Title: [TN, USA] Quick question for you guys...can a defendant submit illegally obtain evidence if it would exonerate them?

Question: Basically does the exclusionary rule apply to defendants as well?

Answer: I have been waiting for literally years to cite[ Chambers v. Mississippi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambers_v._Mississippi) in this sub.Answer #2: any chance this is related to your [post](https://np.reddit.com/r/relationships/comments/4v472h/how_do_you_feel_about_age_gaps_in_nonabusive/) in /r/relationships about whether or not your age gap with your GF made bdsm ok?


Title: This was just added to our employee manual. Is this even legal?

Question:
http://m.imgur.com/f0FlCc6

This was just added to our employee manual, is this actually legal? Does this apply to training done prior to this addition?

Edit: located in Illinois

Answer: Yes, it's legal to make that a policy so long as the charges are based on the actual cost of training.  No, they cannot do so retroactively, so any training prior to that policy wouldn't be covered in that way.  It's become increasingly common where expensive, external training is required.


Title: I am on income replacement benefits. But I have made cash-money

Question:
I am deep in a personal injury lawsuit. I was injured and off work and while getting income replacement I made a little bit of side-income (No profit). I had my discovery yesterday and it's been found, about my social media and customers etc.

&#x200B;

I am scared and at a loss. The income is non-existent but I simply couldn't survive on $400/week. After the discovery I panicked and changed stuff online and they discovered I changed that as well. I am just scared at a loss, inside of an anxious hole. I feel like I will have my case thrown out. No rehab now. I dont know what will happen.

&#x200B;

Please advise.

Answer: You should stop changing stuff online and trying to hide or manipulate evidence, and you should ask your lawyer what to do now. We can't help with something this complex, and you should only listen to your own attorney on what to do in an ongoing legal matter. If you lied about your income or ability to earn income, then yes, it could impact your case. However, we can not know to what extend or to what ends. Call your lawyer and ask them what you should do and what these revelations might mean for your case.


Title: Will advice? Can my father kick us out?

Question:
My brother and I inherited half my parents house when my mother passed away. My father owns the other half. Both my brother and I don't get along with our father and he is always making threats to kick us out etc. He is verbally abusive and sadly without my mom here to mediate it has left everyone in a toxic environment. My brother and I just want to feel safe at home and it has come to the point where we want to sell the house and hopefully share an apartment just the two of us. My father has been making threats about how we got screwed in the will and now don't own half the house and always says I have no legal standing (I'm under 19 which is the legal age in my province) I'm just wondering what steps I can take to protect my brother and myself? How can we go about selling the house possibly? I just started university and work about 12 hours a week (to still make money without it affecting my school work) basically I'm looking for any legal advice I can get on how to sell the house and move on with my life

Please help, any advice is appreciated. We have no where else to turn

Edit I am located in BC, Canada

Answer: IANAL, but it seems you own half the house, so he can't kick you out. It is possible to sell a half a house to someone, but it will be easier to sell it to your dad.


Title: Legitimacy of red light cameras?

Question:
Location: United States, Pennsylvania

If someone allegedly runs a red light, and the only thing stating he/she did was a camera, how does it hold up in court?

Would it infringe on any rights of the driver since a police officer did not issue the ticket?

In particular, what if the view of the light was obstructed until the driver was already in the intersection, following a driver in front of them?

Thanks!

Answer:
 >In particular, what if the view of the light was obstructed until the driver was already in the intersection, following a driver in front of them?

If you're following a vehicle so closely that you can't see the traffic light, you're following too close - and that's not a valid defence.


Title: Previous company ignored my W-4 selections, did not take enough taxes

Question: I am pretty much convinced it's all on me.  I always claimed 1 or 0 for myself.  It has always been that way.  I have no dependents and it seemed like enough was being taken out per paycheck, it was weekly.  Low and behold I do my taxes and this W-2 shows I'm short over $1500 in taxes.  This updates my "refund" from $1200 (normal for my income) to owing close to $300.  Like I said, I assume this is all on me but I have the paperwork showing my W-4 claim as 1 dependent (me).    I live in Virginia, USA.

Answer:
 Pay your federal tax in full and on time. If you can't do that, you should send the largest payment you can comfortably afford on or before 4/18/2016.

Assuming you electronically file your federal return on time and don't pay in full, you will receive the first balance due notice in the third week of May. If you can pay this amount (including Failure To Pay penalty and interest) by the notice due date, you are done.

If you need additional time to pay, you should call the toll-free customer service number on the notice.


Title: I was fired and other employees I'm close to quit too

Question:
I was fired in an unjustice way and a couple of my coworkers who worked closely to me decided to quit a couple days after I was let go. They had already decided to leave and was going to do it within the month, but my situation caused them to want to leave sooner.

The company has had talks with them, fully implying that my situation is the sole reason that caused them to quit. I did not put it in their minds to quit.

Does the company have any grounds to sue me for defamation?

Location: California

Answer: I can't imagine that any defamation lawsuit against you would go very far.


Title: I suspect my soon-to-be ex-husband has been lying about his degrees. Can I verify, and how?

Question:
This seemed like the right flair, but I’m not certain. I’ve learned that the man I’m married to has been grossly misrepresenting himself to essentially everyone. He is a (pathological? compulsive?) liar and narcissist, and I now trust nothing he’s told me.

He claims to have completed an advanced degree during our time together. I watched him start classes (met members of his cohort, etc.) but late in the program he — according to him — withdrew because of registrar issues and shifted his dissertation work to another university. He didn’t attend graduation from this second university because it’s on the other side of the country. He claims they never sent his diploma due to a clerical error, and that he’s just over that academic pomp and never bothered to get a new diploma sent.

I am curious as to whether there was any diploma at all — any degree? Any enrollment in the second university at all? Is there a legal way I can find out? The National Student Clearinghouse can inform, but a) only if I’m an employer hiring him specifically because of the credential in question, or b) for personal verification that I can’t share with anyone else. At least, that’s how I read the fine print. I don’t know if this information is more for my own clarity or any potential court drama (we have a 2yo).

This has only developed in the last five days, but I am *done* and will be pursuing divorce. Not sure how I want custody to shake out, but I am determined to keep my side of the street clean (karmically, legally). Do I have options to verify his academic history, other than wait to petition a court for the information, if it indeed comes down to court? Should I just verify with the Clearinghouse and sit on the information until such time as a court should petition it for legal (as opposed to personal) use?

TIA.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Why does this matter to you at all? The fact that he lied about having degrees will have literally no impact on a divorce.  In fact, if the court believes he has advanced degrees, it makes him less likely to pursue an alimony claim successfully because the court will find that he can find suitable employment.  Sounds like you just need to consult with an attorney and begin to move on with your life.


Title: The guy who posted on here about suing Bieber has indeed sued Bieber for $100k

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 >"Phonegate"

I expect better of you, BBC.Answer #2: >"Phonegate"

Ugh, just kill me.

I can't take this *cringegate*.


Title: HOA and discrimination lawyers: Is this most draconian HOA rule ever? Is it even legal?

Question:
A Florida HOA, in direct response to a HUD discrimination complaint, just amended their declaration with an Article stating that any home owner who raises any issue or complains with anyone that results in HOA having to use their lawyer, will have to pay for the HOA lawyer's time. So not just if you lose a lawsuit; they claim they will charge you for ANYTHING that causes them to use their lawyer against you, right away . . . is this legal, any reactions??

Here is new wording . . . "In the event that the Community Association in its sole discretion retain an attorney to prepare and/or respond to any letter, pleading, correspondence, contact, and/or issue raised by, about or between Members directed to the Community Association, its Board or Director, or related to the Community Association, and the common area, any reasonable costs and attorneys fees associated therewith inducing any pre-suit costs and fees through and inducing all trial and appellate levels and postjudgment proceedings shall be the responsibility of the individual member. The costs and attorneys fees so incurred shall be deemed to be a Special Assessment against the Residential Unit, and shall be collectible in the same fashion as an other assessment as provided in Article 7."

This paragraph would appear to violate at least "Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, section 720.311(2)(b), Florida Statutes, requires that the parties share the costs of presuit mediation equally, including the fee charged by the mediator. " Anything else it violates?

Is there any low cost way of calling the HOA out on this without major litigation, for years, where they will charge you every month for THEIR time?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 The absolute best way IMO for this to be dealt with would be for the person who filed the original complaint (the one that "inspired" the HOA to make this dumbass new provision) to either amend their original complaint (if their investigation is still ongoing) or to file a new complaint alleging Retaliation by the HOA.

This is pretty creative, ballsy retaliation, but it is totally 100% retaliation. :)  We LOVE direct evidence cases.

FYI you can call up the Florida Commission and chat with them about this without filing a complaint, if you want some professionals opinions (assuming you are a member of this HOA's jurisdiction).  http://fchr.state.fl.us/complaints__1/housing   I've been to a conference with some of their people and they are good.  (I'd guess you'd have to be pretty good to deal with Florida.)Answer #2: I believe overreaching(no matter how wrong we are , if you sue us you have to pay for our defense. frequently fall under overreaching) "you have to pay our legal fees" have been consistently been found to be unconscionable.   On the other hand HOAs have a lot of bite to go with there bark and have and do win some insane legal fee judgements.

The low cost way of calling them out is just saying "You all sure about this has a lawyer read and approved of this bylaw."


