Category: General

Cook Craig & Francuzenko is pleased to announce that partners John C. Cook and Broderick C. Dunn were named to the Super Lawyers® 2020 list.   Super Lawyers® is a rating service by Thomson Reuters, selecting outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and personal… Continue reading John C. Cook and Broderick C. Dunn Named to 2020 Super Lawyer’s List

As the unemployment lines grow by the thousands each day, people are unable to make their rent and mortgage payments, let alone their support obligations.   The courts are currently closed, and even if they were open, judges will not throw people in jail for not making their support obligation due to the loss of… Continue reading Covid-19 and its Effect on Spousal and Child Support

When was the last time your reviewed your will, Trust, Power of Attorney and Advanced Medical Directive? Last year? Five years ago? Was it 10 years? Not since signing them? Or maybe you don’t have estate planning documents? When our clients execute their estate planning document they often ask that question: “When should I review them?”… Continue reading Reviewing Your Estate Planning Documents

On April 11, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam signed yet another bill which fundamentally changes the employment law landscape in the Commonwealth of Virginia. HB798 is a comprehensive whistleblower protection law which prevents an employer from discharging, disciplining, threatening, discriminating against, or penalizing an employee because he or she:   Reports a violation of any federal or state law or… Continue reading Virginia Enacts Sweeping Whistleblower Protection Law

Saturday April 11 was a great day for employee rights in Virginia as Governor Northam signed the SB 868, the Virginia Values Act, into law.   The Virginia Values Act not only prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sexual identity in employment and public accommodations, it also creates a state court cause of action for discrimination on… Continue reading Huge Day for Employee Rights in Virginia

There has been a surge in domestic violence throughout the country over the past month. COVID-19 is a playground for batterers who can isolate their spouse or partner from their family, friends, and doctors. Victims are afraid to go to the hospital in fear of catching the virus.   Between March 30 and April 4,… Continue reading The Hidden Danger of COVID-19 Domestic Violence

The Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Bar Association have confirmed our firm’s reading of Governor Northam’s Stay at Home Order, which is that law offices may stay open under certain restrictions. Governor Northam’s Executive Orders 53 and 55 provide that professional services, including law firms, are permitted to remain open during the Stay-At-Home Order in effect until June… Continue reading Professional Services and Law Firms Permitted to Operate During Stay at Home Orders

The best estate plans includes the adoption of a robust Advanced Medical Directive (AMD). AMDs are legally binding documents that provide direction into your personal healthcare decisions and often focus on end of life decisions – when you cannot make those decisions yourself. An AMD is a Living Will and a Health Care Power of… Continue reading Should Your 18 Year Old Have an Advanced Medical Directive?

These are unprecedented times for both employers and employees. To provide some clarity, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recently provided guidance on common workplace issues that employers and employees face when responding to COVID-19 and its effects on wages and hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and job protected… Continue reading COVID-19 and the Workplace