OFF THE RECORD
February 2021
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For Businesses, Entrepreneurs & Organizations |
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Proposed Changes to HIPAA
Privacy Rules
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On December 10, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued a notice of the agency’s intent to modify the HIPAA Privacy Rules. The HHS’ stated purpose was to support individuals’ engagement in their care, remove barriers to coordinated care, and reduce regulatory burdens on the health care industry. The OCR encouraged comments on the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) by the stakeholders (i.e. patients and their families, HIPAA-covered entities, consumer advocates, health care professional associations, health maintenance management professionals, health information technology vendors, and government entities). The NPRM was published in the Federal Register on January 21, 2021, with a comment period that ends on March 22, 2021.
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For Individuals & Families |
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Alternatives To An Ugly Divorce |
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Not all divorces have to be ugly, sometimes you and your partner just grow apart and possibly don’t share the same goals or dreams any longer. Perhaps spending every waking moment together over the last year or so has brought this to light. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented, caused, and revealed challenges for many families. Travel restrictions, virtual schooling, stay-at-home orders, and COVID-19-related precautions have tried the resources and patience of many. Individuals may be exploring options for amicably dissolving their marriages. |
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Can You Disinherit Your Spouse? |
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Recent changes to Maryland law make the answer a resounding “NO”. If you are married and plan to leave your estate to someone other than your spouse (such as your children from a prior marriage), your estate plan may need an update.
You cannot disinherit your spouse. This is the policy underlying the law in Maryland and most other states in America. In Maryland, a statute prevents you from disinheriting your spouse by allowing your surviving spouse to take an “elective share” or “marital share” from your estate. If a surviving spouse is unhappy with his or her inheritance, he or she can “elect against” the deceased spouse’s estate and receive an amount of the estate set by the Maryland statute.
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Webinar Recording: Nonprofit Capacity Building |
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Cheryl Brown recently co-hosted a webinar with Ann Quinn from Quinn Strategy Group. They discussed understanding your organization's current capacity position and how to strengthen your nonprofit during these uncertain times.
Visit our website to get the link and passcode to view the entire webinar:
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We are very excited to announce that the continued growth of the firm has afforded us the opportunity to bring on two new attorneys to support two busy practice areas.
Hannah Ellis is a recent graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and will support our Estate Planning practice group.
Matt Speake will serve as general counsel to the firm's business clients and will be an integral part of the firm's quickly growing M&A practice.
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2021 kicked off with exciting news within the firm. Five of our partners, Paul G. Skalny, Alisa G. Cummins, Jeffrey T. Agnor, Angela B. Grau, and Michael W. Davis have been selected as 2021 Top Rated Super Lawyers. Paul has been recognized as a Super Lawyer since 2014 and Alisa has been recognized as a Top Rated Family Law Super Lawyer for 13 consecutive years. Angela has been named one of the Top 50 Women attorneys in Maryland. And, Michael has been recognized as a Super Lawyer since 2011 and named as one of the Top 100 Maryland Super Lawyers.
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News That Could Affect You,
Your Business & Your Community
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Zoom Burnout Is Real. Here Are 4 Practical Ways to Cope
1.Less is more. The exhaustion you feel after a day of video calls is not just you. 2. Set up a dedicated spot and forget it. If possible, leave it set up so that you don't have to worry about it every time you log on.
Read more
www.inc.com
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5 Principles To Keep Your Business Thriving In 2021
Every business owner is sick of talking about Covid-19. However, the reality is that the virus is still a factor to be taken into consideration. Business owners should also be keeping track of changes that come ....
Read more
www.forbes.com
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