General News

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    The State of New Hampshire Has Disbursed Over $223 Million in State and Federal Funds to Combat PFAS Contamination

    ByRory Parnell Hours

    The State of New Hampshire has disbursed over $223 million in state and federal fundsto combat PFAS contamination in recent years. Most of this money has been allocated towards water testing, infrastructure, and remediation, with some going to research. However, none of the money is currently being allocated to directly assist people who have been injured by PFAS with costs that are related to health issues stemming from PFAS exposure. Humans can be exposed to PFAS in a variety of ways. Much of the PFAS contaminationin NH stems from contaminated water. However, these chemicals can also be found in soil,manufacturing or chemical processing facilities, food or food packaging, and household orpersonal care products. Humans can also be exposed to PFAS by eating contaminated foods, drinking…

  • A Judgment Lien Can Land Like a Fly on Your Marital Home and Rot Your Equity

    ByAubrey Griffin Hours

    So, you’re getting divorced. It is a difficult situation, but on the positive side you and your former spouse have finally found something you can agree on, you both shouldn’t be married to each other anymore. You both negotiate a property settlement together. The judge signs the decree. You both agree that the marital home will eventually be sold, and you both will receive your fair share of the equity from that sale, and presumably everyone can then move forward with their lives after a difficult separation. Divorce decrees are certainly optimistic little documents in family law. They ask former spouses to promise, in one form or another, that each will do exactly what they agreed to do. Sell the house. Pay the debts assigned…

  • “Flying Snow Is No Accident: Jessica’s Law in New Hampshire”

    ByRory Parnell Hours

                As snow is bearing down on most of the country and is coming to New Hampshire this weekend, it is important to remember laws associated with snow. One of them is called “Jessica’s Law”. Jessica’s Law has been the law of New Hampshire for over twenty (20) years now. It is a law that requires the clearing of ice and snow off the top of a vehicle prior to driving it. The basis of the law was a tragic accident that claimed the life of Jessica Smith in 1999. A piece of ice about nine (9) feet long flew off of a tractor trailer, smashing into a box truck that veered into Jessica’s vehicle causing her death. The accident in Peterborough is not long…

  • United States Supreme Court Decides Same Sex Marriage Ruling Still Valid

    ByJessica Hanna, Clerk Hours

    The Supreme Court of the United States was recently asked to take up a request to overturn the 2015 landmark ruling granting same sex couples the right to marry, Obergefell v. Hodges. The request came on behalf of Kim Davis, a former Kentucky county clerk who gained public attention in 2015. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, Kim Davis stopped issuing marriage licenses to any couples the county she clerked in due to what she indicated was a personal religious belief that marriage is a union of one man and one woman. She has been involved in various litigation since then stemming from her denial of marriage licenses and her refusal to comply with court orders to issue marriage licenses. The most…

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    NH Supreme Court Extends Death Benefits to Widow of Worker

    ByRory Parnell Hours

    The New Hampshire (NH) Supreme Court recently addressed the tragic situation of a woman who lost her husband to cancer from his work at a firefighter.  Her husband was employed as a firefighter for nearly 20 years. He began seeking treatment for health issues in early 2019 and was eventually diagnosed with bile duct cancer. Husband submitted a report of injury to the Department of Labor. Husband’s request for Workers’ Compensation was denied by the employer. Husband did not pursue the claim any further and died in January 2020. Wife applied for death benefits in April 2020, four months after Husband’s death. She was initially denied benefits and successfully appealed the order. Wife then requested Workers’ Compensation death benefits in January 2023. The employer and…

  • New Hampshire Supreme Court Rules Sexual Assault Victims Are Time Barred from Pursuing Their Claims

    ByRory Parnell Hours

    The New Hampshire state legislature passed a law removing the statute of limitations as a defense for civil actions involving sexual assault and related offenses in 2020. The New Hampshire Supreme Court was recently asked to apply this law to revive a claim for sexual assault which was not filed prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations in place at the time. The Court determined that applying the 2020 law retroactively and using it to revive a claim for sexual assault that had expired prior to the 2020 law taking effect would violate Part I, Article 23 of the New Hampshire Constitution. For this reason, the Court declined to apply the statute to the expired claim and dismissed the case. The plaintiff filed…

  • Julia Hawthorne Named 2025 Pro Bono Rising Star

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    Parnell, Michels and McKay is proud to announce that Julia Hawthorne has been named a 2025 Pro Bono Rising Star at the New Hampshire Bar Association Mid-Year meetings. Attorney Hawthorne has been working at PMM law since graduating from law school, and practices in the employment law, personal injury and workers’ compensation fields. Attorney Hawthorne instantly gravitated towards pro bono work, and has been a steady pro bono volunteer since joining PMM law in 2021. Attorney Hawthorne has also played an integral role at the 603 Legal Aid eviction clinic as a continuous volunteer. Julia is passionate about helping others, and we are proud of her work in the community.  Congratulations Julia!  

  • 2025 Child Support Law Changes

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    Child support is one of the largest areas that our firm’s family law attorneys must address in court. Whether you are an unwed parent, or whether the parties have been married, so long as parents have minor children, the court must address the financial component of the children’s welfare. It was a long-established and continually perpetuated myth in New Hampshire that having “equal time” almost meant no obligation pay child support. The fact of the matter is that child support is a complex formula that is dependent on many factors that primarily derive from the parties’ respective incomes. While that well-trodden myth remains false, changes to the child support law in 2025 have made it a closer reality. An act signed by Governor Sununu on…

  • PMMLaw Celebrates Retirement of Long-Time Paralegal, Joanne Duval

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    Joanne Duval has been working at Parnell, Michels & McKay, and previously Michels and Michels, for almost three decades combined. As the primary bankruptcy paralegal for Nancy Michels, and estate and business planning paralegal for Carole Mansur, she was responsible for many tasks that helped make the practice function seamlessly. After a long legal career, Joanne celebrated her retirement yesterday with the PMM Law staff at local preferred establishment, Super Wok. Prior to Nancy Michels retiring, Joanne was solely responsible for all paralegal work required in PMMLaw’s bankruptcy practice. Her experience in the bankruptcy field as a paralegal was extensive, and once Nancy retired, Joanne focused the majority of her work on assisting with Estate Planning and the Business Formation practice. Joanne was also a…

  • Bike Week, Motorcycle Road Safety, and You

    ByRory Parnell Hours

    Among the many events New Hampshire is famous for, Bike Week in Laconia is surely among the most well renowned. Dating back to 1916, the Laconia Motorcycle Rally is the oldest running motorcycle rally in the world. The event draws hundreds of thousands of motorcycles to the Granite State. This week is a major tourism week for the state, and one that New Hampshire is quite proud of. Along with all of the motorcycles, you have likely seen dozens of signs reminding vehicles to watch out for motorcycles to avoid potentially fatal collisions. With hundreds of thousands of bikes on the road, interactions between cars and motorcycles become more common, and drivers need to watch out. Because Parnell, Michels & McKay can assist with motorcycle…