Articles Posted in Legal Blog

After 18 months of rehabbing the old Masonic Lodge in downtown Chester, the law office of Chadwick Spensley & Fox is pleased to announce that the general practice branch is officially open for business. “It’s been a labor of love,” said Senior Partner, Evan Chadwick.  “The support we have gotten from the town has been…

Citing a record number of discrimination complaints in 2024, the Vermont Human Rights Commission has requested an additional $900,000 in funds to combat their heavy caseload. Enacted in 1987 by statute, the Human Rights Commission was formed to protect indivudals from discrimination, resolve disputes between parties involving discrimination and to serve as an educator of…

It is well known throughout the State of Vermont that real estate taxes are going up. A combined educational and, in many towns, a municipal tax hike, will likely see taxes rise over 10% in the next tax year. Add to this the soaring values of real estate in Vermont and many homeowners may be…

An Enhanced Life Estate Deed also referred to as a Lady Bird Johnson Deed (courtesy of President Lyndon Johnson) has served an important role in many Vermont landowner’s estate plan for many years. The basic premises of an ELED is to convey property to a third party (often children or grandchildren) that reserves all rights…

The frustration for many propective Vermont homebuyers has become readily apparent as elevated interest rates persevere and the housing supply remains low. The Wall Street Journal has recently reported that 2023 home sales are on track for the slowest year since 2011. Given this trend, those who have been holding off on making an offer…

After an investigation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts discovered that breathalyzers were not calibrated properly, 27,000 individuals with DUI convictions and guilty pleas now find themselves in a position to have their case reevaluated – without the false evidence. According to the court, there was “egregious government misconduct” performed over an almost 8 year span…

Vermont has recently updated its rules to both the witnessing of wills, under S. 316, and rent escrow hearings under S. 114. Changes have also been made to court procedures making it easier for defendants to waive their personal appearance before the court in some matters. DUI civil suspension hearings are also delayed during the…

Four days after posting a viral video regarding citizens failing to take the coronavirus seriously, Detroit bus driver. Jason Hargrove, passed away from complications brought on by his contraction of the coronavirus. Hargrove had been a long time employee of the Detroit pubic transit system when he was allegedly coughed on by a passenger of…

The COVID-19 outbreak has produced uncertainty across the spectrum, including legal uncertainty for how the American’s With Disability Act, or ADA, is affected by the ongoing situation. Both employers and employees should know that the ADA protects individuals who have an impairment affecting their ability to perform a major life activity from discrimination in both…

As the global emergency expands and moves closer to home, hospitals in nearby Boston and New York have become crowded, creating a need to build makeshift facilities and request more supplies as protective equipment and ventilators become scarce.  Along with the supply chain depletion and overcrowding, as we have seen in the news from around…