About Canaan Suitt, J.D.
Canaan Suitt received his J.D. from William & Mary Law School. After serving as a senior editor for the law school’s comparative law blog, he was a staff member of the William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review (ELPR). As a legal intern at the National Center for State Courts, he assisted in international rule of law projects and policy review; as a research assistant, he studied political dynamics in the U.S. federal judiciary. His articles on law and philosophy have been published in the ELPR as well as the academic journal Dewey Studies. He loves using his background in research and writing to make legal information accessible. Canaan currently writes for SuperLawyers.com. In his free time, he enjoys reading, travel, and being a cat dad.
Articles written by Canaan Suitt, J.D.
Four Ways To Reduce and Avoid Estate Tax
Everyone who owns property has an estate, but not everyone is subject to estate taxes. Estate taxes only apply to wealthy individuals with very large estates. If your estate is large enough to be taxed under federal or state law, there are strategies to reduce or avoid your estate tax liability. This article will cover some of the main strategies for avoiding estate taxes. Large estates are complex, and once you understand the available options, it's best to speak with an experienced estate …
How Can a Probate Court Process Be Avoided?
Probate is the legal process of distributing a person’s assets when they die. Probate is required if a person has a will. It’s also required if a person dies without an estate plan of any kind. Without a will, state intestate laws govern the distribution of assets. Probate can be an extremely stressful and time-consuming procedure. Sometimes, individuals want to avoid it altogether. Fortunately, there are various strategies for avoiding the probate process. "You …
What Does an Estate Planning Attorney Do?
An estate planning attorney helps individuals create a plan for what happens to their assets when they die or become incapable of caring for themselves. “Most of the time, as an estate planning lawyer, I’m meeting with people to help them with the orderly transition of their assets from themselves to their children or their beneficiaries at the time of their death,” says Columbus, Ohio estate planning and probate attorney Jay E. Michael. There are several ways to do this. “It …
When Should I Sue for Breach of Contract?
A contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties. Contracts are the backbone of everyday business. Sales contracts allow people to purchase land, goods, and services. Other contracts govern matters like employment. Ideally, all parties uphold their contractual obligations. But as we all know, things do not always go as planned. When a party fails to perform its obligations under an agreement, it’s in breach of contract. This article will explain when to sue for breach of …
How To Defend Against Breach of Contract Claims
Generally, the terms of a contract are legally binding, such that parties who fail to perform are in breach of contract. However, there are a number of ways that a contract can be invalidated or rescinded. If you're sued or threatened with a breach of contract lawsuit, you can raise several potential defenses. This article will explain what a breach of contract is and cover some of the most common defenses to breach of contract. It's best to raise as many defenses as possible. Once you're …
How Do I Create a Legally Enforceable Contract?
“When people think of contracts, they tend to think of multi-page documents with all this arcane legal language in them — but they don’t have to be that way,” says New York business attorney Sarah Gold. There are a few key requirements any contract must meet in order to be legally binding and enforceable, including legal capacity, mutual assent, exchange, and offer and acceptance. It’s possible to have a contract that meets all the requirements while being clear and to the …
Types of Business Lawsuits
Many kinds of lawsuits involve businesses and business activities. Business owners may be sued as defendants or sue others as plaintiffs. While business owners can take proactive steps to protect their businesses from lawsuits, such as having a lawyer draft sound contracts or implement policies and procedures that comply with federal and state laws, lawsuits may be unavoidable in some instances. At other times, a business owner may have no choice but to bring a lawsuit to protect their …
What Does a Business Litigation Lawyer Do?
Any business owner understands running a business is complicated. From starting a business to overseeing daily operations to addressing conflicts with other businesses or customers, many challenges can arise. The law governing businesses is also complicated. When facing any legal issue for your business, it’s best to get legal help from an expert. A business litigation lawyer is an attorney who specializes in business law and represents business entities in legal disputes and other …
How To Protect Your Business From a Lawsuit
If you’re a business owner, you want to do everything possible to prevent a lawsuit against your company. Business lawsuits are time-consuming. They often result in significant financial losses as well as reputational damage to the company, business partners, shareholders, or others connected with the business. It’s important to “recognize that in most cases, litigation is not a good business… it’s a rare instance where litigation is going to make [a company] …
How To File a Lawsuit Against a Company
There are many reasons why someone might want to sue a company. The party who wants to sue could be a person who was harmed by a company’s product, a customer who was injured on the company’s premises, an employee who was wrongfully terminated or harassed, a patient who suffered medical malpractice, or another company that experienced a breach of contract. Just as there are many different parties who might want to sue, many kinds of entities can be the target of a …
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