Title: Petty

Question:
 Is Cc'ing a fake lawyer's email address illegal?
Question:I'm looking to see if this is an option to gain leverage in financial disputes/unfair charges. I'm not implying that I want to pose as a fake lawyer, but if I just cc'd some random email address with an @xyzlawfirm.com domain in an email sent to a company's customer support, would there be any legal consequences?

In Oklahoma. Thanks.

Answer:
 You can cc Obama if you want that's not illegal. But if it's a smart company they'd just quit talking to you and direct you to their legal department after seeing that. Answer #2: You think you are the first person to try to do this?

They will forward it to their boss.  They will google/look up the law firm and see if the email matches.  They will then contact their legal team and let them take over.

When they find out it is a fake law firm, they will have a laugh, I am talking like a smack the thigh laugh, and proceed with their day.Answer #3: Even if they believe for a second that's a real lawyer, they will think you're crazy for going rogue and sending email instead of your lawyer doing it. And then they'll forward it to their legal team and follow the policy they surely have in place to not engage with you except through their legal department.


Title: Car crashed in DUI, missed one car insurance payment. Grace period? PA

Question: My ex had our car. Its in my name with my father co-signing. He crashed it a few hours ago while driving drunk. He left the scene and got picked up and booked. He never paid the insurance which was due on the 20th of May. He is also behind in two car payments. I called and paid insurance when he called me to say he crashed the car. What is likely to happen with coverage?  Also, what will his charges be? Northampton county, PA.

Answer:
 Pennsylvania fair trade statute requires 30 days written notice from the insurance company when they intend on cancelling a policy for any reason, including non-payment.  Page 5:

http://www.mvplaw.com/post/articles/Pennsylvania%20Unfair%20Claims%20Statutes%20and%20Regulations.pdf


Title: Will the police search my phone in these consequences?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Sorry, what crime do you feel he has committed that is requiring you to report it to police?


Title: [PA] Mentally Challenged Brother-in-law threatened a police officer and is now in jail. What can be done?

Question:
My brother-in-law is mentally challenged and living with his parents.  They are very poor.  I don't have much in the way of details with respect to this case, as I am currently out of state, but it seems that his father said that someone was stalking around the house and BIL went outside with a sword in a threatening manner. The 'stalker' ended up being a police officer.  Obviously, there is a lot more to the story that I do not know, but at the end of the day, BIL is in jail for threatening an officer.

He is severely mentally challenged, and I am confident that he is not mentally competent to stand trial.  But first thing is first: what do we do? I've never had any real contact with the legal system, so I have no idea where to start.  Like I said earlier, they are very poor, so they would need some sort of public defender or lawyer who is willing to take certain cases pro-bono.

Answer:
 He should plead not guilty at his arraignment and request a public defender. Neither him nor his parents should make additional statements to the police.

How old is he? Are his parents his guardians if he's an adult?Answer #2: You'll need to see if he qualifies for a public defender, or scrape together every penny you can and hire an attorney. If he is as you say, it shouldn't be too hard to prove he didn't have the mental capacity for there to be sufficient intent.


Title: I (F26) was in relationship with my boss (M48) because I thought we were in love. He cheated and now I'm seeing the lies and manipulation he used to get to me. Should I go to HR?

Question:
Florida - United States

First let me state, yes I'm an idiot.

I had feelings for my much older married boss for a long time. I'm honestly not sure why I liked him, probably because he listened and was the only male I saw consistently on a regular basis.

It started slowly by him opening up to me about his terrible home life and marriage. He'd been sleeping on the couch for two years and him and his wife of 20 years are pretty much just roommates that only speak if it's about their 8-year old son.

He started asking me to hang out with him after work to play tennis, go to dinner, sing karaoke. We did all of this in one week and I kept telling myself that he's just lonely and needs a friend..there's no way he'd cheat and I don't feel he's into me anyways.

Long story short he confessed his feelings - I tried to stop him but he  kissed me - and I wasn't strong enough to stop him. At 26, I finally wanted to experience love because I never had (you can see why this was hard for me).

We had a sexual relationship while I was still in his employment, even doing things at work while I was on the clock (we worked at a children's museum). I found a new job within two months because I knew that was wrong.

He was very emotional and moved very fast in the beginning of our relationship - asked his wife for a divorce (she happily agreed (or so he says), asked me to move in with him when they sold the house, had me around his son ALL THE TIME, hung out with me and treated me great.

The intensity and devotion he showed to our relationship started to fade about 4-5 months in. As I was falling more in love he was becoming harder to reach. Not responding to texts, going two weeks without seeing each other because he was too busy with work, the divorce and son. I was very understanding.

At the 10 month mark of our relationship he broke up with me over the phone. I was devastated because it (at the time) seemed to come from no where - he couldn't give me a reason as to why he wanted to break up.

A girl who works with him (he is also her supervisor) told me, just a few weeks after we broke up, that he has a girlfriend. I was trying to move on and did not tell anyone about my relationship with him but this new info made me realize the red flags I ignored when we were together and I'm 99.9% sure he was cheating on me too. So I confessed to the girl who tipped me off about our relationship. I asked her to keep it to herself.

Yes, I'm a REALLY big idiot.

She did not keep it to herself and other staff now know including some higher ups.

She also said that my ex recently made some comments to another female staff member of his that sound very reminiscent of the things he said to me. IE: Telling this girl when they're alone how miserable and sad his life is and even saying (in front of all his other staff) that this girl is the new (me).

No, this other girl is not his new gf but the comments are weird to make and inappropriate...

One of the higher-ups that knows about this told my friend to urge me to go to HR right away but I'm afraid for several reasons:

1. I was a consenting adult that agreed to this-can he take me to court for anything?

2. Can this possibly hurt my career by getting back to my current employer?

3. Can I just make a quick phone call, give them the hard proof (I have photos/emails from when we still worked together) and move on or will they need me for months...will I have to go to court?

I'm such an idiot and I don't know why I fell for this shit or what to do from here or if I should just let it all go.

Please advise.

Thanks

Answer:
 If you go to HR and they find out you were at any time in a consenting relationship with your manager without disclosing it, you will both be fired. He might not, but YOU definitely will.Answer #2: Your new job could fire you, sure. This is just revenge on your part. If he did something illegal--like rape--I'd say go straight to the police. But everyone here is an adult and needs to make their own choices. If he chooses to be a womanizer, that will eventually bite him in the ass, probably. If other women want to sleep with him, that's their choice. If the company wants to fire him, that's its choice.

Now if any woman he's courting is his subordinate, *they* can (and probably should) report that to HR. Unless they really want to get into bed with him, consequences be damned.


Title: [Advice needed] Took a week trip to Canada and wife was denied re-entry into the States (x-post from /r/immigration)

Question:
Hello friends,

I know this sub doesn't normally do immigration type stuff but we are running out of options and want to go home so I am going to repost here.

I am an American and have been married to my wife for 1.5 years, she has passports in both Chile and Spain. She has had an R1 visa for work for the past couple years and it is expiring this year, so we went ahead and applied for a green card through status adjustment.

Shortly after applying we took a trip for her job to Canada for 1 week, coming back they denied her re-entry into the states saying that her R1 was voided(not expired yet) because we applied for the green card, but the green card application was also voided because we left the country. This is what the supervisor at the U.S. customs was telling us. He sent us back to Canada and they are giving her 1 month here. Any ideas on what our options are? Besides sending her back to Spain and starting all over with the I-130 forum.

This is what she has/had https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/r-1-temporary-religious-workers/r-1-temporary-nonimmigrant-religious-workers
What we filed was a I-485 and I-130 along with 4 or 5 others, all the proof of marriage, medical records/exam, and 1700$ in fees. Any chance the money may get refunded?

I've called USCIS this morning and explained to someone what was going on, he told me that it didn't sound right and would pass me on to his boss which is an immigration officer. Still waiting for a call back from him but would appreciate any advice on how to talk with him as well.

Thanks for any and all information!

Answer:
 what might've happened is that she exceeded her number of "entries" on the visa.  so can you look into how many "entries" her visa allowed?

another possibility, is that maybe due to the new trump administration, her visa did actually get voided.

having a pending green card application doesn't allow you to leave/reenter the country.  but it shouldn't cancel the application either.

either way, you'd probably want a lawyer for this one.


Title: [UT] can you compel your ex husband to get a better job if he is earning below his potential?

Question:
Long story short. We got divorced, he got pissed that the court order alimoney/child support. He got himself fired from his job of 15+ years. Before he got fired (on purpose, he admitted it) he would always turn down promotions and such so he never had to pay full amount.
He's now taken a new job. It's about half of what he was making. He's got 30+ years IT under his belt and is now working a sweatshop call center making slightly more than minimum wage.
Is there a way to compel him to search for a better job? I'm okay financially, but I was using the money he sent me for college funds for the children.

Answer:
 Generally courts can impute income.  What this means is if you have a history working as at a job making $100,000, and you work at McDonald’s due to your own choice, then the court can say “hey, you are qualified to work at the $100k job, we will impute your income as such”.

Exceptions would be disabilities, life changing events, etc.Answer #2: While you cannot force him to get a better job, nor can you force him to take a promotion, the court can impute income if he has intentionally reduced his income to avoid support.  Which it sounds like has happened in this case.  Its different if someone quits a job to take a new one with lower initial pay but higher long term potential, or goes back to school (although with school some income would be imputed) but if you just make less out of spite, yes, the court will impute income and refuse to modify the support order.


Title: Wallet stolen in CLEAR view of a security camera. ONTARIO.

