert! We welcome Brittany Vesper to our team. Brittany has a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Buffalo State and will be assisting our litigation department as a paralegal. Welcome, Brittany!	Children's Books for Sale Help us support a local author and long-term friend of HoganWillig, Dave Bauer. If you have young children, please consider purchasing his first children's book the next time you stop by for half-price!

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter! Please follow us on Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter!

HoganWillig | [email protected] | http://www.hoganwillig.com

2410 North Forest Road

Suite 301

Amherst, NY 14068