When the first spouse passes away, whether expected or not, it’s a difficult time for the surviving spouse. Contacting family members, making funeral arrangements, and of course, the grieving process are mentally and emotionally draining. But on top of all that, there are also legal concerns to consider when a spouse passes away.

What does a surviving spouse need to do from a legal perspective? Well, it will depend on the nature of the assets owned by the deceased spouse, and it will depend on how well the couple had planned. There may be a lot of material to process, so it typically helps to prioritize.

As an update to our previous blog posts (FTC Bans Noncompetes  and  Noncompete Update), the Federal Trade Commissions' non-compete rule has been enjoined.

Just two weeks before the Federal Trade Commission's ("FTC") rule to federally ban non-competes was to go into effect (the "Final Rule"), on August 20, 2024, a Texas federal judge issued a nationwide injunction which barred the implementation of the Final Rule. The court held that the FTC lacked statutory authority to adopt the Final Rule and creation of the Final Rule was an unlawful agency action by the FTC.

Gutwein Law would like to congratulate six of its attorneys for being named to The Best Lawyers in America 2025 list. Lawyers included in the list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional knowledge and experience, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

We previously prepared a blog post to notify businesses of the new Federal Trade Commission rule banning noncompete clauses effective September 4, 2024 (“Effective Date”). While we are still watching legal challenges to the rule, if it goes into effect on the Effective Date, employers must have taken action to notify workers of unenforceable non-compete clauses before the Effective Date.

Gutwein Law is ready to help you prepare for the new rule. We have created a checklist to assist your business with analyzing existing policies and agreements and determining notice recipients. We recommend businesses consult with us to begin these preparations, draft the required notices, and coordinate the timing for sending the notices given the pending legal challenges. Please reach out to us to discuss these important preparations.

Have you met Drew Tharp yet? Drew is one of the newest addition to our real estate team. He brings years of experience, business acumen, and top-notch listening skills. In the Q&A below, you'll see why we think Drew is a perfect fit for our team and clients, alike.