Question:
Short easy story, wondering what I should do next.

Went to the local dispensary. Bought weed. Left my wallet on the counter (I put my backpack on top of it, so out of sight out of mind, I didn't put it back in my coat as I walked away).

I go out to catch the bus. No wallet, no bus pass.

I go back to the dispensary. Bring up the situation. They check security camera. Yep, there's me, there's my wallet. Theres some guy (clear view of his torso and face) finding it on the counter as he pays, opening it, seeing cash and shit, closing it, and putting it in his pocket and leaving.

I probably walked by him as I searched the parking lot, fuck sakes.

So yeah. I'm going to the police dept to file it stolen to protect against identity theft (I foolishly had my SIN # card in there), but with face footage, social media, and likely being a repeat customer of the dispensary should make the guy easy to track down.

Police probably still won't give a fuck though, eh? I don't want to make trouble for the dispensary, but I might ask that the guy be banned from the store. Seems like a reasonable request, and fuck that guy anyway.

Answer: A police report is the sum total of what you can do.


Title: [USA, TX] Friend's wife wants to write me a check, have me give her the cash, and keep it secret. Legal?

Question: My friend's wife wants to write me a check for $1,000, have me cash it, and then have me give her the cash. She says she will use the money for marketing her husband's (my friend's) online retail business in January, but wants to claim the write off for this year. She wants me to keep this a secret from him because what she is planning is supposed to be in conjunction with a delayed birthday surprise (his bday is in December). I don't want to agree to this, as it seems illegal, but I don't know for sure, or what to call it.

Answer:
 you're helping her commit tax fraud.  Answer #2: I don't see how this hides her 1k spend. Are you supposed to hold off on cashing the check until January?

If not, there is a good possibility that the check is bad. This could be a setup for a scam.

This is very risky and probably illegal.


Title: Jiffy Lube put the wrong oil filter in my car, oil dumped and engine seized- Looking for a lawyer

Question:
In June , I received an oil change on my car at Jiffy Lube location in Seattle, Washington.  I paid for the more expensive package of oil and specifically told them to change my oil filter.  Less than three weeks later, my oil light came on driving on the highway and by the time I was able to move to the exit lane and get off the highway, my car broke down on the exit ramp.  I had my car towed to the nearest mechanic and the mechanic discovered that the wrong oil filter was placed on my car, causing the filter to fall off during driving, leading to an immediate oil dump and my engine seized.  The mechanic was quick to let me know that they think that I should make a lawsuit since they believe it is the fault of the oil change (and I have documentation of this).

I first attempted to resolve this by contacting Jiffy lube to save everyone the burden and cost of a lawsuit. They went out to inspect my car but their inspector is claiming that the filter that fell out of place in my car (that was found in the oil pan) was not something they normally carry and are therefore dismissing my claim. This makes very little sense since I paid for my filter to be changed and did not/had no reason to touch the oil filter in between the oil change and the incident (like I said, less than three weeks- definitely not enough time where I would even consider another oil change).  The representative for Jiffy Lube that I spoke to, said that sometimes shops will run out of stock on filters and pick up more from third parties but that this wasn't the case. I am thinking that either this happened or that the Jiffy Lube I went to never actually put a new filter in my car to begin with. Otherwise there is no reason for there to be no filter in my car from the company. I have done research and this seems to have been a big issue that the company had in the past with not doing the job that is paid for (to the point of them making public service announcements about retraining staff etc).

My job is completely dependent on my car.  I am a house cleaner (driving to 3-4 houses a day) and was in the process of starting up my own house cleaning company.  At first I rented a car to finish up my already scheduled work for a week, but this wasn't feasible for me long term.  Jiffy Lube even called (before declining my claim) and asked if I will need a rental for work and I told them yes.  I have been out of work for over a month now because I can't afford to fix my car without working more.  I can not get  the representatives for Jiffy Lube to call me back for a week between calls and I am losing more business every single day that I do not have my car.

My issue now is that my engine rebuild or an engine swap was quoted to be just under $8k, nevermind the costs of towing the car from place to place and the cost of the rental car I needed/the work I lost.

I live in Washington and small claims court only goes up to $5k, so now I am struggling to find a lawyer who wants to pursue my case.  I talked to the state bar and they didn't have much advice on who I should go to because they know I will have trouble finding a lawyer for a case only worth this much.

I am 21 and have no experience with lawyers or law  (or any of this really) and am wondering what my best bet would be or if there is an option for a lawyer.  Are there lawyers who work with smaller cases and if so how do I find them?  As a side note, I already contacted the BBB and the general attorney and filed cases with them against Jiffy Lube.  Any advice helps at this point and my last resort would to be fall back on going to small claims.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 IANAL but I did work at jiffy lube. In fact, in Seattle. This happens all the time. Several people got fired in the three months I worked there for wrecking cars. If they don't have the filter on hand they go to the store and buy it. I bet it was the same one I worked at as well. Do not let them talk you into not filing a lawsuit. They may say they can fix things but it doesn't matter. This post just proves that they still don't give proper training.

The training you receive there is all on a computer. Nobody shows you what to do. You watch videos and out actions in order. They are liable and they know they are liable, do not back down. Answer #2: We see this a lot at our dealership. Customer has their oil changed at a quicky place, oil filter or drain plug falls out and ruins the engine. Customer has car towed to us and we confirm. Quicky place sends their rep out to inspect. We give them an estimate for a NEW factory engine. Those places have insurance that covers these issues and they almost always pay for the repair. Have your car towed to your nearest dealer. Quicky Place will pay for everything and you'll get piece of mind knowing your car was fixed with factory parts by factory technicians with a factory warranty. Answer #3: Also.... Demand a rental car. It usually takes about 2 weeks to replace the engine. And the dealership won't release the vehicle until Quicky Place cuts a check. Answer #4: Contact your local bar association. They can give you a referral to an attorney who has knowledge in this area.


Title: My aunt stole power of attorney from my uncle and now she’s abusing this power to control my grandma’s life.

Question:
First of all I live in Washington State. I’m sorry this story is so long. I’m not sure how much of this really is relevant but it all feels relevant to me so here goes.

My grandmother who lived alone had started to deteriorate mentally and physically over the past few years. My mother, who is the youngest of her 4 siblings, had been helping take care of her part time. Originally it was just to help my grandma be less lonely after the death of my grandfather almost 6 years ago. Back then my grandma’s health was still fairly good; however since then she has started to develop the early stages of some form of dementia, although she has never been formally tested.

At first my mother would come by at least 1 weekend a month, then 2 weekends a month and finally over the past few years it was every weekend. Over this time my grandmother started becoming less and less active and more and more forgetful. My grandmother would always pay for my mother’s gas expenses (we live about 40 miles away so gas was always an issue), when they would go shopping together my grandmother would also pay for the groceries for both households as well as give my mother some money to pay her back for her help. At the early years of this my grandmother would accompany my mother on their outings, however as she got worse she would not feel like going out and would stay at home letting my mother use her debit card to do the errands including grocery shopping, picking up my grandmother’s medicines, and paying on my grandmother’s bills. My grandmother had let my mother hold on to her debit card which my mother sometimes used throughout the week to pay for groceries for both us and my grandmother throughout the week.

As my grandmother became less active she would neglect house work pushing more and more onto my mother. My mother would get paid around two to three hundred dollars for three days of work. My uncle, who was the eldest child of my grandmother and grandfather, who we would later find out was the power of attorney written in their will, was in charge of my grandmother’s finances that my mother didn’t take care of and kept track of all money coming out of my grandmother’s accounts and questioning my mother about any large amounts of money coming out. My grandmother would always give my mother her payments in check which my grandmother would always sign herself.

During weekdays my grandmother would be alone for the most part. My uncle would visit her weekly and take her to doctor appointments. My aunts, the second and third children (I will refer to the second eldest as “Aunt A” and third eldest as “Aunt B”), would visit less than once a month. When no one was around my grandmother would normally talk to my mother on the phone at least once every day for up to 2 hours.

Then a little over half a year ago my grandmother suffered a fall when no one else was there and had to be hospitalized. This is when we found out my uncle was power of attorney as stated in the will. She was in the hospital for about a week and was then moved into a rehab/nursing home. During the time she was there the communication between my mother and her siblings started getting worse and worse. At first they were all on good terms with each other,  trying to work together for my grandmother’s best interest.

At first things were about the same. We would visit my grandmother in the home about once a week and my grandmother would call my mother almost every day. We set it up with my uncle, who now as POA was in full control of my grandmother’s finances, to go to my grandma’s house and still do the normal house work and get some money. My mother also stopped using my grandma’s debit card. My mother and uncle wanted to try having my grandmother live at home with either someone in the family or some other at home care giver living with her. My aunts wanted her to go into a full time home. This is where the conflict started.

During my mother’s visits she discussed the normal topics with my grandmother. Mostly involving how we were doing at home, how things at my grandma’s house were, how their pets were doing. Nothing out of the ordinary for them. My mother would normally stay until my grandmother would fall asleep, if she didn’t my grandmother would often get upset and have a hard time falling asleep. This often meant my mother would stay past visiting hours, however none of the employees ever said anything to my mother about this.

My grandmother often would get upset when she was alone and would call my mother. Many of the things that caused her to get upset were when she remembered about my mother and how bad our living situation is. My mother would normally calm her down, reassuring her that we were doing fine. However after one such episode my grandmother started worrying about us again right after getting off the phone with my mother causing her to have a panic attack. This episode prompted my uncle to permanently take away my grandmother’s cell phone, essentially cutting her off from the outside world. He blamed my mother for causing my grandmother’s attack, saying she brought up the topic that got my grandmother upset, even though it was my grandmother that brought it up. He also got after my mother for staying at the home after hours. He then more or less said that if she didn’t stop visiting after hours she would be forbidden form seeing my grandmother. Unknown to us at the time my uncle was discussing matters with Aunt A and she was the one that brought him to this way of thinking.

