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Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that is popular – and often court-ordered – in the child custody and divorce cases. However, for domestic violence victims, resolving a family law dispute with a former intimate partner through mediation can potentially yield unfair outcomes. Here are a few concerns about family law mediation in the domestic violence context, and the protections that are in place to assist victims: The effectiveness of mediation relies on open communication....

Many people think they can avoid a lawsuit by avoiding a process server. After all, a lawsuit can’t officially commence until the defendant has been given proper notice. Unfortunately, many people are wrong. The law knows these tricks and has made provisions for those difficult to serve defendants. Just because you avoid a process server, it doesn’t mean you can’t be served and sued. It just means the plaintiff has to opt for Plan B or C....

Today a group of civil rights advocates are meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder to discuss movement on cold murder cases from the civil rights era. In 2007, a new law – the “Till Bill” called for the reopening and investigation of cases where death resulted from civil rights violations, including the murder of young Emmett Till. The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007 gave money for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue these cases, and set aside money which the DOJ could give to state and local authorities to investigate and prosecute them as well....

The story of heiress Huguette Clark, a millionaire many times over, but living alone in a single hospital room, has sparked a national conversation on many elements of late in life concerns. Issues of elder abuse, fraud and questions regarding estate planning and wills have all come to mind since the story of the reclusive heiress captured our attention. Currently, questions are being asked about the influence of and possible abuse by Huguette Clark’s financial and legal advisors....

If you or your business has $10,000 in foreign accounts, it’s important that you pay attention to this year’s FBAR reporting regulations. The deadline for filing this year’s FBAR (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts) is June 30. However, if you improperly failed to file an FBAR in the last few years, or did not report foreign accounts on your past tax returns, you may also need to take advantage of the 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI)....

An organic frozen berry mix that’s been recalled is being linked to dozens of illnesses in eight states. The frozen berry and fruit mix has reportedly led to at least 87 people getting sick. Of those, 36 have been hospitalized with acute hepatitis A infections, NBC News reports. The mix in question – Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix – is made by Townsend Farms Inc. of Fairview, Oregon....

Local businesses tend to get protective over their brands, especially when non-locals appropriate the name or imagery of a place in order to capitalize on someone else’s hard work or name brand. And few places are as protective or protected than Hawaii. There have been lawsuits over mainland-brewed “Hawaii” beer and mainland-produced “Hawaiian” potato chips, and outrage over a Chicago poke restaurant trademarking “Aloha.” So it’s no surprise three Hawaii island coffee farmers have filed a federal lawsuit against retailers and suppliers marketing “Kona” coffee produced from elsewhere....

A lawsuit out of Harris County, Texas, is making headlines due to the rare allegation of Christian on Christian religious discrimination. While normally discrimination is considered to be a result of one group/class of individuals being favored over a different group/class, sometimes discrimination can occur from within a single group. Like in this Texas case, individuals can face discrimination for religious, ethnic, or other reasons, because the perpetrators have unrealistic expectations about their own group/class....

For husbands, taking your wife’s last name may be non-traditional, but it can also be legally difficult. Case in point: a Florida man who was accused of fraud for adopting his wife’s last name, though the state’s DMV later apologized and allowed him to obtain a new driver’s license. Could a similar predicament happen to you? Possibly. Here’s what you need to know about taking your wife’s last name: A woman taking her husband’s name when she marries is hardly news, and most states have made it easy for a woman to do so....

If you’re a non-exempt, hourly employee, you’re probably entitled to a lunch break under state law. But there’s undoubtedly been a time when you’ve wanted to work through lunch. Because this scenario can cause a number of problems for employers who want to comply with lunch break laws and overtime rules, you may have been told “no.” But this answer may soon change if you are a California worker. The state’s highest court has said that employees can choose whether or not to take a lunch break....

Before you start downloading apps for your kids, you might want to take a moment to think about their privacy. The Federal Trade Commission recently published its second report on mobile apps for kids, and the results haven’t improved. The first survey was published in February 2012, and there’s been little change in the privacy protection and disclosures available for apps. What app developers aren’t telling you is that they’re often selling your information to advertisers or other third parties....

So who gets the pet when a couple divorces? Does your state have pet custody laws? “It is demeaning for the court and legal counsel to have these parties call upon these legal and court resources because they are unable to settle, what most would agree, is an issue unworthy of this expenditure of time, money and public resources,” Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Ted Zarzeczny said, the National Post reports....

Seven people were injured early Monday morning when a Qantas Airways flight encountered serious turbulence en route from Hong Kong to Perth, Australia. Qantas Flight 68 was over Borneo (about four hours after departure from Hong Kong) when the turbulence hit, according to Qantas officials. Seven people (six passengers and one crew member) who suffered minor injuries were treated at hospitals in Perth and then released. “The aircraft most likely encountered what is known as convective turbulence, which led to it rapidly gaining around 800 feet in altitude before returning to its cruising altitude of 38,000 feet,” the airline said in a media statement....

The youngest and oldest among us are vulnerable and exposed to abuse more than most other populations. But elderly people are exposed to some added abuse dangers that children do not face. Elder abuse is unfortunately common and it happens for many reasons. Being in nursing homes and in the hands of professional caregivers increases the risk of mistreatment. Plus, older people are much more likely to face financial exploitation. This is what to look out for....

Your business doesn’t want to get caught in an unpaid intern lawsuit like Fox Searchlight or NBC. But if it does, then mediation might be a good alternative to court. The recent spate of lawsuits by unpaid interns who allege they were treated as regular employees (minus pay) could be mitigated through mediation, which is not only private but also doesn’t attempt to pit one party against the other, reports Inside Counsel....

What’s the legal difference between libel and slander? As you may know, both libel and slander are forms of defamation – a false statement that harms a person’s reputation. To prove either libel or slander in court, a victim also needs to show that the statement was negligently, recklessly, or intentionally “published” (disseminated) to a third party. However, there are a few legal distinctions between libel and slander, notably regarding how the alleged defamation was disseminated (written or spoken) and whether a victim must prove monetary damages as a result of the false statement....

We may have killed Osama, but we have not stopped al-Qaeda. After the death of Bin Laden, airport security has been stepping up to respond to the public’s unease over the possibility of a retaliatory attack. The federal government seems hesitant to incite fear or panic. So will airport security tighten now that the 9/11 mastermind is dead? The Department of Homeland Security has not issued any official security alerts, reports The New York Times....

Maybe you’re sick of your job, or your boss, and you’re looking for a little revenge. Or you’ve been injured on the job, recovered, and like the idea of getting paid to not work. And there’s all this money in state workers’ compensation insurance funds, just sitting there. Any of these scenarios might sound tempting, but how do felony charges sound? As it turns out, the Inspector General of New York takes workers’ comp fraud seriously; and you should, too....

According to her lawsuit, Muslim student Sahna ElBanna at Union County College only took a second class taught by professor Toby Grodner because it was required to graduate. During the first class, Organization & Management in the spring semester of 2016, ElBanna, says Grodner repeatedly told students that all Muslims were terrorists. ElBanna didn’t speak up at the time, fearing it would affect her grade, and she received a B-plus....

Buying a home for the first time can be a thrilling and scary experience. There is quite a bit to it, from figuring out what you can afford and what is available to securing financing and understanding the paperwork. At times during the process you may feel like renting forever would be easier than trying to buy. But it is worth trying if you want what home ownership can bring, which is a sense of personal stability and investment in your future....