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As we’ve learned from Hollywood families, stepparents often have a hand in raising children and form meaningful bonds with them. That’s why when a child’s parent and stepparent get a divorce, many states allow stepparents to petition for visitation rights. In states that recognize stepparent visitation rights, courts will generally show preference to the birth parents’ wishes. But they can also take a variety of factors into account. In the absence of statutes on the subject, some courts have held that stepparents can still petition for visitation....

A divided Supreme Court on Thursday put an end to the vast majority of generic drug lawsuits, finding that consumers cannot sue generic drug manufacturers for the use of inadequate warning labels. The case, which does not impact the Court’s 2009 ruling regarding liability for non-generic drug labeling, was decided on the basis of preemption. Five Justices found that it is virtually impossible for generic manufacturers to comply with both federal and state law at the same time....

Employing temporary or “temp” workers can often be a great way to fill vacancies in your business, but you’ll need to get your legal ducks in a row. Temps are often hired through staffing or “temp” agencies and may not be actual employees of your business. However, many companies have instituted temp-to-hire policies in which an employee has a short-term contract with that company which may lead to a full-time position....

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg initiated a program in 2007 that provides one-way tickets to homeless Big Apple city dwellers back to their original hometowns. Is it a quick fix to improve the City’s abysmal homelessness stats or a viable logical solution? Over the course of two years the City has sponsored bus, train, and air fares for over 560 families spanning 24 states and five continents. Common destinations are Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Puerto Rico, but the list also includes Paris, South Africa, Haiti, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago....

The House abortion bill, which passed 228 to 196 on Tuesday, seeks to prohibit abortions 20 weeks after fertilization. But it’s unlikely the bill will become law anytime soon. Republicans control the House of Representatives, but Democrats control the Senate, which is unlikely to consider the bill. The White House is threatening to veto it if it gets that far, Reuters reports. But House Republicans’ passage of the bill, while largely symbolic, may still have political consequences....

We’ve all seen them before. You’re driving down the highway, probably speeding a little bit. Suddenly, in your rear view mirror, you see a black and white car. Yikes! It’s a police car. You hit your breaks, slowing down to exactly 65 mph. You keep an eye on the car and drive on your best behavior until the car passes you. Wait. It’s not a cop car! It’s just some dinky jalopy with a mismatched paint job....

Police have identified the victim in Tuesday’s murder at Boston’s upscale Marriott Copley Place as Julissa Brisman of New York, who was only 26 years old. Brisman was described as an aspiring model and actress, but appears to have been working as a masseuse and advertising her services on the Internet (craigslist to be specific). It was this last part that police believe got her in trouble, when a man some now call the “Craigslist killer” shot Brisman to death in an apparent robbery attempt....

Have you checked your credit report lately? A new FindLaw survey shows that a whopping 22% of Americans have never checked their credit report. The survey found that between the genders, women are more likely to check their credit score than men, and those in the higher income brackets are more likely to check as well. That’s despite the fact that the process for checking your credit report is pretty straightforward – and best of all, it’s free....

Ray Towler is not only a free man after serving 29 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, but the Cleveland native will be sitting courtside to watch LeBron James play game five of the Cavs/Celtics series. That’s just one of the perks that comes along with Ray Towler’s new found freedom after the Ohio man was proved innocent by DNA evidence and testing, the Columbus Dispatch reports....

Sex offenders, perhaps the least sympathetic group of plaintiffs, are suing a Southern California city over an ordinance requiring sex offenders to keep their lights off and to post a sign on their door during Halloween. The plaintiffs are a group of five sex offenders who say that the City of Simi Valley went too far with their ordinance. The ordinance at issue prohibits registered sex offenders from displaying Halloween decorations, answering the door to trick-or-treaters, or having outside lighting after dark on Halloween night, reports NBC....

Several felony drug cases were dropped as the investigation of the SF crime lab continues. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Deborah Madden, 60, a retired lab technician is accused of tampering and stealing drugs from the SF crime lab. Officials say the alleged tampering problem involving the lab technician could affect a number of the 6,000 drug-related cases. The lab handles as many as 50 drug cases a day....

Even though many people may feel uncomfortable planning for death, it’s an important thing to do, especially for your loved ones. In the absence of an estate plan, property will be divided based on state intestacy laws, which could result in your assets going to people you don’t want them to go to, and it can be a hassle for your loved ones. It’s All in the Details Probate issues can easily become overly complicated because family members often end up fighting with each other over their deceased relative’s assets....

So, you’ve filed a lawsuit, or perhaps you’re thinking about filing one. But you’ve heard of this thing called alternative dispute resolution, or mediation. It’s growing in popularity and offers an alternative way to work out your differences. Now you just need to make a decision. Should you mediate or sue? Or if you’ve sued, should you put litigation on hold and mediate your lawsuit? It depends, but the reality is that very few lawsuits actually make it all the way to trial....

Soon, “XXX” will mark the spot in a whole new way: the new .xxx domain name is coming later this year. In order to avoid association with pornographic sites, many universities are rushing to purchase their school’s name in order to combat potential trademark infringement and abuse. Imagine a website called “Harvard.xxx,” specifically dedicated to showing you the “best” parts of co-ed students. It costs $200 to buy a site. Trademark owners can do so under the “sunrise period” instituted by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)....

Despite Alabama prisons allowing Christian ministers and spiritual advisors to attend executions, and despite a last-minute appeal from a Muslim death row inmate to have his imam accompany him at his execution, and despite the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision to stay his execution in order to hear his First Amendment arguments, the Supreme Court ordered the man’s execution yesterday. Dominique Ray was put to death last night via lethal injection at a state prison in Atmore, without his imam present....

Stories of criminal acts can be quite frightening, especially when they involve a person in a position of trust and the children entrusted to her. In Fairfax County Virginia, a special education teacher has been charged with mistreating two autistic boys in her care. Special Ed teacher Jennah Christine Billeter will be facing felony charges of child cruelty for her treatment of two boys in her class. The Washington Post currently reports that police were alerted to the problem in early July, but the mistreatment of the students dated back to May....

Upon learning the details of the case about to be discussed here, you will be forgiven for looking over your shoulder to see if Don Draper is standing behind you. Yes, this one takes us back to the good old days when companies thought it was legitimate, not to mention lawful, to hire and fire a gal based on looks, weight and, heaven help us, sex appeal. Take heed, because the the “Mad” old days are not quite gone in the Heartland, that is the Heartland Inns of America, LLC....

Renter’s rights will be on the minds of many college students with the school year getting under way. Students across the country will be signing leases and moving into their own places perhaps for the first time. While having your own apartment can be an exciting time, it can also lead to serious legal consequences. A lease is a legal contract that binds you and your landlord together. While your landlord has rights to collect rent and tell you not to blast music at midnight, you should know that tenants have rights too....

Chances are, you started your small business either because you had something (an idea, a product, or a service) that no one else had, or because you could make or do something better than it was being done already. Either way, you’re bringing something unique to the table, something that will set you and your company apart, and something you don’t want anyone else to get their hands on. Protecting your trade secrets is essential to maintaining your competitive advantage as a small business, so here are five things you should be thinking about when it comes to your trade secrets:...

There has been news recently about a type of transaction involving life insurance called Stranger Originated Life Insurance, or STOLI. Some states, such as New Hampshire, have already enacted laws banning it and others are considering doing the same. STOLI is a transaction triangle involving the purchase of life insurance. An individual, usually elderly, may be encouraged to purchase an insurance policy by a broker or agent. Shortly after the policy is purchased, it is sold for a lump sum in cash to an investor, or group of investors who are the “strangers....