Title: Charged for sleeping in my own car outside my own house

Question: A neighbor called the cops on me for sleeping in my own car in my own neighborhood. The police arrested me for “driving while intoxicated” despite the fact that I wasn’t driving.  I chose not to give a blood or breath sample.  This was in Texas, where the usual recommendation is to never submit to tests no matter what because once a citizen does so, the law can claim whatever they like. Are there any laws that apply to this specific situation? I feel like I’m being penalized for doing the right thing here by not driving, but perhaps I’m not realizing the bigger picture. Any advice/input would be appreciated.

Answer:
 You must be 'in possession' not 'driving' the vehicle to be charged with DUI.

This means that even sitting in it while drunk or high is illegal.

Your license will likely be automatically suspended for refusing the sobriety testing, and you may be charged.


Title: Girlfriend's mom is holding her birth certificate.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Also, you could save the drama and have her order another copy of her birth certificate online.Answer #2: >she is only taking her own property

it's not her property; it is her mother's property.  Your girlfriend can go get a copy from the proper government agency.Answer #3: Your girlfriend should get a duplicate certificate from vital records instead.


Title: (US) Can a police officer let me run a red light?

Question:
We were just sitting at a red light on a deserted street which is why I ask.

Say me and a police cruiser were sitting at a deserted red light that wasn't changing, could the officer wave me through and/or give me an "escort" through it? Could they do that then try to ticket me?

Answer:
 Yes. No. In most states (probably all) orders from a police officer supercede other traffic laws, such as traffic lights.

Incidentally, if he did wave you through the light and then try to ticket you, that would be entrapment, since you weren't going to run it if he didn't tell you to.


Title: Boss grilled my on my infertility

Question:
I need some advice on how to move forward here. Some background, I work in a dental office in Ohio with 10 employees, most of whom I am close to and know about my struggle with infertility and have been very supportive. So I meet with my boss at the end of the day, we had our usual meeting to go over the accounts receivables etc, numbers all look good. Then he says he’s been noticing “tension” in the office regarding the “situations” of the other employees. He won’t even come out and say pregnancies. I immediately start crying and just saying it’s very personal, hoping he will drop it. He does not.

It’s not affecting mine or anyone else’s job performance but it’s making other people uncomfortable that they don’t feel they can talk about baby things in front of me when they want to. He mentions multiple times this is just something he has noticed, not anything that anyone has said to him.  I told him I never asked anyone for that, the first one to get pregnant approached me and said she didn’t want to talk about baby things in the office out of consideration for my feelings. He made it seem like this is a problem, even though it’s her pregnancy and she can dictate how it’s discussed in the office. If the subject does come up (mostly at lunch) I remove myself from the situation. If that makes other people uncomfortable that’s not my problem at that point. I’m not aggressive or confrontational and basically keep all of my emotions in check by just not being there for the entire hour lunch break. He kept saying I need to do better, to make it better and that he can’t tell me how to feel but I have to change my mindset. He also made snide remarks about how “this isn’t going to get easier” and  “how do you even walk through a grocery store then?” The whole time I’m crying and trying to explain that none of this was my decision and I’m not dictating how they act and what they can talk about at work.

After at least 15 minutes of this I’m able to compose myself enough and just keep agreeing I’ll “make it better” whatever the fuck that means. As soon as he lets me out of the office I go cry hysterically and practically hyperventilate in the bathroom. Obviously he did not hang around for this. I disclosed so much more to him than I should ever have to disclose to an employer, let alone one who is so insensitive. Both pregnant women confirmed that I am not making them uncomfortable, they feel bad for the situation I’m in and know I am happy for them. They are my friends and if it’s not impacting work who is he to tell us how to be friends? And if the pregnant people aren’t upset then who cares if anyone else is uncomfortable? I’m a real person going through something very difficult and real and if my complex emotions are making them uncomfortable when I’m doing my best to just keep my emotions in then fuck them. I’ve been feeling physically ill and having so much anxiety at the thought of going back into that office tomorrow. Not sure where we go from here.  He didn’t threaten my job but I’m not sure what else to do right now.

Is this harassment or creating a hostile work environment? Is he discriminating against me for my medical condition (infertility)? I haven’t missed any work for this. Do I need to quit my job and hire an attorney?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 > Is this harassment or creating a hostile work environment?

No it's not (especially not after just one incident), however it is terribly unprofessional.

> Is he discriminating against me for my medical condition (infertility)?

I don't see anything in the OP in ways of him discriminating. If you were being left off shifts with pregnant coworkers then you might have a problem.

> I haven’t missed any work for this. Do I need to quit my job and hire an attorney?

Quitting your job is up to you. If you like where you work, a frank discussion with your boss may be in order. If nothing changes (or you don't expect anything to change), a new job would be wise.

At this moment there are no damages for you to sue for.


Title: Does the statute of limitations apply to jail time? [PA]

Question:
Stupid question in the title, I know. But I'm trying to help out a friend here. Her ex-husband (separated not yet divorced) got a DUI last year. He was sentenced earlier in February but instead of showing up for jail decided to skip town on her, their child, and his two prior children with different mothers. My friend said she spoke with a police officer and since he was only convicted of misdemeanors even if they knew where he was they wouldn't extradite him as it would cost too much to be beneficial. She received a call from him yesterday and he said he skipped town and won't return until the statute of limitations on his crimes has run out, which is 7 years.
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He was officially charged with
&nbsp;

Resist Arrest/Other Law Enforce M2 18 § 5104

DUI: High Rte of Alc (Bac.10 - .16) 1st Off M 75 § 3802 §§ B*

And was sentenced to confinement Min of 3.00 months Max of 6.00 months.
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

So my questions are, can he just run off like this with zero consequences? And is he correct or incorrect about the statute of limitations. My friend is obviously better off with this guy out of the picture, and I want to know what will happen when or if he comes back.

Answer:
 The "statute of limitations" is the length of time that the government has to charge you with a crime after it occurs.

So as soon as he was charged, that clock stopped.

This stays there FOREVER until he takes care of it.


Title: I have a notified agreement stating I am owed $400 on a specific date. Now he's saying he's going to give me less. Is it even worth my time/money to sue?

Question:
North Carolina

Roommate moved out with written agreement to pay the remainder of the lease if we agreed to sign him out of the lease.

Now he's saying he's not paying in full.  His trying to bill me for things like broken cups.

I really can't afford to just not get this money, which is why I demanded the notarized agreement.  Now it seems like I'd rather not even deal with the paperwork and court fees.  Time and money I can't afford to have in Limbo right now.

Answer:
 >I really can't afford to just not get this money, which is why I demanded the notarized agreement.

A notarization really doesn't do anything except serve as proof that the person signing the agreement is who they say the are.  Having a notarized contract is no different than a non-notarized contract in that neither will make a person who refuses to pay in fact pay.  If you bring him the court, the only affect this has is he won't be able to say he isn't the person who signed the agreement.


Title: [CA] Employer has been changing the schedule on us without notice. I just got a text reminding me to come in for work tomorrow. Boss says I "need to check the schedule every day for changes."

Question:
Is it legal for them to change the schedule without notifying me? They post schedules a week in advance. I take a picture with my camera but management claims that I am at fault.

I have other work which I do manage this schedule with. But with these changes it will force me to make a decision: Which place to get fired from. I don't want to be fired.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: It is legal.  If they fired you for not showing up for a last-minute schedule change, you would probably be eligible for UI.  You can still be eligible for UI in California as a part-time worker if you meet certain criteria.


Title: [IL] My next door neighbor hit and run my parked car.

Question: Pretty straight forward, came home last night around 9pm and came out to my car at 8am to discover damage to my rear bumper cover on the left side. It most certainly was the car parked behind me trying to pull out thinking they could squeeze it without reversing but they couldn’t. I have a dash cam, unfortunately the G-sensor did not go off so I didn’t get video of the incident or car driving away. What I do have though is me pulling up to my house last night with the suspect vehicle parked behind me. I filed a police report and started a insurance claim. What can I do in this situation?

Answer: You've done what you need to: you got a police report and you've talked to your insurer. Let them know you have the suspect vehicle in photographs and/or film (or whatever medium you have it in). An adjuster can do a pretty good job comparing the paint colour/scratches on the bumper versus the other car.


Title: Lawyers of reddit, is it legal to kick someone out of my residence who is bad mouthing someone and posting hateful posts on Facebook without retaliation? [X-Post from Askreddit]

Question:
As the question says, He has been badmouthing someone who is living in the residence for about a month or so and has also been posting hurtful posts on a social media site, From Pennsylvania
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Is this person someone who lives on the property, or is he a guest?

What state do you live in?

In general, you can ask someone to leave your residence.  If they live there, then they are under no legal obligation to leave until you lawfully evict them.


Title: Collecting Pulse without Consent

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You will never be allowed to sell something in USA that transmit such data back without being upfront. And even if feds approve, you are looking at huge suits when people find out, and they will find out.


Title: Stupid question about name hyphenations

Question:
I'm married. My name is not hyphenated. My husband got orders to the base near where my parents work. They're trying to "pull strings" ie call in fake favors to people who are already doing their job so they can claim they did oh so much for us. Not in to it.

Anyways, they want me to put my name down as a hyphenated name, on government paperwork and as I said, it's not. This seems like a bad idea. Borderline fraud really. Am I right to say absolutely not? I don't want to get my husband in trouble, not over my parents ridiculous sense of pride.

Answer: It's never a good idea to lie about your name on legal paperwork.  Or any paperwork.  I'm confused about how that would benefit anyone anyway--why would your parents care whether you hyphenated your name, and why do they want you to lie about it?


Title: [USA] I am a minor. My mom injured me, and is forcing me to go to work or I am kicked out of the house. Do I have any leverage?

