Title: Girlfriend of 10 years wants to keep house we bought together after breaking up with me.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Step one: read [this](http://www.familylaw.lss.bc.ca/resources/fact_sheets/dividePropertyAndDebts.php)

Step two: gather as much financial info as you can.

Step three: consult a lawyer that specializes in family law.

You're almost certainly common law under the *FLA* and property division rules apply. If the two of you can't agree to a course of action, a court can decide for you.

There's more on the line than just a house here, btw. Pensions, investments, debts, division of chattels, etc.Answer #2: An option to consider when you discuss with a lawyer - you could charge her rent on your half until the property appreciates in value.  That way she doesn't have to move and you don't have to sell.Answer #3: I'm really curious why she thinks she deserves your half of the house.Answer #4: Did you have an ownership agreement drafted when you purchased the property together? Are both names listed on the title? Of lesser importance, but: what was the breakdown of funds going in? (I.e., Was it an equal share, or did one person make a huge down payment?  This won't necessarily change the ownership percentage, but I'm curious).


Title: Is it slander/libel if what you're saying is technically true, but so misrepresented and out of context that it implies the opposite of the truth?

Question:
Suppose a person says in the course of an argument of some kind: "You're acting like I'm a Hitler-loving Nazi. Stop it."

A reporter hears this, and tomorrow's headline is "Exclusive! Joey said: "I'm a Hitler-loving Nazi!"

Even though in this situation he did technically speak these words, it's very much out of context and pretty much the exact opposite of what was meant. Would this legally be considered slander/libel?

Answer:
 The 9th circuit opinion:
>A statement is actionably false if it “would have a different effect on the
mind of the reader from that which the pleaded truth would have produced.”
Masson v. New Yorker Magazine, Inc., 501 U.S. 496, 517 (1991). Inaccuracy in
a quotation is not actionable “unless the alteration results in a material change
in the meaning conveyed by the statement.” Id. On the other hand, “an exact
quotation out of context can distort meaning, although the speaker did use
each reported word.” Id. at 515. **Thus, falsity is determined not only by the
words in a purported quotation, but also “by reference to the meaning a
statement conveys to a reasonable reader.”** Id. Under Louisiana law, a court
“must consider the entirety of a statement in determining whether the
statement is actionable.” Sassone v. Elder, 626 So. 2d 345, 352 (La. 1993).

[Block v. Tanenhaus](http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/16/16-30966-CV0.pdf)


Title: (NY) Neighbor pulled her dress up and showed her underwear to my kids

Question:
We have had issues with these neighbors before, various irritations and they are well known to the local police. The officer that responded today had arrested her several times.

So basically, our dogs were barking at their dogs, we brought our dogs in the house and there was no exchange between us and the neighbors, our daughters were outside swinging on their swing set in our yard after that and one of the women was upset that our daughter recorded her dogs running in the park behind our house off a leash, so she decided it was appropriate to pull her dress up and scream at them take a picture of this, she then turned around with her dress still pulled up and was smacking her  butt. Our daughters are 13 and 17, the officer said since she has underwear on that it was not indecent exposure and there was nothing he could do. We have seen him before about these neighbors and he understands our frustration, he is going to have the local DA give us a call tomorrow.

 Is is really true that she can flash her front and back at my kids as long as she has underwear on? Thank you for any help.

Answer: He was covered. It's no different than wearing a bathing suit. There might be something to be had for the lewd gesture, but I doubt it would be worth pursuing even if there was an ordinance or statute that applied. Answer #2: Well she wasn't flashing if she had something on. Honestly it's no worse than if she were walking around in a bathing suit or booty shorts.Answer #3: Do you have a fence between you and the neighbors? If not, is it possible to put one up? Do you also have video cameras in case something else happens? r/homedefense can help with recommendations and other advise on securing your home.


Title: Flipping off cop

Question: Let me preface this by saying yes I am immature and a bit dumb, but am I in my full rights to flip off a sheriff? I did so earlier today and right after the sheriff pulled a U-turn, chased me for about 10 seconds and then turned on his lights after so I pulled immediately over. I was given a ticket for disorderly conduct by gesture. Should I dispute this ticket? Is it illegal to flip off a cop? I initially didn't want to sign the ticket, he was aggressive and told me if I didn't he was going to pull me out of the car and I was going to be arrested, so I did. Please help.

Answer:
 > Is it illegal to flip off a cop?

Under these circumstances, your bird was protected by the First Amendment.Answer #2: The Texas courts have explicitly covered this in Brown v. Wilson.

Your flipping off the cop was incredibly stupid, but protected by the Constitution.

I would urge you to contest the ticket, but do so with an attorney.

Citing case law and defending against a crime based on Constitutional grounds is falls pretty squarely into the arena where an attorney is highly recommended.

&#x200B;Answer #3: Dispute the ticket and complain to the PD about violating your constitutional rights. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/flip-off-police_n_2403563.html


Title: My apartment building has not replaced a secure garage door promptly, and now items are being stolen.

Question:
I live in a large apartment complex in Colorado. It has a parking structure which requires a garage door opener to access. All the exterior doors lock as well. A full 2 months ago, someone ran into the garage door and broke it. The door was removed for repairs. They kept giving estimates for fixing the door, and they kept getting pushed back. As such, the door has sat wide open for weeks, ready for anyone to waltz right in.

The complex claimed they were hiring a security guard to watch the entrance (but only at night). I've never seen anyone. And people are finally starting to report stolen items, such as bikes, out of the garage.

Management just sent out a mass email describing the situation as "unfortunate", and absolved themselves of any responsibility. They point to a section of our lease which says they are not liable for any broken or stolen goods resulting from the use of the building (I'll paste it below). They instead tell us this is why we should have renters insurance.

In the event something of mine is stolen, is there any action I could potentially take? Even in the meantime, don't we have a right to expect a secured building or a repair within a reasonable timeframe?

Quoted section from lease:

>LIABILITY: Owner will not be liable for any damage, loss, or injury to persons or property occurring within or about the Premise, whether caused by Owner, someone else, weather, fire, wind, rain, flood or any other acts of God. Resident(s) are responsible for obtaining Resident(s)' own casualty and liability insurance, and, agree to save and hold Owner harmless and indemnify Owner from any liability. OWNER STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THAT RESIDENT(S) SECURE INSURANCE TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. Resident(s) agree to save and hold Owner harmless and indemnify Owner from any liability resulting from injuries arising from the use of the Premises.

Answer:
 Why would people keep unsecured items in an open garage?

Unless the lease says otherwise, the landlord doesn't even have to replace the door. They're not liable for theft.


Title: If we are both 15 and have consensual sex could one of us be convicted of statutory rape

Question:
Me and my s/o broke up a few days ago due to her mom disliking our relationship, her mom is now threatening to have a restraining order placed against me and even going as far to claim I raped her daughter. We are both 15 in the state of Michigan and both weren’t under the influence of any substance at the time we had sex . I also have messages stating it was consensual. Is there any precautions I should take to make sure this doesn’t ruin my life
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 The age of consent in Michigan is 16.

Neither of you were capable of consenting to sex.

Stop talking to this person and their mother, as well as anyone else about this save your parents and an attorney.


Title: (PA, Philadelphia) Question regarding roommate with undisclosed disability

Question:
I recently moved to Philly to go to school and moved into an apartment complex for graduate students. Two other roommates and myself, but I did not meet the second one until a month into the lease as he was starting classes later than me and my other roommate.

When the second roommate moved in, it was obvious that something was not right. I did my undergraduate degree in Neuroscience so I have a fairly good background in mental disabilities. I believe he has high-functional autism. He has difficulty making eye contact or keeping a conversation, doesnt pick up on obvious social cues such as personal space, and most recently has been having "episodes". When he gets excited, he will run around the apartment snapping and making nonsensical noises. At first I let it go, but it has become a daily nuisance (it happened at 7 am today!)

My question, to which I think I already know the answer, but does management of this apartment complex need to disclose to me that I will be moving in with someone that has a disability? The roommate matching was done by the management group based on interests and traits. I assume that neither he (the roommate) or the management company are required to disclose to me that he is disabled. But do I have any legal options if his behavior becomes something more than a nuisance? I have asked him to try and not make as much noise, but I don't think he realizes he is doing it. And I don't want people to misunderstand me. I am not blaming him for his disability, mental health is actually the field I am interested in pursuing. I know he cannot help or control it, but at the same time, when I signed up I was not under the impression that I would be matched up with someone that is starting to affect my sleep and focus.

TLDR: Randomly matched up with roommate who has a mental disability. His behavior is starting to affect my quality of life in the apartment. If his behavior becomes too much to deal with, what are my legal options?

Edit: I mention my degree not because I want to say I have authority to diagnosis him, this was not my intention. I mentioned it only so that readers did not think I was making things up. I have formal education in the area, that is all I wanted to convey.

Answer:
 They cannot disclose this info to you. Ask him to stop doing this. If he will not or cannot, have a roommate meeting facilitated by the RA or housing people. This is more a r/relationships question.

If he's living with other people, he has to act in a manner that does not disrupt them or violate quiet hours or other dorm rules.


Title: [Texas] I was sent a recording of a verbally abusive nurse. Is this something I should contact a lawyer about? More info inside.

Question: A Certified Nursing Assistant called me in secret and sent me a voice recording of a nurse saying hurtful and ugly things about my mother during her temporary stay in a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. The CNA who called me in secret told me she was sending the recording to the State in the morning and she advised me to call the Executive Director of the facility in the morning to show her the recording. She specifically told me the Director was the only person I could trust. I'm worried sick for my mother and am quite far away from her at the moment. Is this something I should contact a lawyer about?

