Our December 2015 Client Newsletter

Share Your Best Lawyer Joke

What’s better than a good lawyer joke? How about winning a pair of tickets to the first New England Patriots home playoff game this year? Now you can combine these two favorite pastimes in Brooks & Crowley’s new contest.

How can you win? It’s simple – by submitting the most-liked lawyer joke!

Here’s all you need to do for a chance to win a pair of great lower level sideline seats:

1. Visit our website. Enter your name and email information, and click the link to go our Facebook page. Click to “like” our page and then submit your best lawyer joke.
2. Encourage your friends and family to “like” your joke.

The joke with the most “likes” wins the Patriots Tickets! This contest ends at 6:00 PM on January 5, 2016.

We will try not to take the jokes personally. (We like to think we’ve heard them all but we’ll see)! Only one entry per person is allowed, so make it a good one!

The Wild Card playoff games will be played January 10, 2016 and if the Pats earn a bye for that round, the Divisional Round will be played on January 16, 2016. Hopefully, Julian Edelman will be back by then.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Boston – everywhere you go. Looking for ideas on how you can revel in the festiveness of the city? Here are eight ideas for some traditional and not-so-traditional things you can do in Boston this holiday season, from our friends at Boston.com:

1. Take your own Christmas tree light tour
It seems like everywhere you turn in Boston, you can’t help but find another tree decked out in holiday lights. So channel your inner Buddy the Elf and take a stroll to see some of the biggies: Copley Square, Boston Common, and Faneuil Hall (and don’t miss the Blink! light and sound extravaganza while you’re there) to name a few. In the mood for something a bit more unconventional? Head to the Liberty Hotel’s main lobby to view their upside-down decorated trees.

2. Get your ‘Nutcracker’ on’ but not the classic kind
Celebrating its 13th season, Anthony Williams’ Urban Nutcracker provides a twist on the holiday ballet you have come to know. Think classic Nutcracker with a Duke Ellington jazz spin. It’s a mix of the traditional ballet with a blend of hip hop, swing, jazz, step, and a few other surprises.

3. Step back in time with a not-so-average rendition of A Christmas Carol
Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim have become synonymous with the Christmas season. And Victorian-Era Englishman Thomas Hutchinson portrayed by Actor Al LePage brings all 26 ”A Christmas Carol’s” characters to life at the OMNI Parker House Hotel on Dec. 14.

4. Dress Fido in his holiday finest to strike a pose with Santa
Even our four-legged friends deserve a chance to let Santa know what they want this year. Head to your local Boston-area PetSmart Dec. 14 for their annual Santa Claws in-store photo opportunity. Make sure you bring your camera to capture that perfect shot for your holiday card. Another plus: If you donate $5 at the register, your contribution will benefit local animal welfare groups.

5. Don your “unique” holiday sweater
There’s no shortage of ugly holiday sweater events around Boston this season. So open up your closet and throw on the brightest, most festive sweater you can find before heading to one of the many parties thrown in honor of this special piece of attire-like the Spirit of Boston’s cocktail cruise on Dec. 12.

6. Indulge your sweet tooth
Let’s face it: During the holidays, many of us treat ourselves a bit more than normal when it comes to sweet treats. So why not get out and celebrate all things chocolate in the city at Taza’s annual holiday fiesta shopping event on Dec. 14 and 15. Sample delights from various shops, including Sweet Lydia’s, Privateer Rum, Doves & Figs, and MEM Tea Imports. Both days will include free hot chocolate from Taza’s Chococyle and savory snacks from Latin Spoon food truck.

7. Listen to the sounds of the season for FREE
There are a slew of free musical entertainment options this season, including the Downtown Boston Brass strolling quartet or Berklee College Twilight Carolers, who perform for free around Boston’s downtown area throughout the season.

8. Pen a letter to Santa and support a great cause
Macy’s “Letters to Santa” campaign is running now through Dec. 24 at all local Macy’s. For every stamped letter received for jolly old St. Nick, Macy’s will contribute $1 to Make-A-Wish of America (up to $1 million). Letter stations can be found at every Macy’s retail store throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Source: Boston.com

At some point in your life, you’ve almost certainly heard the term, “honesty is the best policy.” Well, truer words have never been spoken than when it comes to auto accident cases.

If you lie or are deceptive to your attorney or to the insurance company about prior injuries, the extent of your current injuries, your medical history, your criminal record, or any other number of issues, at the very least you are going to significantly hurt your accident case or you may completely ruin any chance you had of collecting damages for your injuries.

We live in the information age. Insurance companies have access to tons of information about you – what injuries you’ve had in the past, any lawsuits you’ve filed, prior claims involving injuries, accidents, etc., and they are very good at finding details that bolster their case and hurt yours. Plus, between the internet and social media, insurance companies now have even more info at their disposal (yes, they can and do regularly check sites like Facebook to see what you are up to).

So, be upfront with your attorney. Tell him or her about prior events – warts and all – at the beginning of a case so that there can be a plan in place right from the start to deal with any problematic information that might exist about you. Surprises are never good for you or your case.

Also, make sure that you are as accurate and truthful as possible when filling out any medical forms (like the ones you would fill out at your doctor’s office). We’ve seen cases ruined because an accident victim forgot to disclose a prior injury or exaggerated their current ones.

When looking for a new home, it is helpful to consider how much house you really need. Many people go for the biggest house they can afford, but this sometimes results in owning rooms and spaces that go barely used.

A small place can have its advantages. First, it takes a lot less time to clean and maintain so you will have more time to do other things. Second, it uses a lot less energy to heat or cool so you will save money on utility bills (and leave less of a carbon footprint). Third, it encourages you to declutter and get rid of your junk simply because you do not have enough space for it. Finally, the cost of a smaller home is usually less, so you will save money on taxes and insurance. The bottom line is that a smaller home can save you quite a bit of money over the long term, and also uses less energy.

The challenge of living in a small house is that you will really need to simplify your lifestyle. You probably will not have room for a large sectional couch, so you will need to make do with smaller furnishings. An expansive gourmet kitchen probably will not fit, but a standard size stove and oven will. While not for everyone, having a small place encourages people to use their space more efficiently.