About a month and a half after my grandmother entered the rehab/nursing home her insurance said they would no longer cover her stay at that home as she had recovered from her fall (according to them). This was much sooner than anyone had expected as we had yet to set up a long care plan for her. So my mother and her siblings held an emergency meeting to decide what to do. They decided on putting her in a care home for a short time. My uncle had intended on still having someone live at home with my grandmother and this current situation would only be temporary. In this time my mother was able to explain to my uncle what had happened and how everything was just a big misunderstanding because everyone didn’t have all the information, and their relationship improved.

However my grandmother still did not get her phone back. My mother started visiting my grandmother less as it was getting hard for us to visit as often with how far the place she was staying was from our home and my grandmother was no longer able to give us gas money. Because of this my grandmother started getting lonely and started confiding in Aunt A as she was the one visiting her most now. Aunt A started getting more involved with my grandmother’s living situation. Her and my uncle often discussed the future plans and she started taking my grandmother to the doctors, my mother was left out of all of this.

Then two months after my grandmother was in this current home, the reason why Aunt A was being so helpful was revealed. My uncle went to my grandmother’s bank to take some money out of the account to pay of my grandmother’s house utilities bills. He found the account completely cleared out. We came to learn that in the two months my grandmother had been in this house Aunt A had convinced my grandmother that her other children didn’t care for her, they were abusing her finances, and got her to sign the paperwork making Aunt A power of attorney.

My mother and my uncle planned on having a meeting with them, Aunt A, and my grandmother. However when we arrived, my aunt had brought a lawyer. It was revealed that my aunt had looked into my grandmother’s finances over the past 5 years and had documents showing every withdrawal to my mother and that my mother had made. This included the money my grandmother had given my mother but also included money taken out to pay for my grandmother’s bills, medicines, and living expenses. Note my grandmother is a very giving person and would often give people money when they needed it. This included all of her children so all of them had gotten large financial gifts from my grandmother over the years.

Anyways the lawyer claimed that any money my mother had taken out was fraud. My grandmother instantly responded that this wasn’t true and said any money my mother got from her was a gift. However this fell on deaf ears. Although not stated outright, bringing all of this information out now implies my aunt would sue for fraud if any of us tried to challenge her. During all of this my grandmother brings up that she should just live with my mother and us, not fully comprehending the situation and thinking all the commotion is from how much her staying in the current place is. The idea of her moving in with us was one we had never discussed with her and was one she came up with on her own.

After this my mother stopped visiting my grandmother for a while. Mostly so she wouldn’t have to see any of her siblings as they had all wronged her in some way. Aunt A who had accused my mother of something she hadn’t done and then holding it over her head, Aunt B for being on Aunt A’s side this whole time, and my uncle for falling for Aunt A’s ploy.

After three weeks Aunt B texted my mother and got mad at her for taking so much money and now not visiting my grandmother anymore. So my mother started visiting my grandmother again. She would try to visit at least once every week, always on days and at times her siblings wouldn’t be there. During these visits my grandmother would bring up her living with us, to which my mother would say that wasn’t possible. During my mother’s last visit my grandmother’s sister and her children were also there. The idea of my grandmother moving in with us was again brought up by her and somehow this got conveyed to Aunt A. After my mother left my grandmother suffered another panic attack like before. After this Aunt A texted my mother a few days later saying we were all forbidden from seeing my grandmother anymore.

During this whole ordeal Aunt A has been unwilling to listen to our side of the story. Ignoring the phone whenever we call her and the few times we have seen her in person refusing to listen or believe anything we say. She has also implanted the idea my mother is a thief and all-around terrible person to the staff at the home making my mother feel uncomfortable and unwanted when she would visit. With all of this scheming, backstabbing, badmouthing, and unwillingness to listen to reason Aunt A seems mentally unstable and we are worried she will cause an early death to my grandmother because of all of this unneeded stress. My mother just wants my grandmother to be able to live the rest of her life happy and to be able to continue their old relationship, neither of which is possible currently. It would be best if the POA could be returned to my uncle, as he was much more reasonable and willing to listen to reason. Does my aunt actually have a strong fraud case against me mother? Is there any kind of legal action we can take to remove my aunt as power of attorney or are we backed into a corner?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: TL;DR. You really need to break this down into basic questions. No one is going to read a wall of text.


Title: My employer is committing forgery. How can I best protect myself from any trouble?

Question:
First and foremost, Yes, I know I need to get the hell out of this job. I’m on it. I don’t have the financial freedom to quit without a new job so I’m trying to do everything I can to be safe.

I work in real estate development. My boss uses a copy machine, scissors and tape to take subcontractor’s signatures from previously signed paperwork and tape/copy/scan them together on other documents. Some of these forged signatures are put on contracts, work orders, and lien waivers.

Today, I witnessed it for the first time and I immediately recorded the conversation on my phone. He asked me to cut/paste/tape/scan for him and I flat out told him I am not interested in participating in forgery and refused. I am scared for myself as I do not want to be part of any legal trouble whatsoever because of this reckless man.

Is my best option to continue to record these interactions? Is there someone that I can report this to anonymously?  How can I best protect myself?

Answer:
 > Some of these forged signatures are put on contracts, work orders, and **lien waivers.**

It's only a matter of time before someone at this shop goes down for a felony or two. Normally I'm pretty understanding of "I can't afford to quit until I have another job," but in this case I have to make an exception: leave. Now, if you can swing it, but otherwise before you return tomorrow. However dire your finances are, they'll be far, far worse if your boss throws you under a bus when the police come knocking.

You can report this to the parties whose signatures are being forged, or to the police, as you see fit. Neither requires that you disclose your identity, necessarily, but your boss won't have a hard time putting two and two together.


Title: Can my friends boss make him pay for missing money?

Question: Long story short, my friend works at a local restaurant in North Carolina, and the register came up $100 short at the end of the day. His boss deducted the $100 from the managers paycheck after not being able to find where the money could have gone, and now the manager is expecting my friend and his coworkers to pay a share of the $100. Is this legal? I haven't been able to find anything specifically saying if it was legal in NC, but the best I could find was a thread that mentioned it's an expected loss of running a business and employees shouldn't be held accountable for it. Any help would be appreciated

Answer:
 [Only with written authorization, in advance, specific to the amount being deducted](http://www.nclabor.com/wh/fact%20sheets/deductions_from_wages.htm).

The manager can and should file a wage claim for the money removed from his paycheck. He may not deduct it from his subordinates' checks.


Title: (Central Valley, CA) My coworker shoots homeless people with paintball guns for fun and brags to me about it, what can I do to help stop his behavior?

Question:
I recently started a new job at a sandwich place and during downtime a coworker showed me videos he posted on snapchat of him and his friends sneaking up on unsuspecting, usually sleeping homeless people who they would then proceed to shoot with automatic paintball guns.

The videos made me sick to my stomach and made my blood boil, especially considering the fact that they were all gleefully laughing while they pumped high velocity rounds into a screaming, confused human being who can't defend himself.

Oh, also, his dad is a cop seems to approve of his behavior, and let's his 18-year-old fuckstick of a son use his police gear (high-powered flashlights, body armor). When I asked him what he would do if the homeless people fought back, he said he would just have his dad arrest them.

I feel helpless here considering his father is a cop and I don't see what could come out of calling the cops on him. I added him on snapchat so I can have concrete evidence of his assaults but I'm not sure where to go from here.

any help on how to wreck this pasty fuck would be appreciated, thanks

Answer: Save the snap chat video and make copies.Answer #2: Report it to the police if you are so inclined. Answer #3: If the dad is city police contact the county sheriff. If the dad is county then contact highway patrol(state police)


Title: One of my County District Courts is asking for my fingerprints 10 years later.

Question:
Some background.

10 years ago I was charged with a failing to report an accident/failing to stop at a PI incident. I layed down my motorcycle on some gravel when I was 19 years old. I didnt report it because I was unaware i needed to since I had the lowest form of insurance and I only damaged my $2000 motorcycle and myself.

  I called my brother to take me to the hospital and had my bike towed home, but Somebody called 911 for me and a sheriff found my bike and had it impounded and they called me and asked me to file a report to get my bike back.

I went to the county building i was asked to go to. I was told to pay money for my bike and that was it. I was never told to talk to an investigator or officer when I was there. I got my bike back and that was it....

3 months later I got a arrest warrant in the mail. I paid my bond and went in for the hearing. I plead not guilty claimed I didnt know. They took half my bond and gave the other half back and let me go.

10 years later, I receive an "Order for Fingerprints" from THAT case!!  The letter says its so i wont have Charges shown on my record if an employer record checks me.

My question is: am I legally required to do this or can i just ignore it and go on about my business? I'm just paranoid something bad is going to come from this if I go in, but also if I don't. The courthouse is pretty far away from where i live due to the jurisdiction of the incident.

What say ye reddit?

Answer:
 Idk why they took half the bond, unless you that was part of a criminal find they assessed against you.

Call the court to verify the documents authenticity. If they are real DO NOT IGNORE A COURT ORDER. You can be contempt and an arrest warrant can be issued.