Question: We were arguing this morning and things got heated and she kicked my side several times. I can't bend over and can barely put pressure on my right leg. Now if I don't go to work i'm apparently kicked out of my house and everything I own is taken away. I want to know if it's legal to force me to work when i'm like this.

Answer:
 Your mom cannot evict you at 17.  She can at 18, though.

If you want to be a grown up, start acting like one.

"She was in my room and I was asking her to leave and when she wouldn't I threw my phone although it did not hit her. I probably would be thought of as the aggressor in that situation.  So because I got upset one time and threw something at someone (something billions of people throughout history have done) I am most likely going to end up in jail for a long time? Like, what?"

Take responsibility for your actions.  You escalated a situation to violence.


Title: Is it illegal to cross The Illinois/Indiana State border without identification?

Question:
Long story short, a friend of mine and I are going to Chicago for the day and my wallet has turned up missing. My money is fine and taken care of just in case but if I cannot find my wallet to get my ID am I stuck on this side of the border?

UPDATE: Thanks for the help everyone. I had no issues at all. I appreciate your time commenting to help me out. Thank you.

Answer: That's not how the United States works.Answer #2: This is probably the first post in r/legaladvice where the correct answer was something sovereign citizens say. The "right to travel" prevents states from enacting laws like the one you're asking about. Answer #3: Not how America works. If you are stopped by the cops and don't lie to them they can identify you.Answer #4: It may be illegal for you to drive without a license on you, but you aren't breaking any laws if you are a passenger or walking


Title: (TN) Diagnosed with melanoma. The doctor, an MD, sent me to an oncologist that is naturopath who doesn't believe in chemo or surgery. Can I report him for this? I had no idea until I met the nautropath and it delayed my removal and treatment by a month.

Answer:
 File a complaint with your state's medical licensing board. They will take the complaint seriously.

If you feel that you have damages of some form, you may want to go for a free consult with a local medical malpractice attorney. Answer #2: Wait, do you reside in Tennessee? It's [illegal to practice naturopathy](http://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2010/title-63/chapter-6/part-2/63-6-205/) in TNAnswer #3: I would let your pcp know what kind of oncologist he is. Most doctor offices have a list of providers for referral and he probably picked one that advertised they were accepting new patients. A referral doesn't always mean you have to go to them.


Title: How do I find a record of trial attorneys who have taken a plea deal vs cases that have gone to trial? (the ratio)

Question:
I don't necessarily need to know the outcome of the trial  though that would also be extremely helpful, but I would at least like to know from an OBJECTIVE source how each attorney approaches (from a statistical standpoint) taking a case to trial VS taking a plea deal.

Is there a source where I can go to that would provide this information so that I can determine which attorney may be right for me?

Answer: Let me guess, you want him to fight tooth and nail to the end?  Lawyers don't "take" plea deals.  Clients do on the advice of counsel. Answer #2: There is no source that I know of.  Why would you want an attorney that only trials cases?  In criminal cases that means he can't get a good plea deal from prosecutors -- often times because the state knows he is a horrible trial attorney and will kick his butt.  Good lawyers are able to get good plea deals.  The best defense attorneys I know don't try 10 cases to a jury a year.  Answer #3: comment deleted


Title: Found an old deed for land granted to my great great great grandfather in Texas from the 1840s. Can I claim it?

Question: This is really just a curious hypothetical question. But the only thing we've found in the way of claiming this deed is that the original land owner did a bond on the land and gifted it to his son as a wedding present. We know from family records that he either couldn't find the original deed or simply couldn't prove which plot was his fathers. Apparently the only court record involved in the case is that he was never given the land citing lack of proof... So my question is... Since we now have the original deed, if we are able to pin point his exact tract of land, do we have a legal leg to stand on in the way of claiming it or getting compensated for its loss by the state or is there some statute of limitations on it?

Answer:
 Unless the land is vacant, you don't have a chance in hell.  If the land is vacant, you have a snowball's chance in hell.Answer #2: Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.026 (Ten-Year “Bare Possession Statute”) basically says... well, what it says in the brackets there about "ten years". Adverse possession in the US is normally less than a decade, and I have never heard of any instance of it exceeding 30 years.  Certainly not one for over a century.

Unless there is some extremely obscure law that allows for a 170~ year delay before bringing a lawsuit to court, I think you're out of luck. But as always, consult a real lawyer to be absolutely certain.Answer #3: Even if that land was just sitting there empty for a while, waiting for its owner to come back, it has almost certainly been foreclosed on for unpaid property taxes at some point in the last 175 years, and sold to the highest bidder.Answer #4: > do we have a legal leg to stand on in the way of claiming it or getting compensated for its loss by the state

I am really unclear about the context in which the land was lost.  Why do you think that the state should liable for the value of the land?


Title: [Alberta] Can different discriminations take precedence in the workplace?

Question:
I work in an office that is mostly male and I'm the only female in my department that is not in administration.  We have a new hire in our group that will not communicate with women because of his religion.  The thing is that we now work together in the same group - I have more seniority than him, but he does not report to me.

I've talked to the team lead and HR about it, but everyone seems to be at a loss at what to do (I'm getting the feeling that HR didn't know of his religious requirements at the time of hiring).  It's been weeks now and it's just getting downright frustrating because I feel like I'm in limbo.  I can't get anything done because he basically pretends like I don't exist (won't answer emails, won't talk to me, won't converse with me in meetings) and I have to basically relay everything through another team member or the team lead in order for us to work together.

I'm trying to get advice on what to do and if someone has encountered this somewhere else.  I feel discriminated against because I'm female, but he told HR that he has the freedom to practise his religion in this country.  If I don't respect his religion, then I'm discriminating against him.  I honestly don't know what HR will decide and I'm getting anxious on what will happen next.

Answer: I'll tag in /u/ilikebigabuttals (our resident Canadian) but this sounds off. Usually when we talk about accommodations for things like religious belief we expect them to be *reasonable* accommodations. Refusing to communicate with more than half of the population seems to be a bit outside of what's reasonable.


Title: (WV) Can the father of an unborn child be obligated to pay for prenatal costs?

Question:
A friend of mine is in a situation where she is unmarried and pregnant, and is worried about the prenatal costs. Her and the father are no longer together. Once paternity is established, can the father be legally obligated to help cover prenatal expenses?
She is currently only around 8 weeks so we'll need to wait a few weeks to be able to test and have paternity legally established.
Thanks!

Answer:
 This isn't answering your question directly, but does she have health insurance? If not, has she tried to sign up for health insurance through the exchange? AFAIK open enrollment doesn't apply when there's a life-altering circumstance like a pregnancy, she can [check here](https://www.healthcare.gov/screener/) and/or crosspost over to /r/insurance ...

Edit: Damn, I just went through it and it seems like *having* a baby is an exception to open enrollment but not pregnancy. I would definitely crosspost to /r/insurance ... not legal advice, the important thing here is for her to get prenatal care before worrying about anything else.


Title: Immuziation a requirement for work ?

Question:
Hi All,
Quick question from Ontario, Canada.

My fiance is a delivery driver and one place that he drops stuff off at, a pharmaceutical factory, requires him to get immunization if he is "working with them". Since he refuses, he can only drive there and has another employee complete the delivery on site.

A requirement to have immunization only to deliver to a place, for a company which he doesn't directly work for.

Is that for real legal ???

Answer:
 I'm not sure if he could be fired for it under Canada's just cause system, but I'm certain the pharmaceutical company can restrict access to their own building.

And if he cannot carry out his job duties, there's a good case to be made that he can be fired.

What kinds of vaccinations? Why doesn't he get vaccinated?

E: fixed pronouns. Haven't had enough coffee.Answer #2: They can make basically any requirement they want for people to visit their facility. They could tell him not to deliver without wearing yellow socks and a Bill Clinton mask and that'd be perfectly legal.

Edit: Off topic, but what exactly isn't your fiance immunized against?Answer #3: My time has finally come people, for centuries I have lurked on this sub and now you may witness me.
 IANAL but I am a nursing student. To be qualified for hospital/clinical placement, you need to have a complete immunization record; this includes the flu shot, TB skin tests, hepatitis b, etc.

This rule to my knowledge applies for all workers in the clinical setting that may or may not come into contact with patients with a compromised immune system. This includes pharmacists, personal support workers, janiters, doctors, nurses, etc.

Although I'm not entirely sure about production companies, it's actually the law for hospitals/clinics to make sure you've been vaccinated, regardless of whether you are working with or for them.

So yes, it isn't against the law for a workplace to require vaccinations. Especially if they're dealing with patients, kids, older adults, medicine, etc. In fact, it's probably the opposite. Allowing a worker that hasn't been vaccinated in an area of medication would probably make them liable to law suits.


Title: My job won't let me do community service hours

Question: [deleted]

Answer: It's not your employers responsibility to allow you time off to complete your service hours. They're not required to do anything. It's your responsibility to find the time to do it yourself. I'm sure you have at least a few hours a week to spend on your community service hours - there's no way you're at school or work literally 24/7.


Title: I got sick, went to doctor missed 4 days of work. I'm about to be written up because a doctor's note isn't enough.

Question:
To start of I'm in WA state. i got sick and ended up going to the doctor. He told me I couldn't go to work for 3 days, miss 4 in total. When I came back to work, I gave them the doctors note. Work said doctors note was not enough and I'D be wrote up.

Is this even legal it seems a waste of FMLA time. I'm gunna get it signed anyways but none of it sounds legal. If anyone knows anything please comment

Answer:
 This isn't school. This is a job.

Unless this is a serious medical condition or illness relating to a disability, not only can you be written up, your employment can be terminated as well in most states including Washington


Title: Our wedding videographer stole our money and our memories.

