Background Checks – What Employers Need To Know

In working with business owners I have frequently faced a pretty regular set of questions about how hiring decisions are made: “Can I consider information I found on Facebook?” “Can I do a background check?” “Can I do a credit check?” “That online site said the applicant was once arrested for (insert any random offense …

How To Wednesday. What to do when someone dies. Probate.

That word.  “Probate.”  It scares so many people.  It brings thoughts of back corner offices in the Courthouse where staff sift through a person’s Will to see who is getting what.  Add that other scary term, “death tax” and it’s enough to make a family bury their head in the sand like an ostrich.  Unfortunately, …

How To Wednesdays…NonCompete Agreements With Employees

I’ve helped a lot of employers draft and implement non-compete agreements with their employees. Wisconsin has strict requirements about how you can restrict an employee both during and after employment. The goal of a non-compete is to protect your business’ secrets, customers, and geographic area of sales.  Non-competes, like any contract must be supported by …

How To Wednesday… Learn More About Superior Events

    At the Superior Sunrise Centennial Rotary Club’s meeting yesterday, I learned about a new opportunity to discover and promote Superior, Wisconsin events and activities.  Explore Superior  is a new offering thanks to a forward-thinking group from the Superior Leadership program.  The page allows you to register and post your Superior events, photos, and …

How To Wednesday…Begin To Plan For Your End.

My husband just celebrated a birthday this week. We are still young people, with children, a home, cars, life insurance policies, modest investments and debt.  Personal disclosure coming – we do not have an estate plan.  It’s just something we keep saying we need to do, but never actually get around to. Most of my …

How To Wednesday… Creating and LLC

Please note that I actually wrote this on Wednesday, just didn’t get it published until today! I help a lot of people set up an LLC with the State of Wisconsin. The process isn’t very complicated and I sometimes do it online, with my clients present.  Don’t think that this post is going to give …

How To Wednesday: Informal Background Check

WARNING: Before I launch into the “How To” portion of today’s post, let me extend a few words of caution.  This post is going to teach you how to check someone’s history with the Wisconsin Court System.  It is an informal search of public court records.  If you are an employer who is obligated to …

How To Wednesday… Draft a Deed.

Transferring property to another person should be simple enough but the process often seems confusing and complicated.  Take your typical home sale, for example.  Many people choose to list a home with a realtor which requires a listing contract, a disclosure of the property condition, offers, counteroffers, purchase agreements. And those documents are all before …

Introducing How-To Wednesdays! How To…. File a small claims suit.

Welcome to the first installment of “How-To Wednesdays.”  My hope is to spend these days giving some practical DIY guidance. If you have a topic you’d like addressed, let me know! Many people are opting to avoid a lawyer’s office and handle small claims cases on their own. In the world of fancy law lingo …