Contact an attorney or legal aid if you are super against complying and see what they have to say as to 1)why they want this a decade later and 2) if  it has been legally issued—maybe a SOL bar existsAnswer #2: I'm not a lawyer or in LE at all, but from my understanding, only felonies show up on employer background checks, and that's only up to 7 years for some states. Are you sure this came from the actual county district courts? Perhaps call them and ask directly about it.


Title: Can an employer fire you while on medical leave, even if you are not registered on FMLA

Question:
My mother is afraid she’ll lose her job while she is out on leave due to neck surgery.

She JUST recently allowed to work from home, but her job got changed while she’s out prior to be able to work from home. But she was given no instruction or training to the new job, just notice of who to call if she has questions. She has called but no one has gotten back to her.

So she is afraid she’s going to lose her job either while she’s out or the moment she is released to go back to work fully.

She was confused on the exact ruling to FMLA so she didn’t sign up for it prior to her surgery. But I have always been told that an employer is not allowed to fire someone while on leave due to medical reasons(whether they are signed for FMLA or not)
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 They cannot fire her for medical reasons.

They can fire her for not going to work.

FMLA is that protection that allows her to not go to work (and not get paid) due to medical reasons. If she qualifies.

Did she talk to work? She should call HR and start the process for FMLA


Title: Battling my famous athlete 'soon-to-be' X-in laws and my cheating wife over IP that I made during the course of our relationship. (LA)

Question:
I'll try to keep this short and keep as little reference to names or job titles as possible. Basically, about 6 years ago I met a girl who had semi-famous parents and I ended up marrying. During the course of our relationship, I suggested starting a YouTube channel and various social media with her father who was a professional athlete. My intent was to build a brand around it under the idea that eventually my wife and I would take over once they retire and that we could live off of the fame and publicity (my wife also became a pro athlete after I convinced her to let her father mentor her). Everything was fine, until she decided it would be a good idea to cheat on me and move to a completely different state with the dude randomly. I waited and tried to reconcile with her for over a year with no luck and it tore me up extremely badly. She also ran off with the majority of our assets and money and left me with very little. So not only did my wife disappear over night but also my career. She and her family also refused to give me my filming equipment back until just recently we had it court ordered back to me next month. Over the period with the drama between my wife and I, my in-laws approached me about buying me out in both person and through text. I informed them that I still wanted to wait and see if my wife returned before I made any big decisions, and I was also concerned about whether she would try and claim it as community property or not and if I would get in trouble for selling before we reached a settlement. Everything was created before we were married, so that's not the problem. The problem is that eventually they texted me wanting to buy me out still and after consulting with my family lawyer they thought that if I could get an offer that we could draft up a contract that would legally absolve any possible right my wife had to the stake in IP and social media. I asked them to give me an offer and they did not. After a couple of weeks I was then informed that they were suing me and placing a restraining order against me (even thought I had not voluntarily contacted them in over a year). Since we were family, we had no formal contract- But the agreement always was that I kept the revenue from the channel in exchange for building her dads fame and increasing his value  (which it did EXPONENTIALLY). The YouTube account and all contracts associated are all under my name. The Logo was also created by me and I have all original photoshop, sony vegas, and over 7 TB of footage and pictures to show my ownership- But hiring an IP lawyer is going to cost me a minimum of a $20,000 retaining fee. And I have very little money thanks to my wife taking everything with her and my inability to get my equipment back to be gainfully employed normally. I feel like they are trying to back me into a corner so that I settle for much less than it's worth or just give it up. But this is the last 6 years of my life work and I would prefer if I could at least get some startup money for a future venture of my own so that I can start new. What should be my next step? We're talking potentially millions of dollars worth of value in assets and I know that he is feeling the hurt and pressure from his sponsors otherwise he wouldn't be trying to get it so badly. Especially given the fact that he always belittled my work and acted as if it had no actual value to him (even though he always wanted to continue doing it).

Hopefully this is easy to understand. This is a throwaway account just for the record because I'm not sure if names getting out would hurt me or just them.

Answer:
 > We're talking potentially millions of dollars worth of value in assets

A divorce attorney will cost far, far less than losing out on those assets. This is a no-brainer: you need a lawyer.

Your state's Bar Association can refer you to someone.


Title: FBI Warning on Movies

Question: So my fiancée is a Resident Assistant and has a weird situation. The dorm she works in has just acquired a new Resident Life Coordinator (RLC), basically just the boss of the dorm, for the uninformed. This new RLC was going over some new rules for the other RA’s and said they were not allowed to watch movies in the dorm lobby. Her reasoning was that the FBI warning at the beginning of the movies doesn’t allow movies to be viewed in “public places” such as a dorm lobby. She also said that places like dorm rooms are fine but that watching a movie in a dorm lobby was “illegal” (her words, not mine). She is also married to a cop and gives that as a reason as well. Is this true? I always thought the FBI warning at the beginning  of movies was warning of copyright infringement? Like so people don’t illegally reproduce a movie and sell it again. I mean if the person bought the movie can’t they show it any capacity they deem fit? I’m starting to assume that this RLC is using the legality of a movie as an excuse to just not have movies in her lobby. What are y’alls thoughts?

Answer:
 The right to public performance is one of the rights protected by copyright.  It's why you need a license to perform a song, or a play.

Most copyright law is civil; the FBI only gets involved in criminal prosecution rarely and for egregious cases, like selling 50,000 copies of a DVD or something.

The boss may or may not be right; the dorm probably isn't technically a "public" place, assuming access has some restrictions, but nobody wants to deal with a copyright hassle, either.Answer #2: Your fiancée could resolve this easily enough: Just call the university's General Counsel's office. They'll give her a definitive answer.Answer #3: I'm sure legally a dorm lobby would be considered a small group of friends getting together to watch a movie. As long as tickets aren't being sold or any money being made this will be fine.


Title: Should I sign this?

Question:
I'll try to keep this brief.

I'm getting a divorce. We were married for about three years, i haven't seen her in over two. After being separated for a year and having no contact aside from texts and calls, she got pregnant. I'm listed as the father on the birth certificate solely because Mississippi assumes paternity to the legal husband. I've lived in Louisiana for almost two years now. Her daughter is about to turn one very soon. I paid about a third of her fees to hire her a lawyer to get us divorced. We both personally agreed to a no-fault divorce. About three days ago her lawyer sent me a blank email with an attached waiver of summons which apparently just means that I agree that I don't need them to hire a process server to hand me documents. But my issue comes with the last paragraph of the waiver that says "I do hereby certify that I have received a true and correct copy of the Complaint for Divorce and Motion to Establish Paternity and Amend Birth Certificate filed in this Cause." I have not received this document. But that sound to me like "certify... a true and correct copy" means that I'm agreeing to everything contained in it. But I have no way of knowing what's in this document. I replied to the email asking for a copy of it and mentioned I felt uncomfortable signing until I've read it. It's been two days and I have not received a reply from the lawyer whose office is now closed for the weekend. My "wife" is very angry and telling me I may have ruined everything because apparently in the state of Mississippi, after the child turns one, it becomes way harder to get this done and a judge may not allow the birth certificate to be changed to show the biological father as the father. What do I do? I really don't want to end up having to pay alimony or child support for a child that has nothing to do with me. The real father is still in the picture and wants to be the father. Any advice?

Answer:
 Um, no don’t sign anything like that until you’ve received the document.

Ianal but I do have common sense. Good luck. Answer #2: The true and correct copy part is nothing to be worried about. It just means you're certifying that you received those documents. The fact that you haven't actually received those documents is of course problematic. There may also be reasons you wouldn't want to waive summons even without those issues. You should probably hire an attorney.Answer #3: Donʻt sign it until you clarify with your lawyer and have ssen the document. Good luck my man


Title: I'm trying to sell my car and it still under my ex husbands name, and he won't help.

Question: I got a divorce 5 months ago in California. We wanted to make it clean and we didn't do the formal legal assest list. I got my car, but the registration is still in his name. I sold my car to my friend, Matt, and Matt has been trying to get a loan through the bank. But, the bank won't give him a loan unless my ex talks to them. The thing is, my ex won't do anything to help and has been ignoring my calls and even my friends calls. I'd there anything I can to do? I

Answer: If his name is on the registration, it's his car. It's not your car to sell.Answer #2: Well you didn't make it clean if you didn't get his name off "your" car. I don't see you have any options other than continue to try to talk to him about it. At the moment it's not your car, it belongs to both of you.


Title: Car sex on our street and leaving their load behind

Question: Some couple or group of people keep parking on our street and having sex i there car. Normally I wouldn’t care but they keep throwing their used condoms on our street. My kids keep finding them when we are outside playing. All of our neighbors have cameras and have see this car. We have plate numbers, video, and...DNA. We called the sheriff and they came by to talk with us. They didn’t want the video or DNA. They wrote down the plate numbers but that’s it. They said they couldn’t do much after the fact. Just call them when we see them which we do but they are gone by the time the deputies show up. Last week I saw them on my camera and called the sheriff. I rushed home too to confront these “litterbugs”. It took me 40 minutes to get home and they were gone. The sheriff showed up 10 minutes after I got home. I know it’s not an emergency but damn 50 minutes for a cop to show up? Really? Anyways anything else I can do other then keep calling the cops when I see them?

Answer:
 Collecting DNA evidence for something like this is not going to happen.  A DNA test is expensive and no agency will do that.

Keep calling the cops.  Eventually they will get caught.  If you can narrow down when it is happening to a particular time of day or day of the week, let the cops know and ask them to do proactive patrols during that time period (if they are not on higher priority calls).

