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Companies using shady marketing practices to sell shady auto warranties can add one more example of consumer outrage to their collection: “terrorist threats” that have landed an Ohio man in the clink. Recently, our sister blog discussed a class action filed against alleged auto warranty scammers. And there is also the Federal Trade Commission suit against auto warranty robocallers. But for Charles Papenfus, the auto warranty scams that have irritated many of us became personal....

The National Labor Relations Board proposed new union rules on Tuesday that, once in effect, would significantly shorten the unionization timeline. The rules, which the NLRB “intend to reduce unnecessary litigation, streamline pre- and post-election procedures, and facilitate the use of electronic communications and document filing” are a big change to existing regulations. And they may not be very good for your business. One of the ways in which the new union rules speeds up the unionization process is by requiring the exchange of timely information, including employee contact data and required forms....

Every Friday morning at the San Antonio Municipal Courthouse in Texas, Judge Daniel Guerrero takes on the dogs – and their owners. He’s even met a cat or two. This weekly exercise is part of the city’s plan to crackdown on pet owners breaking the law. Guerrero’s animal court is designed to deal with dog bites, stray animals and owners who don’t register or vaccinate their pets. Violators face hundreds of dollars in fines....

As strange as it may seem, Facebook job recruiting may become the new wave of the future. Social media recruiting efforts are on the rise, with some businesses not only turning to Facebook but to other social media platforms like Twitter. Most candidates and employers might be wary of using Facebook for their recruitment efforts. After all, the use of Facebook in job applications seems to be mixing your personal life with your professional life - something that most tend to want to avoid....

As you and your spouse worked for most of your lives, contributions to Social Security were automatically deducted from your paychecks. But the benefits that you’re due to receive now that you’re done working aren’t quite so automatic. You may have some choices to make when it comes to receiving Social Security benefits as a married couple, and certain decisions could be the difference between maximizing those benefits and leaving money on the table....

After a momentous 2015 that saw the Supreme Court save Obamacare (again), give same-sex couples the right to marry, and preserve the death penalty (for now), the Court’s October term moves into 2016. While the January session doesn’t appear as juicy as previous dockets, there are some cases that will no doubt have a lasting impact. Here are three cases to watch in January 2016 as the Supreme Court closes out the October 2015 term:...

With about 80% of dry cleaners across the country still using perchloroethylene, the 2020 residential phase out mandated under federal perc laws is sure to send many owners into a financial tizzy. Required to find alternative solvents, dry cleaning businesses will either need to retrofit or purchase all new equipment, costing them upwards of $100,000. But as some recent court cases have suggested, such a high cost may ultimately be worth it....

Hope for the best; plan for the worst. It’s a good life strategy that can be essential for small business owners. While most of us don’t want to plan for – or even consider – our businesses going bankrupt, it’s a sad reality that many startups don’t end well. And meeting that end with the right plan can protect you as the small business owner and may even give your business a second chance....

You’ve got questions … we’ve got answers. If you have not yet asked or answered a question in FindLaw’s Answers community, what are you waiting for? This amazing free resource supports a dynamic community of legal consumers and attorneys helping each other out. Simple as that. We see a lot of great questions in our Answers community every day. Here’s a look at some of the most commented on questions lately from our FindLaw Answers boards:...

A Texas school policy that allows administrators to paddle students has come under fire after a high school sophomore, Taylor Santos, was hit with a paddle. Santos allegedly let another student copy her schoolwork although she denied knowing the student did it, reports NBC News. To avoid a second day of in-school suspension she accepted paddling as an alternative punishment and her mother agreed as well. But her mother didn’t realize what she was agreeing to....

Just like any other contract, a lease agreement binds both parties, landlord and tenant, to abide by its terms. And, just like any other contract, a lease agreement can be broken. And while most of us are familiar with the repercussions of tenants breaking a lease – late fees, loss of security deposit, eviction, etc. – what recourse does a tenant have if it’s the landlord violating the terms of a lease agreement?...

Child custody is a sensitive topic for all parents. With emotions and pressures high, it’s easy to get flustered and overwhelmed at the idea of a child custody mediation meeting. So, here are five tips to help you prepare for child custody mediation. 1. List Your Concerns You don’t want to go in unprepared. Take a moment to list out all of the issues you want to discuss at the mediation....

Last week, a California judge sentenced Dr. Hsiu-Ying “Lisa” Tseng to 30 years to life in prison for murdering three of her patients who fatally overdosed. It marks the first time a doctor in the United States has been convicted of murder for overprescribing drugs. Beyond newfound criminal liability, can doctors be civilly liable for patient overdoses? Medical Malpractice As Dr. Tseng’s attorney tried to argue, most patient overdoses are dealt with by medical malpractice claims....

Every year, over 5,000 people die from on the job accidents and injuries. Nearly 50,000 die from exposure related illnesses, and over four million workers suffer non-fatal work related injuries and illnesses. Work should not be dangerous. You’re not a soldier. You didn’t sign up to risk your life for your company. So, can you refuse to work in unsafe conditions? OSHA Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) in 1970 to protect workers from dangerous conditions that cause injury, illness, or death at work....

Almost two years ago, the Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples have the right to marry. And while that answered one fundamental question, it left many others up in the air. While debates and court cases have continued over legal rights and benefits for same-sex spouses, and whether businesses may deny service to same-sex couples, one overlooked vestige of legal tradition was common law marriage. Perhaps that’s because only certain states recognize common law marriages in the first place, but many were left wondering whether common law marriage applied to same-sex couples....

You can get fired for defending yourself at work if company policy demands otherwise. But in Utah, you can at least challenge that termination, thanks to the efforts of Walmart workers who were fired for failing to follow company policy on de-escalation during a robbery. Their case has taken the long road through the courts, winning recognition of the general claim but not the specifics of their case. And it is still not certain that the Walmart workers’ story will ever be put before a jury, according to the National Law Review....

Filing for government unemployment insurance benefits can be a life saver when you lose your job and need to pay bills while you look for another one. But while collecting unemployment, are you allowed to go on vacation? In exchange for unemployment benefits, you are bound to follow certain rules regarding what you need to do – which typically includes looking for a new job – as well as rules about what you shouldn’t do, such as failing to report any earned income other than unemployment benefits....

An essential element to any personal injury claim is proving that you were actually injured. As such, a defendant in an injury lawsuit will try to avoid legal liability by proving that you are either faking or overstating your injuries. And with the spread of social media, defendants don’t need to hire private investigators to catch you doing aerobics when you should be in physical therapy – instead they can just use your status updates against you....

A transgender New Jersey man has filed a sex and gender discrimination lawsuit against St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center after it refused to perform his hysterectomy because it is a Catholic hospital. Jionni Conforti alleges that a hospital nurse originally scheduled the surgery, but was overturned by the hospital’s director of mission services, Father Martin Rooney. Conforti’s lawsuit is the latest flashpoint in the battle between equal rights for transgender people and medical practitioners who claim they are unable to perform certain procedures based on religious doctrine....

Whether celebrating a bachelor or bachelorette, your bestie’s birthday, a reunion, a wedding, or just the fact that it’s Friday, you’ve probably been in or considered hiring a party bus. And while it can make bar-hopping a lot more fun and efficient, it doesn’t take mental gymnastics to think of all the potential hazards either. Citing such safety concerns, the City of Chicago announced it will be cracking down on illegal party busses thanks to a new agreement between various state entities....