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If you have a great idea for a business in New Jersey, you’ll quickly find that ideas are not enough to get a new enterprise off the ground. The legal foundation of your business is everything—and to that end, it’s vital to work with a business lawyer who specializes in the matters and concerns facing business owners.

First off, there is the process of picking the right business entity under which you will operate: LLC, S-corporation, C-corporation, sole proprietorship, or a partnership (general, limited, and family limited). The entity you select will have serious ramifications both in terms of taxes and protecting yourself and your assets from legal liability. Then there is the structuring or your business operations, which requires some serious counsel around issues like human resources, accounting, policies and procedures, corporate governance, and control and management. Setting up a business to run the right way can avoid many complications down the road. A competent business lawyer can also help you with ongoing business concerns such as drafting contracts, negotiating deals with other businesses, and employer-employee disputes. They will get to know you and your business very well, along with its history and its goals for the future. If a conflict with a client, customer, supplier, or other business requires litigation, having a business lawyer on retainer will streamline the court proceedings in your favor. And ultimately, if your business either becomes dissolved, you decide to sell it, merge it with another business, or grow by acquiring another business, a business lawyer can help you through that process as well.

In summary, a business lawyer is probably one of the most indispensable resources you’ll need in order to run a business. A competent business lawyer can handle the headache of legal concerns, leaving you free to run and grow your business without interruption.

A personal injury lawyer can help you if you’ve been seriously injured. Most people only think of personal injury lawyers when they think of car accidents, but the fact of the matter is that a personal injury lawyer can cover far more cases—slip and falls, medical malpractice, defective products, nursing home abuse, and even a dog bite. Your best bet, if you’ve been injured, is not to assume that a personal injury lawyer won’t cover your case, and instead, just ask if they do.

A competent personal injury lawyer can help you by protecting your legal rights, creating a barrier against antagonist parties, and intervening on your behalf to collect the compensation you deserve. They will help you negotiate the best settlement options with the offending party or its insurance company (or yours) and they’ll advise you to pursue litigation if the settlement offer does not match what you deserve. When you experience a personal injury, you want to focus on your recovery and seek the appropriate medical attention you need to get back on track. Medical bills can begin to pile up, especially if surgery, medication, or ongoing therapy is involved.

Without a personal injury lawyer to help you navigate this difficult time, you might miss out on a settlement opportunity or pass on pursuing litigation that could defray your costs—both those incurred by medical treatment and others such as lost wages. If a case goes to litigation, you will need to prove that the offending party exhibited negligence—acting in an irresponsible or careless manner. Though their negligence may seem like a foregone conclusion to you, it can be extremely difficult to prove in court. That’s where a competent personal injury lawyer can help you assemble the details into a convincing case. In New Jersey, there is a two-year statute of limitations regarding most cases of personal injury, so if you’ve been injured, it’s important to speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.

Looking to have a fresh start in the Garden State? Unfortunately, a criminal record can make it more difficult to find employment, housing, insurance, and loans. The good news is that a record of arrest or conviction can be erased and expunged. Expunging involves isolating an offense that resulted in a conviction in the State of New Jersey so that it is no longer on record and no longer discoverable. That means potential landlords, employers, lenders, and insurance policy providers will not be able to see this offense or hold it against the applicant.

In order to be eligible to have a crime from your record expunged, you must have committed no more than one indictable criminal offense in your entire lifetime—meaning, a felony that requires a preliminary hearing to determine if a grand jury is needed to assess that case. Certain crimes cannot be expunged in New Jersey, such as arson, manslaughter, rape, or treason—but take note that crimes like drug possession, burglary, weapons violations, and shoplifting are not included in this list of unforgivable crimes…so that means each and every one of these offenses can be expunged. It’s important to also note that each expungable offense has a different waiting period and set of requirements before the offender can initiate the process of eliminating it from their record. For example, those convicted of drug possession must have completed their prison time, paid their fines, and undergone a one year waiting period. On the other hand, those who have undergone an arrest that resulted in dismissal have no waiting period.

An indictable felony has a six-year waiting period, and multiple indictable felonies also have a six-year waiting period—but cannot be expunged unless they were circumstantially related. The exact process for seeking expungement is complex and best performed with the assistance of a lawyer.

automobile accident New Jersey is unique in many ways—like having the longest boardwalk in the country, and more diners (525) than any other state. But in terms of car insurance, one thing that makes New Jersey unique among states is its verbal threshold.

The New Jersey no-fault insurance system offers drivers a chance to lower their insurance premiums—but with a price. Insurance companies offer drivers in New Jersey the option of carrying insurance with a verbal threshold or a zero threshold.

The zero threshold option allows an injured driver to have an easier time getting indemnified for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. This greater flexibility in terms of compensation for damages after an accident comes with the price tag of a higher premium.

By contrast, the verbal threshold insurance option carries a less expensive monthly premium, but it also limits the indemnity options for an injured party. In fact, unless you can prove that an accident resulted in (1) death, (2) dismemberment, (3) significant disfigurement or significant scarring, (4) displaced fractures, (5) fetal loss; or (6) permanent injury, you won’t really have much recourse to recovering anything beyond economic damages (that is, the value of the vehicle).