To take it a step further, go down to your local station and ask to speak to a patrol supervisor that covers your area.  Lay out what is going on and ask them if they can have their patrols in the area more.


Title: Late for class

Question: I live in Arizona.I work for uber and lyft! I was driving in my car going west bound. Had the green light so I proceeded west. Just as I crossed the intersection  A bicyclist came outta no where and hit the side of my car. Fortunately everyone was ok but my car. The biker was cited for failure to stop at a red light. My car on other hand had $1,400 in damages wich will take 5 days to repair.He did not have bikers insurance. My insurance company is fixing my car 500 deductible. My question is though can I contact him and ask for money for my time off work while my car is being fixed 5 days worth? totals 1000 dollars. If not can I take him to small claims court?

Answer: You can sue him for your deductible and for a rental car (or the cost of  taxi service), but not lost wages.


Title: I just had my neighbor arrested, but he's the "vengeful" type

Question:
So my neighbor is a drunk, redneck dumb ass. His father is, too. The dad comes down to stay with him every second summer, and he causes so much trouble for myself and fellow neighbors that it gets to the point where I can't even feel comfortable on my own property. Tonight, was by far the worst and most serious incident that's taken place. My mother came into my room saying that my neighbor and his father were heavily intoxicated and were shouting at each other in their backyard. I followed her outside, and sure enough, there is a very intense, profanity ridden argument occurring between the two. I ran inside to grab my phone because this sounded like it was going to turn ugly at any moment, and as soon as I head back outside, I hear multiple loud cracks and grunts. They started attacking each other, and at one point, I heard one of them say something along the lines of "you've stabbed me". I dialed 911 immediately and officers arrived at the scene in under five minutes. The father actually got into his truck and started pulling out of their drive way just as the police were pulling up and was apprehended quickly. My neighbor at first sounded like he was cooperating with the officers, but started to raise his voice at them and was also quickly arrested. Now you're probably thinking "well the cops have them now, so what's the big deal?" Well, my neighbor is well known to the police. As I was confirming details with the 911 dispatcher, she was asking me very specific questions about him and the residence, like it's very obvious. Him, his father and now his wife, apparently are known animal abusers. Myself and several other neighbors have witnessed them beating their dogs on multiple occasions, and we've done our best to get them busted for this, but we've never gotten any solid proof, so the police can't do anything about it. I will be contacting my local pet shelter and child protective services (yeah, there's a kid that has to put up with this too and is probably abused as much as the dogs) tomorrow to get the dogs and kid out of there. If this incident doesn't suffice as "solid proof", then there's something seriously wrong with my country's judicial system. Anyway, my main concern now is that if my neighbor finds out that we were the ones that called the police on him, then he will retaliate. The last few times he's had the police called on him, he went around the neighborhood asking everyone if they were the ones who ratted on him or if they knew who did. I would hope that they wouldn't be giving out names to him, but you never know, and I was speaking to several of my neighbors tonight as the arrests were being made. The guy's a hunter, so his house is full of rifles and shotguns; I even watched the officers remove some from his truck before it was towed to the impound lot. So we have to deal with this troubled drunk of a man that has access to multiple firearms that I don't think would hesitate to do something drastic... I'm a little on edge right now because I'm sure he'll be released within the next few days and back at home, looking to find out again who called the police. I've had to put up with this shit for nine years, and tonight's the first night were I genuinely feel unsafe. I can only hope that there is enough charges against him and his father tonight to take them to court and hopefully see some jail time, but I won't hold my breath. Sorry if this whole post is a jumbled mess, as I'm still pretty rattled from what happened tonight, but I'd like some opinions or some advice from you all. I have a horrible feeling that he knows that I'm the one who called, so anything is appreciated at this point. Thank you.

TL;DR I called the police on my neighbor and got him arrested, but I fear he knows I'm the one who called and now I'm worried he'll retaliate by going as far as trying to kill me because he's a fucking lunatic.
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 Get a video doorbell, possibly one on each door. Refuse any contact with the neighbors. If they come to your home, call the cops immediately.

You should also go down to the police precinct and talk to a sergeant about this situation. Physically going to the cops often yields better results than just calling. If this person is as well known to the authorities as you say, there's a decent chance they can either do something to help you, or point you in the direction of another agency which can.Answer #2: >  but I'd like some opinions or some advice from you all.

I doubt he knows you called, anyone could have.  Plus, he got himself arrested by how he acted.

I would get some cameras and place them all around the house, monitoring all your property, and any access points to and from your property.

Second, I would consider getting a big fence to block off your property from theirs.Answer #3: First thing you should do if you don’t have security cameras installed is to do so. Pick up a few Blink cameras from Amazon (they are battery operated and easy to install quickly). And if you don’t have a home security system, you may want to invest in one. These things will give you piece of mind. And if anyone comes near your house the cameras will send an alert to your phone right away so that you can call the cops ASAP.


Title: Took car to dealership for repairs and found out they took my car to lunch.

Question:
Ok so I took my car into the shop for the 20k mile checkup and to get a noise looked at. I knew they would need to drive the car which was understandable. They told me they drove it and heard no noises... Great.

This is where the problems start. I get home and I go to mess around with IF.. The updated IFTT. Well I installed automatic a year ago but never leveraged it with my systems and I went to do it tonight. I noticed a lot of entries today even with it in the shop. I see where they took the car on a 3.4 mile drive for lunch and left in in the parking lot for 45 mins and a few short drives. I'm kinda pissed.

This is where I'm looking for advice. I have GPS data in my car showing the joy ride.. I notified the dealership but I don't know how to react. I didn't mean to monitor them but it's a personal car with a GPS tracker installed. What should I do? I don't want to sue or anything but I feel they own me an apology or something. I'm sure they are going to be pissed about the tracker.

Do I have legal reason to worry about someone else driving my car since I have a tracker installed?

Edit: Forgot to include I'm in Georgia

Update: Service manager confirm this wasn't part of policy. They aren't allowed to take customer cars to lunch. The notes on my account showed 2 test drives and after showing GPS data they admitted to a 3rd. The front line guy tried to spin it as part of service until the manager heard and apologized. He recently had to tell the team that they aren't allowed to stop the car during test drives. The front line guy was in full spin. I know everyone thinks I overreacted but I still feel I did the right thing. The manager did seem frustrated that GPS trackers are becoming common bc this has happened before.

Answer: 3.4 miles total? That may be completely reasonable if you reported a noise. Would you have preferred them not to actually drive the car? Did they fix the noise? That they went to lunch is really inconsequential.


Title: [CA, US]Property Manager left a note on the door stating that if we don't pay 4k we have to leave

Question:
Came home to a note on the door, stating that if we don't pay ~$4k by tomorrow morning we have to leave by the afternoon. That's illegal right? We've lived here for a month, so wouldn't we need 3 day notice to pay, or a 30 day to vacate? Year long lease.
Also all we owe to my knowledge is the rent($1,500, to be paid by the 10th), deposit($1,000. Check bounced because owner asked for cash instead, then changed their minds once we took the money out), and $100(to the property manager, who is just a family friend of the owner). She said she called the sherrif and animal control if there would be any trouble, and put a lock on the garage, though she didn't lock the back door to it, I think because there's no way to lock it. She also said that the owner's would be here to occupy tomorrow?

I'm confused on what my family needs to do. Will we need a lawyer?

Edit: The property manager just contacted my mom and said that we're squatting even though we have a signed lease? She's threatening to contract CPS, AC, my father's(divorced) attorney to use that against us in court, that she will try to take away our benefits, ect. Is that harassment? And that the owner's husband, who isn't on the lease or mortgage, will be here on Monday to kick us out

Edit 2: Property Manager has just stated that she, leased the garage from the owner, and that she asked the neighbors to watch our comings and goings. We were not informed that she would be leading the garage. She also stated that she has evicted "...100s of tenants..." Guess my family will work towards getting the money we put in back so we can move. Along with finding a lawyer

Edit 3: She served a 3 day notice. Our lease requires a 7 day notice to pay or quit. Put a couple ads out and contacted some attorney's. Lots of phone calls monday!

Answer:
 You have a lease for a year and have been living in the place for a month.  You can only be evicted through the legal eviction process, not at the whim of the landlord, even if you don't pay or your check bounces.  If the landlord locks you out, call the local police precinct and tell them you've been illegally locked out.

Be sure to get receipts for rent you pay.Answer #2: Also, in regards to the locked garage, does she have to unlock it? It's not completely closed off due to the human sized back door, but I can't get my car in anymore thanks to the lock.Answer #3: If you are in any of the large cities in California (LA, San Francisco, etc.) there will be a housing/rental city agency that you can contact.Answer #4: Make sure that you store copies of your lease and any correspondence or documentation off-site, in addition to being at home. Keep copies and/or photos with trusted family members in the event your property manager locks you out and you need to convince the police to let you back in.

I would personally consider taking any sentimental or valuable items out of your home, and storing them elsewhere, if you suspect the property manager might try to lock you out.

Like the other posters said, get a lawyer when you can and definitely be prepared to call the police if you do end up barred from your property.Answer #5: So did they say why you owe 4K?


Title: I think I got scammed! And I’m fuming!

Question:
So I know this was a stupid stupid mistake. Sometimes when things are going really well I get complacent and I didn’t think this through.