Question:
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 your only recourse is to file suit.  so here's the link to the small claims self help.

http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-smallclaims.htm


Title: My stimulus check was deposited into my ex husbands account by accident. He is now refusing to give it back unless I drop the protective order I have against him. Is this legal?? (Illinois)

Question:
I will copy and paste the email I got from his lawyer. For context we were separated for most of 2019 and contrary to what his lawyer says here I supported myself and my child alone for the most part, he didn't help me financially much at all in 2019 and definitely not in 2020! My daughter is not his child, she's included as a protected party in the order. I have already told his attorney I will not use the OP as a bargaining chip, the domestic violence I experienced at his hands was almost lethal. I am unable to work right now because I'm immunocomprimised and absolutely need this money. He makes 3x as much as I do and is able to work from home right now so he isn't losing income.

>I received your message regarding the stimulus funds and I have spoken with [exes name] about the issue. It is [exes name] position that the stimulus rebate is a refundable tax credit applied on your 2020 tax return, but advanced based on each person’s 2018 or 2019 income. Since you guys filed jointly in 2018, and [ex] was providing support for the two of you in 2018 and 2019, he is not agreeable to releasing any funds to you, as this will be reflected on his 2020 taxes. [Ex] has offered that if you are willing to drop the Order of Protection petition, he is willing to provide you with all funds related to you and your daughter.

Answer:
 NAL - Accountant

The lawyer's statement is accurate. The stimulus payment is a credit on his 2020 return. Any overpayment he received will also be reflected on his 2020 tax return. The same for yours. If he received more than he should he will have to pay it back. The credit is an advance on his 2020 economic hardship credit for his 2020 taxes filed in 2021.

The only information that is pertinent is if you filed a 2019 return (even if you have no tax liability, you should consider filing, doubly so if you are filing single or married filing separately), and if the IRS has your account information for deposit. You can enter this information on irs.gov.

The payment he received is between him and the IRS, and any payment you have or have not yet received is between you and the IRS.

Edit: additionally, him making a payment to you would not satisfy him repaying the IRS of the overpayment. He may have recieved more money than he should,  but he did not receive your money. It's not gone. You just haven't received your credit yet.Answer #2: He's right in the fact the IRS will claw the payment back once the mistake is corrected. You'll get your stimulus check eventually, it will just take some time.

I would report him to the bar for suggesting dropping the protection order in exchange for money though. Sounds like an ethical violation to me.Answer #3: Can you talk to your lawyer about this? Sounds a bit like extortion to me. You might also call the DA or the Court that issued the protective order about this. Might be illegal or at least unethical for his lawyer to propose this.


Title: Friend's mom stole his prescription pills from a safe and flushed them down the toilet. He is 18. Illegal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Did she flush meds that he was currently prescribed, or was this leftovers of an old expired prescription?Answer #2: Your friend should not have been holding on to those prescription meds. His mother did the right thing by getting rid of them.Answer #3: Why is your friend worried about leftover medication from 4 years ago? He didn’t take it back then, has no business taking it now. It should have been safely disposed of not flushed, but otherwise what is the problem?


Title: [California] Got my first court date on the 30th, could not possibly be any more scared.

Question:
Basically, what happened was that I was starving for money, and saw a opportunity for a little bit of gain.

I was at work, someone left their wallet behind, and after much consideration and waiting for them to come back, I did the wrong thing and nabbed it up. There was a small amount of cash, and a debit card.

I used the card, charging a total of $2.50 to buy a sandwich, and used two dollars of the cash for bus fare.

Police show up at work the next day, I get questioned, and fired after paying back all the money lost (A total of $49.50). Second job finds out about it as well, and they let me go. I was living at my dad at the time, and his girlfriend decides to kick me out of the place, and I end up staying in a hotel to live in for about a week before a friend hooks me up with a tent to live in for about a month before I save up enough (By scrambling and finding two new jobs as fast as I can) to move into the house.

I'm being charged with violations of the following statues:

  1.PC530.5

  2.PC485

I called the criminal department, lady told me that they were basically misdemeanor petty theft charges. I really don't want to end up serving jail time after all this, or needing to pay some $1,000 fine, though I'd definitely take the fine over jail time.

Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Yes, they are both misdemeanor charges.

You can request the public defender be appointed at arraignment.

If you are fined you can request a payment plan.


Title: Hit in the head by strangers and then trailed.

Question:
I was out for a midnight walk to clear my head when I bump into four guys. One asks if I have any weed and I tell him that I don't and keep walking. Another waits til

I'm maybe fifty feet away when one runs up behind me and smacks me hard in the side of the head knocking my headphones into the grass and covering them in moisture.

Later when I was walking home they spotted me again and began to follow me so I was desperately trying to get off the street and luckily I lost them after maybe half a mile.

I'm now home safely and wondering if I should dial 911 or the non emergency line or even if I should call the police at all. I don't really remember the guys except that one was shorter than the others and they were all African American.

Answer: I feel it would be wise to dial the non emergency line to notify authorities that there is a group of people about harming others unprovoked. It is better to be safe than have them do something worse with no one knowing a thing. Answer #2: This whole thread doesn't make sense.  A complete stranger runs up behind you and hits you on the head and you don't consider it an emergency?Answer #3: Report it.  You should also be aware that CCW is a thing in Sacramento, and someone just used potentially lethal force against you... you would have been well within even CA law to respond in-kind.


Title: Landlord/Rental Office changing terms of lease mid-lease for parking

Question: Our apartment has four parking spaces which is unusual especially in Boston where off-street parking is at a premium. Last year, everyone had an assigned space and we had a space that was partially obstructed by a tree and a little difficult to maneuver, but we were the last people to move in, so fair is fair. This year, our new lease (September 1) explicitly stated that there would be NO assigned parking spaces and that parking was (and I quote) "on a first come, first serve basis." During the first snow, we parked in a different space that was easier to get out of (c. January 26th--a month ago). This has not been a problem, the guy whose spot it normally was just parks in the space next to us which is easy in and out (unobstructed by tree or snowbank). This last week, someone either moved in (one of the downstairs tenants moved out last Fall) or bought a brand new, $35,000 car and parked it in the spot this guy had recently taken over, forcing him to park in our old crappy space. The leasing agency put fliers under our doors stating that unless the car was identified, it would be towed. Yesterday, it was still there so I assume it belongs to someone in the building/new tenant. Today the office called me and said that we have to move our car "back to its assigned space." I informed her that the lease states that there is no assigned parking and she reiterated that we had to move our car "back to your assigned space where you've been parking since last year." She then went on to say that this tenant has had that space assigned to him for the last four years, he's in and out all day and it's more convenient for him. Boston is notorious for these shenanigans and as tenants, we're cowed into going along with it because the leasing agencies/landlords have nothing to lose. Is there anything we can or should do or should we just suck it up? It only seems fair that if we're determining parking spaces based upon the longevity of tenancy that we should have the other decent space. We're not planning on renewing our lease anyway, but I wish there was something more satisfying. These people are not responsive to issues, as they already broke MA Law by denying us heat until the second week of November when temperatures dropped below freezing.

Answer:
 I'd bet good money that the other guy's lease gives him exclusive access to that spot.  In which case, the landlord is bound to protect his use of it.

In that case, you have to park somewhere else.  Given that they don't promise you any particular spot, if they provide you a spot they're likely in compliance.


Title: [IL] Does a landlord have an obligation to provide efficient appliances?

Question:
To add detail: the furnace in my apartment has been running non stop this winter. We've done everything we can to insulate the apartment (heat shrink wrap on the windows, making sure everything is closed up tight, etc), but the furnace still runs pretty much constantly.

The apartment is warm, so it's not that the furnace is broken, but since I pay the gas bill, it costs me extra if the furnace isn't efficient.

Last winter our gas bill was about $100 a month. With the furnace acting this way, I'm expecting it to be well into the 3 or 4 hundreds this month.

If my gas bill is unusually high due to an inefficient furnace, does my landlord (well, property management company, really) have an obligation to fix it?

Answer:
 A landlord has no obligations beyond those provided in the applicable building codes or local ordinances to meet any specific efficiency in supplied appliances.  On the in fairly unusual case that something is written into the lease, then as specified in the contract.

If the appliances are operating at their design efficiency then the landlord would not have any obligation to repair them as they aren’t broken.  Answer #2: Have you changed the filter?


Title: Just learned that my elderly mother (81) signed Power of Attorney over to her neighbor some years ago. Now mom is in the hospital and neighbor with POA doesn’t want any responsibility. California

Question: We want my sister to have POA but my mom is not of sound mind. What can we do?

Answer: Has the neighbor officially relinquished their POA?


Title: Guardianship letter (but I'm the actual parent)

Question:
My daughter's dad died and left a 401K with her as the beneficiary (she is 11).  My name is not on the account, so they will only allow me to manage the funds if I submit a Guardianship Letter or Conservatorship Letter.  However, it seems that in my state (Colorado), these things are granted to people becoming a guardian or conservator.  I already am one.  However, a birth certificate is not enough proof for Fidelity Investments.  I don't want to go to court, have a hearing, reach out to other potential guardians, etc (which is the process) to establish that I am my kid's mom.

Is there some kind of other Guardianship Letter I can just have notarized & submit?  This is crazy!

Answer:
 Nobody is disputing that you are your daughter's mom.  Fidelity wants a conservatorship in place because it protects them against future lawsuits that they allowed somebody (you) take all of your daughter's money and do whatever with it.  Incidentally, it also protects you against these kind of allegations, since you will be required to submit an annual accounting of the funds to the probate court.