Most drivers will not spend adequate time contemplating the full scope of restrictions that a verbal threshold insurance policy places on their rights post-accident. The no threshold option, while providing better insurance, is less appealing because of the monthly premium. If you’re unsure of what you can cover through insurance, you should consult with a Haddonfeild, NJ personal injury lawyer like those on the team of Siciliano & Associates.

But regardless of the insurance policy you selected, you still have rights and might be entitled to compensation that you are overlooking. Consulting with a personal injury attorney in Haddonfield could be all it takes to make sure you receive the indemnity that you deserve.

marijuana laws in new jersey The marijuana industry is booming, and for entrepreneurs looking to ride the wave of this latest trend, opening a marijuana dispensary can become a cash cow. But there are lots of rules and regulations around operating such a venue.

Cannabis for medical reasons has been legal in New Jersey since 2010, but not for recreational usage—though voters may soon change that. In any case, alternative treatment centers or dispensaries can supply marijuana to patients who secured the right to obtain it because of a condition like anxiety, cancer, seizures, or PTSD.

However, the dispensary business is tightly regulated in New Jersey, and when it first rolled out to the public, there were only six such dispensaries in the entire state. But in 2019, New Jersey announced plans to accept additional applications and open up 15 more dispensaries, 5 cultivation operations, and 4 vertically integrated businesses, these last of which were to include the right to grow, manufacture or process, and dispense. Currently, New Jersey wants to expand its dispensary program with 24 more alternate treatment centers.

The application fee is steep at a whopping $20,000, only $2,000 of which is refundable.

Past review committees have consisted of four representatives from the New Jersey Department of Health representatives, one from the Department of Agriculture, and one from the treasury. They received training in implicit bias before reviewing applications, and boasted a combined expertise in medical marijuana, lab testing, plant science, and supply chain.

That said, in order to have a shot at opening a dispensary in New Jersey as they continue to expand ATC offerings, you need to have cash on hand, a serious business plan, and demonstrable expertise in the aforementioned areas. It also doesn’t hurt to consult with a business lawyer in Haddonfield, NJ like one at Siciliano & Associates, who can provide guidance about the parameters of New Jersey’s tight laws around medical marijuana.

Siciliano & Associates are here to serve you. Our knowledge of municipal land use is wide and far-ranging. If you are curious about hiring Haddonfield municipal land use attorneys, you have come to the right place. Municipal jurisdictions have different requirements for taxes. That is something that you need to be informed about before making important decisions.

Municipality
A municipality is a city, town, or village that has independent governing power. Municipalities often have school districts and police forces. They are governed by city councils or an executive board. The school districts may be named after the city while remaining legally independent from it. If you are curious about doing business in a municipality, it pays to understand the local power structure. If a certain council member does not like a shopping center in his neighborhood, you want to understand that. A professional lawyer trained in the science of government can help you.

Fees and Oversight
Fees are a reality when dealing with municipalities. Some cities are increasing their fines and fees in order to financially stay fit. Noting the police jurisdiction for your area is helpful. If you encounter a criminal, you want to make sure that you turn him into the correct agency. Do not get into legal trouble without having the proper defense. Make friends with those who are encouraging businesses to settle in the town. That can yield big benefits down the road.

Siciliano & Associates want to be there for you if you are dealing with a municipal legal issue. We are skilled at discerning the problem and finding a helpful solution. If you need Haddonfield municipal land use attorneys, call us now. Our number is 856-795-0500. We offer a free initial consultation. We want you to benefit from our legal services.

municipal land lawyer Lawyers that specialize in municipal law, land use, and zoning advise real estate development contracts. These involve issues such as zoning law, permits, construction documents, and land use and building ordinances.

Municipal land use lawyers may service both private and public sectors.

Other issues in this legal practice category may be made up of a subset of environmental law, construction law, real estate law, and government contracts.

To insure your project is a success, consider hiring a municipal land use lawyer. Siciliano & Associates has an experienced legal team ready to set up a consultation to review a plan for your unique project.

Municipal law is specific to a particular borough, township, county, and city, which are all known as municipalities. Our team has over 20 years of successful client stories that continue to fuel our passion for what we do. A municipal land use attorney Haddonfield can provide support and great results.

Why Hiring a Municipal Land Use Lawyer?

Although some transactions may seem simple enough, being in charge of the fine print and negotiations of municipal land contracts can be overwhelming. It is not advised to work on municipal contracts alone.

Having legal experts on your team will make any municipal land project a challenge you’ll be glad you took.

Local Municipal Land Use Legal Experts

The legal team of Siciliano & Associates knows what lies in the confines of municipal law. We can help you make the wisest decisions by staying current on all applicable laws, codes, and standards that need to be fulfilled when carrying out municipal transactions.

Finding a municipal land use attorney Haddonfield can be the best decision you make to navigate the intricacies of municipal law. We are glad to provide legal services for you and have the resources to handle your case in a way that benefits you the most.

How to Start a Business in a Municipality