About Steph Weber
Steph Weber is an award-winning journalist specializing in healthcare, business, and law. She has written for Physicians Practice, Medscape, and Rheumatology Network and created content for several other industry publications, companies, and colleges. As a frequent Super Lawyers contributor, she enjoys drilling down complex legal topics into bite-sized, actionable advice for readers and interviewing the nation’s leading attorney voices, highlighting their most memorable achievements and lessons learned. She lives in Northern Indiana.
Articles written by Steph Weber
How To Protect Your Most Valuable Assets in an Estate Plan
Misconceptions surrounding estate planning are plentiful: It’s only for those with substantial wealth; a will should suffice; preparations can wait until retirement. Some people also fall into the trap of doing nothing. “They believe they don’t have any options at all,” says Jeff R. Hawkins, an estate planning and probate attorney at Hawkins Elder Law in Sullivan, Indiana. But with a range of tools at your disposal — wills, trusts, real estate deeds — it’s possible to preserve …
When Is Different Treatment at Work Illegal Discrimination?
Disparate treatment at work is illegal discrimination under Title VII, and employees can meet the burden of proof to show that employment practices have a disparate impact. Employers have liability for adverse employment action taken against a protected class based on a discriminatory motive. Employees can report a hostile work environment to human resources or file an EEOC complaint for civil rights violations, including failure to provide reasonable accommodations. For wrongful termination or …
Estate Planning 101
A look at what to expect, must-have documents and common mistakesEstate planning is about three things, says Deborah Manus, an estate and trust attorney at Nutter McClennen & Fish in Boston: “You, your stuff and your people. It creates a guide that helps others navigate what should happen if you’re not around.” Unfortunately, fewer than half of U.S. adults have one. “Pretty much everyone should have three documents,” says attorney Eric Correira, who specializes in estate planning and administration at Correira Law in Boston. One, a healthcare …
Discrimination in the Workplace
What it looks like and what to do if you’re targetedWorkplace discrimination can take many forms, but ultimately it boils down to this: “It’s about being treated differently than your coworkers,” says employment attorney Lori Jodoin, a partner at Powers, Jodoin, Margolis & Mantell in Boston. Under federal law, protected characteristics—specific employee traits that cannot be used to make employment decisions or otherwise adversely affect job status—include an employee’s sex or gender identity, race, disability, religion, national …
3 Essential Estate Planning Documents Everyone in Massachusetts Needs
Estate planning is about three things, says Deborah Manus, an estate and trust attorney at Nutter McClennen & Fish in Boston: “You, your stuff and your people. It creates a guide that helps others navigate what should happen if you’re not around.” Unfortunately, fewer than half of U.S. adults have one. “Pretty much everyone should have three documents,” says attorney Eric Correira, who specializes in estate planning and administration at Correira Law in Boston. A healthcare proxy …
What To Do if You're Targeted by Discrimination at Work
If you're targeted for workplace discrimination, make an internal complaint, file an EEOC charge, and get a right-to-sue letter for a hostile work environment claim. Employers cannot take adverse employment action against protected classes under Title VII, and workers should report to HR any employment discrimination. Employees facing workplace harassment or employer retaliation should preserve records and document evidence of wrongful termination. An employment attorney can file a constructive …
Denied!?
Exploring common reasons for life insurance nonpayment and avenues for recoveryLife insurance offers a financial safety net, one that covers final expenses and eases the burden on a surviving spouse or children. So when a life insurance claim is unexpectedly denied, it only adds to the distress of losing your loved one. “The application process for life insurance is fairly rigorous,” says Joshua L. Mallin, an attorney at Weg & Myers who specializes in insurance coverage litigation. “An innocent misrepresentation—if it’s what the courts call …
Navigating the Tax Labyrinth
When to consult a tax attorney instead of an accountantTax issues should be remedied sooner than later. But by the time one woman came to see tax attorney Yvonne R. Cort, her hasty solution had backfired. “[The woman and her husband] hadn’t filed yet, and she kept pestering her husband to find out what his income was,” says Cort, who focuses on tax controversy matters at Capell Barnett Matalon & Schoenfeld in Jericho. “She didn’t get an answer and filed a joint return [without] the husband’s income, hoping to claim innocent spouse …
Why Do Life Insurance Policy Benefits Get Denied?
Life insurance policy benefits get denied because of material misrepresentations, policy lapse for premium nonpayment, medical nondisclosure, or fraudulent applications. Insurance covers accidental death, with excluded activity for death certificates tied to illegal acts or with suicide clauses. Claims during the contestability period are subject to policy rescission for missing documentation, age misstatements, or incomplete investigations. Life insurance may delay payouts because of a …
Alternatives to Bankruptcy
Attorneys suggest solutions for navigating financial troublesBy the time the company contacted attorney Scott A. Wolfson, its cash-flow issues had reached critical mass. “The CEO walked me around his facility, then described the company’s unsuccessful negotiations with its lenders over the past three years,” says Wolfson, who works with distressed companies and corporate debtors at his Troy-based firm Wolfson Bolton. “Things had progressed in an irreversible manner. He was [going to lose] control to his lenders.” While clients initially assume …
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