This is not your money.  It is your daughter's money, which you are managing for her and for her benefit.  You would be amazed at the number of parents who don't understand this and think that their child's money is their own personal new car or vacation fund.

You absolutely do not want this process to go on without you, which it might.  The judge will appoint one of his buddies as conservator, who will pay himself huge fees, then resign when the money is gone.  Buckle down and do it.

Source: not a lawyer, but I am a conservator in Michigan.


Title: Does anything in the US Constitution or law forbid armed insurrection?

Question: The US Constitution and Bill of Rights both seem to explicitly call for armed insurrection as redress for grievance against government. Is their any written US law that forbids such?

Answer:
 If your armed insurrection *works* then you aren’t concerned about the laws of the government you toppled. After all, you aren’t a traitor you’re a *liberator*!

If it doesn’t work, well, you’re boned.Answer #2: U.S. Constitution, Article 3, Section 3.  "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort."

Note the part about "levying war against them."  That's pretty much what an armed insurrection is.  So you, and anybody who helps you, are guilty of Treason.

The Founders weren't necessarily *against* armed insurrection when needed, though, and they did their best to make sure it would be possible to overthrow the government.  You just have to be sure that your cause is right, and that it's worth the price.  If you win, your people can "institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

At that point, your actions against the previous government become just as legal as the Founders' treason against King George.Answer #3: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2383


Title: Update! [MI] Somebody tried to commit suicide in front of my boyfriend's car and tried to sue both of us

Question:
After what seemed forever, I'm finally able to discuss the details of what happened from my original post. Forgive my formatting, I am on my phone.

http://reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2vzstk/mi_somebody_attempted_to_commit_suicide_by/

So, we found out that the reason why it took him so long to file a suit afterwards was because he was arrested at the hospital for providing the police with a false identity and parole violation. I was later served with a separate lawsuit for $50k from his lawyer and spent a good portion of my savings fighting that I wasn't responsible for the accident because I simply wasn't there, I was just a joint owner of the car. His lawyer was trying to say that I was negligent in letting my boyfriend drive the car we both own despite passing a breathalyzer and later on in his own separate suit with the insurance company representing him, the black box in his car showed he wasn't at fault.

Anyways, despite all this, a user on here was able to direct me to a fantastic attorney. After depositions, we were finally able to present it to a judge, who threw out the case, but not before my attorney offered him a $50 settlement.

Thank you all for all of the great advice during my first post. I was a little hysterical during that time and when I was originally on the papers being served (later removed, but like I said, served with my own lawsuit later on), I saw my whole life just go down the drain.

Answer:
 > I was later served with a separate lawsuit for $50k from his lawyer and spent a good portion of my savings fighting that I wasn't responsible for the accident because I simply wasn't there, I was just a joint owner of the car.

Why did you have to fund the defense? That's the obligation of the no-fault insurer.


Title: Prancing around having to Pay Parent’s Parking ticket

Question:
I live in Chattanooga, TN. My father lives in Oak Ridge TN.
Recently I did my father a favor that required I switch cars with him for a week. I misread the hours for the parking spot I was in and got a ticket.

It’s my understanding that private parking companies are allowed to ticket you, and subsequently boot your car if you have repeat offenses- But they have no legal authority to force you to pay. Given that this car will never be in Chattanooga again, and given that I’m a broke college student, I considered it a fortunate free lesson in attentiveness and that I could ignore the parking ticket with no real consequence.

Technically the private company could make a legal case but I don’t think it would be in the company’s best interest to do so. Financially they’d lose more taking it to court than they’d get. I’ve heard from a handful of individuals that they’ve dodged tickets like this during one-time trips to Nashville.

My father is concerned it will come back to haunt him legally or financially. Playing dice in my own life is one thing, but I would hate for my carelessness to fall back on him in the future.

Is his concern well-placed or should I insist that there’ll be no issue as long as the car doesn’t receive another ticket in Chattanooga? Should I just shut up and pay the ticket? What’s the worst case scenario here if I don’t?

Answer:
 You should just pay the ticket.

The worst case scenario is his credit gets damaged over a small amount of money, which would cause lots of problems, like preventing him from getting a mortgage.


Title: My attorney threatened to fire me because I made suggestions about my case.

Question:
Yep that’s right. He took a large retainer from me  and has  only met with me once and charged me for that meeting even though I had not yet hired him or retained him. Because I knew little about my own case as the defendant in a bitter x husband property dispute... there was little to know or share at the time I was summoned and sought initial counsel. Since then I have done my own discovery and my attorney and I have had  “email communications”  only. Mine give him info about the complaint and his consist of 1-2 sentences or are ignored. He finally decides to answer the complaint and counter sue for parts of the decree my x never fulfilled.
When I read the answer and counter complaint sent to me on a word document for my review,
I was able to go in and edit it in a few places to simply insert information for him to read and include or disregard or whatever. I did this out of simplicity due to the multiple subject matters as opposed to responding to an email restating the word document. I sent him the edited word document and simply asked him to review it for appropriateness and FYI. My approach to this must have pissed him off and he accused me of playing lawyer and said if I wanted my document to be filed Instead is his then I could file it myself and he would drop me as a client. I simply responded that I did not mean to offend him.
The things I inserted were clearly points of concern in which we had either not discussed or were left out. Don’t you think he could have just read my edited version and emailed me back something like “let’s keep it like I have it or yes I will include that”?  Was his email threatening to fire and obviously keep my retainer me appropriate when we haven’t even gone to court yet?

Answer: It is legal for your attorney to "fire you" as a client and request to be removed from the case.  It's more complicated than just saying 'I quit, have fun on your own', but he can request the court to be able to step down as your lawyer.  Whether or not he can keep your retainer will depend on your agreement with him and your state laws.


Title: Can one party to a contract change the terms of the contract without consulting the other side? [AB]

Question:
[AB][Alberta][Canada]

And why does Alberta's Condominium Property Act allow it?

Hypothetical situation:

* Tenant signs 12 month lease with landlord (who is the owner of a condo in a condo building)
* Landlord explicitly allows pets in unit
* Condo bylaws are provided at time of lease signing and also explicitly allow pets
* Tenant has a pet
* 6 months into tenancy condo board now decides to make pets disallowed in the building, subject to $100 fine per day after notice provided
* Condo board immediately notifies landlord and landlord immediately notifies tenant that pets are not allowed

What is the tenant's legal recourse here? As far as I understand it, if they leave the tenancy, they are liable for the remaining 6 months of rent. If they don't leave the tenancy they are liable for the $100 per day fine.

This is hypothetical of course but a completely possible situation that I'm sure has happened in Alberta (in many forms) thousands of times.

I understand that one party can change the terms of a contract (say, Apple changing their TOS) as long as they other party is free to leave the contract.

Also, I understand that condo boards have the right to make bylaws and impose them on the owners, but the tenant was not part of determining the bylaw, the owner was. Therefore it would seem like the contract between the renter and landlord should be invalid.

Answer:
 Nope. Two options: HOA stuffs it or landlord lets you out of the lease *if you agree to being let out*.

If you don't want out (or the landlord doesn't want you out), the landlord can deal with the HOA. Your recourse, if you don't want to move out, is to happily ignore the situation and get an attorney as soon as you get served court papers or get a negative credit report. Otherwise, give Fido my love -- I don't know Fido, but I love Fido. Answer #2: Actually, in most provinces (not sure about Alberta) if a condo building changed its rules then existing pets would be grandfathered. The rule would only apply to new pets.


Title: 3 year old ran to neighbors got child abuse ticket

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 So... Your child has a history of running off and you left him unsupervised for an extended period. Enough time to play by himself, wander off, be found, and brought back you. Yes, that sounds like child abuse/neglect.

You get an attorney like everyone else has to. And start taking parenting classes.


Title: I want to build a car. What is the minimum requirements in the united states for it to be street legal in every state?

Question: I basically want a car which has one function and that is to carry a load more than a wheelbarrow, I don't care about how shit the experience is, I walk or unicycle wherever I wanna go, I just wanna use it for the relocation of large loads of items. I just need to know the standard I need to hold it up to. I know that in every state you require a windshield wiper, but not always a windshield, you need rear view mirrors, and seatbelts, but that's all I know.

Answer:
 Why do you need it to he street legal in all states? Are you planning on driving this bad boy across the country?Answer #2: Just buy a inexpensive used car. You aren’t going to be able to build anything street legal. Answer #3: I am not looking up every state's laws.  Pay a lawyer to do it.Answer #4: Probably the cost of designing and making one prototype car from scratch will be more than the cost of buying a high end pickup truck or something else that already exists and will suit your needs.

Also good luck getting insurance on a car you designed and built yourself.


Title: Husband got a ticket for "Theft of Service" from a New Jersey Transit police officer. Does he need a lawyer?

Question:
The short of it is that we were on our way home from New York, exhausted from a long weekend, and my husband lost his temper with a cop, resulting in a criminal ticket.

The longer version: as we were exiting the terminal at Secaucus, I attempted to scan my ticket several times, and the reader continually gave me an error message. My husband scanned his, and when it worked, started yelling at me to just come through with him. Not the best decision I've ever made in my life, I admit, but exhaustion and frustration got the best of me and I went through. A transit officer immediately came over and questioned us. I took out all four tickets from our round-trip to and from the city, but before I can explain what happened with the reader, my husband starts mouthing off that he shouldn't have to show his ticket to leave the station. As I'm frantically telling him to stop talking and let me explain, the officer goes off and starts yelling at my husband, telling him that I'm going to be arrested. At this point, I'm crying and trying to explain that I have all four tickets (I left the receipt at the hotel). Turns out, I swiped the wrong ticket heading out to the city (NYP-SEC), and the other ticket I had (SEC-NYP) was valid. Regardless, because of his attitude, the officer gave my husband a summons for theft of service.

