unfair litigation

Personal Injury Law
Do You Know What To Do If Your Grandma Gets Run Over By a Reindeer?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices December 22, 2023August 15, 2025
It’s Christmas Eve and your lovely grandmother, Susan Jackenheimer, was walking home during a light snow storm. Out of nowhere a massive red sleigh came up behind her and ran her over. Leading the sleigh were eight reindeer, and a jolly large man yelling “Ho! Ho! Ho!” was behind the wheel. Sadly, you found poor Grandma lying face down in the snow, hoof prints on her forehead, and footprints all over her back. While you wonder if the old man driving the sleigh has had a recent eye exam for his license, you are left with trying to help your grandmother recover from her injuries. She has been diagnosed with a significant concussion syndrome and her back is in excruciating pain. She is worried about…
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Estate Planning | Family Law | Probate Law
You May Not Want to Transfer Your Assets into Your Adult Child’s Name
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices November 8, 2023August 15, 2025
Many elderly persons consider putting their assets in their children’s names to bypass probate. While there can be valid tax reasons to transfer some assets while you are alive, there are many reasons why this may not be a good idea. Gifting assets to an adult child may create tax issues. Currently, when you give someone other than your spouse more than $17,000 in one year, you may need to file a gift tax return. Also, assets passing to adult children in probate or through a trust after your death are transferred to your beneficiaries with a stepped-up basis. In other words, a stepped-up basis means that your children’s basis for tax purposes would be the value of the asset upon your date of death….
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General Litigation | Personal Injury Law | Workers Compensation Law
How will my settlement be taxed after a personal injury, worker’s compensation, or employment case?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices October 27, 2023August 15, 2025
Our clients who receive settlement payments often have questions about how these settlement payments will be taxed, or if they will be taxed at all. While our firm does not practice tax law, and we always advise our clients to discuss these matters with an experienced accountant or tax preparation service, this article discusses the general rules for taxation of settlement payments in the areas of law our firm practices. Taxation in personal injury cases is simple: you will not pay taxes on a personal injury settlement in almost all circumstances. The IRS does not tax settlement money for personal injury claims because these funds are intended to make an injured person whole again. In other words, the federal government does not consider settlement of…
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Family Law | General Litigation
What is dognapping and is it any different from general theft?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices October 19, 2023August 15, 2025
Written by Shea Briody Surprisingly, New Hampshire is one of the 15 states who have statutes for dognapping. Traditionally, dognapping has gone under the general crime of theft, which when defined means when a person intentionally takes another person’s property without their consent. Under New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) it is enumerated under Title LVII, Chapter 367-Theft, Section 637:2-Definitions. Dognapping, however, is listed as a person intentionally taking someone’s dog without consent. As dognapping has become an increasing problem, states are still in development of specific laws regarding dognapping. So, in the meantime, legislation has put dognapping under the category of larceny. By definition, larceny is illegally taking away someone else’s property with intent to deprive said person of that property. In a dognapping…
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Family Law
What is the Attorney-Client Privilege?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices October 10, 2023August 15, 2025
Many people come to our office for their initial consultation and bring a friend or family member with them. While this makes sense to most people, to provide another set of eyes and ears, and also, to provide support and encouragement, it would violate the attorney-client privilege. The attorney-client privilege protects confidential communications between a lawyer and their client that relates to the reason the client consulted with the attorney. The privilege extends to all information exchanged during the communication including verbal discussions, written letters, emails, text messages, etc. If a client has confidential communications with an attorney, that communication is protected and cannot be disclosed by the attorney to anyone. Likewise, the client cannot be forced to disclose the confidential communication to anyone either….
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Family Law | General Litigation | Personal Injury Law
I feel I was wronged in trial court, can I file an appeal to the Supreme Court?
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices September 29, 2023August 15, 2025
The words “appeal” are prevalent in our society today. Typically, following a flashy criminal trial, or much publicized civil one, the losing lawyer states they’re “going to appeal”. Most people assume that appeals occur as a matter of course or that they are automatic. This is incorrect. In New Hampshire, parties need to file what is called a notice of appeal and comply with several other trial court and Supreme Court rules to effectively commence an appeal. On their face, notice of appeals appear to be easy. The Court’s form requires basic information about the trial court, dates of hearings, parties, and some other obvious information. However, while they are relatively easy to file, parties need to take care in preparing their filing. First what…
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