So a band Ive loved ( Death Cab For Cutie) is playing here in Portland in the first and I got paid after the tickets sold out. So I was looking around for two tickets for my fiancé and I. I saw a post from a lady saying she had two tickets for sale at 50$ a piece. I ended up wanting two and proceeded to work out a payment with her

She asked for payment with iTunes gift cards because her card was canceled and she couldn’t receive transfers. I reluctantly agreed and went through with it. She sent me pictures of her confirmation email. As well  as a screen showing the transfer. After I sent the codes she said it was takin a long time. Then went offline and ghosted me. I woke up this morning and she said her husband was upset she sold them so low and demanded another 50 dollar card. At this point I was like hell no and told her the deal was done and I couldn’t afford another one. And then I told her that this was turning into a legal situation and she continued to demand the other 50$. As of now she has blocked me and I’m not even sure her profile is real. I screenshot  the whole conversation Like I said I know it was stupid and I shouldn’t have done it. If anyone could help me figure out how to find out who this is. Or go after her legally. I’m  more let down because I was super excited and now I’m out 100$ and I’m so bummed.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Call the police and report the theft- they'll have a better shot at getting the evidence than you did.

But the money is most likely gone for good.Answer #2: And never pay a person up front online without getting the goods first. For things like this I always meet in public.


Title: Ontario, Canada - Legal to audio record sex without partner's knowledge?

Question:
I am paranoid about an upcoming sexual encounter. Will it be legal to record the audio of the sex in order to prove it was consensual in the future, or to prove otherwise if he hurts me? Obviously the recording would be for my own records, not for distribution. Recording would take place in my home.

[posted for a friend]

Answer:
 I have a simpler solution. If you don't trust your sexual partner - then don't engage in intimate activities together. Answer #2: [Here](http://www.canadiansecuritymag.com/CCTV/Editorial/The-tricky-business-of-audio-surveillance.html) is a source that says it is illegal in Canada to record "private communications."

And I'd look for classier friends.


Title: Killing squirrels (PA)

Question:
I know someone trapping and killing squirrels in their backyard. It doesn't seem legal but I'm partial to animals so I could be wrong.

They are taking a bucket, making a ramp, and baiting it with bird seed (I know baiting deer is illegal). What happens is the squirrels try to get the food and fall into the bucket and drown.

Answer: Baiting, trapping, and killing squirrels is legal in PA, though there are some regulations to follow. Consider [this page](http://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/Pages/NuisanceWildlife.aspx) from the PA Wildlife and Game commission on the topic. As long as your neighbor is doing everything the right way, he isn't doing anything illegal.


Title: If an online form refuses payment for service rendered, does it become a gift?

Question:
I saw this post on r/assholedesign: https://www.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/comments/o7e03z

Basically OP tries to pay his electricity bill online which is $3.37.
The minimum allowed by the system is $5.00, yet the maximum cannot be higher than the bill amount.

Someone commented that if they refuse payment then, it constitutes a gift. Is this true?

Answer: No.


Title: Son's mother asking for increase in child support - CT

Question:
Short version here because I'm still shaking in anger and am about to have to try to find a lawyer. My son's mother and I have a child support arrangement from a couple of years ago. Since then, we have both gotten married (to other people; she and I were never married), she's had another child and my wife and I are 5 months from having one of our own. My son's mother quit her job after she got married. Her husband probably makes about what my wife and I make together. My ex is saying that she is entitled to a review of the child support bc she is making more than 15% less than when the arrangement was made, prior to our marriages. She's basically soft-threatening a return to court unless she gets more money, but I'm curious if anyone knows how much of a leg she actually has to stand on. I mean, I expect to pay for my son, but is it possible that it's my job to support my son and my ex-girlfriend who chose to quit her job and live off her new husband's pay? Connecticut, as the title says.

Oh and if it matters, I'm already paying for his health insurance, and 42% of any additional medical costs, and I only see him 4 days a week bc when I tried to take her to court for custody she dodged the Marshall, setting me back around $400 in filing fees for nothing. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer:
 If she was able to make X and is now making X-15%, it's possible that your attorney can argue that the full value of X should be her imputed income.

But we don't know the details of your case, so talk with your attorney!Answer #2: I'm not a lawyer, but have you an actual custody/support agreement through family court? If so, you should probably revisit that and check back with the lawyer that helped you with it.


Title: KCMO - Rodents in wall, Landlord refuses to act.

Question:
My girlfriend and I live in an old apartment building in Kansas City. On Monday night we heard noises in our wall that sounded like squealing, next day searched all over the baseboards and found no droppings, put several different traps to no avail. So we have come to the conclusion, speaking with different exterminators, that since the squeals only occur at night and no droppings found that they are in the wall.

Our apartment is 1 of 6 in the building, with the other units being owned by the people leaving in them. We spoke with our landlord asking for her to send an exterminator as we don't feel secure in the home as we don't know what it is and have a small dog in the residence as well, and have been staying at a hotel for the past 2 nights. Unfortunately, the landlord keeps saying it's not her responsibility and that we have to talk to the HoA to get an exterminator out. Is she correct? The lease doesn't mention anything concerning rodents or pests. Would appreciate any insight and sorry for formatting issues!

Answer: Did you just flee an apartment for a possible rodent infestation that you can't even find droppings for?


Title: Is it illegal to write stories about kidnapping a real life person? (Illinois)

Question: My nephew is in trouble over some stories he has written. A teacher or teaching assistant at his school found his notebook that he had left behind. The stories in question were about him kidnapping, locking up and force feeding someone to fatten them up into a big beautiful woman. The reason it is problem is because the person in the stories was his 14 year old next door neighbor. He is 17. The school phoned her parents and they got the cops involved and are talking about having him arrested and restraining orders and getting him kicked out of school. It was weird yes but given that he only wrote about doing it and didn't actually do anything illegal could he actually be charged or kicked out of school or get a restraining order against him? Aren't stories and thoughts covered by the first amendment and free speech? They were harmless stories and no one would even care if he didn't write about an actual person.

Answer:
 Can he be charged with a crime?  Maybe.  That'd be a stretch.

Can they get a restraining order?  Probably.  That's much easier.

Can he get in trouble with the school?  Absolutely.

Should he get counseling immediately?  Absolutely.


Title: What's the term for a civil cause of action when you rely on another person obeying the law and they do not?

Answer: [You weren't hit head on by another vehicle because the car in front of you performed an "illegal u-turn" were you?](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2qppnw/car_was_about_to_hit_me_so_i_got_out_of_the_way/)


Title: My car was wrongfully towed from the correct side of the street during a snow emergency. What are my options?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Generally you can only claim actual monetary damages. That means the amount of money you're out for the tow. You're not due any money for inconvenience.


Title: (DC) Heat in my bedroom is broken. Landlord has only supplied space heaters, says I am not entitled to refunded rent. What can I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: [DC Law Students in Court](http://dclawstudents.org/) runs a clinic that specializes in tenant's rights, with a strong focus on illegal housing conditions. Even if you don't qualify for representation financially, they'll still meet with you, possibly send a letter on your behalf, and otherwise advise you on how best to get this fixed.


Title: my work pools tips for 6 months, and if you leave before the 6 months is up, you see 0% of those tips.

Question:
ive been working at this place for a good minute now and haven't seen nay tip money at all.

what they do is let it pool up for 6 months and then distribute it to those working there at the time, however if you've worked there for only 3 of the six months, you would only receive half as much of someone who was their for the whole 6. but if you left before those 6 months, you'd get none of it.

another thing, money is taken from the pool of tip money to pay for stuff here and there, for example, if the register came up a little short they'll just cover the difference with the tips, which is fine imo. but from time to time the GM will just show up with coffee for everyone and deduct the money from the tips, which is not fine.

&#x200B;

so my question is: is this illegal? and if it is, what can i do about it?

Answer:
 Your employer can't do that. A tip is compensation for the staff who were working when the tip was given. They have to be distributed to the tip-sharing employees within the same time limits as a paycheck must be delivered. You can file a wage claim here:  [https://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-59886\_27856-39617--,00.html](https://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-59886_27856-39617--,00.html)

Here's some general info about tipped employees:  [https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/wagestips](https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/wagestips)Answer #2: How much are you being paid in hourly wages?


Title: (IL) Somebody's vehicle was hit, and they are trying to convince me to cop to it. It wasn't me.

Question:
This happened a while back. A vehicle was struck by another vehicle in a parking lot (private property). Supposedly a witness said it was a vehicle similar to mine (yet describe it as the wrong color). A cop came asking questions, which I stated that I did not hit the vehicle. Also, the cop and I both stated there was no damage to my vehicle that would indicate I hit the vehicle. I thought this was a done deal.

Recently, I received a letter from the individual stating that I was there and that I drive a vehicle matching the description. The person thinks I did it and should tell the police as such and turn it into my insurance.

Seems fairly straight and clear that I did not, being that there is no smoking gun, but the person is insinuating that another individual said that I was drunk.

I am thinking about seeking legal advice locally if the person moves forward with (I would guess) small claims court, but was wondering if you guys have any thoughts or suggestions. This type of situation is pretty taxing on my emotional state, so any help would be appreciated.

Answer:
 No reason to get worried. The letter was from the other individual not an attorney? They can send letters all the want. They want someone to pay for their car and sent you a letter. Don't even respond to the letter. Only reason to get worried is if they serve you, and even then you are fine, you'll just go to the judge and explain what you've written here and you'll be fine.Answer #2: > Also, the cop and I both stated there was no damage to my vehicle that would indicate I hit the vehicle. I thought this was a done deal.

Do you know if that cop filed any sort of report after talking to you and looking at your car? If he did then you should be able to get a copy of it.  A police report by an officer stating no damage existed to your car, and potentially doesn't match the color of the car in the accident, would be a huge help if anything like a lawsuit were to occur.


