The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.
This new and comprehensive book will give you exactly what you need to understand and comply with the law. It provides an overview of the provisions for the new Bankruptcy Reform Act including new sanctions provisions in Chapter 7 cases; regulation of attorneys as debt relief agencies; heightened requirements for reaffirmation agreements.
"This pamphlet is for federal employees or their spouses who want general information about how their retirement and insurance can be affected by a court order related to a divorce or separation"--P. 1.
Dividing Pensions in Divorce: Negotiating and Drafting Safe Settlements with QDROs and Present Values provides an expert chronological analysis on every important issue regarding Qualified Domestic Relations Orders and present values. Don't lose thousands of dollars in assets by being fooled by incomplete and inaccurate pension present values - Dividing Pensions in Divorce will help you: Understand complex present value issues Draft airtight QDROs that maximize your clientsand’ property rights Prepare for trial with detailed guidance on a host of commonly litigated issues And more! Written by Gary Shulman, David Kelley and Daniel Kelley, nationally recognized pension experts with more than 60 years of combined pension and actuarial experience, Dividing Pensions in Divorce delivers proven techniques and strategies the authors have honed in drafting and reviewing over 100,000 QDROs and 80,000 present values. Benefit from their experience with: Clear, straightforward explanations of over 300 points of law, including disability pensions, the role of Social Security in dividing pensions, survivorship rights, early retirement subsidies, the coverture formula, and more Winning strategies for complying with even the most complex legal, regulatory, and legislative requirements State-of-the-art model QDROs you can easily adapt to your own cases Step-by-step analysis of how a present value is calculated Case studies, attorney's checklists, and sample questions for opposing experts And much more! Dividing Pensions in Divorce protects you with specific advice organized chronologically from the first client interview, through the discovery process and the preparation and drafting of the settlement agreements, QDROs and present values.The authors provide you with precise language, model forms and letters as well as the best (and time-tested) model QDROs in the business. Dividing Pensions in Divorce will give you the confidence to handle any challenging pension issue. It will soon be second-nature for you to: Craft a safe settlement agreement for your client that secures your client's pension benefit entitlements Argue the major pension and 401(k) issues so that your negotiations are convincing to the other side - and the court - as reasonable, fact and standard-based conclusions Understand and draft the critical language that should be included in every separation agreement Demystify the world of QDROs by reviewing the seven essential areas every QDRO must address And much more! Dividing Pensions in Divorce has been updated to include: A new discussion of the importance of getting the plan name right in your QDRO Advice on how to avoid career-tripping mistakes in present values Help in deciding whether a PBGC, IRC and§ 417(e), or other pension present value method is appropriate in your case New questions and detailed reasoning to challenge both PBGC and IRC and§ 417(e) present values New insights and case law into how to fight the double-dipping of pensions New and§ 22.25 that presents adiscussion on the topic of administrators' placing holds on participants' accounts upon receipt of andquot;Draftandquot; QDROs Revised model QDROs for defined contribution plans, addressing the commencement of benefits for the alternate payee New tax tables that will enable you to determine the tax implications of dividing a defined benefit or defined contribution plan A revised discussion on dividing railroad retirement plans to show attorneys how to guarantee payments to the
Distilled from years of Fortune 500 consulting practice, Shulman's administrative tools and techniques in Qualified Domestic Relations Order Handbook help plan administrators streamline the entire QDRO review and compliance process, while cutting the risk of errors, penalties, and litigation. They include model policies and procedures, review checklists, staff training cases, and more. Contains new models and guidelines for drafting airtight QDROs that speed approval, maximize your clients' rights, and steer you through the malpractice minefields of ERISA and the IRC. Author Gary Shulman begins with QDRO basics, then dissects the key elements of defined contribution and defined benefits plans. He walks you through the preparation of QDROs for different plans and conditions -- using tested models and sample language. An entire chapter highlights 17 crucial malpractice traps, followed by checklists, attorney Q&A, and tips on working proactively with plan administrators.