Answer: The nurse said hurtful things *about* your mother? Or *to* your mother?  If she said those things in private and not to your mother, what is the problem?


Title: Is it legal to wear a confederate flag in Wisconsin?

Question: This occurred at my school today. I'm fairly certain that this speech is legally restricted, but I am not certain. This is at a public high school.

Answer: Whether or not it's legal is a separate question from whether or not the school will allow it. Most likely they are within policy to send someone home for wearing it.Answer #2: It's wholly dependent upon your jurisdiction's interpretation of the the three Supreme Court cases, Tinker, Hazelwood, and Frazer. There's not typically a definitive answer for this unless there's a previous decision about a confederate flag shirt and even then it's fact specific.  It may violate dress code, though.


Title: [TX] My grandmom was arrested for "theft" from walmart.

Question:
So long story short. My grandmom buys almost 400 worth of groceries for the month, but forgets about the 2 twelve packs on the bottom of one of the basket. She gets out to the car and starts packing things up. When she realizes that she did not pay for the cokes, she goes back in to correct her mistake.

She informs the lady at the door that she forgot about the cokes on the bottom of the basket and says she wants to pay for them. The lady says something on her radio and Walmart security then comes out and tells her to wait where she is and soon the PD comes out and gets her story.

They do not arrest her, but she is given a citation and is supposed to appear in court.

WHAT THE LITERA... Ahem

What can we do to have this dropped? My grandmom obviously did not try to steal and even tried to pay for the items she accidentally walked out with.

EDIT: Yes I know she was not actually arrested, but that was only because the officers declined to and cited her instead.

Answer:
 This story is maddening OP. It would make me second guess myself at doing the right thing if I ever accidentally left a store without paying for an item.Answer #2: **Walmart will try to get more money from your Grandma!!**

In a few weeks you will get a letter in the mail from Walmart stating you owe them $XX to compensate them for "security".

DO NOT PAY THEM!  Nothing will happen if you don't send them money.  They will probably send you around 3-4 letters demanding payment.  Throw them away and ignore it.

Source:  My daughter was caught shoplifting at Walmart in 2014, we dealt with the ticket and court stuff but I did not pay Walmart's extortion demand.  Nothing happened.


Title: [TEXAS] My new job now has a policy where late employees must pay an increasing fine the more they are late. Is this legal? Why or why not?

Question:
Some background:

I just started working as a server at a small restaurant. There is tip share among all of the workers (85% for servers, the rest is divvied up) and also a punch card setup for clocking in/out. Recently, the owner (an Asian immigrant who might not full understanding of American legal practices) and the "head server" starting imposing a late fee for all servers. If a server is late, then they have to pay the rest of the on-time servers a certain amount depending on how late they were. Although this new policy was "agreed upon" by all the servers verbally, it was more like a "agree or get fired" ordeal.

Since I live the furthest away from the workplace, I am most affected by this policy since I am most vulnerable to unforeseen circumstances (such as traffic). Also, I have lost like $30 because of this policy.

My question is, is this practice legal? If not, what specific statutes explicitly say that this is not allowed? (I have looked through a lot of legal jargon to try and find it, but I have been unsuccessful)

Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 >I just started working...
>I have lost like $30 because of this policy.

How is it that you been late so many times when you just started working there?


Title: Is Bitcoin profit a marital asset? [FL]

Question:
Throwaway.

Wife said she wants a divorce. She recently found out non-marital assets that accrue in value during the marriage become a marital asset.

Question is, no papers filed yet. If I hypothetically wanted to liquidate a significant amount and pay off all my debt (student loans, credit cards, auto) and then gift some to a family member, is that legal since no papers have been served?

Answer: If you do that, she will likely be given other assets to offset what you liquidated.


Title: [CA] Physician getting sued by recently terminated physician. Office Manager looking for advice

Question:
**I want to preface that I understand the ultimate piece of advice is to talk to a lawyer. I am the office manager and of a Physcian, who has a lawyer, in a small private practice. I am looking for adivce for myself and the office in navigating this recent issue.**

I'll try to keep the backstory short but I feel it's important information. I work for a small private practice with two physicians and five employees. Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Thomas. Dr. Thomas retired and Dr. Adams was hired on via contract to replace him.

It quickly became noticed that Dr. Adams was harming patients during routine care (podiatry speciality), which the medical assitants would report to Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Thomas. It was brushed off at first by Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Thomas as it was something that happens, Dr. Adams was learning, etc. The grossly negligent care continued though to where the office began documenting patients that we harmed, reported they were harmed, or refused to continue care with Dr. Adams and switched to Dr. Jacobs. Note: I later made a complaint to the proper medical board and association with the specialty but it was closed for some reason.

Dr. Jacobs had several official and casual meetings to address what the problem was with Dr. Adams and Dr. Thomas did as well though I don't think these meetings were ever documented. Dr. Adams, in my opinion, has several personality flaws such as a defensive nature, quick to anger, and has a blameless attitude (i.e. it's never his fault).

Dr. Adams began attempting to conceal negligent care which was when he was finally terminated after 6 months. Dr. Jacobs with our accountant/HR Mary terminated him and had him sign a document. Upon termination, Dr. Adams became hysterical, pacing and cursing. When he went to get his personal items from the office, he shredded his copy of the termination paperwork in from of Mary.

Current issues with Dr. Adams:

1. When he was grabbing his personal items, he took the prescription pads with our practice's information on it.  He is not supposed to be using these yet has continued to which when we recieve calls regarding prescriptions with these pads, we notify that that Rx is void and Dr. Adams was terminated from our practice.

2. It seems like he's telling other offices and insurance companies that he still works here which when we get calls referring to that, we tell them he was terminated from our practice.

The recent issue:

Dr. Jacobs was gone friday and only two employees were at the office to answer phones. A delivery person came by asking for Dr. Jacobs to serve him papers. The two employees were able to find out that Dr. Adams is sueing Dr. Jacobs for breech of contract:

1. Notified in writing of ways to improve so that he would not be terminated.

2. Notification in writing of his termination (He was notified in writing but shredded it that night).

3. Back pay. Since he was never notified in writing of termination, he should be paid for all that time in between. It's been three months since he was terminated.

The delivery person left and said they'd return Monday to serve Dr. Jacobs. I was called yesterday to notify about the situation. Dr. Jacobs doesn't know yet but the accountant/HR Mary was notified. Dr. Jacobs does have a lawyer but I'm looking for advice on the situation on a whole.

What can I and the other employees do during this situation?

Is there any evidence we should be gathering or statements?

Answer: For now, just write down everything you can remember about the doctor that is suing and how his termination went down


Title: Neglect of property led to surgery for me today.

Question:
Bear with me here, I'm only 5 hours out of surgery. This is a throwaway account only because there is some embarrassment involved here and I don't want it tied to my real one.

So today I was running late for work. I had traded shifts and my uniform wasn't quite done drying so I checked my bus times. If I made the bus that was coming in about 7 minutes I would just make it to work in time. If I missed it, I would be 15 minutes late.  The townhouses where I live are fenced off, with a locked gate between us and the rear driveway of the property next to us. Once you step into that driveway you are off of the property that I live on and on the property belonging to Toronto Housing. I could see the bus at the stop before mine, so once I was out of the locked gate I stepped ont their property and ran for the bus.

Near the sidewalk (still on their property) there ha been a foot deep hole that has existed since last fall. They have been aware of it, and have not made any moves to fill it. The hole has been there so long that grass is now growing from inside of it. There is no pylon visible, no indication of any type for anyone in the are to see the hole. As I was running my right foot went into it. I tried to catch my balance on my left foot and sprained that one. I fell onto my front on the sidewalk, face down screaming in pain. When I looked back, my right foot was clearly at at least a 45 degree angle to my leg. I screamed for someone to call 911, and someone to go and get my family who were nearby at home.

I have just returned from the hospital where I underwent surgery to put my ankle back in place and repair the break.

I have every intention of suing the owner of the property that I fell on for my medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering (believe me, if you've never dislocated a joint, that is the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. I do not recommend it) My worry is that they will counterclaim that I was trespassing and therefor they are not liable. The most direct path to the bus stop goes through the unfenced piece of their property which connects to the sidewalk - the hole is directly next to the sidewalk.

What should I prepare for in this upcoming legal battle? How much should I even ask for when I file a claim? I'm out of work for at least 6 weeks, and I work 2 jobs. I have no insurance, but fortunately I live in Canada, so Provincial Medical plans will cover some of it.

TLDR

Fell on property owned by municipal government. dislocated and broke one ankle, sprained the other. No work for 6 weeks. What can I expect, what should I claim?

Answer:
 >Near the sidewalk (still on their property) there ha been a foot deep hole that has existed since last fall. They have been aware of it, and have not made any moves to fill it.

IANAL, but...
Gotta say, first thing I'd say as the defense on the case is that it sounds like you knew the hole was there, and how long it had been there, and having lived with it since last fall, you're at least a little bit responsible (contributory negligence) for not avoiding it.


Title: [CA] My new neighbor has made his home either a brothel or a hostel, or both. This has disturbed the quiet of the street and has virtually eliminated available parking on our street. Parents are wondering if this is illegal? See text.