Title: Family member got paroled revoked because of an online relationship with a guard who lied about her identity. Is there anything that can be done?

Question:
Hello reddit. My cousin was arrested in Ky on Christmas day 2015. He was sent to prison and his primary means for communication was a online messaging system set up by the prison. How is works is you pay 49 cents to send a message and then he can reply.

Things seem to be looking up for him. He made parole, won custody of his son, who was born after his arrest, and was talking with this girl in Tennessee through messages. She was flirting with him and seeking a relationship. He agreed and that was a mistake. It turned out she was a guard who worked at the prison. We didn't hear from him for 15 days.

They had put him in the hole and took 60 good days from him. That was 3 days ago. Today, they decided to add 12 months to his sentence and suspend his parole. I'm in shock. This doesn't seem fair at all. Is there anything I can do? I don't know much about the law, but he shouldn't be punished when she paid to message him, aggressively flirted with him and lied about her identity.

Our family is devastated. He could lose custody of his son if he stays in there too long. I don't know what to do.

Edit: to clarify, he never left prison. This happened as he was almost ready to leave. The messaging system can be used by anyone outside the prison. You pay money and you can send him a message. Then he can reply and the process repeats. 1000 apologies for any confusion.

Answer:
 Speak to a lawyer to rally for your cousin's defense.

I strongly suspect you're not hearing the full story.Answer #2: There is more to the story. It's not against the law for an inmate to have a relationship with a guard. It's against policy, and depending on what the guard has done, they could be charged, but again, there is more to the story.Answer #3: I think he is probably leaving out the part where he *did* know he was in a relationship w/the guard and not just some girl he met online. That's his story, I imagine he will not divert from it while his communication with you and everyone else is being monitored.Answer #4: You aren't being told the whole story.Answer #5: What rule is he being punished for breaking exactly?Answer #6: ianal -


Title: Let go from my job for ‘being on phone’

Question: Hey, so I’ll make it short and sweet with as much detail as I can. (I’m a 26 year old female) Today after my shift at work I was let go. I’ve been with the company which is a high end car dealership for 4 months. I was promoted in the second month in and given a raise so I believed I was doing a good job. Out of the blue today I was called in to the service managers office and fired for being on my phone. I received no warning prior to this event and never had any complaints from management. I work two jobs to pay my mortgage and car payments and have two dogs at home. I’m wondering if there is any legal action I can take against my prior workplace because now I am stuck out of a job for which I feel was a sad excuse for letting me go and worried I can’t find work soon enough since I basically live pay check to pay check. Any help pleeaassseeeeee!

Answer:
 It's completely legal for them to fire you for using your phone at work, even without prior notice.

File for unemployment and look for a new job.Answer #2: No action against the company, but you're probably eligible for UI.  File today.Answer #3: File for unemployment and look for a new job.  Appeal if you're denied, which most people are the first time.


Title: STRAIGHT A 17YR OLD STUDENT ARRESTED FOR 800G OF WEED & UNREGISTERED GUN

Question:
5 charges have been established;

1.) controlled substance crime in the fifth degree - possession of marijuana (firearm possession)
2.) possess ammo/pistol/assualt weapon under 18 yrs old.
3.) firearms serial number - receive/possess w/altered
4.) carry/possess pistol w/out permit
5.) possess ammo/any firearm - user of controlled substance.

this is an ongoing case where i have questions about as it involves someone close. she lives in southern minnesota. she turns 18 this may 2016. her graduation date is also this may of 2016. this is her first offense.

during the arrest, there are two other passengers, both underage at 17(male) & 16(female) that is a couple. the vehicle belongs to her older brother. she got arrested about a 11-15 mile radius away from home. the approach to the arrest occurred because of strong smells of weed coming from the vehicle. a search was performed. questions answered.

the parents had no whereabouts to how she interacts outside of home besides work and school and possibly a few friends. she only has a drivers permit.

there has been no witnesses yet however, there are two screen shots of messages through facebook going to her family members how thankful the other two passengers are. the male passenger just got out of jail. the female passenger is presumed as pregnant. these three attends the same school. with that being said, her siblings sees these two passengers who were involved daily.

going forward, when the cops and her arrived at the jail cell or interrogation room, she did however admit to the 800g of weed being his and it is not a recreational use. as well as the gun, she claimed its hers although she didn't buy it; someone bought it for her with her money & possibly trade of weed. also she admit to having that gun in possession of two months prior to getting arrested.

she has been sitting in juvie since january 2, 2016. the judge has asked if the mom would like to take her home twice. first the judge denied access. second, the judge did not say no or such but that this is an unusual case.

the public defender has been informed the truth. she now changes her story to where only 60g of the 800g is hers and the gun belongs to the male passenger who is a repeating offender. who she believes would voucher for her and claims the gun back during trial but is now unsure due to being held and unable to continue schooling and work.

retrial has been granted. two warrants has been approved.

my questions:
what will happen on the next courtdate?
how can the two passengers lessen her case?

please give me all thoughts. (excuse my caps, my keyboard isn't functioning correctly if caps goes unlock)

thank you so much for reading.

Answer:
 >WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE NEXT COURTDATE?

No idea. This would be a good question for her lawyer, but you shouldn't be talking to her about this. She should talk to nobody but her lawyer about this.

>HOW CAN THE TWO PASSENGERS LESSEN HER CASE?

No idea, it's entirely possible that they can't. It sounds like they have enough to charge her for what they have.


Title: Can I sue my Catholic school for hate speech and threatening to expel me for being a trans-woman?

Question:
I go to a Catholic school that is all-male. This school is very conservative and is pro-life and considers being homosexual or trans as a mental illness. I'm a trans-woman, and I participate in drag queen events. I posted these pictures on Facebook and Instagram, on which I have a large amount of followers. The school administration found out about my social media accounts, and they called my parents and told them that I have to close these accounts and attend therapy, or I will be expelled from this school.

I haven't done any of this yet, but now my theology teacher at this school is constantly giving lectures on how being a trans-woman or being gay is a mental illness. Surprisingly, most of my classmates are tolerant of me participating in drag events. It seems that only the admins and teachers have a problem with it.

Answer:
 No.

Why you would go, or want to go, to a Catholic school if you're a transgendered person is beyond me.Answer #2: You realize if they accepted you as a trans woman , they could then kick you out not being male in an all boys school?


Title: Child support laws for married people who split up when the child is the product of a sperm donor. [PA, USA]

Question:
Not my situation, but asking for a friend and seeing what her options are. We will call my friend "Jane" and her husband "Kevin".

Jane and Kevin started out as a lesbian couple. Kevin used to be "Kelly". Kevin came out as transgender years ago and has transitioned to "Kevin" and lives his life as a man (says male on his drivers license, legal name change, etc.) Kevin and Jane are legally married and already have a 4 year old son together who was conceived with a sperm donor and carried by Jane. That son is legally adopted by Kevin. This year they decided to try for another child and Jane is now carrying another baby conceived by the same sperm donor, she is due in December. A few months ago Kevin cheated on Jane several times and they separated. They are not legally divorced yet, but they are living separately and Kevin is living with a new girlfriend and her kids, supporting them.

Kevin agrees that he will need to pay child support for their 4 year old son, and wants some kind of custody arrangement where he gets him on alternating weekends and holidays. He says he wants nothing to do with the baby Jane is currently carrying and refuses to pay any child support towards that child. Jane is unemployed at the moment, as she was a stay at home mom. She is staying with family and looking for a job but hasn't found anything yet.

What are Jane's rights here? If she took Kevin to court, could she get child support for this new baby or is she shit out of luck because it's not biologically Kevin's child, even though they were married at the time of conception (and at that time he intended to raise this child as his own, just like their other child) and likely will still be legally married when the child is born? Will she at least qualify for spousal support since she was a stay at home mom making no income when he left?

She has yet to get a lawyer, despite several people urging her to. She doesn't think she can afford it. I am hoping if she sees that she has a chance at actually winning in a child support/spousal support case she might actually hire someone.

Another note: The sperm donor was not through an agency, it is someone she knows who did her a favor and they did at home insemination. He has no role in her children's lives and was literally just a sperm donor. Jane is afraid if she seeks child support, or even welfare benefits that they will go after the sperm donor. Is that true?

Answer:
 > The sperm donor was not through an agency

That person is likely about to learn a very expensive lesson.  The state will absolutely go after him for support, the legal protections for sperm donors are limited to those who go through a clinic.  Answer #2: She can't afford NOT to get a lawyer. Nothing about this situation is standard.Answer #3: There’s no legal protection for sperm donors who didn’t go through a clinic. If she applies for any government assistance they will ask who he father is. The only answer that doesn’t result in the donor being pursued for support is “I don’t know who the father is” (but obviously she does) Answer #4: Since they're married and he's legally male, he's automatically the legal father. Even if the child had been conceived by adultery, it would still automatically be the husband's child until he proved otherwise. I don't know how being transgender would affect this, but I don't think the sperm donor being unofficial matters very much. The husband is the presumed father. It's up to him to go to court to prove otherwise. I'm sure she has some proof he agreed to use a friend to conceive and this wasn't adultery.


Title: Is this Legal? Owner of restaurant is retired but puts his spouses name on payroll to collect her check.

Question: I am from Ohio. The Owner of the restaurant is retired but his wife collects a salary but is never at the restaurant. I know the wife is already employed as a teacher. Its obvious what is going on and the owner is using his wife for extra cash using her check while still keeping his social security benefits but i can't really prove that. Is this Legal?

Answer:
 The owner's wife could work FOR the restaurant without needing to work AT the restaurant. Bookkeeping, for example.