I paid for the tickets with my credit card, so I have a statement showing the payment for two round-trip tickets, and we saved all four physical tickets. Will this be enough for the judge to dismiss the complaint, or should we seek further legal representation?

As a disclaimer, I work for an attorney, but for obvious reasons would prefer not to involve my boss unless absolutely necessary.

Answer: Well seeing as how your husband **did** scan his ticket and he was the one charged, it should be a pretty simple thing for him to beat.


Title: Accidentally a surrogate father. Post-birth sperm donor agreement?

Question:
Hi there.

Long story short; I was in a poly relationship with a woman who decided be a surrogate mother for her lesbian parents, and it turns out that I am probably the surrogate father.

I'm not in a position in my life to provide any sort of support for the child, and I know that they have no interest in splitting custody, so I'm looking for a way to put our minds at ease.

Would it be possible for me to type up a contract and have it signed & notorized? Any information would be very much appreciated.

Edit; I live in St. Louis, MO.

Answer:
 Contract? No. Voluntarily terminate your parental rights so the parents who want to raise the child can adopt? Maybe. Depends on where you are. And also potentially whether the surrogate mother is willing to also terminate her parental rights.

Edit to say contract probably no. Also depending on where you are


Title: Pre opening waters at concert.

Question:
Just curious. Im at a festival in California. They sell cans of water. I asked if they could not open the cans so it’s easier to carry. All the staff says it’s a law they have to open the cans.

Just curious what law this could be and what purpose it serves with water?

Answer: The purpose is to stop you from throwing full bottles/cans at the stage. I don't know whether it's a *law* (if it is, it might just be a local ordinance), but that's why they do it.


Title: [LA] Inherited a friend's property, but don't know what the property is or where

Question:
Hi everyone. I'm using a throwaway but LA is my favorite sub and I lurk here a lot. tl;dr at the bottom.

My boyfriend inherited everything from a close friend of his who passed away a few months ago. This friend was in his 60s, but we're in our 20s, so we're not too familiar with this stuff.

The thing is, the friend had no will, as far as we know. Before he died, he verbally told my boyfriend he wanted him to have everything, and his family (two brothers) agreed after he died.

My boyfriend has medical and financial power of attorney, so we have that in writing, but nothing indicating him as the heir, I think. That allowed us to pick up his ashes from the hospital and what he had in his pockets when he went in - his wallet, phone. The thing is, now that he's passed away, we don't know what property he had that is now supposedly my boyfriend's.

It's super stupid to not have dealt with this before, and in fact I was trying to convince myself to do it while he was in & out of the hospital, but of course now it's too late.

We know he has a storage unit in NYC and we're trying to track that down. That storage unit costs $200/month, though, and that apparently wasn't being paid through his debit card, which we were able to check the transactions on. So he has another bank account somewhere? I dunno, I just think a man in his 60s probably had more to his name than a single checking account and a storage locker. So my question is:

Tl;dr: How we find a deceased friend's bank accounts, assets, etc. if we don't know hardly anything about them? We don't know what banks he used, for example. We also aren't listed as heirs on paper, so I don't know if the bank would even tell us.

Plus - Is there a way to just check if somebody had a will? We don't know what lawyer he used, if he had one.

Answer:
 Your BF's power of attorney expired when the friend passed.

If there isn't a will your BF cannot inherit anything, if the decedent's heirs wish to gift the property to BF they can if they wish.

To actually transfer any of the property, deal with the banks, close the storage unit, etc, someone will need to become the executor of the estate.  This will likely need to be the one decedent's heirs.  I'm not sure if a non-attorney who doesn't have an interest in the estate (your BF) could be the executor in LA.Answer #2: IANAL but you will have a very hard time if a family member comes forward and tries to claim the property. If you have any proof of him willing the property to you/your boyfriend you should get that together now.

In terms of finding out about where the property is, a lot of states have a database you can search for this kind of thing. Personally I couldn’t find a website for LA, but I only did a quick search.

If LA doesn’t actually have one, I would probably start by using “first name last name (website)” with Zillow, Redfin, etc.

Good luck.

Edit to add: banks will likely not give you information unless you can prove your relationship to the deceased. Insurance will likely not help either without proof.

It’s been four years and I’m STILL fighting with my mothers insurance company, and her bank just shut me down from the get go.


Title: (SC) New neighbor is beating his dog. What legal action can I take?

Question:
My wife and I are both dog lovers. We have two rescue dogs who we treat like children. Recently, a new neighbor moved in two houses down. He owns a 10 month old pit bull, who seems like a really sweet puppy.

We’ve both noticed him mistreating the dog on numerous occasions. He screams at the dog. He beats the dog excessively to the point that the dog yelps and whimpers. This morning, we watched him drag the dog out of the garage while screaming at him.

Is there anything we can do?  Does this rise to the level of animal abuse?  Clearly in our eyes it does, but I don’t know if it would legally. I researched South Carolina laws pertaining to this, and here’s what I found:

“SECTION 47-1-40. Ill-treatment of animals generally; penalties.

(A) A person who knowingly or intentionally overloads, overdrives, overworks, or ill-treats an animal, deprives an animal of necessary sustenance or shelter, inflicts unnecessary pain or suffering upon an animal, or by omission or commission knowingly or intentionally causes these acts to be done, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment not exceeding ninety days or by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars, or both, for a first offense; or by imprisonment not exceeding two years or by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, or both, for a second or subsequent offense.

(B) A person who tortures, torments, needlessly mutilates, cruelly kills, or inflicts excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering upon an animal or by omission or commission causes these acts to be done, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment of not less than one hundred eighty days and not to exceed five years and by a fine of five thousand dollars.”

I really don’t want to stir up trouble with this guy, because he could be violent. He has that look about him. But I feel so bad for the poor dog. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Answer: Immediately notify your local police department as well as animal control in your jurisdiction. Documenting everything with video, audio, and photos will help to get this poor dog away from an abusive person.


Title: New Jersey - Put my two-week notice in to start a new job. New job retracted my offer. What are my options?

Question:
Hi guys, I am in New Jersey.

I recently put in my two week notice at my current employer.  I was set to begin with a new employer January 2nd.  I received notice today that I my offer has been retracted and a "good luck."

I am freaking out because I have a mortgage, a 2-year-old son and the normal bills a 30 year homeowner would have.  I do have a small emergency fund but now I am in a panick.

Do I have any legal recourse?  If not, would this qualify me for unemployment?

Answer:
 Tell your employer in writing (keep a copy) that you are withdrawing your resignation and wish to remain. You don't need to give a reason. If they refuse, file for unemployment after your last day.Answer #2: Your almost-new employer is a dick, but you don't have much leverage. If you spent actual money (like moving) or they promised you a sign-up bonus, you may be able to get that.  Otherwise, it's at will employment, and you're screwed.

Answer #3: Talk to your boss, tell them that you've decided not to take the other offer you had (you're under no obligation to tell them it fell through) and that you'd like to withdraw your resignation, effective immediately. They may decide not to let you withdraw it, but then you'll at least be owed unemployment, odds are though that they'll keep you on.

Work a little extra hard though, since you probably look a little flighty to your boss now.Answer #4: You could try to retract your two week notice with your current employer. If you're in good standing, they'll usually let you. This would be your best option.

You can't sue someone for not hiring you unless you can prove they discriminated against you based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.

I'm not sure about unemployment. You would have to call their office and speak to them. I mean, technically you quit your job so I don't think you would qualify, but I could be wrong.


Title: Zombie debt collectors

Question:
I haven't had a credit card since before smartphones were invented, I had a full head of hair and I didn't have to carry my prostate in a wheelbarrow.
I am continually harassed by a company that rhymes with Mortfolio Recovery, they make outrageous claims, threaten me and my family and send official looking letters. I know my rights and don't owe jack.! I am disabled and I understand it's impossible to garnish my benefits.
I'm in Chicago, Illinois but the zombie debt was from when I lived in the deep South eons ago.
 How do we stop these mofos for good?

Answer: Send them a letter through the US mail certified with a return receipt to not contact you for any reason using any method. If they violate the no contact order then go to a consumer lawyer who can file a lawsuit that can collect $1k per violation and your lawyer fees.


Title: ( Vancouver B.C ) School liaison officer is still keeping my phone even though investigation is over.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Ask your mom to get the phone for you. She is the owner, she is the one who decided to hand it over to the officer, she can get it back.

I think it could even be argued that it would be irresponsible of the officer to give you the phone if you're not the owner.


Title: Can I (step-mother) adopt my step daughter with out biological mother's consent? CA

Question:
I have been raising my step-daughter since she was a baby. Recently her father obtained full legal and full physical custody, with visitation up to his discretion. Would I have to get the biological mother's approval to adopt my step-daughter even though she has no legal or physical custody over her?
If i can adopt her, and something should happen to her father, would I become the primary custody holder, or would it go to the biological mother?

Answer:
 No, you can't.

You can convince the mother, though.  By adopting, the mother wouldn't have to pay child support anymore.


Title: [California] I received a parking ticket in the mail from the city of LA and much of the information it includes is just flat out wrong. Going to contest it, but some of the info has me worried that there is something bigger to worry about.

Question:
So I just recently moved out my moms house and started living on my own. My registered address is still my moms house so this ticket ended up going to her place. Anyways, she called me to tell me I had a parking ticket from the city of Los Angeles (I do not live in LA, neither does my mom, but I do live about an hour away).