Question: Hello everyone. I reside in Southern California, and in my neighborhood there is an abundant Israeli Jewish population (I’m not Jewish but many neighbors are). Recently we had an Israeli Jewish man move into the available homes on our street. Since he’s moved, he’s created some sort of “community center”, many neighbors say it’s either a brothel or a hostel. He has a big sign put up of a savior looking dude with their phone number on the bottom. All writing is in Hebrew.  I will try to snap a picture but there are people ALWAYS in the front yard. The rumors going around that it’s a hostel is that many young (30 year olds) always show up at nights and they have parties and whatnot. Usually they’re in the front yard also smoking weed and stuff like that. They don’t really blast music but the people themselves that attend are really loud, and walk about our street at like 2-3am when they leave or arrive. Another neighbor alleged that they spoke to the homeowner, and he told them that he’s “something like a god” and will take whoever needs “help”, in. Meaning, whoever needs a quick place to crash for the night or can’t afford their own apartment, they can come live there. Now, we are just wondering. Is something like this legal? Don’t they have to be actual tenants on a lease? This has really disturbed our streets dynamic, as before it was a super quiet neighborhood mainly with old people. But now it’s bringing in an influx of younger people and, not gonna lie it’s pretty bad. I can’t even find parking on Friday nights or weekends, neither can any friends I invite over. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Answer:
 First, this guy's nationality and religion are irrelevant to this, and are only going to invite a lot of stupid comments.   So I suggest you edit that out of your post.

Second, you need to start contacting code enforcement.  He can't run a hostel, which is a commercial establishment, in a residential area, and obviously brothels of any kind are illegal.  So start documenting and making complaints.  Your neighbors should do the same.Answer #2: This sounds like it may violate zoning ordinances. He may have established a religious center or some other unauthorized operation in a residential neighborhood.

I would suggest getting the sign translated. Maybe use the photo feature on google translate. After you know what he’s advertising on his sign, call code enforcement in your city to deal with it.


Title: Can my school make us setup stuff

Question: Can my Lutheran school make us set up tables and chairs for events in the church not involving school in anyway.

Answer: Yes. Answer #2: This is a private school? Yes.


Title: My sister left her cat with my mom, my mom rehomed the cat, sister is now threatening to sue and sending people after current owner

Question:
I'm in Vermont. About a year and a half ago my sister (we will call her H) dropped her cat off with my mom. The cat was malnourished, her nails on her extra toes were curling around and digging into her skin, and my sister informed us that the cathad feline leukemia. My mom didn't know much about feline leukemia at the time, but H said that it was not contagious, which was important because my mom owns three cats that shared a litter box with H's cat for five months after H dropped the cat off.
 On many occasions my mom asked H to take the cat back because she found out feline leukemia is, in fact, contagious, and none of her cats had vaccinations for it because they are indoor cats. H refused to take the cat back, and tells my mom "you said you wanted to keep her, f*cking keep her and leave me the f*ck alone." I have screen shots of the conversation.
We quickly found the cat a new home because H had left it for five months and it was clear she was not going to take the cat back. Two months after we gave away cat, H realizes and becomes furious, says the cat was stolen from her and cuts ties with the family.
Here's the current problem:
Now, a year later, H has found the person (we will call this person C) who we gave the cat away to. H took screenshots of C's social media posts, and shared pictures of C's face and pictures of her bedroom as well as her name on Facebook. She says C stole the cat and she is going to get the police involved if the cat is not returned to her by the end of the week. Now people are messaging C, threatening her, and trying to find out where she lives. Many people have reported H's posts, but Facebook will not take them down.
H says that she will sue for petite larseny.
H said the cat was fixed, but it had not been and had to be fixed by C, which means H could not have adopted the cat from a shelter.
What can I do?

Answer:
 Petty larceny is a criminal charge. H can't sue for petty larceny. She can sue for the value of the cat, but it will likely get dismissed because the cat was never actually stolen. In addition, H is really playing on thin ice by making public claims that C is a thief that stole "her" cat. C could speak with an attorney regarding defamation and/or libel.

In short, there's nothing you can do except keep defending C. If C takes action, H may see herself in court for running her mouth.


Title: Is it legal for a Florida judge to deny a Public Defender because she doesn't consider jail time?

Question:
I'm in Florida.  Is it normal for a judge to deny a public defender in my situation?  I am charged with a misdemeanor criminal traffic violation.

My citation states that it is a criminal offense.  I'm not certain if jail time is a possible punishment.  From what I can tell, it is.  However, the judge (she) states that she doesn't consider that as a possible punishment it in my case, therefore she won't appoint me a public defender.

Who is correct?

Answer:
 Florida statute 27.51 describes the duties of a public defender, including the types of cases they must represent.  It is available here:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0027/Sections/0027.51.html

Subsection (b)(2) is most relevant to you because you are charged with a violation of section 316.  The next inquiry would be whether that is a jailable offense?

Florida statute 316.061 is available here:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0316/Sections/0316.061.html

If you're being charged under subsection (1), then the violation is described as a misdemeanor in the second degree.  If you're charged under subsection (2), then the violation is described as a simple nonmoving violation.

If you're facing a misdemeanor in the second degree, you can find the possible punishment in Florida Statute 775.082 available here:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0775/Sections/0775.082.html

A misdemeanor in the second degree, under subsection (4)(b) says the potential punishment is imprisonment for up to 60 days.  There are also fines that can be found in 775.083.

Presuming you meet the test for indigence, it would appear that you may qualify for a public defender because you are being charged under section 316 for an offense that carries jail time if convicted.

This is just the information I found while browsing the Florida statutes.  It is not legal advice, so you should do your own research (including calling your local public defenders office and asking about the eligibility of your case) before deciding on any course of action.


Title: Should I settle or fight? Need advice.

Question: Location: California. I was offered a 10k settlement for my work related carpal tunnel. I suggest a 15k offer but I still feel that is low considering I'm not fully recovered. I've had physical therapy and 2 cortisone shots in the past 2 years since my injury. None of the treatment has worked. My first EMG came up negative, but the second test had abnormal readings. I've only worked at the company relating to the injury for about 5 months. My injury occurred 2 months in due to repetitive work for long hours. The cortisone shots were given in the beginning of 2015 and didn't help. I've received acupuncture after and no improvement. My lawyer is pushing me to accept the settlement but its not an offer I'd be willing to take because it is too low and I still need medical treatment. My lawyer is also saying my injury doesn't need any serious treatment because the EMG test says so. I am in pain everyday and it gets worse with activity. I have not received an impairment rating. Maybe because the doctors don't think its serious? I am stuck on whether I should fight to receiver more medical treatment or just accept the offer. Any kind of advice would be a great help.

Answer:
 Listen to your lawyer, it's his/her job after all.

If you really disagree with your lawyer, you could pay a few dollars to get another lawyer to review your case and give you advice.


Title: Daughter spilled scalding water on herself.

Question:
Hello looking for help and logical advice.

Story-
My wife stopped by a beauty supply store on weds to pick up some stuff for work.
She had my twins with her.
When she entered the store one of the employees greeted her and started talking to her about products.
While this was happening one of my twins was next to her.
The other twin walked over near a water cooler the store had.
She then reached up to a foam cup.
The cup fell over and doused her in boiling water.
She sustained 2nd degree burns on her face neck and majority of her chest.

My wife rushed her to the hospital and she was hospitalized for 2 days.

What are my options when confronting the store this happened at?
Do I have a case?
Any advice on how to begin this process.

I thank you for any and all advice.

Answer:
 Why would this be the shops fault? Who was watching her?Answer #2: You can ask the store for their insurance information and consult a personal injury attorney.

Note however that California is a pure comparative negligence state.  Any award (assuming that all of the other elements of a premise liability/negligence claim are there, which I'm not sure they are) would be reduced by the amount of fault attributed to your wife (for example, for failing to watch her own child).


Title: Found a foot fetish site advertising children's feet pics for sale from as young as seven. Surely this can't be ok?

Question:
I've looked into it and there are technically no laws stopping this from happening. They found a loophole in child exploitation and grooming and while they try to promote 16+ age for models, underage foot modelling for fetishism is still not ok.

The site is based in the US.

Is there anything I can do?

Answer: If it is just feet that that is not illegal as you seem to know.


Title: Family member release to early from hospital.

Question:
My mom was released from the hospital about 3-4 days after brain surgery. She died 5-6 hours latter.

How should i go about contacting a lawer?
A few people have told me it was most likely because of insurance reason. is there any way to prove that?

Im still waiting for the corners report.

This is California Bakersfield. The bot told this might help.
Im told i will need that and the release paperwork. what else will i need.
Her surgery was on Christmas eve and she passed a few days to a week after that.

Answer:
 I'm sorry for your loss.  You may or may not have a case but it couldn't hurt to investigate this.

You need to search for the names of at least three or four *Personal Injury* lawyers who practice *Medical Malpractice*.

You can search the internet, your phone book, or advertisements.  You can also call your state bar association or a local chapter of the bar association.  There are also some Reddit links towards the bottom of the right column on this page.  You'll ask specifically for Personal Injury lawyers who specialize in Medical Malpractice.  Call each of the 3 or 4 (or more) confirm that they have experiance in medical malpractice and ask to come in for an interview.  They'll do this no charge (make sure of this) and DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING with them until you've made the decision to hire them

Ask them about their experience and what medical malpractice cases they've won.  Discuss the basics of your case, and discuss their fee arrangements (they'll want a percentage) and if you'll have to come up with cash to pay for expenses or if they will cover them.

