Category Archives: Articles

EU Energy Policy and Targets

By | August 19, 2011

Energy Efficiency Plan In March 2011, the European Commission adopted a plan for saving more energy through concrete measures. Energy efficiency is a key tool to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and reduce energy dependence, as well as the level of emissions.  The measures proposed aim at creating substantial benefits for businesses and public authorities.

The Beginner’s Guide to Intellectual Property Rights

By | August 17, 2011

The idea of “property” isn’t very tough to figure out. Many people apply this simple formula: if you paid for a house, that’s your property. If you bought a car, that’s your property. The issue does get a little more complicated when you realize you don’t just own property because you paid for it. Sometimes you can create… Read More »

Five Examples Where Doing Nothing is a Crime

By | August 15, 2011

Most of us associate the word “crime” with a very conscientious activity. We picture burglars scoping out neighborhoods, donning ski masks, and taking pains to avoid leaving any evidence behind. Sure, these are certainly crimes – but that doesn’t mean you always have to be very proactive to commit a crime.

EU Immigration Policy

By | August 11, 2011

The package of measures proposed by the European Commission aiming towards better regulated immigration flows from the southern Mediterranean region as well as the proposal to amend EU Regulation on visas consists of the new incentives of EU bodies for a fair, credible and effective EU immigration policy. According to the annual report on immigration and asylum of… Read More »

How To Use Trusts to Avoid Estate Taxes

By | August 8, 2011

In modern parlance, a “trust” has the connotation of extreme wealth, of an upper-crust legal refinement that most people in the middle-class wouldn’t be able to enjoy. But in reality, a legal trust is a powerful tool available to any one of us that truly wants to set one up. The only question remaining is: why set up… Read More »

Ten Ways to Legally Reduce Your Estate Tax Burden

By | August 5, 2011

The estate tax is often a tax many people don’t worry about – that is, until they finally sit down and try to figure out how much they’ll be leaving behind. The federal estate tax can take around half of what you leave behind. That’s right: half. For many people, estate planning means circumventing this tax legally so… Read More »

What Most Americans Don’t Know About Estate Planning

By | August 3, 2011

In America, our culture can often be described as “impatient.” A flight that’s delayed ten minutes can feel like a lifetime of waiting. A text message that takes ten seconds longer to send will make you feel like your phone belongs in the stone age. And yet when it comes to taking action on estate planning, we suddenly… Read More »

A Guide to Differences Between Wills and Living Wills

By | August 1, 2011

Let’s be honest: when it comes to estate planning, a lot of people prefer the bliss of ignorance to the bliss of wisdom. Wills, to them, are complicated things, reminders of our own mortality and therefore something to be put off into the future. And when you introduce the concept of a Living Will, the complications make the… Read More »

How To Get More Out of Your Divorce Case

By | July 29, 2011

If you’re just entering or in the middle of a divorce case, it can be a tough time to think about strategy. After all, a divorce case is full of emotional investment on both ends of the spectrum. Under the circumstances, it’s no surprise that it can be hard to think clearly. But that’s no reason you can’t… Read More »

What You Need to Know Before Lending Money to a Family Member

By | July 27, 2011

To some people, family and money are like oil and water – they just don’t mix. And yet oddly there’s no good way to separate family from money. We send our kids to school, buy each other Christmas gifts, feed each other, and ultimately share our lives and finances with each other. That is the kind of reasoning… Read More »