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What does the mortgage settlement mean for me? Borrowers across the country are asking themselves this very question, wondering whether they will get a piece of the landmark $25 billion agreement. The settlement is directed at borrowers who are in danger of losing their homes, as well as those who already have. Unfortunately, you won’t immediately know whether you qualify. The mortgage settlement is an agreement between 5 major banks, 49 state attorneys general and the federal government....

Get ready for more workplace oversight with respect to federal labor laws, as a half-trillion-dollar spending bill making its way through Congress will give regulatory agencies more resources to follow up on complaints and pursue cases. It’s important to remember that labor and employment laws mean very little in the absence of enforcement. The $447 billion Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 3288) determines who gets how much federal money, as discussed by the Daily Journal of commerce....

Stopping for school buses isn’t just polite, it’s the law. And as many impatient drivers have learned the hard way, not giving school buses a wide berth can lead to some serious legal consequences. In Minnesota, a truck driver was charged with two misdemeanors last week for failing to stop for a school bus, allegedly almost striking a sixth grader who was about to board, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. These incidents are more common than they should be, and drivers should be aware of the risks they run by not giving school buses the right of way....

For employers, an updated paternity leave policy might make the perfect Father’s Day present for employees. Bouncing babies and static policies don’t mix. Even if your company isn’t subject to state or federal laws on paternity leave, having a tailor-made policy is a good idea. Here are five questions you should add to your paternity leave policy checklist: Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Google+. Related Resources: Are Employee Handbooks Enforceable Contracts?...

Jaycee Dugard was allegedly abducted, sexually abused and held captive for 18 years in a concealed compound at the back of residence of convicted sex offender Phillip Garrido. Now, a new report released by a governmental watchdog agency blasts parole officials who missed repeated opportunities to discover Dugard and Garrido’s other victims. It points out that if state parole agents reviewed Phillip Garrido’s federal parole file when they took over his supervision in 1999, they would have known his property near Antioch didn’t end at the backyard fence....

A Royal Caribbean cruise leaving from Baltimore caught fire onboard early Monday at around 3:00 a.m. According to The Associated Press, there were more than 2,200 guests aboard whose trip aboard had to be cut short. No medical emergencies have been reported thus far. But, can any possibly disgruntled passengers aboard this cruise take legal action, if they wanted to? Yes. Well, maybe. Check your ticket The first thing you should do to determine your rights in a potential cruise ship lawsuit is to check your ticket....

Square has become ubiquitous in many cities as an easy and inexpensive way for businesses to process credit card payments. But in Illinois, the company has received a cease and desist order that could endanger their success in that state. The notice alleges that Square is violating the Illinois’ Transmitters of Money Act. The law requires businesses that buy or sell “payment instruments” or transmit money to get a state license....

The U.S. Supreme Court has a busy March to look forward to, with 12 cases scheduled for oral arguments. With Confederate license plates, environmental regulations, criminal procedure questions, and patent cases on the docket, there’s something here for everyone: Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (March 2) – Much has been made lately about gerrymandering, or the practice of redrawing electoral boundaries to favor one party over another. Arizona is one of a few states in which voters turned redistricting over to an independent committee, and now the Court will decide whether that is allowed....

A Colorado teacher who was fired allegedly because she needed to pump breast milk at school has received some justice after all. Heather Burgbacher’s lawsuit against her previous employer was settled Friday. Burgbacher was a teacher at Rocky Mountain Academy of Evergreen (RMAE) when she had her second child. When she returned to work RMAE failed to provide a private place for her to pump breast milk or to assist her in scheduling the short breaks she needed to pump....

Most personal injury lawsuits follow a fairly standard timeline: there’s an accident, the injured party files a lawsuit, there’s some discovery and settlement negotiations, and then a trial and damages verdict. But the timeline for a medical malpractice suits can be a little different. The length of time for any case will generally depend on its complexity, and medical malpractice claims can be more complicated than most. And there are special time considerations to be aware of in medical malpractice cases....

Whether it’s the grind of your 9-to-5 or the allure of making it on your own, you may be considering taking your talents on the road as a freelancer. The good news is that it’s probably easier than ever to find a freelancing gig; the bad news is that it can still be hard to make a living freelancing. Remember, you’ll be in charge of everything, from client acquisition and retention to production to contracts....

With the economy sputtering, vacation trends are changing this year. In a recent study by Office Team, researchers found that almost one-third of managers interviewed would not take any time off between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. Placing job security over a tan, many workers are opting out or greatly limiting their holiday vacation time. “I can tell you from first-hand experience that people this year are a lot more concerned about their jobs and being at work though the holidays....

Getting older is a good thing, but as people advance in age, the holidays (and life in general) can become more complicated. Whether the family is coming to celebrate with you, or you’re traveling to visit family, getting ready and being prepared for the holidays is never easy. The following legal tips are geared toward making sure you have a safe, crime-free, scam-free, and maybe even productive, holiday season. As families grow older together, they often spread out, geographically, across the country....

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice appealed the Fourth Circuit’s injunction against President Trump’s Executive Order on immigration to the Supreme Court, asking the Court to reinstate the travel ban on immigrants from six Muslim-majority countries. And the president himself has of course taken his thoughts on the case to Twitter. So what will be the government’s argument in defending the travel ban? What can the Supreme Court do? And did Trump just sabotage the appeal before it even got started?...

School is back on, which means your teen workers may soon be hitting the books again. Small businesses that employ teenagers should heed teen worker laws and understand some basic teen hiring regulations. After all, you don’t want to accidentally run afoul of federal and state labor laws. Businesses should be aware that teen employment laws vary depending on the age of the children and the time of the year....

As the age of first child becomes later and later, more couples are turning to invitro fertilization. Others – including men – face medical treatment and choose to freeze embryos as a precaution. But as the popularity of the technology grows, so do the associated legal problems. What happens during a divorce? If the parties can’t decide what to do, who will win custody of the embryo? It depends. Just as you have a right to procreate, you have a right to avoid procreation....

For small businesses, government contracts can be a lifesaver, especially in a struggling economy. What are the potential benefits and drawbacks, and how can business owners get a piece of the pie? A wide range of government agencies – local, state, and federal – seek bids from private companies to handle a variety of tasks. These include construction projects, some administrative services, and the collection of fees like parking tickets....

The real neighbor from hell lives on a quiet cul-de-sac in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Or so says the neighbors of Lori Christensen, some of whom have taken out restraining orders against the 49-year-old woman. Christensen was back in court on Wednesday to deal with one of those orders. Neighbors Greg and Kim Hoffman accused her of violating its terms, which led prosecutors to charge the woman with aggravated stalking....

We’re entrepreneurs and small business owners for a reason – we think we can do it better than anyone else. But that doesn’t mean we can do it all, and there are some cases where it’s necessary to delegate planning, authority, and action to your employees. It may not be easy, but there are ways to make delegating at work more effective. Here are three of them: 1. Creation In many cases, it helps to work backwards from your ultimate objective....

Corporations should be worried about their employees becoming sedentary and unhealthy, and the solution in many cases has been to add a fitness center to the business. But making effective use of a corporate fitness center doesn’t just mean slapping together some ellipticals and barbells in your break room, your business needs the legal underpinning to make it a success. Done properly, Forbes reports that “fitness centers can become a profit center as well as a retention amenity....