Be prepared for them to do a heavy sales job on you and try to get you to sign up with them ASAP.  Nothing wrong with this as the best lawyers do the best sales job - after all you're hiring them to sell your story to the judge and jury.

Decide which one to hire.


Title: Friend is being evicted for failure to pay rent when his rental company lost his money order.

Question:
I'm in Michigan before I get started. In summary, a work friend of mine is being served eviction papers for failure to pay rent in December. He took the money out of his account in the form of a money order and sent it to them. He doesn't know the money order number. They are claiming they never received payment, and he doesn't know of any way to prove they did actually take it. Now they are hitting him with attorney fees etc and he honestly doesn't have the money to pay off all of this on the spot. He tried contacting the money order servicer, but they claimed it could take between 6-8 weeks to actually provide proof he paid them for the money order. They will have already evicted him by then from his understanding.

I've advised him to contact an attorney on the issue, and read the michigan renter's rights pamphlet that they publish online, but in the meantime, is there anything I can let him know to help? From my understanding if he pays off the balance at ANY point during the eviction process, up until the court date, the process stops and is cancelled. I believe he's contacted his landlord and let them know of the issue, but they seem to be trying to claim he didn't pay two months ago. What can be done, and what should we know about this?

(For this curious, I have offered to let him stay with me in the meantime. At the very least he won't be homeless)
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 Yeah. He is likely going to be screwed. He never should have sent a money order via mail for rent. He never should have chucked the receipt. Now he doesn't even know if it got cashed out not.

He has no proof he paid rent and may likely have not even paid rent.


Title: If the banking system(or its legal team) fails to cite fact of commensurable consideration given up by the banking system in the creation of money.. is there really a debt owed to the banking system??

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 What? So the fed reserve in your country decides to print money and lend it out to banks. The banks lend it out and you want to sue the banks?

This isn't a /r/legaladvice question  This is /r/Economics or /r/personalfinance or /r/ELI5.

No. You cant sure the money changers for being in cahoots with the banks.


Title: Abusive manager and hr case turns into job trying to say my boyfriend resigned instead of dealing with the problem

Question: We live in nj. My boyfriend has worked for this company for 13 years. He changed stores a few years back and ever since he has had major issues with the store manager. My boyfriend was assistant manager. The store manager would yell and berate my boyfriend in the sales floor, make racist remarks about black customers, pop pills on the sales floor, have outbursts ect. My boyfriend finally could not take it anymore and opened an hr case. He told his manager he can not work with him anymore and that he needed to find coverage for his shifts until HR sorted it out. The company is not trying to say he resigned so they can screw him out of even getting unemployment and they are not handling the main issue. This manager has had HR cases in the past but HR is saying that does not matter in current cases. My question is, can we sue? We have a w yr old daughter, I'm the sole caretaker of her and my disabled grandmother. This can not happen like this. What can we do?

Answer:
 > He told his manager he can not work with him anymore and that he needed to find coverage for his shifts until HR sorted it out.

This may work against his claim that he did not resign.  Refusing to work is a form of resignation.

He should apply for unemployment anyway, appeal if denied, and likely begin the search for a new job.

The manager making racist comments may or may not be something actionable, but that action may not get him his job back.


Title: [CA] People living in a van parked in front of my house.

Question:
There's a person who lives in a van parked in front of my house. Big old utility van, blinds and shirts over all the windows. At least one person lives in there all the time, it's a big fat lady. She sometimes gets out and loiters next to the van. An older guy usually comes out and meets her. I figure he's a veteran who lives in a near by veterans housing condo and she's his girlfriend or something, but he's not allowed to bring people in with him.

Is there anything I could do about this legally?

Answer: Call the police and tell them theres an abandoned vehicle. Most states have a 48-72 hour window where they can leave their vehicles in a public right of way.Answer #2: Call code enforcement. Depending on your area, they may be faster and more thorough in their response than the police. In my experience, the police will site whereas code enforcement will work to actually get the problem fixed.


Title: I'm not sure if this is the right sub but, I have a friend who was raped at a New Year's Eve party and is scared to go to the police.

Question: Like I said in the title, have a close friend who was at a New Year's Eve party, got too drunk and passed out on the couch. Then while everyone was still drinking a man picked her up and took her too a closet and started to take off her clothes. She doesn't remember if she said ever said "no" to him explicitly, just that she was calling for her friend (the girl who's house the party was at). Eventually her friend and another girl noticed she was gone and looked for her. They walked into the closet and saw her with her clothes of and the guy covered in like because she puked on him. Now she's scared and doesn't want to go to the police because she was underage drinking and she doesn't want to get her friend who's house it was at in legal trouble as well. Her dad used to get away with stuff like this (never on her) so she says she knows that the guy will get away with it and it will end up causing more harm than good. I want her to go to the police and I want to see this guy punished for what he did, but is there anything she can really do? Also this all happened in Ohio

Answer:
 There's no getting around the fact that reporting is often a difficult experience.

If it helps any the odds of the police caring about the underage drinking angle are minimal. Many police departments have policies to ignore things like that when a serious crime is being reported.

Keep in mind that this guy is an asshole and it probably wasn't his first rape and it won't be his last. While it is often hard to secure a conviction, it helps that there are witnesses and nobody could reasonably argue that someone so drunk they are literally puking on you is able to consent to sex. Even if he doesn't get convicted the process won't be easy on him and may scare him straight.


Title: NY: Coffee breaks for hourly employee prohibited?

Question:
Long time lurker and fan of this sub, first time poster. Having some difficulty with my manager that I can use some advice on. I am a non union, full time hourly employee, non exempt. Working in my current position for less than six months after being laid off from my previous job in the beginning of the year.

I went to the deli on the corner from my office to get coffee and when I returned my manager was pissed. She pulled me into her office and kept saying how I'm not allowed to leave and I've already taken a lunch break. I replied that I was gone two minutes and she just kept going on about how it doesn't matter how many minutes it was because I'm not allowed to do that and on top of that I didn't tell her I was going. I've emailed my department's HR rep asking if company employees are allowed to step out for coffee outside of the lunch break but they're very slow to answer. Any employment lawyers on this sub that can shed some light on the break laws in NYC? Did I do something wrong here? Is it worth pursuing a claim with HR if the law is on my side.

I should also note this manager is not providing me with work to do so I'm sitting most days with ZERO to do. I've emailed her about this so I can have documentation should I need it in the future when my performance review comes up next month. So it's not as if I'm not "doing my work" because she's not giving me the assignments I was hired to do.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Nope! You are not entitled to breaks in NY state. Sorry. You did something wrong and could've been fired for it.


Title: (NC, HIPAA related) Chain Pharmacy gave my prescription to another patient with the same first/last name, and tried to give me hers

Question:
To preface, I take ~10 different prescriptions, and saw 4 specialists this week, and I don't always have on the tip of my tongue which ones I'm picking up at which time.

11/28 : Went to two specialists, got some bloodwork and UA done, dropped one prescription paper with 3 psychotropic medications to the pharmacy.

12/1 : Went to the pharmacy to pick up the three medications, plus one controlled medication for my son.

Pharm tech- "please confirm name and address"

Me- [Name and current address] and my son [name].

PT- "I've got one with this address, but I think the others are old addresses."

Me- "oh, is it [old state]? I swear I keep changing my address everywhere and it doesn't stick! Is it [medications I'm out of]?"

PT- "no, it's [antibiotics] from [doctor who doesn't sound familiar but I've been to a lot of doctors lately]. It's your old [current city] address."

Me- "the medications don't sound familiar but maybe the doctor called in without letting me know. But I don't have any other [current city] addresses, just [current address]."

PT confirmed my birthday and we realize this is for another patient with my same name. The real panic began when I asked for the meds in out of and her system shows them as picked up the same day as drop off, when I haven't been back since.

She asked me come inside while they figure out what happened and get me what they can. The pharmacist left a phone message for the other patient and gave me the medications in out of for no charge (to me anyway, since I guess my insurance was billed when they were picked up by the other person). I'm mostly concerned about the other person, hoping that she didn't take the wrong pills and if she did, it didn't cause her any damage, but there's also the HIPAA aspect. Now this person who I don't know has my name, address, medication names and dosage, doctor's name, etc.

I'm planning on contacting the pharmacy corporate office plus figuring out how to file a HIPAA complaint, but I've had a couple people recommend getting a lawyer to help navigate and possibly receive compensation of some sort? I feel that's a bit overkill but I figured I'd ask here and see what you think. Thanks!

Answer: You have no damages so the lawyer will be a dead end (for you, anyway... Who knows what happened to the other person).  You the patient have no right to compensation under HIPAA; the offending party is just subject to fines.  You can file your complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services [here](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html).


Title: I have dashcam video of an assault, what do I do with it? (California)

Question:
I was driving on the interstate and in front of me was a couple where the guy was clearly punching her.  She turned and looked at me, I can't get her look out of my head.  My phone was dead so I couldnt call 911 but my video clearly shows a license plate. Can I contact CHP or something?  Will they just ignore me?  I really want to help this woman somehow.

Thank you.

Update - I called chp and explained everything, I left my info and they said someone would be in touch tomorrow.   She seemed pretty genuine in that so hopefully I can get this to someone asap.

Answer:
 Call your local PD non-emergency number. Tell them what you said here and the location. They'll point you into the right direction.