I thought ok, strange, I actually have been to LA once within the last month so I wonder what the hell I did that one night I was there. I asked her to open to read it off to me. It's a ticket totaling $88. Part of that $88 is "expired tags" and the other half is "expired meter."

I went to LA on the 25th of March to go to a concert with my gf and afterwards we had dinner a restaurant at 11pm and although we did park at a meter, we certainly paid for it. I remember specifically digging through my car and her purse scrounging for enough change, we came up with enough change to be able to park for about 90 minutes. We were only in he restaurant for about an hour (if that).

So I asked my mom to send me a picture (I'll be picking it up on Sunday from her) and I am absolutely baffled at this ticket. Literally nothing on this ticket seems correct (it is correctly addressed to me), let me list everything:

1. I paid that fucking parking meter, am i supposed to always take proof that I paid a meter? I didn't realize this was a thing, that's absolute bullshit they can just randomly ticket you even if you paid that mother fucker.

2. My tags are not expired, they are current and up to date. The really fucked up parts is on the ticket it says "Tags Expire: 02/2018" WHAT THE FUCK? How are you gonna charge a "tags expired fee" when you literally wrote on the ticket that they expire in 2018, meaning they are up to date!!

THIS IS WHERE IT GETS WEIRD

3. The license plate on the ticket matches my car, however the make and model are wrong. This ticket says it's for a BMW. I drive a Ford Focus. How is that possible?? Same license plate, different make/model?

4. I looked at the time of the ticket and it says 6pm. Thats not possible. At 6pm I was parked in a privately owned parking structure until the concert was over. We didn't even use the meter at that restaurant until about 11pm. So like, how can I get a ticket when I was literally parked in a private lot at that time.

BUT WAIT!! THERES MORE!!

5. The ticket has an address associated with where I got the ticket, it's 6 miles away from the club I was at. I have literally never even been to that part of LA in my life. The address is farther away than I would ever need to go, i had no reason to be over there, but yet I got a ticket for a meter I've never seen in my life??

At this point my blood was boiling and I'm realizing I need to look at proof that I wasn't there at that time. Do you realize how stupid it is to have to prove that you weren't somewhere someone is saying you were? That's bullshit. You would never think "hmm I should get some proof I was here incase I need to prove it in the future"

So I decided to dig through my phone and my girlfriends to try and find some time stamped pics of that night.

HERES THE MOST FUCKED PART

While looking at these pictures I realize I had my dates mixed up in my head.

6. The concert we went to was on the 25th of March. The ticket is dated the 18th of March. WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK?? I totally wasn't even in LA that day!! Besides the 25th I haven't been to LA since 2016. On the 18th of March I was in my city, I remember specifically because that was the day I moved into my new apartment and also the same day my parents took me out to my birthday dinner. From 8am to 4pm that day I was moving and unpacking. From 5:30pm to 7:30pm I was at dinner with my folks. The rest of that night I was hanging out with my nephew at my new apartment.

So Reddit, now that you know all this BS, what can I do (other than contest it)?

I am worried that this even happened. I got a whole ass ticket that doesn't even make any sense. Does someone have the same license plate as me? What other scenario could there even be? I checked my car and neither of my plates have been stolen.

I'm worried as to what this could possibly mean, I'm very confused and don't want this to happen again, who can I contact to figure out what is going on?

I work full time and also go to school full time, the fact that I have to waste part of my life to take care of this really depresses me because I have so little free time to begin with. Not only that but $88 is a lot for me right now, it doesn't sound like a lot but that's food and gas for a week for me, I can't lose that right now.

Any and all help is appreciated!!

Answer: You can contest it.  Geez, learn to have some perspective.  If you keep boiling over about something as minor as a parking ticket, you're going to have a heart attack before you're 45 when you see some of the real problems life can throw at you.  This isn't one of them.Answer #2: They probably wrote the license plate number down wrong. Just contest it.


Title: Should I get a restraining order?

Question:
Hi, this is a throwaway account for obvious reasons that I will get to later in this post. I'm new here so please let me know if there is another subreddit this should go. Thank you so much for reading (:

&#x200B;

My (22F) ex-boyfriend (22) of four years broke up with me in early July, saying he no longer had romantic feelings towards me. We attend the same school and have similar friend groups. Shortly after our relationship ended, I requested that he give me some time to process everything and one day perhaps we could be friends.

About a week after the break-up, he began texting me saying he wished me the best, hoped I was happy, etc. I replied and left the conversation at that. The next day, he texted me repeatedly so I blocked his number. Fast forward to the start of this semester, early August, he started sending me direct messages on twitter asking me to unblock his number and that he "wished I would have listened". I blocked him on twitter, facebook and instagram as well. A few weeks after that, I began receiving cryptic emails saying I "should be hesitant".  I have screenshots of this and everything mentioned below.

Then, I learned that there was a new romantic partner in the picture, so I assumed he would leave me alone. I was wrong. One night in September, he followed me to my friend's house. Once I arrived, he began sending said friend and his roommate messages saying that we were terrible people and should not be together romantically, which was not the case. The next day, he created a new Twitter and sent me demeaning messages about my friend. I replied to those messages out of anger and frustration asking him to never contact me again, to which he responded saying he only wanted what was best for me, he didn't like my friendship, and didn't want my new friend to hurt me like he did. The first new Twitter was blocked.

At an away sporting event about a week later, I received another email, asking if I was in attendance. I didn't see this email until after I had returned home so I replied asking him to please leave me alone once again. In mid September, he created a Pinterest page and messaged me through that. I blocked him on that (and every other social media that I hadn't thought would be an issue).

Since the Pinterest page, I have seen him in person once about two weeks ago. He followed me to my bus stop but did not try to speak to me.

On Wednesday, yet another twitter page was created and began liking my tweets. My twitter is now private and the account has been blocked.

Throughout our relationship, he had some anger management issues that he refused to acknowledge and was emotionally abusive. However, I do not think he would be violent towards me, but I also didn't think I would ever be writing this post on Reddit. I have been talking to some friends and they believe a restraining order is the best form of action to stop him from contacting me. I don't know how far he will go to remain in contact and that is what is worrying to me.

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I'm sorry for all of the text, and thank you for taking the time to read it. Any advice would be awesome.

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Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 This should be a clear cut restraining order situation. Get one. Carry pepper spray. I recommend practicing the process of pulling it from your pocket/purse and using it, incase you ever need to. Better safe than sorry. A girl I knew was just killed by her ex boyfriend in my city. He had mental issues but was thought to not be a violent threat.

I recommend that you also stop reading and responding to messages on social media from people you don’t know....at least for a while.


Title: I was hit in the eye with a bottle this weekend, which was unprovoked. He's been arrested, but I have a number of questions

Question:
Firstly, I had witnesses who reported exactly what happened. This individual pushed a woman, I then got up to separate them when I was blindly hit in the eye with a bottle. I then subdued him, and did not strike him in any way.

I received 20 stitches, 5 internal and 15 external. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital. (I do have a picture of my eye, but wasn't sure if I could post it. It doesn't show my face)

I was laid off over a month ago, and so, I do not have medical insurance. I am living in NY, USA.

I have to go to a doctor not only to have the stitches removed, but I have also had a headache since the incident, and my neck began hurting a day later. Now, without having insurance and no job, these bills are going to pile up. The police told me to let this go through the criminal courts as opposed to civil court, as it would be easier to receive compensation. This could take months to go to trial! I can't afford it and don't want my credit getting screwed up. What the hell do I do?

Also, I am a total police supporter, but I feel like they dragged their feet on this. I don't know what this guy is capable of, and I was able to provide them with his name, address, phone number, work address and his facebook the day after this happened. They contacted him and allowed him to turn himself in **4** days later. his place of work is literally 2 miles from the station. They said "We didn't want to get him at work, we didn't want to ruin him". Well, I didn't want a bottle in my fucking eye.

So my question here is, is it going to look better for him that he turned himself in? I know it's a person's right to have an attorney present, but this gave him days to prepare. Can that affect anything? Also, is making a complaint against the station for taking their time worth it? Anything to gain there?

Lastly- personal injury. I want my bills paid and compensation for injury.

**EDIT** [Here](http://imgur.com/PWVPsS1) is a pic of my eye

Answer:
 > is it going to look better for him that he turned himself in?

It's not going to make one bit of difference.

>I know it's a person's right to have an attorney present, but this gave him days to prepare. Can that affect anything?

Not unless he got hold of a time machine.

>Also, is making a complaint against the station for taking their time worth it?

No.  The police are under no obligation to undertake expedient investigations.

> I want my bills paid and compensation for injury.

Make sure to cooperate with the prosecutor or your victim's advocate.  Restitution can probably be part of any sentencing.  You could go ahead and sue civilly, but your case would be stronger with a guilty plea or verdict.  You may also look into your state's [Victim's Assistance Fund](http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/pio/crimevictims/cvb_brochure.pdf) (PDF warning).  As always, it's strongly recommended to get the advice of a local attorney before making any decisions, to make sure you're not foreclosing any means of recovery.

I'm sure others will be along with additional suggestions.Answer #2: I would like to thank everyone for their responses. Certainly helped with my anxiety, and it may sound silly, but it was a shoulder to lean on. Answer #3: You can post your pic. I would love to see it. Just label it so people know what they are clicking on.

Try contacting your local victims compensation program. They might be able to help


Title: Being blackmailed, please help! Very worried!

