Solo Small Firm & General Practice Section | State Bar of Wisconsin

The Solo Small Firm & General Practice Section’s central purpose is to enhance the quality of practice for the solo and small firm lawyer, as well as the lawyer who has interests beyond the bounds of a single professional practice area. The section sponsors CLE seminars, produces CLE seminars, and publishes a newsletter.​​​

The State Bar of Wisconsin offers its members the opportunity to network with other lawyers who share a common interest through its 24 sections. Learn more at http://www.wisbar.org/groups.

Website: https://www.wisbar.org/forMembers/Groups/Sections/SoloSmallFirmandGeneralPracticeSection/pages/home.aspx
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Evan Y. Lin
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Latest from Solo Small Firm & General Practice Section | State Bar of Wisconsin

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4, 2025, by President Trump. OBBBA represents a significant recalibration of the federal tax framework with direct and lasting consequences for estate planning.

At its core, OBBBA extends or makes permanent many of the tax cuts originally enacted under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), but stopping there misses the point. OBBBA not only locks in the TCJA’s framework – it adds additional

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Continue Reading The Impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on Estate Planning

I imagine a lot of you got into law for the same reason I did – I wanted to help people and make a decent living while doing it. It hasn’t always been easy, whether it is a difficult client or a difficult issue.

Now, after 37 years of practice, I’m preparing to retire with one clear certainty: we are better lawyers when we’re not alone.

I’ve been thinking about what made the difference over these decades. It wasn’t

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Continue Reading We Are Better Lawyers When We’re Not Alone

Ultimately, every business will close. All businesses fail eventually.

In March 2025, the oldest business in North America filed bankruptcy. Hudson’s Bay Company, incorporated May 2, 1670, filed under the Canadian equivalent of Chapter 11. They quickly determined that it would not be able to put forth a viable restructuring plan and entered into liquidation. In June 2025, after 355 years, all its retail stores closed.

General Motors was one of the largest industrial companies in the world.

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Continue Reading Bankruptcy Isn’t the End: Tools Lawyers Can Use to Help Business Clients Rebuild

FinCEN (the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) is a subdivision of the U. S. Department of the Treasury and is tasked with combating money laundering and other financial crimes.

Recently, FinCEN made headlines related to their proposed rule that would have instituted stringent beneficial ownership reporting requirements for many U.S. companies and their attorneys, accountants, and advisors. However, following strenuous objections to the proposed rule, FinCEN ultimately exempted U.S. companies from the reporting requirements.

FinCEN is now back with a

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Continue Reading FinCEN’s New Real Estate Reporting Rule: More Traps for the Unwary

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world in many ways, including how we work. In the five-plus years since then, the number of employees working remotely has dramatically increased. By some estimates, the number of remote workers has tripled or even quadrupled since 2019. This is often framed as a benefit for the workers, giving them flexibility and convenience.

Yet, the flexibility of remote work can benefit the employer, too. The available labor pool is no longer necessarily limited to

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Continue Reading Personal Jurisdiction in Wisconsin Employer Lawsuits Against Remote Workers

In rural communities and solo practice settings, it is not uncommon for attorneys to face unique challenges in accessing current, comprehensive legal research tools and support. Even with expanding digital availability, access to comprehensive legal databases remains cost-prohibitive for many solo or small firms.
Jody L. Cooper headshot Jody L. Cooper, Marquette 1995, is an attorney with Turke & Steil LLP, in Janesville, where she focuses on collections and estate planning manners.

Yet in Wisconsin, solo and small firm practitioners – particularly

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Continue Reading Off the Beaten Path, But Never Alone: Leveraging Wisconsin's Law Libraries

Most bankruptcy attorneys have settled claims or debts being asserted against our clients. We try to get the best settlement, which is usually the least amount for our client to pay. Clients appreciate that. They want to save money. But, when the same client later gets an income tax bill (1099) for the amount of debt forgiven, we may have some explaining to do.
David Krekeler headshot
J. David Krekeler, U.W. 1979, is the principal of
Krekeler Strother, S.C., Madison,

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Continue Reading Helping Your Clients Understand the Tax Consequences of Settling Debt

Wis. Stat. chapter 704 and Wis. Admin. Code chapter ATCP 134 govern landlord tenant law in Wisconsin. However, municipalities throughout Wisconsin have enacted their own ordinances that create variations in the Wisconsin statutes and administrative code.

