Maryland Lawyer Blog

Under Maryland law, the safety and well-being of the child are the primary considerations in any custody determination. This includes protecting the child from exposure to domestic violence. Domestic violence is defined under Maryland law as any act of abuse committed against a current or former spouse, a cohabitant, or a person with whom the abuser has had a child. …
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Standing up to a big life insurance company is a daunting task. It seems simple enough – your family member or loved one had a life insurance policy, they died, the insurance company refuses to pay the benefits, so a court should hold them liable for breach of contract. But, litigating even the most basic of claims is rarely straightforward …
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Before filing a lawsuit to litigate a life insurance dispute, it is a good idea to know whether you have standing to bring the action in the first place. This article examines the difference between intended beneficiaries and incidental beneficiaries. This is important because only an intended beneficiary may sue a life insurance company for failing to pay benefits under …
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Life insurance claims usually arise from allegations that a claim was wrongfully denied. But, USAA recently settled a class-action lawsuit alleging that it overcharged its customers. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, and is captioned Spegele v. USAA Life Insurance Company, No. 5:17-cv-00967. Breach of Contract: Unfair Charges On September …
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We live in a divided country. Everything is political. It seems that no one can agree on anything, and every disagreement is evidence of racism or some other form of hate. It is almost as if there are two football teams, and half the country supports one and the other half supports the other, mindlessly, as if they were indoctrinated …
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On June 24, 2021, the owners of a small business in Lebanon, Ohio filed a lawsuit against the city’s mayor, alleging she violated their constitutional right to free speech by blocking them from her personal Facebook page. According to the Complaint, Mayor Amy Brewer used the Facebook page for “official communications” and thus the page was “inextricably linked to the …
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We are excited to announce the grand opening of our new law office location in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Located right by York Road in northern Baltimore County, the new office is located at: Law Office of Jason Ostendorf LLC201 International CircleSuite 230Hunt Valley, MD 21030Tel. 410.891.5624 “This move is a great expansion for us,” stated Jason Ostendorf, the firm’s owner. …
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Be careful if you enjoy a morning espresso in the comfort of your home. LoHi Tech issued a recall of its SOWTECH Espresso Machines with Glass Carafes. If you purchased these machines with model number CM6811, you should stop using the product immediately, and contact the company for a carafe replacement. What Happened? What Should I Do? Will I Get …
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Imagine you are hiking deep in the wilderness. As you are breathing in fresh mountain air, and taking in the beauty around you, you step on a twig that snaps loudly. You then hear the unmistakable sound of a bear roar, and see bushes start to rustle 50 feet in front you. Out of the clearing comes charging an angry …
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As courts reopen amid the Covid-19 vaccine rollout and falling case fatality rates, they are now wrestling with the question of whether to require jurors to get the vaccine in order to be eligible for jury duty. So far, at least one court has mandated juror vaccination. At Least One Court Has Required Juror Vaccination On June 14, 2021, Judge …
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