In general, life goes on as normal when February 29 rolls around. The only legal issues involve computation of time. When has a year passed for someone sentenced to one year in prison if there is a leap year? Is a 365 -day sentence the …Continue Reading Leap Day Legal Issues
When two people, either married or unmarried, break up, who gets to keep the pet(s)? Can the court order joint custody of the dog or cat, as it would a child? Can one party get visitation rights? Is a pet treated in a legal sense …Continue Reading Pet Custody
Many years ago, I came across a print by R. C. Bierce entitled “The Common Law – In the Similitude of a Tree”, and was intrigued. A high resolution digital image of this print is available from the Library of Congress. In a blog post, …Continue Reading Understanding Blackstone
Many New Englanders love the winter season and all the winter sports that go along with it. One way to enjoy the snow is to go snowmobiling, but you need to be mindful of the safety precautions in accordance with the provisions of the state law …Continue Reading Start Your (Snowmobile) Engines!
Words of Law is a regular feature of Massachusetts Law Updates, highlighting a particular word or phrase and its meaning in law. Today’s phrase is et uxor. et uxor (et ək-sor). [Latin] Archaic. And wife. • This phrase was formerly common in case names …Continue Reading Word(s) of the Month: et ux
Cities and towns in Massachusetts, in an effort to collect back taxes, have the right to file a lien against a property owner in the Registry of Deeds. Municipalities can later foreclose the rights of owners to redeem the property (to get clear title to …Continue Reading Tax Liens
Failure to state a claim can be the downfall of those who file a civil suit. When drafting a complaint in Massachusetts, the statement of claim(s) is an essential part of the complaint. Without a viable cause of action, a civil suit will be unable …Continue Reading Words of caution for those filing civil suits
“Vinegar Valentine” (1911) Two years ago, we featured this Valentine on February 14, noting that it was part of a Virtual Exhibit curated by Laurel Davis for the Daniel R. Coquillette Rare Book Room in the Boston College Law Library. The Law in Postcards featured …Continue Reading A Valentine
As we approach Valentine’s Day, many people will be purchasing engagement rings and planning the special moment when they ask someone to marry them. But what happens to the engagement ring if the couple eventually decides not to tie the knot? In Massachusetts, it depends …Continue Reading Will You Be Mine (Or Not)?
A word about the law relating to Presidential Primaries in Massachusetts might be in order. Registered Massachusetts voters who are members of the Democratic, Republican and Green-Rainbow parties will have the opportunity to vote in the Presidential Primary to be held on Super Tuesday, March …Continue Reading Presidential Primaries in Massachusetts
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