Question:
For starters, I'm a late 20 yo M living in the state of Louisiana. I recently met someone on an dating app yesterday morning, let's call her Sara. Sara is 21 according to her profile. We exchange conversation, she asks to text and gives me her number. She then presents herself as a nursing student that is interested in Pediatrics. One thing leads to another, explicit photos/convos are sent and then she says that she is going to nap but will make an explicit video for me later.

Next text that I get is from her father, claiming that she is 15yo and wants to know the extent of our involvement or he is going to call the cops and have me arrested at work. I send a few texts explaining that I had no idea, and it was not my intent to engage with a minor. He states that he understands and that he believes me. He further states that she has a long history of mental illness due to her being raped 2 years ago. He later states that he indeed believes me, however, he feels that in order to make it fair that I should pay half of her medical bills which comes out to be $1,500. I stumble over my words, tell him I'm going to move some stuff around. He says to keep in contact every two days (at this point, he also proposes that I pay him $150 every week to equal up to $1,500).

I hang up and immediately call the cops. He comes by, was very nice and documented everything. He states that he believes me and will "do everything he can to protect me."

My concern is that they basically can't do anything officially to preemptively protect me, and that the father might come to my job and cause a seen that will lead to me being fired, which I absolutely cannot fathom/go through.

Please, any advice that you can give me will be helpful. Good or bad.

Fuck people man

Also, the thought did just cross my mind to just pay it and get it over with.

Edit: scene* sorry
Edit #2: the father called me from her phone number after our initial text to make the threat

Edit#3: now that I think about it...he did tell me that to pay him I would need to get a pre purchased card and send it to him...

Answer:
 LOL @ you calling the cops.

It's a scam. Move on.Answer #2: It really is hilarious how many people fall for this shit. Scam, scam, scam, scam, scammy scam scam. Answer #3: Let me provide a helpful heuristic for 99% of people (if you're in the 1% of exceptions, you know who you are):

- Does it involve Western Union, Green Dot, or iTunes prepaid gift cards? *Scam*

- Craigslist Casual Encounters and photos? *Scam*

- A check or money order for more than the listed price of a product? *Scam*

Answer #4: Here is a good [megathread](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4xxhdg/my_friend_was_chatting_with_a_girl_online_and/) on the topic.


Title: "The work would be solely based on the project completion"

Question:
In MT. This is a quote from an email about a potential job that may start in March or April.

The phrasing concerns me, as I interpret it as either nonsensical gibberish, or means they don't intent intend to pay me until the job is completed (which could be a few months after the project starts.).

Thankfully I have plenty of time to discuss this with my contacts, and no contract or hiring of any kind has happened yet.

I'm new to the corporate world. Is this something I should be concerned about? If so, what kind of questions should I be asking? I don't want to end up on "clients from hell" or anything similar.

Thanks in advance! You guys rock.

Answer:
 > "The work would be solely based on the project completion"

It's not nonsense, it's actual words that have a pretty onerous meaning.  It could mean they don't intend to pay you until it's done but it doesn't really, when you actually understand how companies work you'll see that you're NEVER getting paid.  Taylor Swift is getting back together way before you get paid and she's never ever ever doing that.

Do not agree to terms like that.  Don't even consider that contract without a lawyer reading it making appropriate changes and adding in protections for you.  Please for the love of Legal Advice don't agree and assume it will get tossed out in court as invalid.

If you go down this path you will be sorry.  Anyone who has  a contract like that is not a client you want.  This is so far beyond clients from hell you don't even want to consider it.  However should you go down this path icompletelyandtotallyfuckedup.com is available and it's not a premium price.


Title: Stuck with a car and I have no idea how to tell a judge.

Question:
I bought a car from a private individual recently and because of my own impatience finished the transaction fast. Skip to a couple days ago I was pulled over with no registration due to being busy with classes and such, the officer fully understood and just served me a court date so that I can quickly show my updated papers and be on my way.

However, I go to the DMV to find my transfer title invalid due to the seller not fully registering the car in his name in the first place. He said to have gotten it from a family member but apparently didn't finish the transaction himself, rendering my transaction invalid entirely and me driving around a car that doesn't even legally belong to the person I bought it from. He did sign the title in the same name that the original title holder sold it to but I have no idea how to contact either of these people. It was long enough to where the call log was erased from my phone and he made the craigslist ad unavailable to the public so I can't recover the number.

I'm hesitant to just show up to the address listed on the title because I'll either be dealing with someone who wouldn't want to finish his part of the transaction considering it won't be his car anyways, or someone who I've literally never met and probably will not sign off on papers to release the car to a total stranger, not like I even know what those papers are.

And through all of this I still have a court date in a couple months and I don't even know what to do about that, I have to show up to court with evidence of the car being fully in my name or risk consequences, and that's about it. I don't think I could just sell it off for a new car and tell the court yeah it was too much trouble sorry. I'm very new to owning cars and not sure how to deal with both the legal system and individuals with no concern of what happens to me in the justice system.

Answer:
 Location is not optional.

This is called title skipping, when someone sells on a car that isn't titled/registered to them.  Sometimes people do it to avoid paying sales tax, and sometimes its because they're selling too many cars and (if they recorded all the transfers) they'd have to buy a dealer's license.  It's also illegal in most states.

You do have to sort out the title, though, which does generally mean getting the help of either of the two previous owners to fix the transfer paperwork.  If you can't get either of them to work with you, your state may have the option for a bonded title.


Title: Help finding my biological father. No flair for paternity so did the family one?

Question:
Hello! I am the product of a 1-night-stand. My mother had sexual relations with 2 people around the time of my conception and 2 paternity tests have removed one guy from the roster.  Here is some backstory and timelines for you all:

I was born in Atlanta, GA in the first week of Sept 1992.  The man we *thought* was my father is not. Last time my mom had unprotected sex with him was thanksgiving of ‘91; 40 weeks give or take a day or two to my birth. My mom does not carry for 40 weeks. She carries naturally 36-37 weeks. My sister’s birth supports this as well as my own. I was actually conceived around Christmas week of ‘91.
2 paternity tests have disqualified the thanksgiving applicant (there were an on again off again couple for a while).

The guy she slept with in December was the one night stand. It was more like a weekend but it was a drunken haze and she remembers little of it.  His roommate had a girlfriend that worked at the same stripclub as my mom but on the dayshift (my mom was the night shift) and they met in passing. My mom did not know the girlfriend and this was a strip club in ATL in the 90’s. There are no records.

What I do know: his name is Aaron. He was blond at the time (it could have been natural or dyed). He was in a band and touring at the time (nothing major). He later found out my mom was pregnant and did offer to stay but she was sure it was the other guy (thanks to my grandmother) so he left. Mutual friends say he could have gone to Washington (music scene was up and coming there).

I’m wondering what I can do to find him? I’ve taken the ancestry DNA test and have only 1 direct match and that’s to my mom. I have other matches but am not sure how to reach out or concluded which side of the family this is on. I’m wondering if investing in other DNA data bases may be worth it. How should I go about this? I’m 26 and don’t want anything but to know who he is and possibly be able to at least reach out...any advice would be wonderful.

I put this on askreddit and they advised I should come here instead. If this isn’t the right subreddit, let me know and I’ll try and post somewhere else more appropriate. Thanks so much!
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 You can hire a private investigator.

You don't have a legal issue, but I hope this advice points you in the right direction.


Title: *EMERGENCY* Judge at Conference & Desperate Kids

Question:
**TEXAS**

Things at NCP's house are *bad* (spousal domestic violence) and the Monday after finding out just how bad, we filed an emergency hearing request. Our very young, inexperienced, and volatile judge's court is already backed up and we just found out that we don't know when we're going to court because now Judge is at a conference.

&#x200B;

The kids (10 & 13) have been expressing severe anxiety and begging not to go to NCP's for their extended standard visits. NCP picks them up from school Thursday afternoon and returns them to school on Friday or Monday morning depending on the weekend. When they come home from NCP's they are in tears, withdrawn, extremely depressed, and refuse to eat for up to 3 days after coming home. Now, they do see counselors and psychiatrists and when their appetites are so low we still encourage something small and at least a few minutes of family time. In our eyes (CP & Bonus Parent), they are in physical danger based on NCP's habits with serial dating (PI has reported up to 17 different vehicles out front of NCP's home in a two month stretch), but the children report to their health providers that they don't feel they're in physical danger. They do express their feelings of being unwanted by NCP as well as severe emotional abuse. This is to the point that the counselors and psychiatrist are asking us if there is any way we can just keep them from NCP. We discussed how we cannot legally refuse visitation without showing probable cause to the courts and how if we do so it will not bode well for us and most importantly the kids.

&#x200B;

Bonus parent took it upon themselves to try and have a discussion with NCP about the children's fragile state of mind and it only seems to have made things worse for the kids. Bonus parent didn't give details of what the children told us other than they just feel like they can't talk to NCP and they feel unwanted and just heartbroken over NCP and spouse's violent incident. It is NCP's weekend and I keep an eye on the children's social media posts, especially during NCP's time. What I'm seeing as of last night is deeply worrying since this child is already very mentally unstable and they are describing self harm with cutting and rubber bands. We are contacting the school counselor to check in with them as well as keeping in close contact with our attorney and kids' counselors.

&#x200B;

Is there anything that we can do? We've been a pest to our attorney about this, but to this point Attorney is saying there's not anything we can do unless they are in physical danger that we know of.

&#x200B;

TLDR; Kids are desperate to stay home because of NCP's current home environment and Judge is out for conference.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Also the step parent should not be talking to the other bio parent.

Edit: if a child is actively self harming call CPS.Answer #2: If you’re going to use jargon, at least use legal jargon. Bonus parent is not a term any of us are familiar with.