It is important to understand local ordinances when practicing landlord tenant law in Wisconsin. These variances may provide additional protections to tenants or require specific procedures for landlords or tenants in relation to disputes regarding the rented premises.
An Example: Repairs
Repairs at

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Continue Reading Variations in the Legal Rights of Residential Landlords and Tenants

The outlook for 2025 tax policy in the U.S. can be characterized as a series of “known unknowns.” We are only a few weeks into President Trump’s second term, and these weeks have felt like an eternity for those of us paying attention to the happenings and discourse coming out of Washington. After these first few weeks, we undoubtedly know that 2025 will be a year of sweeping policy changes. What is unknown, though, is what those policy changes

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Continue Reading Estate Planning in Uncertain Times

Discovering an undisclosed problem shortly after moving into a newly purchased house can be an aggravating experience for a new homeowner.

It is particularly frustrating for the homeowner who obtained a pre-purchase inspection as part of the house purchase. When the basement of the house begins to experience water intrusion after every rain, the homeowner begins to theorize that the home inspector negligently overlooked critical signs during the inspection.

Kevin Trost headshot

Kevin Trost, U.W. 1998, is the founding member of

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Continue Reading What Home Inspectors Aren’t Legally Responsible for May Surprise You

A recent appellate court opinion out of New Jersey, McGinty v. Zheng (Sept. 20, 2024), which addressed issues surrounding arbitration agreements in the context of personal injury claims, sparked my interest.

The McGinty case is a pivotal example of how courts are interpreting arbitration agreements in the digital age, and serves as a significant reminder for lawyers about the enforceability of arbitration clauses and the implications of user agreements in digital platforms.

Teresa Kobelt headshot

Teresa Kobelt, U.W. 1988, is an

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Continue Reading A New Jersey Case and the Insidiousness of Arbitration Agreements

A recent Wisconsin Court of Appeals case complicates residential leases by applying the Wisconsin Consumer Act (WCA) to residential leases and uniquely calculating pecuniary loss under Wis. Stat. section 100.20(5) for a violation of Wis. Admin. Code § ATCP 134.08(10).

The case is Koble Investments v. Marquardt.1 A petition to review the decision is currently pending before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Landlords and tenants alike should be aware of its holding, as it has the potential to significantly

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Continue Reading Koble Investments, the Wisconsin Consumer Act, and Residential Leases

The discharge of federal student loans through bankruptcy is likely reaching its highest point since 1978. This is due to the introduction of federal guidance that outlines the necessary facts for obtaining a discharge federal student loans in bankruptcy. A Brief History of Student Loans in Bankruptcy Prior to the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 (Act), borrowers could discharge their federal student loans through bankruptcy. The Act, in addition to fundamentally revamping the practice of bankruptcy in the United

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Continue Reading ‘Hopelessness’ Reimagined: Discharging Federal Student Loans in Bankruptcy Under the Federal Guidance

Farm bankruptcies are down. Way down. The Numbers Wisconsin
led the nation in Chapter 12 reorganization cases in 2017, 2018, and 2020.
But no more. This reduction in filings is not limited to Wisconsin, however.
Chart 1, based on data from
uscourts.gov, shows Chapter 12 filings nationwide over the last five years.​


A graph of a number of green bars
Chart 1: National Chapter 12 filings, 2019-23, from a high of 599 in 2019 to 139 in 2023.
Source: uscourts.gov. Click on image to

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Continue Reading Farm Bankruptcies Reach Record Low

attorney shares a laugh with an elderly client
As attorneys, we should be familiar with our ethical duties to communicate with clients under SCR 20:1.4. However, how are those duties impacted when the client has diminished capacity? When an impaired client has bona fide civil claims, what steps must an attorney take to ensure the client’s best interests are considered? What rules exist in the Wisconsin statutes that offer protection for such clients? Imagine that someone contacts your office and explains a factual scenario that seems likely

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Continue Reading Representing Clients with Diminished Capacity in Civil Litigation

In rural Wisconsin, attorneys face distinctive obstacles including inadequate access to resources and overburdened calendars (often due to travel).

For attorneys with offices in secluded or rural locations, covering extensive territories to serve their clients and managing multiple duties is essential to maintain their legal practice. Skillfully managing business costs is crucial. Client appointments and court dates necessitate appearances. Leveraging the skills of competent legal assistants can significantly mitigate these hurdles.

Paralegals as trained professionals can perform tasks that

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Continue Reading Rural Lawyers: Reap the Benefits of Teaming Up with Paralegals Remotely