Mary Fetzer
Freelance writer/copy editor
I love words: reading them, writing them, decorating with them, and fixing other people's mistakes with them. I'm a freelancer from Small Town, USA, a Penn State grad, and a mom of two.
PROJECTS
stories.avvo.com
Degree, aggravation, and other criminal distinctions
On January 19, 2018, Rene Boucher was charged with felony assault for attacking his neighbor, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). The charge, brought under a federal law that covers personal injury attacks on members of Congress, superseded an earlier charge of fourth-degree misdemeanor assault, brought by the state of Kentucky. Which begs the question: What’s the difference between felony and misdemeanor assault? The same sorts of questions arise as we ponder when assault becomes aggravated assau...
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Doxing, Doxxing: No matter the spelling, it’s wrong
When someone searches for personal information about another person and then shares that information with malicious intent, they’re doxing. People dox to enact revenge, to discredit, or simply to reveal the identity of the anonymous. Anyone with an online presence runs the risk of being doxed. So, should you be worried?
Doxing Defined
The term doxing (or doxxing) is derived from the online “documents” or “docx” that identify a person, such as the individual’s real name, address, phone number,...
stories.avvo.com
Paid time off 2018: U.S. states and metros
The United States is one of the few countries worldwide that does not have a national paid sick leave policy. Some 40 million American workers are not paid for the time they take off for health reasons. In the absence of laws at the federal level, many states and cities are moving to legislate paid time off (PTO).
States with paid time off
Over the past two years, more than 30 PTO laws have been enacted across the country. But currently, only nine states and the District of Columbia require p...
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How to co-parent when you’re forbidden to talk to your ex
Divorced couples with minor children find themselves in the challenging position of parenting together, yet separately. Throw in a protection from abuse (PFA) or no-contact order, and co-parenting can seem impossible. If one parent is not permitted to have contact with the other, how can they effectively raise their children?
Protection From Abuse orders and co-parenting
A PFA order generally bans one parent from the complainant’s home and business and requires that he or she refrain from con...
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ProSource And Pantone’s 2018 Color Of The Year: A Winning Design Combination
Ultra Violet, Pantone’s color of the year for 2018, is an exciting change from the blues and greens that have dominated design over the past few years. So, don’t be intimidated by this dramatic shade or its provocative name—embrace it and make a statement with your next home design project.
A Color For The Future
The color experts at Pantone describe Ultra Violet 18-3838 as an “inventive and imaginative” hue that “communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us towa...
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Flooring Trends For 2018
Floors serve as the foundation to an interior room, creating and defining spaces. And each year, we’re presented with a growing array of innovative flooring trends. It’s difficult to pick just one – and that’s a good problem to have! If 2018 is your year for installing or replacing floors in your home, then this article is for you.
“Choosing the right colors, flooring, and designs for a space—at work or at home—in my humble opinion, is just as essential to one’s wellbeing as taking a multivit...
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New tax law 2018: Should you change your W-4?
It’s a new tax year with a new tax law. Before you rush to revise your tax withholding, find out what the tax experts say. Joshua Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax and Consulting in New York, provides excellent advice regarding the impact of the new tax laws on your withholding:
Form W-4
If it’s been a while since you started a new job, you might have forgotten about Form W-4, the paperwork that specifies the number of withholding allowances you claim on your paycheck. Those withholding allowa...
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What if your ex ignores the marriage settlement agreement?
Frank and Sandy’s contentious divorce was finalized with a marriage settlement agreement (MSA; also known as a divorce settlement agreement) that seemed to placate everyone. So, when Frank began violating the conditions of the MSA, Sandy was surprised and frustrated. How can she make sure her ex lives up to his part of the deal?
The MSA is a binding, legal contract
“A marital separation agreement is treated in Illinois as a contract,” says attorney Stuart Shiffman of FeldmanWasser a full-serv...
prosourcewholesale.com
Remodel Your Kitchen with Echelon Cabinetry and 2018 Colors of the Year
Will 2018 be the year for your kitchen renovation? If so, your timing is excellent. Brilliant color of the year options from the nation’s beloved paint and flooring companies, combined with spectacular new cabinet trends from Echelon, are the perfect ingredients for the ultimate kitchen remodel. We can’t wait to see photos of yours!
Black: Complimenting Cabinets Of Every Design Style
While Pantone is pushing bright Ultra Violet for 2018, Olympic Paint and Glidden Paint are going back to basic...
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Paid time off: What it looks like in 2018
On January 1, 2018, a slew of new paid time off (PTO) laws took effect in states across the nation. Lawmakers now acknowledge the importance of PTO in maintaining a healthy work/life balance among American workers and their families.
Paid sick leave
Connecticut was first, and Maryland just became the latest state to require paid sick time and safe leave (the latter refers to time off to deal with safety issues such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking). Washington and New York among...
stories.avvo.com
2017 divorce statistics and their stories
American family views are changing. Marriage and divorce rates have declined, while acceptance of divorce has increased. Here’s what changed in 2017.
Marriage has become less important
Young adults are delaying marriage – or opting not to marry at all. Meanwhile, cohabitation has risen, across all age groups. And Americans are less likely to believe it is important for couples who want to live together or have a child together to get married. In fact, the 2017 Avvo Relationship Study found th...
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Rohrabacher-Farr expires soon: Impact on legalized marijuana?
When the government briefly shut down on January 20, 2018, protections against federal interference in legal marijuana businesses expired right along with it. Those protections were embodied in the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, which prohibits the Department of Justice from using federal funds to interfere with state laws that legalize medical marijuana.
The amendment is back in force, thanks to the passage of a stopgap spending bill on January 22. But it’s set to expire again on February 8, 20...
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Third-gender designation: Does your state recognize it?
Not every American identifies as simply male or female. And states are beginning to realize the importance of acknowledging these individuals, respectfully and legally.
Neither male nor female
Two groups of Americans have been fighting for legal documents that better represent their identity:
Nonbinary individuals, who may consider themselves neither exclusively male nor exclusively female, or may experience their gender as both male and female. A nonbinary individual may or may not identify ...
stories.avvo.com
Sessions’ striking of Cole Memorandum might be a harsh hit for legal marijuana
Just days after California began selling legal recreational pot, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions unleashed federal prosecutors to more aggressively enforce federal marijuana laws. What does the announcement mean for the cannabis legalization movement?
Rescinding the Cole Memorandum
Marijuana has long been illegal under federal law. But since 1996, when California passed the first law allowing the use of medical marijuana, a growing number of states have legalized and regulated the sale an...
stories.avvo.com
Post-Christmas breakup: Who keeps the gifts?
You and your significant other went all out on Christmas gifts. But now the relationship is over, and you want those expensive presents back. Do you have a legal leg to stand on, or is a gift a gift forever?
From a legal perspective, it all comes down to intent
“The general rule – although state law will vary to some degree – is that gifts of tangible personal property become owned by the recipient,” says John C. Hoelle, co-founding attorney mediator and couples mediator of Conscious Family L...