Irwin & Morris practices law in a wide range of areas, with emphasis on civil and criminal litigation, injury law, employer and employee rights (including workers compensation), and divorce and family law.
Child Support
Even after a judgment of divorce, couples may have continuing issues relating to their children, child support and spousal support. The process of amending or enforcing a divorce judgment or a judgment of parental rights and responsibilities can often be as difficult as the original case.
Child Custody and Visitation
Bill also has vast experience in the area of personal injury law, elder law, and family law. Over the last forty years he has recovered millions of dollars for injured individuals and their families, and has helped clients work through the difficult issues of child custody, visitation and support, property settlements, and spousal support, minimizing negative effects on children while maximizing positive results for his clients. He has also helped many Maine families deal with the challenge of aging parents, finding solutions that ensure the highest quality of life possible for the elderly person while preserving the assets that he or she worked a lifetime to accumulate.
Jaime Shorter joined Irwin & Morris in January 2023. She is a trial lawyer focused on family law and criminal defense. Jaime is a 2012 graduate of the University of Maine Honors College in Orono and a 2017 graduate of the University of Maine School of Law.
Sex Crimes
In her twenty-year career in the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, Michelle worked on hundreds of appeals involving issues of murder, sexual assault, drugs, animal abuse, assault, and operating under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. She also represented the Commonwealth’s interests at state parole hearings for over 15 years, served as the Office Liaison on the Massachusetts Human Trafficking Task Force, and provided legal training for assistant district attorneys and state and local law enforcement particularly in the area of operating under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. In 2009, Michelle won the prestigious Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, Drive for Life Awards, MADD Hero Award, for her work on two operating under the influence of alcohol cases. In addition, from 2015 to 2017, Michelle worked on a case of first impression before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court successfully arguing that roadside assessments performed to detect marijuana impairment were admissible in operating under the influence prosecutions. As a result of this case, Michelle became a statewide expert on the issue of driving while impaired by marijuana.
Fraud
Almost all insurance policies require that you attend and partake in the EUO if the insurance company requests it. Usually an attorney for your insurance company will contact you to set up the examination, and will probably ask that you produce all sorts of personal information before the examination happens. The insurance company will want lots and lots of documents, everything from tax returns to phone records to credit card statements. The insurance company is doing this because they are suspicious about your claim. The suspicion might relate to the cause of the fire (perhaps they think you started it) or the suspicion might be regarding whether you lost less in the fire than you are claiming (this is another type of insurance fraud). If the insurance company can establish a reason to deny your claim, it will do so; therefore, the EUO is very serious business.
Assault
Murder
Arson
Even though you have faithfully paid insurance premiums for years, when you make a claim on your policy the insurance company looks for any reason to refuse compensation. They may allege insurance fraud, deny your claim because you cannot produce documents that were destroyed in the fire, or even accuse you of arson.
As a small businessman himself, Bill is acutely aware of the challenges that small business owners face every day. Bill currently represents dozens of small business operators, assisting them with business formation of LLCs and other entities, contract negotiations, employee problems, accounts receivable, leases and property acquisition as well as licensing, regulatory and tax issues.
Business Disputes
Our experienced attorneys help clients create binding contracts as well as resolve their business disputes effectively and efficiently. We have worked with a variety of businesses, both large and small, and have sucessfully represented their cases both in trial and settlement.
Our team of experienced legal experts has handled thousands of Workers' Compensation cases, resulting in recovery of millions of dollars of benefits, plus medical expenses and substantial settlements. We have represented workers throughout the state of Maine – from Fort Kent to Calais and Kittery to Jackman.
Tuck regularly appears in the Maine District and Superior Courts and in Federal District Court representing clients on a range of personal and business matters. The focus of his practice is litigation and trial work. Tuck represents individuals in divorce and domestic partnership matters; injury matters, including abuse and accidents; real estate disputes; and insurance claims. He represents businesses in all aspects of contract, sales and property disputes.
Real Estate Transactions
Our goal is to provide you with cost-effective solutions for your real estate issues. We represent clients in a wide variety of real estate transactions as well as mediation and litigation. We strive to provide solutions tailor-made to your needs.
A Personal Injury claim differs from Workers Compensation in two important ways. First, it can only be applied if someone other than the injured person did something wrong, resulting in the injury. Second, in most instances the only limitations on compensation are defined by the award or settlement of the case. Recovery in personal injury cases can include compensation for “pain and suffering”, loss of enjoyment of life, as well as punitive damages if gross or intentional, wrongful conduct can be proven. Successful personal injury cases can result in compensation well above the million dollar range depending on the injury, as well as the level of wrongdoing.
Auto Accidents
Social Security Disability
Dog Bites
Our attorneys have helped thousands of clients in a wide variety of cases including car accidents, slip and fall injuries, and even dog bites. When we represent you, we manage your case from the initial complaint through successful trial or settlement.
Jacqueline joined the firm after completing a fellowship at the Maine Community Law Center. Jacqueline’s practice focuses on family law, civil litigation, probate, appellate litigation, and estate planning.
Wills
Everyone, not just those who are wealthy, should have a will and estate plan in place to provide for those they care about. These critical documents protect your family's future. A will or estate plan considers many factors beginning with assets and liabilities but then evaluates a number of concerns including taxes, health issues, and the specific needs of those you care for.