Even if it is a minimal effort or no-show job... the owner can hire an pay anyone they want to hire and pay for whatever work the owner deems worth that pay.

The few facts you provided get nowhere near illegal activity.Answer #2: Maybe I’m lacking imagination (or intelligence) but I can figure out why this would be, or even should be, illegal. It sounds fine as long as it doesn’t impact you.

Now if she’s taking part in a tip pool, that’s another story. Answer #3: There’s nothing about social security that says you can’t earn money and collect.

There’s nothing illegal about hiring someone for an easy job.

The only legal issue is reporting the income properly and you have no reason to believe they’re not.


Title: Man rapes 15 year old Girl in Canada, Girl lives in US

Question:
I have a friend that went to Canada to visit family in December 2016, while there, her Uncle had Brutally abused her until she was unconscious and raped her. She woke up tied up to a bedpost. It happened again the next day except she was only unconscious for half of it and she woke up on the couch with him raping her, she yelled to stop, he brutally abused till unconscious. She woke up in a tool shed naked, in pain, and bloody. Next day she got tied to the bedpost again, fully conscious and it didn't last because he got caugt by her aunt.
Anyways, he was put in court in Canada and the full story was said by the girl of what she experience and went through and he was only sentenced 11 months in prison. ONLY 11 MONTHS.... since she was only visiting, is it possible to press charges against him in the U.S. to get him a longer sentence?? I just cant stand him being off the hook so easily..

Answer: No. You can look into a civil suit for damages.


Title: [CA] Is it ok for my company to clock me out and immediately clock me in while I'm still working?

Question:
 I work as a supervisor at a market. Today I had to partly cover someone's shift for two hours. I was told that I get clocked in when I get to the office and clocked out when I come back in as the standard. After covering the two hour shift the dispatcher who clocks people told me that I got clocked out and immediately back in when I started the shift cover. Then when I get back to the office I get clocked back out. Dispatch told me there was no difference between not clocking me out and clocking me out then back in. I hope this makes sense I'll put this in hours to help with visualization.

Usually my hours are from 8:30pm - 5:00am
When I covered the shift it was 8:30pm clocked out at 5:00am clocked back in at 5:00am then clocked back out at 7:00am, so Im covering a two hour shift. Is this legal, or are they trying to screw with my hours in some way? They have been pretty rough when it comes to checks as well, messing up my hours on checks almost every other week, but fix the amount owed in retro pay the following week. Im thinking that they do this on purpose to save money some how but Im not sure. Are these red flags for a company trying to embezzle money somehow or am I just over reacting?

Answer: The clocking in and out could be related to changing which accounts/budgets the money comes out of.


Title: Professor won't let me in a class? [College]

Question:
California

Hoping to find some advice here...

College professor told me there was room in his course on Monday, and told me he'd give me a permission number today (Tuesday).  He gave me that number today, but it didn't work.  I emailed him and he said that he didn't have room in his class anymore, even thought I was the first on the waitlist.

I dropped another class to take this one, and without it I won't have a full schedule and won't receive my student loans.  I can't just crash or add another class tomorrow (Wednesday) because most every class will be full and closed!

TL;DR: professor said there was room- gave me add code.  Dropped other class, but add code didn't work.  Now I don't have a full schedule and likely won't be able to add another class in order to receive student loans.

What can I do?

Answer: Go to student affairs or the registrar, explain, and see what they can do. Chances are they might be able to put you back in your old class.Answer #2: Talk to your advisor.


Title: Friend clipped person walking on side of the road with car mirror [TX]

Question:
       My friend, whom we’ll call Jeff, was recently involved in something that can be considered a “pedestrian-vehicle accident.” Jeff was driving down a two-lane road (no passing, curved, 55 SL) with no shoulder. This was at around the times of 2-3am.

The pedestrian mentioned was wearing no type of clothing that would make their presence known, or even using a flashlight (keep in mind there are no streetlights in this area so it becomes pitch-black). The pedestrian was also walking on the right side white line (because there was no shoulder), and walking WITH traffic.

Jeff did not see the pedestrian until there was minimal time for action due to the darkness, sharp curve ahead, and the pedestrian’s dark colored clothing. Jeff attempt to swerve away from the pedestrian (without over-extending because of the fear of hitting oncoming traffic head on) resulted in only the right side side-view mirror to hit the pedestrian, the mirror was destroyed in this collision.

Jeff kept driving due to the confusion and disbelief of what just happened, was he wrong to flee, and in the event of the pedestrian conducting an investigation, who would be at fault?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 If he hit the person hard enough to destroy his side mirror that person was probably pretty hurt. You friend committed a hit and run and could be in big trouble.Answer #2: That is a hit and run. I would be very concerned that he could have seriously injured a pedestrian or rendered them unconscience.

Edit: I mean concerned enough that if I had a friend tell me that story I would call emergency responders if for no other purpose then to make sure the pedestrian is not dying on the side of the road somewhere. Answer #3: Besides the hit-and-run aspect, consider this:

1) The pedestrian was also walking on the right side white line

2) Jeff attempt to swerve away from the pedestrian

3) only the right side side-view mirror to hit the pedestrian,

If his mirrors are extending so far that even if he swerves they extend beyond the white line, either he is a poor driver who can't stay in his lane or he has fundamentally unsafe mirrors. Giant mirrors that stick out three feet might look cool in Jeff's opinion but they're an ongoing safety hazard, as Jeff learned. He might consider modifying his driving and his truck to prevent hurting more people in the future.


Title: Did my surgeon scam me and my insurance company?

Question:
First off, I'm located in California.

A while ago, I was injured with some burns requiring a short stay at a hopital. After the stay, I was refered to a surgery clinic by the insurance company where I would have checkups for two weeks. I was assigned a surgeon to follow up at the clinic. They would clean and reapply the dressings once every few days. Within the first few days after being treated by this surgion, they offered me to test out this new type of "Something" (I will be keeping out names and companies in this post just in case) that will help speed up the healing process. He asked if I had insurance which I said I did. He then said that it was a sample and it was a simply application of the "something" and wouldn't cost anything. I did not sign any papers or anything as I had burns on my hands and face causing me to be temperarly blind. My mother was there to help with paperwork. The next meeting, he told me he would apply the "something". He lead me into a surgery room which was suspicious because he told me that it was a simple application. He said it was because the enviroment had to be completely sterile. I found it weird already since he didn't mention anything about being in a surgery room when he first mentioned the "something". During the surgery, he did not give me any anistetic or any painkillers. I have a pretty high pain tollerence but it would of been nice to be offered as they were scrubbing and cutting away my skin as well as dousing it with alcohol. That was a painful experience. It seemed like he was new to surgery as he applied the "something" backwards and found out after wrapping everything up having him to undo everything again. After that day there were a few more follow ups but after that I was all healed.

A few months later, I recieved a bill for quite a large amount of money from the clinic. about 80,000 USD. I did not say anything as the insurance was going to pay for it. At this point I started to think that the surgeon scammed me but I was scared to say anything about it as I did not have any written proof and I was scared that the insurance company would bill me this sum if they found out what happened. A while later I received a bill from the insurance company for a 3k deductable for the surgery. I have not paid this amount and was wondering what my options were since I did not have any written agreement with the clinic or doctor. I was never told that I would be charged this amount of money when they offered me the "Free Something" .

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 From your narrative, they offered the "something" for free...the "something" itself.  It doesn't mean the entire procedure and all of the checkups are necessarily going to be free.  I doubt the surgeon scammed anyone, perhaps it's more likely you misunderstood something and didn't have a full grasp especially because you couldn't review the paperwork yourself.

I'm sure if the insurance company (the experts) sensed some foul play, they wouldn't be so forthcoming with payment to the doctor.

Edit:  Furthermore, the doctor isn't necessarily in a place to tell you what your insurance policy deductible payment would be.  That is something that is between you and your insurer.


Title: My ex wants to take my kids to away to texas for an undetermined amount of time (canada)

Question: So heres a bit about my situation things arent great at home the relashonship is toast i belive. We all live together still and she wants to break up and go stay with her family in texas for who knows how long. My step daughter is 8 and i love her to pieces we have been father daughter for 4 years. My son (with her ) is about to turn a year old. She knows full well i cant afford to go visit them in texas money is tight for me being the only working parent. What do i need to know before i speak to a lawyer about making sure i can see my kids regularly i want them to grow up with a good relationship between us. All that matters to me is i get to see them.

Answer:
 Get a lawyer **now** for your son. Your wife can take your stepdaughter across the border without a problem unless you officially adopted her. Your son, however, is another matter. He needs identification -- passports or photo ID -- to cross the border. You can refuse those, take them, or claim them to prevent her from leaving with your son if you don't want that to happen. Unfortunately crossing the Canadian/American border via car or train with one parent doesn't always invoke border guards asking about the approval of the other parent. However, if you call Canada Border Services Agency or the US Border Patrol, ask for guidance. You may be able to flag your wife and your son.

International custody arrangements can be challenging. Canada/US relations are easier than some, including coordinating enforcement of child support, garnishments, etc. I strongly recommend you consult with a lawyer skilled in these matters. Know your son is considered a resident of your **current** province. He has to live in another province/state for a minimum amount of time (usually 6 months) for the court there to have authority. You could easily put in an emergency custody order if you think she's a risk to cross the border and you don't want your son to leave.

Even on good terms, you need to have a custodial order and some kind of visitation in place with the courts. It's hard to enforce agreements through distance if she has a change of heart or circumstances without something official.