If you were outside of city limits this likely falls into the county sheriff jurisdiction.Answer #2: I just want to thank you for actually reporting this.  I cannot tell you how many DV cases drag on because there's no direct proof of violence.   Your evidence and willingness to present it may make a huge difference.  Sadly though,  many times the victim won't press charges.  This tape might  give her the extra boost she needs  but who knows


Title: Friend damaged her car and took out a light pole. No police report was made. Whats the next step?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 So she left the scene of an accident?

She is responsible for the damage to the light pole.  If she gives a statement to the insurance company and tells the truth, that information can be obtained by the police and city and she will be held responsible for the damage she caused as well as possibly charged with the crime she committed.

And, of course, if she gets caught lying she's committing insurance fraud.

Not a great position to be in.  She should probably talk to a lawyer before taking any action here.


Title: I want to ease a friend's mind over some legal troubles. Can you help?

Question:
Note: I'm not looking for actual legal advice, but rather an idea of what my friend's consequences could be. He's terrified of jail and I'd like to be able to give him a plausible endgame for his situation.

My friend, let's call him Chick. Chick is a route sales/delivery person for a milk company (we'll call this RJ) RJ purchases it's dairy items from a large distributor who we'll call LD. Chick and his co-worker, Josh (who also is a route sales-delivery guy but on a seperate truck) have a friend a LD who is a loader. His name is Mike. For about a year, Chick and Josh would have Mike put extra product on their trucks just about every day. Chick and Josh would text Mike what they needed. They would in turn sell this to customers, pay Mike for each item that he gave them, and then pocket the difference. Obviously all illegal. A couple of weeks ago, Mike got caught and he turned around and fingered Josh and Chick. I assume that Mike gave his cell phone with the texts to the police. Chick and Josh got arrested a day later.

This took place in NJ. I looked up the law on theft there, and as long as it's under 75k, the charge would be 3rd degree theft and they'd be eligible for PTI or ARD or whatever NJ calls it as they are first time offenders. Now here's the scary part for Chick: LD has been reviewing security tapes. Originally, when they were charged, the amount listed was 2k but now they are up to 36k in the amount taken.

Assuming that total number goes above 75k, here are my questions:

1. Would they all be charged together and would they all be responsible for the 75k (with regards to what charge they face) or would it be split in thirds? Or, because they have everything on camera, would they determine how much each driver was actually responsible for and use that amount in determining charges? This seems important, because how they divy up the financial liability of the defendants seems like it would impact what charges they would ultimately face (according to what I read, all of the theft charges in NJ are based on specific monetary amounts.)

2. Let's say the answer to #1 was that they all get pinned with the 75k. What kind of repercussions would he face? How likely would it be that he winds up with probation or house arrest or some other non-jail consequence?

3. With the circumstances of the case as they are, would it possible at all for him to only wind up with a receiving stolen goods charge?

4. If the number were to stay below 75k, and they wind up in a PTI program, restitution seems to always be a condition of the PTI. How would they determine the amount that each of the 3 would be responsible for?

Any help would be much appreciated. Even if I can't give him good news when I see him tomorrow, I'd like to be able to give him accurate news.

Thanks!

Answer:
 > I looked up the law on theft there, and as long as it's under 75k, the charge would be 3rd degree theft

Do you actually know what they were charged with? Let's say that it is actually theft in the third degree and nothing else (no conspiracy, they never crossed state lines, etc.).

Hypothetically, if that was the only charge, it would matter how many counts. This was an ongoing criminal enterprise, there was not a single incident of theft. He could be looking at 3-5 years *for each count*. If there are 20 counts, then 60-100 years. Now is he going to prison for 100 years for this? No. But it's probably not possible "ease his mind" until you find out exactly what he's being charged with, and how many *counts* per charge.

Your friend needs to not speak to ANYONE about this, not even you, and he needs to get a lawyer, ASAP.


Title: My (18M) parents don’t want to give me the college funds my dead dad left for me. Does the money legally belong to me, and is there a way I can obtain it to pay for fall tuition?

Question:
I live with my mom and my step-dad. My mother doesn’t want to give me the money due to personal conflicts we’ve had with each other. I’ve been told over and over that it’s “my money” he left for me and I can access it once I’m 18 and going to college.

Now I have no idea how to access or get the money but I wanted to know if I can get it before she tries to take it away.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Do you know how it was left for you: will, trust, etc?Answer #2: If its a 529 plan, its literally money *for college* not money for you when you are college age. The plans vary from state to state (and sometimes people buy out of state plans) so you need to know the details of your plan. But 528s are savings plans that belong to the person who set it up (usually parents) not the beneficiary, and there are almost always high penalties for using the money for non-educational expenses.Answer #3: If the account was never a custodial account for you, then you are out of luck.  Most 529 accounts give control to the person that puts the money in the account (your dad, then mom).  The beneficiary does not have control over it.  https://www.kiplinger.com/article/college/T002-C001-S001-who-controls-529-money.html


Title: (CA) Responding to a restraining order from my abuser

Question:
Background: I've just come out of a 5 year, tumultuous, off-and-on, emotionally abusive relationship. Over the years my ex-partner made many attempts to control me, other friendships in my life, and cut contact with people I've dated in the past. I  was constantly berated, told that my actions were wrong, told my feelings were wrong, and made to feel that I was always the 'bad one' in the relationship. Any friend that they didn't like would be subject to insult and judgement, of which I'd hear almost daily, to the point that I'd either a.) end up believing it, or b.) distance myself from that friendship so I wouldn't have to hear about how horrible they thought this person was. My partner also didn't want me talking about our relationship AT ALL, to anyone, because that was 'an invasion of privacy' but would also berate me when people didn't know we were dating, didn't post pictures of us online, or didn't act like a couple in public. There were too many damned if you, damned if you don't moments to count, where I always ended up as the one at fault. Ive recently started therapy, which is helping a lot and helping me heal from all this.

Situation: I just got served with a restraining order from my abusive ex, pertaining to an argument we had before I decided that I needed to get away from the situation. They were attacking and insulting me about mentioning our strained relationship to one of my friends, to the point that I had a full breakdown. I was sitting on the floor bawling, with my head in my heads, telling them to stop. I've never experienced a breakdown like this, so the experience was terrifying. I snapped. I got up and grabbed them by the shoulders and held them down against my bed for a few seconds to get them to stop the tirade. As soon I realized what I was doing, I let go and sat back down on the floor, still shaking.

A few weeks after this event, I told my ex that I didn't want to contact them, or be contacted, and to give me space. They said they'd tell everyone I'm an abuser and file a restraining order against me. Over the past few weeks, a few of my friends have received a message from my ex stating that I attacked her, held her down in argument, and that Im an abuser who is dangerous to our shared social community. I dont know how many of these messages they've sent out, I just know of the ones that were forwarded back to me. It's all the same message that's copy/pasted. They've threatened legal action against me in the past when not getting what they've wanted, so I didnt think they'd go through it with this time. But yesterday I was served with a restraining order, and a court date in two weeks.

Bottom line: My ex partner has been abusive and controlling for years, and when finally pushed the edge, I snapped and held them down to get them to stop. I've never put on hands on anyone in anger, and I extremely regret that I did in this instance. There's no excuse for this, but there IS years of context. I'm in therapy now to address these issue and heal the best way I can.

They've filed a restraining order to keep me away 100 meters away from, and from any place of work. This is the last instance of a long history of them controlling and gas-lighting me, and threatening legal action when they don't exactly what they want.

What can I do to fight this? I just want to be left alone, so that we can both get the help we need, but I also don't want a restraining order on my record. Should I also file a restraining order against them to prevent them from messaging anyone I know with the same copy/paste message calling me an abuser?

I've never had to deal with something like this and I don't even know where to look for a lawyer. Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks for reading all of that!

Answer: Look up if your local court has a domestic violence restraining order clinic. They may be able to help you.


Title: [Texas] How hard is it to get a custody agreement without a geographical lock?

Question:
The facts:

- Child is almost 7 months old.
- I make a majority of the income. (~5x)
- Father is heavily under employed.
- We have lived together since the child was born.
- Cost of living in another state is about 20% less than current city.
- I have family in the other state and the current state.

I do have a lawyer, but we're just in the first stages of filing so I want to know how it looks for me.

Answer:
 The judge will rule what is in the best interest of the child.

Listen to your lawyer.


Title: [US] General

Question:
 What does "don't talk to the police" look like?
Question:Hey all!

Originally posted this on LegalAdvice, but was directed to repost here.

So, I regularly see on here the advice to not speak to the police unless a lawyer is with you, or to not speak to them at all. I've seen the videos of well educated and knowledgable individuals in the law stating the same, so I completely believe everyone here that this is the correct course of action. That said: I haven't really seen any examples of how to conduct oneself when following that advice.

For instance, when you first begin speaking to a police officer about a situation (perhaps before even knowing what the cause is or whether you are their person of interest), they may ask for identifying information. My understanding is that NOT answering those questions doesn't end well, so do you answer that? In some cases they are trying to find out information to help a neighbor or other person who was victimized, and just hoping you might give them a clearer picture about the situation; how do you judge, if at all, when you do want to answer vs not (or do you just never answer?) If you answer some questions, do you suddenly have to answer them all ("What's your name?" "Jimmy" and suddenly you can no longer opt for silence)?

Basically, my question is- the words "Don't talk to the police" sound really cut and dry, but when you are actually standing/sitting in front of another human being wearing a badge and just asking you "Hey, did you see anything..." or similar questions, it gets pretty difficult to discern what "Don't talk to the police looks like".
So, those of you who are more versed in these sorts of things- could you give us some advice on how to properly handle that rule?

Thanks!

Answer:
 "Don't ever talk to the police" is just as bad advice as "always talk to the police."

There are plenty of situations where it's fine to talk to the police.

* See a cop in the convenience store? It's okay to say hi.

* Witness a traffic accident? Giving a statement is no problem.

* Your 2 year old daughter is missing? For god sakes call the police.

* Witness a shooting? Tell them what you saw.

It's situational. If you reasonably think that you might be a suspect, stop answering questions.  "I'm sorry officer, I prefer not to talk anymore" works fine.


Title: Domestic violence help

Question: So I called cops on my fiancé saying he hit me when e didn't when I was in a schitzrophrenia and anxiety break down, I tried telling cops when they came here I didn't wanna write a statement after whatever I blabbed on about because it would come out false, they said I HAD TOO.  So I did , and after I was finally calm I realized what I did and called the police station to tell them I needed to drop those charges ASAP for certain reasons a second set of cops came and took my statement again and I don't think j wrote down that I wasn't in the right state of mind when writing the first one but either way, they said e wouldn't be arrested, now all the sudden a third set of cops came and arrested him?!?! I have court on the morning so I need to know how to tell them it was because of what I was hearing and how paranoid I was that I wrote down what I did and that he's innocent?!?' I need to know ASAP because I have court in the morning !

Answer:
 Your fiance needs a lawyer. You need therapy. Or more therapy if you're already in therapy.

If you want to speak to court, you'd be helped by having your diagnosis in writing from your therapist or doctor. Best to write down what you want to say too because it seems you're not the best under pressure.

If I was your fiance I'd probably move out (and put the engagement on hold too) for my own protection.


Title: Some questions about child support.

Question:
Hello Everyone,

I should start off by saying that I live in Texas. About a year ago my wife cheated on me and left our son with her mother in the virgin islands; during this time I had a job up until around August when I got laid off. I went back home (I was prior military) to Virginia for some time and recently came back here to Texas. I checked my mail and I had something for child support; I missed the case and now I am behind in child support like $966 or something close to that. The only thing I saw was a paper dating Dec 2, 2017 with those numbers. I couldn't call them to ask about it because they are closed until monday, but I wanted to ask some questions here because my mind is eating me alive right now.

I currently do not have a job and I plan to get one soon, but currently I have just been living with a buddy and been getting help from my family for my car bill. My question is what can I really do now that I owe child support? I am pretty confused because as far as I know she doesn't even have our son he is still with her mother. Another question I wanted to ask, is it possible to have child support dropped somehow if she agrees? I haven't really done anything wrong to her and until we stopped talking (like July time frame) her and I weren't really fighting or anything, so I believe I can talk to her to drop it if it's possible at least until I get on my feet.

 Thanks for any help in advance.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Whether you've done something wrong has zero bearing on your duty to pay support.

Is your wife receiving state benefits, such as Medicaid? If so, she can't waive support.

You need a divorce. And a custody order.


Title: Signed the lease but the Property Manager is changing details

Question: Hello, I live in Dallas, Texas. I live in a family dorm with my wife and two kids. We were recently informed that the specific dorm we live in will be closed to make way for a parking garage in May. We decided to move out and hired a friend who is a real estate agent to find us an apartment. We toured a rental, liked it, paid the security deposit and signed the lease. The lease stated that we would get the keys on the first of January. We realized that the 1st is a holiday so we contacted the property manager to see if she would like us to pick up the key before they went on break or on the second. When we did this, the manager told us that it was unlikely that the apartment would be ready by then. We talked to our agent friend, and she told us that the current occupant had some family drama and was trying to stay. I tried to get in contact with the manager today and was told that the occupant was to move out today, but her daughter is sick and couldn't move out today. She told us to expect to move in on the 5th. If the move in date is the 5th, that is fine, it will set us back but I have a feeling that the property manager is expecting that the current occupant will not be moving. This is a problem for me because I received an extension to stay in my dorm until the second of January, but they will not allow me to stay after that. As of noon on January second, I am kind of homeless. My two boys start class soon after that and my wife goes back to work, we cannot really afford to stay in a hotel for an extended period of time and don't have family here to lean on. To be honest, I am not sure if this is a legal matter or not, and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Keep in mind that if the current tenant refuses to vacate, there's very little the property manager can do to get them out quickly. Evictions can take weeks or months, depending on how quickly the local court processes them. That's not your problem, exactly, but the property manager may be in a hard spot, especially if the building is full.

Does your lease address what will happen if the landlord fails to provide possession on time? If so, and if that's not wildly unreasonable, following the lease is likely your best outcome. If not, or if you will experience substantial costs as a result, then talk to the property manager and underscore that your lease promises possession on the 1st, and what are they going to do to meet their obligation?

It may be that the landlord will offer to put you up in another unit, either temporarily or permanently. It may be that the landlord wants out badly enough to pay for your hotel stay for week or two while you find another apartment. It may be that they'll suddenly be able to comply with the lease.


Title: [WI] If I quit my job for medical reasons, can I qualify for unemployment?

Question:
I've posted here recently before asking if my work can fire me for taking off too many days for medical reasons.  I have another important question I was hoping to get some answers to.

Obviously it looks better on my resume if I resign vs. being fired, and better for the relationship between my employeer and I.  But if I leave voluntarily because of severe health reasons, would I still qualify for unemployment?  If my health continues to deteriorate, I would much rather leave on good terms vs. forcing them to fire me *just* so that I can collect unemployment, but I only have a ~4-5 month emergency fund which could easily be drained quicker than that due to medical bills.  So my primary goal is to make sure I have money coming in so I don't go homeless.

Some relevant stats:

- Been with the company for 9 months.  I am a salaried employee with benefits.

- The office itself has only 12 people within a 75 mile radius but it is part of a much larger (probably several hundred into the thousands) company.

Thanks for any and all input

Answer: I would guess you're more likely to qualify for disability than unemployment but have no expertise in the area.


Title: [NC,US] Beach house management charging us for broken pool pump

Question:
Some friends and I rented a beach house for a week. Unfortunately, some hookah pipes (perfectly legal, no illegal substances, etc.) were left outside on the back patio one night and we were reported to the management company by a neighbor for drug usage. None of this is really a problem except for the fact that the beach house management only rents to families, and we were basically told that our friend group would be allowed to stay the full amount of time but that the management company would be going over the house after we left with a “fine toothed comb.”

We treated the house very nicely and cleaned extensively before we left. However, the company did find a couple broken railings (almost positively not us) and a burned out pool pump due to broken plumbing (definitely not us). However, their rental agreement states:

‘Damages must be reported prior to check out in order for us to repair/replace said damages, otherwise all damage costs will be the responsibility of the leaseholder.’

As no one in our group even entered the closed-in maintenance area where the pump was kept, it seems somewhat ludicrous that we could be charged for this or that we would have had to verify it was working beforehand. I am wary of our group even paying for the railings because I don’t know if this counts as an admission of guilt.

Some other details that might help include:

The leaseholder who signed the lease was not 25, even though this is a requirement. The management company does not know about this still.

They are not deducting money from a security deposit, but they did say they will charge the costs to a credit card on their file. Should we just dispute this charge with the credit card company?

Any help with our course of action would be greatly appreciated!

Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 >The leaseholder who signed the lease was not 25, even though this is a requirement.

Doesn't matter.  That wouldn't make the lease unenforceable.

>Should we just dispute this charge with the credit card company?

Yes.

As far as the pool pump goes, did you all use the pool during the time you were there?  You don't necessarily have to *see* the pump to know that the pool filter isn't working.  I don't suppose you took pictures when you got there, and before you left, to counter any damages alleged against you all?


Title: Ontario, Canada - My girlfriend stole from my brother's girlfriend, theft under $5000.00.

Question:
Hello reddit,

Let me start from the beginning, around 2-3 weeks ago over the Christmas holidays my girlfriend and I were looking after my brother's apartment and his cat. My brother knew that I would be bringing my girlfriend with me and that we would be staying over some nights. Unfortunately, my girlfriend and I got extremely broke while we were looking after his place and she (without my knowlegde) went through my brother's and his girlfriends things and stole valuable jewelery which she then took to a pawn shop to sell.

When my brother and his girlfriend returned home they noticed right away that their belongings have been ruffled through and jewelery was missing. Thats when they called me and I found out my GF sold it at the pawn shop.

Long story short, my girlfriend and I felt terriable and called the pawn shop to put a hold on all the items so that we can return them, and the pawn shop was able to do so. She also returned everything else she couldn't sell at the pawn shop that we still had. In the end we returned everything to them accept one $600.00 ring.

They ended up calling the cops on her anyways (because we couldn't get $600.00 to pay them back right away) and charging her with theft under $5000.00.

Does anyone have any legal advice for us?
At the moment we are completely lost on what to do, and I just don't want her to have a criminal record. She has never done anything like this in the past.

Holy fuck this post didn't really help me at all in the legal sense, but thanks for all the fucking critisism and negativity you fucking assholes.

Answer:
 I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:

- [/r/bestoflegaladvice] [I was housesitting for my brother and we suddenly went broke so she stole all their jewelry. Not me, I was just waiting at the pawnshop. Also, absolutely no drugs involved. No sir.](https://np.reddit.com/r/bestoflegaladvice/comments/5o6tfj/i_was_housesitting_for_my_brother_and_we_suddenly/)

[](#footer)*^(If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads.) ^\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose?to=/r/TotesMessenger))*

[](#bot)Answer #2: Get a lawyer. How much was the total value of the things she stole? Be prepared for the possibility that the charge might change if it's more than $5,000.


