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At LawtonCates, we would like to congratulate our 2021 Super Lawyers honorees, Terrence M. Polich and Dixon R. Gahnz. This is Terry’s second year of Super Lawyers recognition, and Dixon has been listed each year since 2011. What Does It Take to Become a Super Lawyers Honoree? Super Lawyers awards are reserved for attorneys who have attained […]
In an effort to provide a brief respite to all of the unrest in our country, I invite you to watch or share a brief video of me providing guidance on how to dress appropriately for court. Nothing overly serious or revolutionary, but it is a question that I get often. Please forgive my fancy […]
A $1.85 million settlement has been reached in a case involving a 1999 van crash that killed seven and seriously injured five magazine salespeople. The accident occurred when the unlicensed driver Jeremy Holmes, age 21, switched seats at 81 mph on Interstate Highway 90 north of Janesville, Wisconsin. Monica Forgues, then age 15, was left […]
As pandemic restrictions ease, if you have been driving more, you may have noticed a lot of bad driving behavior. If you have, it is not your imagination. Experts are telling us that speed and dangerous driving behaviors increased during the pandemic, leading to higher fatality rates. Unfortunately, these dangerous behaviors are continuing even now, as more […]
Attorney Briane Pagel answers frequently asked questions about debt and gives advice about the best way for debtors to handle their situations. Q: I have a lot of debt and it’s getting hard to handle. Everyone says I should call a bankruptcy lawyer. Is that a good idea? You should talk to a lawyer, but […]
Student loan payments for federal loans are suspended until September, 2020; the CARES Act, which suspended payments, also required that student loan companies treat the loans as though they were still being paid. Some loan servicers may not be complying with the law, and that could damage the borrower’s credit. Recently, Great Lakes Educational Loan […]
On Tuesday, April 12, Governor Walker signed legislation that got rid of earlier increases in mandatory auto insurance coverage. This bill, dubbed “Truth in Automobile Insurance,” which sounds dry compared to the controversy in Wisconsin over the past few months, could have huge impacts on drivers and families who are involved in car accidents. The […]
Many, but not all, student loan borrowers have been given relief from their student loans by virtue of the “CARES” Act, which frees borrowers from making payments on their loans until September 30, 2020; during this time, interest is set to zero, no payments are due, but the government will still count the skipped months […]
I saw a news report the other day that talked about the increase in domestic abuse incidents not only in Wisconsin but throughout the nation. This increase is undoubtedly an unintended consequence of the quarantine orders associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coronavirus alone is putting extraordinary stresses on our personal health and finances as […]
Whenever I get too discouraged by the state of affairs in America, I think of men like Dick Cates and say a small prayer of gratitude that the country raises up men like him in times of crisis. Cates, who died last week at age 85, was a Madison trial attorney. He’s probably best known […]