Is your business laying off employees? Nobody enjoys having to do it, but if you have to let people go, make sure that you don’t make a bad situation worse by violating wrongful termination or employment discrimination laws. Such a violation could wind up being far more expensive than what you “saved” by letting an employee go. Here are three of the top ways that employers get sued when conducting layoffs:...
North Carolina’s new voter ID law, along with other voting reforms, are already facing lawsuits from civil rights groups. The Tar Heel State’s sweeping voing reform law will require voters to present one of three particular types of photo identification in order to cast a ballot beginning in 2016. Gov. Pat McCrory signed the bill into law on Monday. Almost immediately afterwards, civil rights groups including the ACLU and NAACP filed lawsuits in federal court to challenge the law....
Thinking about taking a batch of your favorite, secret recipe pot brownies to sell at a concert? If a new Senate bill introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein becomes law, you might want to think twice. If you get caught selling them to someone under 18, you could be looking at twice the typical penalty. You should probably think twice on the pot brownie anyway, as you’re going to end up eating them and spending the concert drooling on yourself until you pass out in the lawn....
Business is about maximizing profits by raising revenue and keeping costs low. But, business owners should also consider the human costs. New York nail salons are getting a tough lesson in humanity from Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Governor recently issued an emergency order calling for rules to protect nail salon workers from wage theft and mistreatment. Just last week, The New York Times published a report on the systemic abuse of manicurists throughout the state....
A new Virginia council will look at ways to keep prisoners out of prison and more closely coordinate re-entry programs statewide. Gov. Bob McDonnell created the state’s first Virginia Prisoner and Juvenile Offender Re-Entry Council by issuing and executive order, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. Governor McDonnell hopes the council will find ways to keep prisoners out of jail and to discourage repeat offenders. The new program however, will not cost the state more money and instead will re-allocate funds going to other sources....
When people debate abortion laws, the reason for the abortion often underlies many of the arguments. Among other assertions, pro-life proponents oppose abortion on religious grounds or argue that women shouldn’t be able to end a life because they regret getting pregnant. Pro-choice advocates contend rape victims shouldn’t be forced to bear the children of their rapists and bemoan any government intrusion into a woman’s ability to end a woman’s pregnancy....
Jacksonville, Florida officials have agreed to pay a paralyzed teen $3.5 million for his injuries, but have only been allowed to pay $200,000 of the settlement money. The teen was paralyzed after a large tree branch from a city-owned tree fell on him. Although the Jacksonville, Florida government has agreed to pay the full settlement amount, the Florida legislature won’t approve the rest of the payment, according to The Associated Press....
If you’re involved in high asset divorce, you may have a hard time understanding exactly what’s at stake, financially speaking. That’s why you may need to hire someone qualified in this exact area. Even if you already have an experienced divorce attorney, you may consider hiring a forensic accountant to make sure your assets are accounted for and protected. Forensic accountants who are experienced in divorce proceedings are typically hired either directly by a party to the divorce, or by an attorney representing one spouse....
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco believe the U.S. should regulate sugar. The group recently published an article in Nature magazine, explaining that sugar is a toxin – it causes liver damage, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. It kills people slowly. On average Americans consume 40 teaspoons of added sugar a day. It’s thus become a major public health issue, much like tobacco and alcohol. The researchers argue it should therefore be subject to similar, if not more stringent, regulations....
In the current tough economic times, is the American dream changing, or fading away? A new survey says right now, most Americans are not interested in purchasing a home. In a demographically balanced national survey of over 1,000 people, FindLaw.com asked people if the current economic situation made them more likely, or less likely to buy a house. Most responded in the negative. According to the FindLaw survey, nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are less likely to buy a house given the current state of the economy....
Obamacare lives to fight another day! The health care law, more formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), withstood yet another attempt to negate it today after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the government in King v. Burwell. The ACA was passed in 2010 as a reform of the health insurance market. The three major aims of the act were to 1) adopt guaranteed issue and community rating requirements, 2) require all individuals to buy health insurance coverage, and 3) make health insurance affordable by providing low income individuals refundable tax credits....
Here are the biggest questions and tips when it comes to hiring a divorce lawyer, because the issues at stake are too big to take on by yourself. 1. 5 Things a Divorce Lawyer Can Do (That You Probably Can’t) If you’re still not sure why you need a divorce attorney, here a five big reasons, from negotiating with your ex and his or her attorneys to calculating child and spousal support....
Divorce can rattle even the most secure parents. It can also leave those parents who don’t have physical custody worried about how their ex-spouse is taking care of their children and spending their child support. This leaves many individuals with one lingering question on their mind: what is child support used for? In a previous blog post, we discussed how one of Kanye West’s lyrics from his 2005 hit Gold Digger depicted a woman using child support payments for liposuction....
It feels like there are four letters that find their way into any news report about a political scandal. F-O-I-A. Even something as silly as the contested crowd sizes for Obama and Trump’s inaugurations was stoked by a FOIA request. The Freedom of Information Act gives citizens the right to request information and records kept by federal government agencies. So how do FOIA requests work? And who can request what kind of information?...
The 10th Amendment, the darling of the Tea Party, supports states’ rights. You’ve likely heard some version of this phrase invoked by presidential candidates and other politicians recently. It’s referenced in debates about medical marijuana, gun control and health care reform. It’s brought up when pundits speak about abortion legislation and the Defense of Marriage Act. But what does the 10th Amendment mean? In legal terms, that is. The text of the 10th Amendment states:...
In California, approximately 800 prisoners incarcerated for murder may soon be set free. Last fall, California legislature, joined by then-Governor Jerry Brown, passed SB 1437, a bill co-sponsored by Democratic State Senator Nancy Skinner and Republican State Senator John Anderson. This law significantly modifies California’s felony murder rule, and allows for retroactive resentencing. Felony Murder: When Murderers Aren’t Involved in Killing California is one of many states that has a felony murder rule....
A bad way to continue a workers’ compensation claim is to show up on “The Price Is Right,” as a North Carolina woman learned after pleading guilty to fraud in federal court this week. Postal worker Cathy Cashwell lied on her September 2011 workers’ compensation paperwork, claiming that she was incapable of standing or reaching. This is despite a 2009 appearance on “The Price Is Right” in which she reached up and spun a giant prize wheel twice, reports The Huffington Post....
The Fourth of July is a celebration of our nation’s independence from colonial rule, and you shouldn’t spend it in a hospital waiting room for easily preventable injuries. The usual culprits of these July holiday injuries are often sources of great joy or entertainment: fireworks, grilled meats, pool parties, lake trips, etc. So step away from your carefully seasoned marinade and check out these five Fourth of July injuries you can easily prevent:...
You are planning a holiday trip and looking forward to it. Everything is ready from your bags to your mini toiletries and travel insurance. So now you can just relax, right? Well, not quite. You can relax, but maybe not with a drink, and certainly not with any illegal drugs, and probably not if your plans include any extreme sports. Here is a list, adapted from the Consumer Insurance Guide, with the top five reasons that insurers give for invalidating travel insurance....
A recent crackdown at Chipotle Mexican Grill serves as a good example as to why you should make sure your business is complying with U.S. small business immigration laws. Chipotle was employing a number of undocumented workers and found itself the subject of immigration audits. “We have been subject to audits by immigration authorities from time to time,” said Chipotle’s 2009 annual report which was filed in February 2010, Reuters reports....