Title: Delta Airlines served peanuts on the flight, despite my Peanut Allergy Notification.

Question:
As an individual with a severe anaphylactic allergy to peanuts, I'm very careful when flying. As always, I notified the airline of my allergy when making the reservation, such that the allergy is flagged for the Gate Agents and the Flight Attendants on every flight I take. I also went to the Gate Agent to confirm that my allergy notification was listed in their system. She assured me that it was listed and that the flight attendants would see it on their paperwork. Typically, when the peanut allergy is listed on their paperwork, the flight attendants will not load the service cart with peanuts, communicate to each other that they will not be served, and (sometimes) make an announcement to all passengers to refrain from opening any snacks that contain peanuts due to an allergy on board.

Cue the \*ding\* "We have reached 10,000 feet" announcement, and the attendants started their in-flight service, handing out drinks and snacks. Since I was in the 23rd row, it took a while for them to get closer to the back of the plane with their cart. Once the cart got close enough for me to overhear the attendant asking people what snack they'd like, I heard the flight attendant offer peanuts. As soon as I heard that, my body went into fight or flight mode (no pun intended) and I sprung into action.

(For those of you without food allergies, being in a enclosed plane with peanut dust lingering around is pretty damn panic-inducing. Imagine the fear of seeing someone pointing a gun at your head, facing immediate danger of death; that's how I felt at that moment.)

I immediately got out of my seat and addressed the flight attendant, telling her I have a peanut allergy that is listed on their paperwork (confirmed by Gate Agent and Customer Service) and that they immediately need to stop serving peanuts and retrieve all of the peanuts they had passed out to customers. They stopped serving the peanuts, they did not retrieve the ones they passed out. The head flight attendant later admitted that her in flight device that displays the flight information had not been updated, and that she now saw the peanut allergy notification, but unfortunately I was already starting to feel a mild reaction at that point.

Do I have any sound legal recourse for damages caused by Delta's negligence in this situation, outside of the meager 5000 miles (equal to \~$85) they offered me when I complained. Luckily, I caught the flight attendants early enough that my reaction was mild (like how you would feel after snorting a line of pollen with seasonal allergy) and did not require medical attention. However, the panic, fear, and anxiety the whole situation caused me still has me shaking as I write this. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

tl;dr: Delta passed out peanuts while aware of my peanut allergy. Caused mild reaction and extreme fear/panic/anxiety. Were they negligent? Do I have a sound case for legal recourse?

&#x200B;

Answer:
 > Do I have any sound legal recourse for damages caused by Delta's negligence in this situation

It was an unfortunate situation that ended without injury or death. There are no damages to collect--you have no medical bills, you did not die so your heirs do not have a wrongful death suit, etc. Damages are all about money.

Did you use an Epi Pen? You could ask them for reimbursement.

Glad you're OK.Answer #2: Ok but did you die?  Answer #3: No the standard in the industry is simply don’t peanuts around the person, not don’t serve peanuts to whole flight. Also, since you did not have an allergic reaction, the airline was not negligent.
Answer #4: Like no offense mistakes happen but I dont see you being able to sue a airline when you have no damages . They've already credited you when in reality they could have told you tough crap but they at least attempted even though in this case it failed to disconvience a entire flight and not provide them peanuts all for your sake. I dont think theres any legal basis but someone correct me if I'm wrong that says a airline has to accommodate for a allergy to begin with


Title: "inherited" my brothers truck... how to transfer ownership legally.

Question:
So my brother passed away last year. It turns out his wife is as bad at paperwork/bills as he was. She can't tell me how much he still owes on the truck or to who... I found the original sales sheet in the glove box that listed fifth 3rd bank, gave them a call, they say the loan was closed in 2013. I am guessing he refinanced it, but they couldn't tell me with who.

Sort of lost now on how to figure out who if anyone has a lien on the truck. She says she "may" have the title somewhere, but I'm pretty sure its just going to say fifth 3rd bank. Can I go to the DMV with the vin and find out who holds the lien? I just want to figure out how much he owes and if its even worth it to get the truck.

Answer:
 You should be able to purchase a title report on the vehicle, that might be your quickest option.

[https://dor.mo.gov/motorv/nmvtis/](https://dor.mo.gov/motorv/nmvtis/)


Title: Walmart cracked my windshield

Question: I left my car at Walmart for an oil change and when I came back, there was a crack on the windshield. The crack ran halfway across the glass. I told the manager about it and he wrote up a claim report (or something like that). He watched the security cameras and found that they did nothing to break the windshield. Walmart won’t pay up so I spent almost $300 to replace my windshield. Especially as a college student that’s a lot of money. What’s the best course of legal action here?

Answer: Did the video show how the crack happened?


Title: My mom is making me work at her work and I'm not old enough to have a job and I'm not being paid

Question:
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 how old are you? does your mom own the place of employment?Answer #2: If you're looking for decent advice, you're going to need to provide a lot more information.

What kind of work is it? Are you doing the actual work of an employee, or something a little different? Are your hours being recorded and your mom is taking the money, or is there just no record of your work? Has this ever prevented you from going to school? Is your other parent around/what do they think if they are? What exactly do you mean by "forced"? Are you just told you have to, or are you being threatened with harm / denial of food / shelter?

This sub wants you to add info in the original post, not in comments by the way.


Title: WI Was crashed into and now may have to file a civil suit

Question:
Milwaukee, WI

Hi everybody! Unfortunately on Monday I was involved in a crash in my alley. A lady was coming out of her parking lot pointed in my direction. I saw her and slowed down. When I saw she had slowed down, I assumed she was stopping so I could pass so she could leave. There was no way for her to get past me with how narrow the alley is. unfortunately, she apparently hadn't seen me and accelerated into my truck right as I was passing her. We both parked in her apartments parking lot so we could deal with the situation out of the way of traffic. I got a picture of the damage to her bumper and her License Plate. She took pictures of the damage to my truck, my plate and my license. She claimed she didn't have her license or ID on her. [Paint image of crash](http://imgur.com/a/vAfNr)

I didn't call the cops because my daughter was complaining her head hurt and I know from experience that unless the crash involves major damage or someone is severely injured that the cops will prioritize my call fairly low on the list. Neither of us have insurance as well. She admitted on the scene that she didn't see me and agreed to pay for the repairs as well, but I have no evidence of that but my word. I exchanged numbers with her as well and told her I would let her know once I had an estimate. I drove the half a block home and had my husband drive us in his car to the ER to make sure my daughter was fine. Of course, she was perfectly fine and made the doctors giggle at how happy and active she was so soon after something so scary for her.

The next day, I dropped my daughter off at school and drove straight to my favorite auto body shop. I know they are ridiculously expensive and have never actually needed to use them for repairs, but they remain my favorite because they always give a straight assessment and list every little part they would be replacing on a paper estimate. They verbally quoted me about $4000 and only replace with brand new parts from the factory. They said both doors and the rocker would need to be replaced. I know they probably also had a few minor pieces in there, but seeing as how it was a verbal assessment I didn't need a full list. I then took it to a Maaco shop nearby. They quoted me ~$2700 if the doors the got used need to be painted the same color as my truck minus the 4x4 decal (Which I don't need or care about so no biggie.) They said it would be ~$2400 if the doors they found were the same color already and didn't need paint. I have that paper estimate.

I went to one more place I don't really trust because they had a lot less of a professional looing shop. They gave me a verbal quote of $1800 with paint included and said that the doors would have to be painted.

Then I had my friends mechanic come look at it that night to make sure it was road safe because I noticed the alignment was worse and that there was a strange noise I had never heard before. He looked it over real good and said that it was fine mechanically. He also let me know that if I went and got the doors myself, went to a paint place he knows personally, and installed them myself it would be ~$600.

I called her after I talked to the unprofessional place and left a message explaining that I had a few quotes and to please call me back. She called me back a little later and said she had been in the ER with her son for the flu and that she was now heading into work, but she wanted to meet later so we could discuss what would be happening. She also mentioned she had been in the process of something, but I couldn't hear her well. I think she may have been talking about getting her bumper evaluated, in which case she probably is going to try to get me to pay for that. She never called me back that night.

Yesterday I dropped my daughter off and called the Lady on the way to my local police station to file a report. At this point I am covering my bases in case I do have to file a civil court case. She answers and immediately gives me an excuse that she can't talk because she is walking into work. I let her know my mechanic said we could probably fix the damage ourselves for ~$800 and before I can explain that that includes ~$200 of wiggle room in case something doesn't stay as cheap as it should, she cuts me off saying she'll call on her lunch. Of course she never called me. I was told by the police to file my report online and that he law had changed. MPD doesn't need to be called for a crash unless someone is injured (No) or There is more than $1000 in damages (At the time, there was no way for me to know) or there is more than $200 in damage to government property (Nope.)

At this point, I'm done working for her. I'll stick to the ~$800 estimate if she does buck up and decide to call me back today. But I'm done putting in all of the leg work and getting blown off. I have decided to file a civil case tomorrow if she hasn't contacted me by then. My questions are I am in a one part consent state right? I found some article a while back stating that we are, but I can't seem to find the government page or law that says so. I'd like to keep a call recording app going on my phone in case she does call and see if I can get her to admit she was at fault. What kind of evidence besides the police report should I try to gather for my case? Pictures of the alley to prove how narrow it was? Definitely pictures Of the damage and I have past pictures of my truck to prove what it did look like. Can I sue for the $4000 estimate? It's not that I want to bleed her dry, nor do I feel like my 16 year old truck needs brand new doors and parts. It'd just be nice to have a cushion there in case the judge decides that I owe her a new bumper. Can the judge decide I have to go with the $800 estimate and tell me too bad, I have to do my own work? Because if I'm going to court over this, my goodwill is gone and I don't want to work extra just to save her money.

