The new home you found was perfect, so you made an offer. But if you find out the house isn’t so perfect, are you stuck with it? Well, that all depends. Not the most exciting answer, I know, so let’s take a look at some of the factors determining whether you can back out on an offer to buy a house. Retraction and Counteroffer If you make an offer on a home and retract it before any response from the seller, you’re in the clear....
Have you had the flu this year? You’re coughing and have a sore throat. Your head hurts. Your body aches, and your nose is backed up like rush hour traffic. You have the flu. Now, you have to miss a day of work to go to the doctor and two more days because you can’t crawl out of bed. Can you get workers’ compensation for the flu? Work Related To get workers’ compensation, you must be able to show that your injury is work related, meaning it was caused by your work duties or the conditions of your workplace....
As Molly Ivins (the great Texas political commentator) might have written about this last go ‘round in Texas politics; folks, you just can’t make this stuff up. Or maybe you can, but no one would believe you. Believe this: Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for Attorney General claims that a 2005 amendment to the Texas Constitution bans marriage. Not gay marriage, all marriage. Subsection b of the amendment to the Texas Constitution reads: “This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage....
Wouldn’t you rather hire someone you know instead of some random stranger off the street with a four star yelp rating? Hiring a lawyer is hard. It’s even harder when you don’t know any lawyers. So, if you’re lucky enough to have a friend or family member employed in the estimable practice of the law, should he be your go-to person for all things law related? Is it a good idea to hire a friend or family member as your lawyer?...
Divorce is one of the hardest legal events anyone will ever face. When you divorce, you face losses that are not just emotional, but financial and legal as well. This blog series will help answer some basic questions you might have about divorce. Just like your marriage, a divorce is an official legal proceeding, necessitating some filing of documents with a court. But does that mean you need to appear before a judge?...
“From Slave Ship to Freedom Road” insists that students think about history, rather than simply learn the facts. This is an excerpt from a Scholastic.com review of the book “From Slave Ship to Freedom Road,” which was used to teach 5th graders during a slavery lesson for Black History Month in a Detroit-area school. But one parent found the book to be a form of discrimination. Jamey Petree, father of Jala Petree, is suing the Michigan school for racial discrimination, racial harassment, emotional distress and creating a hostile environment (among other claims) for the teacher’s use of the book in class....
The New York Times reports that hockey player Reggie Fleming is the first hockey player to illustrate the brain damage that can occur when there is repeated trauma to the head. Mr. Fleming was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy which is also known as C.T.E. This is the first time that hockey has been linked to brain damage. The National Hockey League has recently tried to figure out ways to decrease instances of hockey concussions....
Embezzlement occurs in all kinds of businesses, even schools, and the people who do it might surprise you. For example, today the Associated Press reports that a Vermont school principal has been arrested for embezzlement, and local police say they found items in his home that were purchased using school funds. People steal from all kinds of businesses, even (and sometimes especially) if they hold positions of authority and responsibility, and they do it in a wide range of ways....
High school counselor Tiffany Webb was fired over some racy photos that surfaced on the Internet but she’s crying foul since the photos were taken many years before. Webb was a counselor in New York City schools with the Department of Education for the last 12 years. But as a model in her late teens, she posed for some lingerie shots. Those photos surfaced last year and led to Webb’s termination....
It’s generally against the law to enter someone’s land or use his or her property without permission. If you do, you could be face legal consequences for trespassing. But there are certain limited circumstances when you can trespass, including emergency situations. Two commonly used trespassing defenses – public necessity and private necessity – may allow you to trespass in an emergency. A defense to trespass can exist when you (or, more likely, government actors like law-enforcement agents) trespass out of necessity to protect the community or society as a whole during an emergency – for example, burning down a row of homes to stop the spread of a fast-moving fire....
The latest Jenny Craig lawsuit claims the name-brand diet caused gallstones – about 1,000 of them, apparently, according to TMZ. Mara Shapshay, a Los Angeles-based comedian who also writes for Glamour magazine, is suing Jenny Craig after she had to have gallstones removed from her body. She also blames the company for a recent miscarriage, and for causing abdominal pain, vomiting, and other side effects. Jenny Craig knew its diet could lead to gallbladder disease, Shapshay alleges, and she is now suing them for unspecified damages....
What do high power executives often do when their business faces a problem? Hire consultants. What do they do if by chance they end up prison bound? Apparently, hire consultants. Prison consultants work in one cottage industry that shows no sign of economic turmoil. They help those unfamiliar with life on the inside prepare for the big house. As reported by the AP, many former pro-athletes, convicted politicians, and billion dollar scam artists turn to prison consultants to ease the transition....
Not allowing kids in your restaurant or business may sound elitist, but a simple age limit policy should be legal. Proving it isn’t impossible, a sushi restaurant in Virginia made a big splash even before it opened, going public with its “no patrons under 18” policy, The Huffington Post reports. Is a “no kids allowed” policy right for your business? Public accommodation laws prevent private businesses from discriminating against customers based on many protected categories, including race, gender, disability, and religion....
The phrase “white privilege” comes with the same kind of contextual and cultural baggage as the phrases “gun control” or “First Amendment” at this point. And it’s also becoming the same kind of conversational third rail on social media. But some people are tackling not just white privilege, but gender, religious, and class privilege in some very important contexts: teachers are talking to their students about privilege. And now that phrase is starting to come with the same legal baggage as those other two....
The University of Southern California (USC) has agreed to settle a federal class-action lawsuit for $215 million. The suit was brought by current and former students after one of USC’s campus gynecologists, Dr. George Tyndall, was accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate language. There could be as many as 17,000 members of this federal class-action; Tyndall practiced gynecology at USC for 27 years. Notwithstanding this class-action, Tyndall and USC still have many legal obstacles to face before this is over....
Who doesn’t love the smoky scent of hamburgers sizzling on the grill? Besides vegetarians and vegans, that is. The answer, at least in this case, is lawyers. Or more specifically, the Washington D.C. office of Steptoe & Johnson which is asking for an injunction against their neighbor, the hamburger joint Rouge States, to stop them from fumigating their office with the enticing scent of burgers. And the smoke that comes with it....
Stealing a laptop comes in so many forms: breaking into a car or a home, or simply grabbing one that is in plain sight from an unsuspecting, or tuned-out, owner. What’s the crime for laptop theft? That depends on the jurisdiction and the laptop, but some states are saying it should be an outright felony. Penalties Depend on Classification of Misdemeanor or Felony Most jurisdictions determine whether theft is a misdemeanor or felony depending upon the value amount of the item stolen....
According to a lawyer from the Department of Labor, there is currently an onslaught of wage and hour violations. Companies need to ensure that they are in compliance with federal wage and hour law. “Right now I think what we see is nothing short of an epidemic,” said the department’s solicitor, Patricia Smith. Low-wage workers all over the country are being denied even their minimum wage and overtime, Smith said....
You can’t live in fear, but you should travel with an awareness of terrorism and the dangers that exist in our world. There is no sure way to keep safe, but you should be informed, using reliable and timely sources. Knowing some basics about what to do in case of emergency, before you go and while you are on the road, is also important. Here are some guidelines to consider....
If you are making a deal, you should get it in writing. Sure, oral agreements can be enforceable, but there are exceptions. Many of the deals made by small businesses need to be in writing to be legally enforceable. Even if a contract can technically be made with an oral agreement, having a written record can help if the deal ever sours. When you get things in writing and try to clarify terms to the extent possible, you can avoid misunderstandings and focus on growing your business....
