Do Process! January 2023

Outlook Of 2023 Legal Trends

And, just like that, the first month into the new year has already passed. Meanwhile, we have been strengthening our predictions for the rest of 2023. The more notable, civil legal trends can be highlighted as: copyright infringement, insurance, and divorce.

COPYRIGHT

People are more aware than ever of copyright. Internet users everywhere have, at some point, encountered the notice: “this media is no longer available due to a copyright claim.” Our entertainment and social media that drives our professional and personal lives are all impacted by copyright law.
Multiple bills in 2020, including the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), caused public uproar for threatening freedom of expression. These bills did not pass, but they allowed for issues like censorship and open access to become common debates.

With this spark in conversation and the urge to collaborate post-pandemic, we are predicting a surge of copyright cases and activism. It is inevitable to see more people defend their rights.
A prominent example is employee privacy. Many states, including Pennsylvania, are adjusting their definitions of “personal information,” which employers will need to request or provide notice before accessing, deleting, or correcting such information. 2023 may bring an increasing amount of these types of cases. Whether you are an employee or employer, it is important to understand your rights and where your opinion stands on ownership.

INSURANCE

We observed a persistent rise in general, auto, and umbrella/excess liability rates in the 2022 casualty insurance market. This was caused by a consistent increase in average claims costs which gets coupled with inflation, rising costs for medical treatment, and rising costs for vehicle repairs. This pattern will likely continue in the new year.
How to combat surges in liability claim costs? We suggest focusing on early resolutions. Stay in frequent communication with claims adjusters and monitor all litigation, medical, and adjusting expenses. Meet your statutes with lots of time to spare and your future self will thank you!

DIVORCE

Family law has been a leading legal shift since COVID-19. Divorce rates, in general, tend to increase during the first three months of the year.
Now, the most common type of marriage dissolution is a no-fault divorce, which has recently become legal in all American states. The Divorce Dissolution and Separation Act of 2020 welcomed the ability for couples to part ways without placing blame on either party starting in April 2022. Divorce lawyers: Brace yourselves! There will be more and more no-fault divorce cases in the upcoming months.

We hope you are enjoying 2023 so far and that you continue to stay prepared for what’s to come.