I also know if I was dealing with an insurance company, they would have bought my truck. It's only worth about $2000 due to age, mileage, and damage from a previous T-bone accident from before I owned it. I will be double checking this on reddit here and try to figure out where I can get an estimate in paper just in case. Trucks in similar conditions without the T-bone damage of the same make model go for about $4000. Can the court make her buy my truck? I love my truck, but depending how the case works out, I may just buy something newer and let it go because two T-bones is too much for me to properly trust it anymore. Somebody else mentioned that the court may make her pay the value of my truck minus what its worth to a junkyard which is also something I know insurance companies do.

Any other advice is appreciated, this is not my first accident, but will be my first law suit. I do intend to go get a paper estimate for the $4000 quote and have 2 mechanic shops check it out for me and get a paper quote in any mechanic work they find I need. My mechanic looked at my truck in the dead of night and was only making sure my truck was drivable and wouldn't kill me lol. plus I don't want to drag him into this with a paper estimate.

TL;DR Was hit, Lady was cooperative, now keeps giving excuses. Filing civil suit tomorrow and need advice on limits, and evidence needed. Neither of us have insurance.

Answer:
 this is way too long.  Need a tl;dr

All I will say is either go through your insurance if you have collision.  If not, file a claim with their insurance.  If they low ball you, sue in small claims if below the limit.  If not, hire a lawyer.

Also try r/insurance


Title: [ID] My friend just learned that there was a burglary warrant issued for his arrest in January. He has no idea what it could be about though. What's his best move?

Question:
Obviously the answer is: "call a lawyer," but there are still a couple questions you might be able to help with.

What is also strange is that the warrant was issued in January but he wasn't living in Idaho at the time. He lived in a different state for two years. It's theoretically possible that the charge could be from something before the move, but why would they wait years to charge him?

Even before he moved away, two years ago, he feels pretty confident that he didn't commit any such crime. Short of turning himself in and going to court, is there any way to get the specifics of the crime he allegedly committed? Does the court have to show/ tell him the evidence that they have?

Are warrants ever issued by mistake or for the wrong crime?

Thanks in advance. He's going to contact an attorney this week, but I'd love to be able to help him however I can.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Get a lawyer.  Arrange to turn himself in.  Fight the charge, if applicable.

> It's theoretically possible that the charge could be from something before the move, but why would they wait years to charge him?

No idea.  Maybe they needed physical testing results, and they took a while.  Or, the police were busy and didn't get to it.  Or he got fingerprinted for something else and they matched it.  Who knows.

> he feels pretty confident that he didn't commit any such crime

**Pretty** confident?  That doesn't sound confident at all.

> Does the court have to show/ tell him the evidence that they have?

During the trial process, yes.  It's called "discovery".  They won't give it to him beforehand.  The fastest way to get this handled is to turn himself in and start the trial process.

> Are warrants ever issued by mistake or for the wrong crime?

Sure.  No one, and no process, is perfect.


Title: Found a dog 6 weeks ago, owner saw us walking her - SC

Question:
6 weeks ago there was a dog sitting in our fenced in back yard with our gates closed. It was whining and shaking so we gave her food and took her in. Talked to our neighbors but no one seen her before. Our community president emailed everyone in the neighborhood and no one came forward. A week or so later we took her to a non-profit animal shelter to check for a chip but no chip. We were advised to post a found listing to a local facebook page for lost dogs. We got her vaccinated and started caring for her.

Someone will walk her daily around the neighborhood. Today someone stopped claiming it was their friends dog. The dog did seem to recognize them. They told me they will have proof in a few days and obtain the dog.

Do we legally have to hand the dog over? If we do, can we get reimbursed for the money spent on the dog?

We're really attached to the dog but I guess she needs to be with her original owner. They did not post up any flyers for a lost dog and they must have never contacted the animal shelter as they took down the dogs description there.

edit: They're picking up their dog Tues/Wed when they get back into town, the roommate wasnt sure exactly when they would return but did have proof it is their roommates dog. They also live about 10 houses up the road in the same neighborhood, we walked her daily right by their house. The roomie told me they did look around for the dog to try to find her but must have missed her in my backyard.

edit2: Spoke to the owner, they said they will pick her up Thurs after work.  When we first took her in she could not walk on a leash and didnt seem to know any tricks. She now walks well without lurching toward other animals and can do a good bit of tricks. She is also constantly following us from room to room and can follow us without leash to the mailbox and back.

I'll post a final edit on this once they do pick her up. I'm really curious to see if she is excited to be reunited or not. I guess because we are so attached to her that none of this has really felt right. Hoping the owner + dog are both excited when reunited. We've offered to watch the dog if they ever need it.

final edit: They picked her up today and they were super nice people. They were out of town when their roommates let her out and couldnt find her. She stumbled into our yard a day or two after her escape. When they got back they just figured it was too late until they saw us walking her weeks later. Very happy to have returned her, though we will definitely miss her antics.

Answer:
 > Do we legally have to hand the dog over?

Change "dog" to "wedding ring" then answer that question. Yes, of course you have to give the dog to the owner. It is their property.

You can request to be reimbursed for expenses. (Obviously, you have to give them the stuff too). You can sue if they decline.Answer #2: Do just make sure it's their dog. A photo of said dog would be adequate, but there are some odd people out there...Answer #3: Quite honestly, had you turned her into the shelter and the owner not come back to her within the hold period (10 days in SC) and you ended up adopting her, she would be your legal adopted dog.

However, since you did not do this and have the dog currently, legally you would have to return said dog. With that also being said though, it depends on your state and how long it would take for an owner's rights to be extinguished if you just start taking care of a stray dog/cat/etc.

The right thing, however, is for the dog to go back to the rightful owner. I believe I saw in another post that you mentioned giving the dog back to them.Answer #4: If I lost my dog I would fly around the world to get them at the drop of a hat.....waiting a "few days" seems suspicious at best.Answer #5: If they can prove the dog is their property, then legally yes.


Title: Resigned from old job, 1 mo later they say I owe 600$ because they overpaid me?

Question: Ill leave the company name out for now, but it's a fortune 500 bank. I resigned officially, sat and had a conversation with my manager and wrote a letter of resignation. I was expecting a weeks worth of pay, so when I received a deposit for $660 I wasn't surprised, until I got a letter saying I owed it back to them a few weeks later? This was all a month AFTER I resigned! Help?? I just moved out, I'm 19, and 600$ is almost double my rent! EDIT : I LIVE IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY AREA!!

Answer:
 You need to ask them for an accounting of that money and how they arrived at that number.

If they're right, then yes, you owe them the money.


Title: Withholding patient information for more money

Question:
I live in California. I visited my urologist two days ago for a short diagnostic procedure to try and find out what is going on with me. The procedure took about 5 minutes and the doctor gets up and says everything looked normal. He then says "the hospital (the hospital is connected to this facility and owned by the same company) does not want me going over possible diagnoses or course of treatment options with you until you come back for another appointment". I then say "so I can't ask you what you think is wrong or what my options are to try and fix it?" He says no and immediately leaves the room. The nurse in the room with us had a puzzled look on her face and said she would go talk to him. She comes back and says "so yeah I guess starting today, the hospital doesn't want us going over any of that information until you come back".

I know this isn't lawsuit worthy or something but I want to report this because it is extremely unethical to hold important information over a patient's head until they pay you another $300 (which is literally how much I will have to pay out of pocket) just to come back and find out. Is this report worthy? Who would I report it to? I don't know who oversees healthcare groups in CA.

Keep in mind this company has a "patient's bill of rights" and one of them reads:

"You have the right to:
4. Receive information about your health status, diagnosis, prognosis, course of treatment, prospects for recovery and outcomes of care (including unanticipated outcomes) in terms you can understand. You have the right to effective communication and to participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care."

Thanks in advance if anyone helps
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 California Department of Public Health Licensing & Certification oversees the hospitals. There’s a different governing body for the physician, but L&C can direct you once you file a complaint with them about the hospital. Each region of the state has their own branch, so google “CDPH Licensing and Certification [county name]” and that should get you their number for your area.

IANAL, but I used to be an investigating nurse for L&C.

Edit: it’s possible there is a legitimate reason for this. The hospital may require that any results are reviewed by another provider before release to the patient or something like that.Answer #2: You can request a copy of your records and see for yourself.  They WILL balk at this and tell you no but your information is bought and paid for and they must give you a copy at your request.


Title: Can I sue my ex husband for my therapy bills?

Question:
Since he is the reason I'm in therapy from all the abuse over the years, shouldn't he have to pay for it? Should I have put it in the divorce papers?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 A suit for recovery of bills related to emotional distress is _very_ hard to win unless there's an underlying tort, and psychological abuse itself is rarely a tort. "Intentional infliction of emotional distress" is the term for it, and the bar for intent is quite high even in jurisdictions that allow it at all. Not all do.

You would have had slightly better luck with that during the divorce, but not much. It's rare that therapy bills for one spouse are awarded as an offset against assets either.

That's not to say that your ex did not do you harm - just that he's likely not legally responsible for you taking a healthy and effective approach to dealing with that harm.