An angry Colorado woman who decided to “pack up” her boyfriend’s dog, Rex, for him because he wouldn’t get rid of it himself, now got herself into a heap of legal trouble. 20-year-old Abby Toll somehow thought that wrapping the dog in packing tape and sticking it upside down on a fridge would get the message across to her boyfriend. Nope, it got the two of them in a fight, and it got Abby Toll in jail....
Interchange fees paid by merchants to credit card companies when customers purchase with plastic have reportedly risen 400% in recent years. Merchants have organized, and are pressing Congress to do something about it. As the New York Times’ blog, The Caucus, reported, last week the House and Senate held hearings on potential consumer credit card legislation. A group called the Merchants Payment Coalition (MPC) has targeted key House districts with an intensive media campaign to raise awareness about interchange fees....
As we celebrate Constitution Day here at FindLaw, we like to reflect on how much (or how little) the average person actually knows about his or her constitutional rights. Sure you may be able to list off some of the amendments in the Bill of Rights, but do you know how free speech actually applies? Or the right to a jury of your peers? Test your constitutional mettle with these five challenging questions:...
For small business owners, IRS tax forms can be confusing – especially when it comes to 1099 forms. A business’ 1099s need to be sent out by the end of January. And with the increasing nuances in forms, employers more than ever need to be on top of their tax games. To help avoid tax penalties and blunders, here are five tips you’ll want to consider when sending out your IRS 1099 forms:...
While some are taking the time to celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden, others are beginning to ask questions about the President’s decisions and their basis in law. The U.S. was arguably on shaky ground when it covertly entered a foreign country to carry out a military mission, but, as of now, the general consensus amongst legal scholars is that killing Osama bin Laden was legal. For the curious, here is where the law stands at this time....
The child actors from the movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ could end up losing their trust funds if they can’t maintain a regular attendance at school. Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, 11, and Rubina Ali, 10, are child stars who have been provided for in a trust fund set up by the producers of the Oscar winning movie. A trust is a legal relationship in which one person or qualified trust company (trustee) holds property for the benefit of himself or herself or of another (beneficiary)....
Internships are considered a critical aspect of professional education, and it can be a big benefit to a business to hire interns. You don’t have to pay these workers and they are eager to learn. But the more benefit an unpaid intern is to a business, the more likely it is that you should be paying this person for the work they do. There have been numerous intern lawsuits stemming from these unpaid arrangements, and because they are not employees, interns come with their own liability issues....
It almost that time when your baby goes from high school senior to first year college student. And while you’re juggling all the emotions that can arise when a child goes off to college, there are some legal issues you might want to handle before classes start this fall. If you’re worried about your child’s health, finances, and grades when they go to college, here are four essential documents to ease your mind:...
For minor fender benders, hiring a lawyer may be unnecessary. However, for more serious cases where a lawsuit is imminent, you may need a car accident attorney. Attorneys can help you recover money for damaged property, medical expenses, or collect evidence that could mitigate your liability. Here are five signs you may need a car accident lawyer. If there’s serious injury or death. Car accidents in which serious bodily injuries or deaths occur are not only traumatic for all parties, but they usually result in complex litigation....
When you think of bankruptcy, do you think of GM, Chrysler? But it’s not just automakers facing bankruptcy this year; it’s your co-worker, the guy down the street, maybe even you. A growing number within the country are facing bankruptcy now, according to figures released Wednesday by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. For this year’s July to September period, there were 388,485 bankruptcy filings, up from 292,291 a year earlier....
The prison reform lite passed by California’s legislature last week formed the basis of the plan California will submit today, as required, to a panel of three federal judges. The plan fslls woefully short of what the judges ordered. What happens next? As previously discussed, years of litigation over prison conditions resulted in a federal court order in early August for California to find a way to trim its prison population by over 40,000 in two years in order to bring the state in line with the barest minimum of Constitutional standards regarding access to health care in prisons....
We see waiver forms all the time: from school sports to the ski slopes to the hotel pool. And normally we sign them without giving them much thought. But what if it’s a government entity asking you to sign a liability waiver? Can they make the waiver a prerequisite to participation in public services? And if you sign it, have you waived any and all future injury claims? The General Rule Unfortunately, government entities, including states, counties, and cities can make signed waivers mandatory, even for participation in taxpayer-funded programs....
Workers’ compensation is for paid workers who contribute to the fund, so what happens when a volunteer gets hurt on the job-not-job? Who will pay for injury? We can’t all devote our lives to public service, which is why many people do good by volunteering. But before you give or take free labor, consider liability for injury. State laws vary, and there are exceptions, but in most cases volunteers’ injuries are not covered by public workers’ compensation funds....
If you’ve received a Form 1099-C, don’t freak out – but don’t ignore it either. If a creditor has forgiven or canceled a debt of $600 or more, it is obligated to send you and the IRS a copy of this form. This includes debts discharged in bankruptcy and those forgiven by credit card companies. Now that you know why you received a Form 1099-C, you need to determine whether or not you must pay taxes on the reported amount....
‘This is not Alabama in the 1940’s,’ said Tishay Wright in a news release regarding a racial discrimination lawsuit she filed against her ex-employer, Southland Construction. ‘No one should be treated this way in America in the year 2017.’ The treatment to which she referred included racist comments from company owners Kenneth and Anita Hayden, culminating in a Confederate flag-bedazzled purse as a Christmas gift, along with photos of the pair dressed as Donald Trump and a supporter, complete with a Confederate flag draped over Wright’s desk....
There is a misconception that someone who marries a U.S. citizen automatically acquires U.S. citizenship by marriage. This is simply not true. Marriage to a U.S. citizen can certainly expedite someone’s path to citizenship, but the alien still needs to wait several months to actually receive a green card, and then several years after that to become eligible to apply for citizenship. So how does someone become a U.S. citizen after marrying a U....
Running a business is no small feat. Besides your overall goals, there’s the numbers side of the endeavor, and there’s a whole myriad of laws to abide by. One area of law you have to be conscious of is age discrimination. Even if you don’t intend to discriminate, it’s possible that your company practices might inadvertently lead to age discrimination. So, it’s important to be aware of what the laws are and how to avoid unfair practices....
Gone are the good old days of punching a time clock on your way in and out of work. Punch in, you’re getting paid; punch out, you’re not. Nowadays the kind of work we do, and where and when we do it, has become much more fluid, making it more difficult to determine when we’re on and off the clock. And it seems some employers are trying to take advantage of that....
As more states legalize online gambling, game developers are considering the opportunity to reach a new market. Brick-and-mortar casinos aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, but states are starting to realize the potential of online gambling as a source of revenue. Nevada, Washington D.C., and Delaware already allow people within the state to gamble online and other states are considering loosening laws around online betting to bring in business. Some critics initially dismissed the plans for online gambling as small potatoes in terms of revenue....
A new immigration bill that is known as the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act has finally gotten some air play in Congress. The bill’s official name is Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act (CIRASAP). With all of the focus on job creation and healthcare, immigration issues have been pushed to the wayside. However Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) wants to ensure that immigration issues are not forgotten. He is one of the congressmen supporting this proposed piece of legislation....
