Category Archives: Blog

It is not your fault when it comes to abuse.

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Domestic Abuse Domestic abuse is a serious issue that should always be taken seriously and addressed. Even still, it is difficult topic that makes many people uncomfortable. People are often reluctant to confront the fact that their friends, family or even themselves are abusers. Even when showing concern for friends or family members they believe may be victims, they are quick to accept assurances that everything is alright. Domestic abuse thrives in silence and can frequently be easily concealed in intimate relationships. Regrettably, it is also not uncommon in our society and is often present in the family law cases Continue Reading…

Social Media and Evidence Admissibility

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            Social media and its various platforms may be a newer concept in the history of the world, existing for about fifteen years, but it’s been around long enough that the dangers and downsides are quite apparent. There are countless recent examples of old tweets, Facebook comments, Instagram photos, and other postings, coming back to haunt the poster. Whether it be offensive content, incriminating photos, or other posts, it seems every week there is a different athlete, celebrity, or other famous person being taken to task for their questionable social media posts and content. Whether or not this scrutiny is Continue Reading…

Divorce Law and The Case of the Embryo.

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Divorce Law and The Case of the Embryo. In most divorces, the two main areas of concern are addressing the custody of any children and dividing any property the parties own. It seems obvious that these two areas do not generally overlap, but with advances in reproductive technology, there is the potential for overlap in regards to frozen embryos. Key questions revolving around embryos are being litigated in Michigan courts that could have far reaching repercussions involving the future of frozen embryos in divorce matters. Laws are often reactive in nature and evolve to address issues as they …come up… Continue Reading…

The Attorney’s Billable Hour.

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The Billable Hour Law firms have different methods of charging for their services. Some may offer flat fees, some rely on contingent fees where they are only compensated for their work if they win, but the most common way law firms charge is by the billable hour. What is universal among law firms though, is a fee agreement outlining the terms of their retention. As a client it is important to understand the fee agreement and understand your financial obligations under that agreement when retaining an attorney. Fee agreements usually outline billing practices of each firm and break down the Continue Reading…

PRISM program

When children are interviewed in legal matters

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Often we have client’s who wonder, why doesn’t the court want to talk to my child or why aren’t my child’s words taken seriously.  As we all know, even for adults, interviews conducted in a legal context are often a stressful undertaking for anyone who must go through the process, but this fact is especially true for children. Whether it be in a custody case, a criminal proceeding, or a civil dispute, the underdeveloped child mind can find it difficult to understand exactly what is happening or the reasons behind why they have been put in the position they find Continue Reading…

Banking Laws and Marijuana

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The recreational use of marijuana has become much more accepted in recent years, so far gaining legality in ten states, among these Michigan as of the recent midterm elections. While many states have opted for the legalization of recreational marijuana use, it is still illegal under federal law, leading to a variety of issues for the marijuana industry. The most important among these is the refusal from the bank industry to work with marijuana businesses, forcing most marijuana businesses to operate entirely in cash. Although marijuana businesses are able to operate legally in many states, the banking institutions are not Continue Reading…

workplace of the future

Happy New Year, even during the holidays we know communication is the key to happy clients

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While most lawyers do enjoy having a life outside of the office and would like to put their work aside, even if just for an evening, sometimes lawyers can put work off too long. Minor things like responding to emails and returning phone calls can be problematic. Kristen D. Hardy hits on this “Email Decorum: No Excuses” an article appearing in the July/August 2018 issue of Wisconsin Lawyer. As Ms. Hardy points out, we are as connected as ever, but often times it does not seem that way because of such lapses in communication. Obviously we are all looking to Continue Reading…

Keeping Perspective with Difficult Clients

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4 Types of Challenging Clients This article was great to read and we do have these clients in our office. But it is okay. In the article the 4 Types of Challenging Clients, Chris Hargreaves identifies four types of clients who make an attorney’s job more difficult and make a clients’ case costlier. Here at Kathryn Wayne-Spindler and Associates, we recognize the stress our clients are under. It is therefore understandable that our clients want to be as involved in the legal process as possible, whether it be to reduce costs or to come up with unique ideas to resolve their cases. Continue Reading…

Women in the Law

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A Trailblazing Journey: From Sarah Killgore Wertman to Today In their article, A Trailblazing Journey: From Sarah Killgore Wertman to Today, Kristina Bilowus and Nicole M. Smithson discuss the trailblazers who have made the legal field more accessible to and accepting of female attorneys. The article begins with a discussion of Sarah Killgore Wertman, the first woman admitted to practice law in Michigan and goes on to discuss the role of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (WLAM) in advancing the interests of female attorneys in Michigan. The article also identifies other major trailblazers such as former WLMA president Judge Continue Reading…

Changing Policy on the Use of Assistance Animals

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In recent years, policy surrounding assistance animals has been cast into the public spotlight. This is, in most part, due to the increasing trend of certifying animals that do not fulfill an actual service role. As reported in the July 2018 edition of the Michigan Bar Journal, the term assistance animal is a wider umbrella term encompassing service animals, therapy animals, and emotional support animals. Every type of assistance animals’ purpose is to assist its owner with a disability, whether it be mental or physical. The differences between these types of assistance animals come down to the exact role they Continue Reading…