The Skeen Firm 2021 Holiday Primer

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Sure, the holiday season is great and all, but it is time for the annual Skeen Firm Holiday Primer. Your yearly gift guide of how to holiday the right and legal way. While we do not guarantee results by any means, we wish you a happy, safe, and lawyer-free holiday season.

Easy Ebenezer

The holidays are no time for misers. So, before you go full Scrooge remember that no other period of the year embodies the spirit of giving more than December. We have discussed giving and taxes in the last two holiday primers and will skip re-hashing the subject, because a broken record is a terrible record. If you need a review, though feel free to click the following links (2020 Holiday Primer and Initial Holiday Primer). Long story short, give until it hurts and then give some more!

Party Time

Holiday parties are making a comeback this year. We hope you are as excited to see colleagues, friends, and family as we are, but remember that drinking and driving is always a terrible idea. The legal limit in Pennsylvania is .08. Pennsylvania classifies DUIs into three tiers:  general impairment, high rate, and highest rate. These tiers add penalties depending on the number of offenses. When combined they determine the sentence and fines associated with a DUI. Talk about a serious buzz kill.

Heated Holiday

Holiday parties are not the only events making a comeback. Many families are preparing to resume large gatherings this year. We implore you to check your temper at the door. While you’re at it, check your politics, religion, and any other nonsense, regardless of your beliefs, at the door, too. Focus on family and fun! 

There is never a good time for a domestic issue so keep that in mind while you are attending family celebrations.  Sure, there is a lot of stress at this time in everyone’s lives. Do not let that stress escalate a situation to fisticuffs or worse.  It is safe to assume that no one wants an assault, battery (or both) case either civil or criminal as a gift this holiday season. Save that for Springer. 

Mental Miracle 

The past 20 or so months were hard on everyone. Pandemic-related stress coupled with holiday stress can show itself in a number of ways, whether through panic attacks, or withdrawal from anxiety or depression. It is especially important to pay attention to your own mental health during the holidays, but perhaps the best gift we can give is to look out for one another. Asking questions, genuinely caring, and helping your family and friends will do more for them than anything material. Like the holidays, these actions are priceless, but free.

So, as we close our annual primer we hope you enjoy one another. Please, be kind to everyone you meet. And give freely of your time and money. 

If you do not head this advice, feel free to call us at 724-550-6970 or email us at info@theskeenfirm.com. We will help you with your holiday humbugs.  

*Disclaimer: this article is for informational purposes only. It is not providing legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship.