Title: My EX GF wont let me see my children unless its on her terms

Question: I am a 21 yr old male who currently has 2 children with my ex girlfriend she already had an infant when we met from a different guy. We had our first kid when i was 19 and while we living in Kentucky then we moved to Albuquerque and had another child our relationship was always rocky to say the least. We ended up moving back to Kentucky and she left taking the children in the night back to Albuquerque I then moved to PHX, AZ my home town to start a new life i just got on my feet and have been trying to reach out to her she only lets me contact her when she needs something i.e Diapers, wipes, milk. I am not sure how to move foward at this point or what to do i am confused because there are so many states involved and id like to have joint custody. PLEASE HELP (also unsure if the second kid is mine)

Answer:
 If she won't agree to work something out then you will need to go talk to a family law attorney about getting visitation or shared custody and also a paternity test for ALL the children.Answer #2: File for custody / visitation in the state the child resides in.

Hiring a lawyer is highly recommended


Title: Say I was being charged with fraud for selling redwood that’s actually some other wood I painted red. Could I successfully defend myself by claiming what I mean was red wood, with a space in the middle?

Answer:
 This comes down to questions of representation and warranty which would be specific to the individual case.

If you were representing the wood as ‘redwood’, suitable and fit for any purpose that redwood would be, such as being rot resistant for fencing, you would enjoy some liability, as opposed to you representing the fact that you were selling ‘red wood’ with no implication of suitability for purpose.

Further, absent any representation or warranty, common-law doctrine dictates that it is the buyers responsibility to inspect the suitability of the goods they are to purchase.


Title: Roomates are terrible people, want to move into different apartment unit in same complex for final 5 months of lease. Do I have any legal route as Texas tenant?

Question:
I'm in a four bedroom apartment with my girlfriend and another couple. I somehow convinced myself I could live with these people for one year to save money (junior in college). Wrong. They are high school friends of my girlfriend but they're the most disrespectful humans i've ever been around. I also believe my male roommate is possibly bipolar and wonder if he's going to ever get physical with myself or SO. I'm a really easy going person and spend most of my time in my room as is but it's to the point where I hate waking up every day because I know i'll have to see their faces. I don't want this to start having an impact on my school work and it slowly is so I need help.

We all have our own individual lease and my SO and I would both be moving out  I've gone to management to see about moving units and was told it would be a $200 move out charge along with $100 rate increase to move into the smaller two-bedroom unit. I can't really afford $700 to move out so I came seeking advice. Do I have any ground to legally get out of my lease completely or is there anything we can do to get moved to a new unit without paying a "move out fee" or rate increase for the duration of the lease (5 more months)?

Thanks in advance
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 >I've gone to management to see about moving units and was told it would be a $200 move out charge along with $100 rate increase to move into the smaller two-bedroom unit. I can't really afford $700 to move out so I came seeking advice.

Find a way to afford it or deal with your gf's friends. It's not the apartment complex's problem that you live with crazies.

>Do I have any ground to legally get out of my lease completely or is there anything we can do to get moved to a new unit without paying a "move out fee" or rate increase for the duration of the lease (5 more months)?

No

Edit to add: Your management company is really giving you a heck of a break on this. This is a gift. Take it or deal with the rest of the 5 months with her friends.


Title: Is it tresspassing if you knock on a door?

Question:
For example if you're trying to speak to someone but they have a no tresspasing sign.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 It depends on the reason you're on the property in the first place.

If you think there is an emergency, its probably not trespassing.  If you are trying to serve a legal process like a subpoena, summons, or other court ordered process then its definitely not trespassing.

If you're selling vacuums, encyclopedias, religion or politics, that sign was made just for you.


Title: Ex-boss took money from my paycheck without proving me as responsible

Question:
[Virginia] I am 16 years old, and got my first job about two months ago. I was working at a bait and tackle shop, where I was mostly pouring lead sinkers (WOULD NOT RECOMMEND), but I had also started to work on the register ringing up sales. I know that a lot of bosses can be difficult, however my boss, who was the owner of the store, was a GRADE A ASSHOLE. For example, when he was in his office and a customer came in, he would literally get pissed off at them because he "couldn't get any of his GOD DAMN work done before another fucking customer came in". When I was learning how to do new things there, he got upset when I would ask a question because he said I was smart enough to figure it out. However, when I did things on my own, he'd get pissed because I was doing it wrong, or at least not doing it the way he liked. Anyway, I was working register a few nights ago, and there was a new guy pouring lead, who didn't yet know how to do much, so we couldn't complete very many sinker orders. A few days later, at my next shift, my boss told me that the register was $96 short on cash compared to the sales receipts. I do not know how this happened, and it was an older register where I have to manually enter every product cost. This in combination with it being my first job, lead to an obvious possibility for me to make mistakes and accidentally press the wrong buttons and what not. He told me that since I wasn't efficiently making the company money (with the register short and orders unfulfilled), that I basically wasn't worth keeping. So he fired me, but he wasn't done there. He also took the $96 out from my paycheck (paid weekly) along with the price of a fishing reel I had ordered. My rate is $7.50/hr and I got paid about $45 for that ~30 hr work week. This does not seem fair at all, especially because he didn't completely prove that I was to blame for the missing money. I think it is possible that whoever was on register before me took their cash drawer from the register, but their sales receipt summary wasn't printed, therefore those sales were put on me, but he took the cash with his register. (We start every shift on register with $200 cash in drawer, then at the end we take out the difference and give it to him in a deposit folder for him to count. I could use some help as I feel like he can't take away money from time that I worked. Thanks.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Report his ass to your states dept of labor board. He can't arbitrarily deduct what he wants from your wages. Answer #2: In addition to what others have covered...

You were pouring molten lead into molds? If so, do two additional things. Contact OSHA to see if it is legal for a teen to pour molten lead. This is dangerous due to the burn possibility as well as lead being toxic. Then get checked for lead poisoning. Answer #3: Too late but here goes for next time (not legal advice):

* Pull the cash drawer out and see if any bills are stuck inside. That used to happen where I worked.
* Can you argue that an extra $96 in sales would be extraordinarily high and merit some research?
* Does the register not record both the date and the time of each transaction?

When you're older and run into this again, move on. Think of each job as a reference for the next one. If you'll get a bad reference, find a better place to work. In fact, think of this as a business opportunity. I'll bet the customers hate him as much as you do. You could open a competing shop across the street called "We're Nicer Bait & Tackle." Answer #4: File a complaint here

http://www.ohio.gov/working/rights/

EDIT: next comment has the correct link


Title: Why do people go to jail before being proven guilty?

Question: I guess this is more of a philosophical question than something needing a straightforward answer. What prompted this question is: My ex husband AGAIN has called the police and made false allegations that I was near his home when I was actually 1.5 hours away. In a courtroom, I can prove this no problem. Not worried in the slightest about getting a charge for this, as I have photo and video and police evidence that I was not at the “scene”. However, the detective I spoke with today told me that they need to still figure some things out. I was told not to bother printing out records and getting evidence of my innocence yet. If they decide to press charges based on his word alone, I go to jail and have to work it out through court. Why is this? Why not let me prove my innocence first? Especially when I’m just going to bail out immediately. What’s the point of making a person go through that when our system is based upon “innocent until proven guilty?” It’s absolutely the opposite. “Sit in jail until you’re proven innocent.” Wtf?

Answer:
 Because your evidence may not be conclusive and they feel they have enough to charge you.

>“Sit in jail until you’re proven innocent.” Wtf?

No, sit in jail until you're arraigned -- usually less than a full day.


Title: [CO] Ex-husband is threatening to release pornographic material of me, and lives in a state where "revenge porn" is legal.

Question:
Hi all,

I have been separated for a little over a year now. My ex-husband is threatening to release pornographic material we took when we were together. He lives in Maine and I live in Colorado. Colorado has "revenge porn" laws, but I don't think Maine does.

If he releases any material in Maine, can I charge him in Colorado?

I remember reading a while back that a crime is committed where the victim lives if the law was broken out-of-state for other legal topics, does the same apply?

Thank you

Answer:
 [Looks like Maine put a law into effect](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0460&item=5&snum=127) on July 12th of this year.

You an report it to the police in Colorado, but they wouldn't have jurisdiction to arrest him without him traveling there. You can presumably sue him in the circuit court in Colorado though you'd have to provide proof of proper service on him in Maine.


Title: Quebec, Canada - Friend has been targeted by police for "inciting violence"

Question:
A friend shared his experience with me and the way that he was treated by police left me baffled. According to the provincial police of Quebec (SQ) he is under a curfew from 11pm to 6am, is not allowed to attend protests, and has to relinquish his passport. I'll try to explain what happened with a rough timeline:

- He attended a protest two years ago, was detained and released with a pending court date that is set for 2015. He is accused of assaulting police but assures me that he and many other people there were simply charged and cuffed without doing anything but standing or walking.
- Two years later, he was feeling very personally affected by what was happening with ISIS, specifically after the beheading of Herve Gourdel who he said looks a lot like his neighbour. He missed several classes at the university he was attending and his professor sent an email to him inquiring about the reason. He explained that he was very depressed about his inability to do anything about ISIS' reign of terror and that he was thinking of joining the army to do something about it (not an uncommon reaction I assume). The email was definitely a little too sincere for a professional communication and it includes the following (translated): "I was not so much the head to learn but to find a way to kill a jihadist or two. And when the urge to blow as much islamsites is the only thing I think Boy was I so much want to be in school and perhaps more to talk to the psychiatrist." The professor did not respond to the email and must have contacted the police because
- Some time later, my friend was called into court after posting a comic to his facebook depicting Kevin Vickers as a superhero. He couldn't find the comic but he assures me it is innocuous. The police subjected him to a strip search and jailed him for several hours. At this hearing he was given his new curfew and conditions of not attending protests, and was told that he would have to relinquish his passport. At this point he still has not been convicted of any crime.

My question is, what the fuck? That seems like an incredible amount of overkill and not something I thought would happen in Canada of all places. He has to send them his passport by Monday or he says he will be arrested.

Answer:
 > That seems like an incredible amount of overkill

That's an interesting stance to take when you're getting one side of the story.

From my point of view, you have a guy on pre-trial release for assault who's sending emails around threatening to blow up jihadists and "islamsites", whatever that is.  When you're on pre-trial release, your conditions are **harsher** than most people, and you're supposed to be keeping your nose clean.

It sounds like he's not being charged with any further crimes, right?  Just an enhancement of his pre-trial release.  So he should take this as an opportunity to get some counseling and try to work through his issues.


Title: The song "Closer" by The Chainsmokers sounds exactly the same as a song I released almost a year ago.

Question:
[ON, CANADA]

So, the song "Closer" by the Chainsmokers has a melody that is exactly the same as [this](https://soundcloud.com/kvdence/slap-it-like-that) (@55 secs) song that was released by me almost a year ago.

The lyrics nor the beat are the same, but the VOCAL melody for the hook of the song (the part everyone's singing) is EXACTLY the same. I've never heard the melody anywhere else before writing and recording my song (correct me if I'm wrong).

Do I have any footing for legal action or is my understanding of intellectual property law completely off.
Please, let me know. I heard this song on the radio for the first time and had to find out more.
If I have no chance at any legal action, let me know ASAP so I can get off this case. If I do, please let me know.

Thanks! Appreciate any and all constructive comments.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 Well, [you wouldn't be the first to accuse them of lifting elements](http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/7495958/chainsmokers-closer-the-fray-songwriting-credits). Though your song kinda just sounds like a rip off of Fetty Wap's 679.

Regardless, talk to an entertainment lawyer about your options and chances.


Title: I-65 Pothole - 5 cars immobilized in 1 hour. Mine included.

Question:
Hi everyone. My spouse hit this pothole on I-65 today. The windshield broke and one run flat tire was shredded. (That we know of so far). The State Troopers of KY said this happens fairly often and the state never fixes them in time. As mentioned in title, four other cars wrecked on it and had to pull over. What is the best method to approach with the State/Highway  mgmt?

Edit: I should have searched for this first. I didn't know how common this was. My insurance carrier even said to do this first. I'm sure they are closed for the day and weekend. I will be contacting them.

Answer: You should call them before all else. They may be willing to pay for damages.


Title: [ONTARIO] If I, a 16-year-old, tell my psychologist I'm having sex with older men for money, will she tell the police?

Question: A 16 year old who is lying to these men and pretending to be 18. I'm sorry for being a terrible person, berate me all I want. Regardless if anyone is going to advise me to stop it would be my psychologist, but i'm not sure if I can tell her

Answer:
 IANAL ...but with my limited Canadian Law Googling experience, combined with my almost 3 years of law school experience, age of consent is 16 but that does not apply to child prostitution and your psychologist is a mandatory reporter so will have to notify the authorities about it.

Per Canadian Law:

“Child prostitution

It is against the law for anyone to:

purchase the sexual services of a person under the age of 18 years
materially benefit from child prostitution
encourage or incite a person under the age of 18 to participate in prostitution
The maximum penalties for these offences range from 10 to 14 years.”

Source: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/other-autre/clp/faq.html


Title: I am in a limbo situation with UPS, and Tmobile over a lost phone.

Question:
I preordered a Galaxy S8+ and received a confirmation and tracking number for it. The phone was sent out on 4/18 and was to be overnight delivered on 4/19. The package was not delivered. I spoke to UPS the following two days, and assured me that it was only a minor mistake to blame for the delay. I contacted Tmobile, whom UPS informed me were the only ones able to start an investigation, given they have a contract with them and not me. Tmobile refuses to start an investigation with UPS, unless UPS first officially confirms that the phone is lost. Ups refuses to officially confirm the loss through their online tracking info unless Tmobile starts an investigation. This is a clear catch-22, and they continue to provide me with the same story as of today 4/24/17. I have extensive records of the conversations I have with them through their twitters. I have screenshots of UPS admitting they do not know where the phone is and sent them to Tmobile, but they still refuse to do anything. What are my options here? They also wont refund me without starting the loss investigation first.
My location is Chicago, IL.

Answer: Keep pushing this up demanding a refund now. Regardless of it's lost or not. Because of the delay and inconvenience you no longer want the product and demand a full refund. Go buy it from somewhere else.


Title: (NH/PA) Police call on behalf of ex-girlfriend

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Holy crap, dude.

1.)  /r/ExNoContact

2.)  Get laid

3.)  No one knows if some random cop in PA followed up with the woman you're ~~essentially~~ cyberstalking.  Wondering if you should call the police to inquire about her reaction to being informed that you were ordered by a member of law enforcement to cease any and all contact?  Really?  Do you really think that's not a completely terrible idea?


Title: Not sure if child abuse or not

Question:
So I don’t really know how to go about talking about this, or if it’s appropriate, but I’ll try

I am 17. I am from a huge family, and I believe that I have been abused. I am not sure if I am overreacting or not. Can you give me advice?

Instances I think are abuse

1. Told I would “burn in Hell” for suicide attempt, saw psychologist once years after because my parents wanted me to get back on Adderall for ADHD, briefly mentioned but never saw psychologist again.

2. Physically attacked on multiple occasions. While they were never serious, a lot of the time they would leave bruises. Has been threatened with very serious injury

3. Was groomed by pedophiles when I was younger over the Internet. Parents blamed me and never allowed me to receive any type of help due to fear of any type of charge being pushed against them

There are also a lot of instances I just... can’t remember. I tend to repress a lot of these things, and I honestly think I’m in serious need of mental help. Any time I bring it up though, I’m laughed at

The reason why I would want to report now is because there are other minors in my house who suffer at my parents hands. I love my parents. I don’t want anything bad to happen to them. My mother is very sick, actually so I would hate to put them through this. But I resent them for a lot of the things they have done both to me and my siblings/other family members. I see them putting my younger family members through the same shit. I’ve tried having many discussions on how their parenting is manipulative and wrong in my opinion, but I just get told that I “hate them” and would I “just rather not have a mother”. Thanks for any comments.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Call the police and file a police report.  To me, #2 is definitely abuse, while #1 and #3 are not outright abuse, there could be neglect.

It is rare that speaking to an abuser about the abuse they're causing yields meaningful results, so do not speak to them about the police report.  Just file it, and the police will follow up.


Title: Friend is being encouraged by his mom to lie to his therapist to avoid child abuse charges

Question: My friend's dad is abusive. His mom isn't. She's telling him to lie to his therapist so that he won't be taken away from her. Would they both be charged for child abuse if she's just enabling his dad to hurt him? I have no idea how this stuff works but I'm pretty sure his therapist would be legally required to involve the police.

Answer:
 Your friend is entitled to have a life in which he is not being abused.

You should encourage your friend to tell the truth so his abuser can face consequences.Answer #2: Tell him not to lie. The abuse will continue and likely get worse. No one can help him if he isn't honest.


Title: Can I(25m) marry my gf (25f) of almost 8 years in the state of Alabama without inheriting her medical and student loan debt.

Question:
We are very much in love and actually have an 8 month old beautiful daughter together. We met in 2011 in college and have blossomed ever since. About 3 years ago I was driving our car and crashed into a tree; we went to the hospital and incurred 25k of medical bills (she didn’t have insurance unfortunately). Since then we have started a family and live together very blissfully; however, two years ago I (in solely my name) purchased our home. I am the only one listed on our home, both cars, car insurance, home insurance, water, internet, power, and phone bills. I want to marry her so badly but I’m afraid once we do, we could lose our home or cars it I’m unable to pay the medical bills or student loans. Any help and advice is very much appreciated it has become a topic of discussion in our home and she is starting to lose hope of ever being married. I want to VERY BADLY but I know as a man and father I should be able to provide a steady home and stable environment for our family to continue to live and love without fear of deductions or withholding to my wage making it impossible to keep up our current environment.

Thank you.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: I can't answer this, but you may want to crosspost to r/personalfinance for insights, too.


Title: Found out yesterday a large boutique stole the latest tshirt design from our tiny, two-person startup. Can’t afford lawyers; haven’t even made a profit yet. What can we do?

Question:
About three months ago my friend and I started a small business selling t-shirts with designs made by local artists we admire. I built the website, we reached agreements with the artists we wanted to work with, and my partner started marketing our wares locally. We sold a few t-shirts, and although we haven't been profitable yet, we've been able to make some money for our artists (we split profits with our artists down the middle, we are very much an artists-first shop) and we've just generally enjoyed interacting with our community and small but loyal customer base. It was all smooth sailing until yesterday.
It all started when one of our artists made a patch of our newest design for his friend and that friend posted in on Instagram.
http://i.imgur.com/91hWlQa.png

We usually try not to post the designs until we are ready to sell them, but it got a bunch of likes and we were satisfied that people seemed to like it and hopeful that it would sell well when it was ready. But then, a week later (Yesterday, Feb 5), another clothing boutique based in Texas posted this to their Instagram: http://i.imgur.com/kCMOB9D.png

After a bit of research, I found that they had already put it up for sale on their website: http://i.imgur.com/XUwkVSc.png
Now, we're running this business out of pocket and don't really have the resources to hire a lawyer or anything like that, but we've agreed that we can't simply let these guys rip us off like this. So we turn to you, reddit: What are our options?

TL; DR: Run small t-shirt store with a friend at www.thirdcoastgoods.com, newest design stolen by rival boutique, no funds for lawyer, what do we do?

Answer:
 The design is similar but not the same. You're going to waste a lot of time and energy fighting it, just put your design out there and let the free market decide. It's kind of ironic that both of the designs rip off Black Flags. Answer #2: Did the artist allow the other company to use their design? Do you have an exclusive contract with the artist for the work?

IANAL but I would recommend talking to a local attorney. They will likely give you a consultation for free or cheap. Then at least you can get an idea of what it would cost to deal with it. It might be cheap to just send a cease and desist letter. Or the lawyer might feel that you can get damages, and would take their fee out of that. It couldn't hurt to go talk to someone.


Title: How to evict a non-lease housemate?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You evict her through the court system in NY, as you would in any other state. Let's leave the casual sexism out of your court paperwork though, k?


Title: [MO] Barking neighbors and barking dogs

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice and thanks in advance for your help.

Here's a lot of background on my issue:

> My wife and I bought our home about ten years ago.  We have a 3 year old and are working on another (awww yisss), so before that happens we want to move to something with more room to grow.  We met with a realtor who suggested doing some basic upgrades and improvements to the home, but when she was there she heard our neighbors' dogs barking (and our neighbors yelling at their dogs) and started asking questions about frequency, duration, and whatnot.  Long story short: our place won't sell with the neighbor's noise issues present.

> And that's a problem.

> The neighbors are caddy-corner behind us and they have a two-story house, while we have a one story home.  That just means that they overlook us and sound carries very well--there are no significant trees behind us, just a standard privacy fence.  They let their dogs out probably five or six times a day and they bark non-stop for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.  When the neighbors go outside to get the dogs, they yell at them and scream at them and will turn water hoses on them.  The dogs are beagles and the barking sometimes haunts my dreams, but then I realize that they've just let the dogs out at 1am again.

> A few years after we had moved in, the barking started.  I had never met the ladies before (it's a retired woman and her two grown middle-age daughters), so I naively assumed that they might not know their dogs were barking.  I wrote an anonymous letter and delivered it to them saying "Hey, neighbor, you might not know that your dogs are barking but they are!  Here are some organizations that specialize in dog training and here are some humane resources on how to train your dog to not bark so much.  Blah blah blah"

> A couple weeks went by and it hadn't got better, so I went by in person and talked to them during one of the extended barking sessions.  "Hey, I'm your neighbor in the house behind you--is there anything that you can do about your dogs barking?  We're trying to have a dinner party and..."  She cut me off, cussed me out, and started yelling about how they aren't the only ones with dogs that bark and she knows I wrote that god-damned letter to her, who the hell do you think you are, etc.

> So then I engaged our home owner's association.  They contacted them via letter and phone, but when nothing changed they suggested I call animal control.

> I called animal control, who informed me that there has already been a report filed by a neighbor about the dogs and there was nothing they could do.  They suggested our HOA, contacting the neighbors directly, or calling the police.

> So the next time there was a long barking period, we did just that.  The police said they'd stop by and visit with them, but that never happened because they got busy.  Called them again, but same deal--other things took priority.  And I get it: I mean it's just barking dogs, so sure.  But damn.

> Through an insane coincidence, we happened to be at a friend's house and made a connection that lives in our neighborhood and is a police officer.  We told him our plight and he said to call him, he'd swing by in uniform and talk to the ladies.  He did just that, they were rude to him, and he came by and told us to just take their asses to court.  He said to start recording them as much as possible and get the neighbors to do the same.  So okay.  I'll do it.

> This past weekend my son and wife were both sick and trying to sleep, but at 11pm the dogs were let out and just were going nuts.  I took his advice and stood on my back porch and started recording with my phone.  After about ten minutes one of the ladies went out and started yelling at the dogs, but couldn't calm them down so another came out.  She saw me and then started yelling at me.  I just stood there and let them yell at me, justify the dogs barking (what would your dogs do if a goddamn rabbit was in the yard, huh?) and kept recording.  They also started yelling about how they have rights, too, and I better turn my damn phone off and stop recording them.

And so that's the real heart of this post (sorry for all the words).

I've exhausted all the resources at my disposal and know that I'm going to have to take them to court.  I also know that, while I'm in the right, I need as much evidence as possible to make it not just my word vs. theirs.  I have read and read, but can't find anything conclusive about what is legal and not in terms of recording the events as they unfold.

Also: I also know that I don't want to stop what I'm doing and go record the dogs for fifteen minutes.  I work all day and only get so much time with my son and wife in the evenings--having to abruptly stop that and stand outside to record dogs would be shitty.  I'm thinking about getting a Nest Outdoor camera and positioning it to capture my yard and what's within normal line of sight from my patio of their deck.  Then save the barking sessions to the cloud and use them in court--that would give me a full history of all the times that there are disturbances during the day.  But again...I don't know what's legal or not.

Help me /r/legaladvice, you're my only hope.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 I read that entire wall-of-text, and despite all the needless detail and narrative, I think your legal question is: *it legal to get an outdoor camera pointed at your yard that captures their backyard?*

The answer is *Yes*.Answer #2: It's generally legal to record video of a place where someone doesn't have an expectation of privacy (i.e. a yard in view of a road/street). I believe the Next camera would likely be fine in your situation.

Are both of your homes (your and your loud dog neighbors) in the same HOA? If so, I would research the HOAs bi-laws/requirements to see if it says anything about noise.Answer #3: Totally legal to record as MO is a one party consent. Nuisance lawsuits are hard to litigate, and I wish you the best. It's legal for you to record them.


Title: Drug tested without my knowledge of it being done while at the hospital. Had to deal with DSC despite testing negative because I tested positive at the very start of my pregnancy in a state that was legal after being told the test would not be held against me and was just for statistical data.

Question:
Tl;dr is basically the title but there is a lot of important details I feel in the story.

{{I’d like to make it clear that I don’t smoke, I hardly drink except for an occasional margarita at a Mexican restaurant, I don’t do any drugs of any kind and have never once failed a drug test except for the time in my story.}}

Back in September 2018 I tried smoking marijuana to see if it would help with my PTSD (it did not!😒) in a state that is legal. i then found out in October that I was pregnant and during my first OB appointment tested positive for drugs. The day I found out I was pregnant I stopped smoking but I understand it takes a while for it to leave your system. The next appointment I tested clean and that was that. (The hospital I was using had its own policy about pregnant women and testing clean which is why I was tested in the first place despite being in a legal state, which is fine because I’m not a user).after testing clean I was asked to sign a paper for “statistical use” for a study on something like how many pregnant people use? Or something, it was so long ago now but I was specifically told that my name would not even be attached to it, I was signing to consent they could use me as just a number for statistics on a study and it in no way would effect me. I wasn’t allowed to not sign it.

Jump forward to this June 2019, i moved to Arizona(a none legal state)in the last trimester of my pregnancy,I am at the hospital after having my perfect healthy amazing baby, recovering and a social worker comes in the room to discuss PPD with me... and then she asks me about a substance abuse problem and then brings up my drug test from October and how even though my test I got at the hospital was negative(we’ll get back to that BS)I still had to talk to a DCS worker before being allowed to go home.

I WAS DRUG TESTED AT THE HOSPITAL WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. I was never asked or told that I was going to be drug tested while at the hospital while in labor. I was told to pee in a cup when I arrived but this is normal while pregnant, testing for protein in the urine and such(I was used to giving pee because my OB makes you give pee at every appointment and I even asked why I had to give pee every time and if it was a drug test and they specifically told me it wasn’t a drug test because they legally cannot test without telling me).

The night I arrived at the hospital I was giving birth at, my nurses said they couldn’t find my records and needed to see the results for typical pregnant blood tests like HepB and stuff and said they’d just redo them if that was ok since my records apparently did not exist. They drew about 12 viles of blood from me for these tests.. more then I could even remember being tested for during the course of my pregnancy. An hour later the same nurse said “you have like 50 pages of records to go through it’s crazy”. Ok did you not just say there was no records? Was my blood tested for drugs? Again without telling me.

I asked the social worker why I was being interrogated about this ONE TIME I SMOKED in a legal state if it was LEGAL there and she said because I now live somewhere that it’s not and has raised a red flag in there system despite it being way back in October and in a legal state.

Me and my boyfriend were not allowed to leave the hospital until the DCS worker had time to come interview both of us and we needed a house visit..... the DCS worker after interviewing us both separately and visiting the house told us that she could not believe we had to go through this and that it was a waste of her time, she told us we were more prepared and had better living conditions then more then half the people she has to deal with, 2 of my nurses even asked what was going on with all this and when I told them they could not believe how stupid it was and that it was happening to us.

Newborn babies get foot pricks for some tests when about a day old and I did not get to see these tests being done. Today my baby had his first pediatric visit and needed another foot prick which is normal.. however when the nurse went to do it she mentioned that the hospital really went to town on my babies foot and there were numerous marks, why did they need so much extra blood at hospital from my baby? Did they drug test him without my knowledge? (I’m actually waiting on an answer to that question atm)

This experience was super traumatic, I could not believe smoking one time in a legal state could get me in trouble in another state months later. I was drug tested with out even being informed and it was negative and I still almost got my very first baby taken away.

I’m sorry this is all over and so long, thank you for reading all of this if you did! I just felt like these details were important.

Is this something I could sue over? The trauma alone makes me want to do something. I felt helpless and like I had no rights, I didn’t even know I was being drug tested, I felt so trapped and terrified and this entire situation made no sense to me!!
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 Hospitals do drug tests as part of a standard lab panel to ensure there is nothing in your system that may interact with legitimate medications.

How much time form when you smoked the one time in September until you were positive in October?Answer #2: You have no damages.  Drug testing newborns and new moms has become pretty standard unfortunately and has been for years.  Especially if mom tests positive any time during her pregnancy.  Pot isn't legal federally or protected in any way on a federally level so it does't matter if the state you smoked in was legal or not.  There is no protection in another state.


Title: Month-to-month landlord is kicking me out, gave me 30 day notice on the 1st

Question:
Hey guys!! thanks in advance

So my landlord is a jerk and decided to kick me out of my month to month apartment. He is doing it strictly because he decided he doesn't like me anymore, I have never paid rent late and I keep my place very tidy. He hand delivered me a notice citing NY Property law 232-b.

However it was given to me April 1st (the letter is dated April 1st) and expects me to be gone April 30th

I read a few things that in order to terminate a month-to-month lease, a notice needs to pro provided before the 1st of the month or else the tenet can stay until the end of the next month. (end of may in my case)

How true is this? and can it hold up if I needed to stay?
Normally i would pack it up and go but it seems like I'm facing some time without a home so I'm a bit desperate

Answer:
 Your interpretation of the law is incorrect.

[Applicable statute](http://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2015/rpp/article-7/232-b).

You were given a one month notice.

Better find a new place.


Title: Legal to sleep next to your children after drinking?

Question: So my wife is telling me that anyone after a few beers is not legally allowed to cuddle/sleep next to their children. I have never heard of this. Can someone shine some light on this? My children are 5 and 8. Thanks.

Answer:
 If, in a drunken stupor, you roll over and smother one of them, I assure you that you will be charged.

Let the kids sleep in their own beds. You sleep in your own.Answer #2: A thousand percent sure thats not a thing. Otherwise if you and your kid passout watching tv then you broke the law. I think she's just trying to say she's uncomfortable with it but unable to be direct Answer #3: I think she’s just not comfortable with it. I have never heard anything like this in terms of legality.


Title: Tenant wants me to sign cattery license

Question:
I’m in kind of a strange situation. I have a tenant who lives in riverside county California. She is very low income and runs a cat rescue. I inherited her as a tenant when my mom passed away. She is a good lady and she takes good care of the house but she runs a cat rescue out of the house. Not ideal but she pays the mortgage and does the upkeep and since my brother and I live out of state it’s kind of important that she can look after things. My brother and I are basically charging her just enough money to cover all expenses on the house and not making any profit because she’s low income, and in return she covers general maintenance to the house. She is good at finding people to do work for her for very cheap and even recently managed to get the house situated with a tankless water heater after the old tank broke and it didn’t cost us anything. So she definitely has her merits aside from profit.

The main issue is that I guess one of the neighbors called animal control on her. They did an inspection and said she is doing an amazing job taking care of all the animals on site but that she is over her limit of cats per residence and in order to keep running the rescue she needs us as the home owners to sign a release that says we acknowledge she’s running a cattery out of the house.

It’s a pretty small document but I am really reluctant to sign it as I’m worried it might have some sort of adverse legal effect on us as the owners or diminish our rights even further as landlords. We like her and want to help her but she is very low income and can be late with rent payments. She always pays but it’s tough sometimes. On the one hand I feel like this could end up being good for her income wise but I’m worried this could damage the homes property value or open me up to other legal risks as the home owner by letting her run a cattery out of the house. I’ve tried contacting Lawyers in the area but they want upwards of $400 to review the document and give me advice and I just don’t have $400 to put towards this. I told her today we weren’t going to sign and she got all distressed and asked me to speak to animal control who assured me that the paperwork would only be filed at animal control and that it would authorize them to do annual inspections at the house. My brother and girlfriend think I should just sign, but I really don’t want to do so without first getting legal advise. So if anyone familiar with landlord tenant laws in riverside county or california in general can give me any insight at all I’d really really appreciate it.

What legal implications does allowing a tenant to run a Licensed cattery out of a rental property in riverside county California have? Does this give the tenant stronger tenant rights in the event of needing to evict?
Are there implications for future sale of the house?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 > I’ve tried contacting Lawyers in the area but they want upwards of $400 to review the document and give me advice and I just don’t have $400 to put towards this.

This is a perfectly reasonable boundary to set. Be direct with your tenant: you will incur at least $400 worth of expenses just doing your due diligence on this, that you are unwilling to sign it without doing that due diligence, and either (a) refuse politely or (b) ask them to pay for that part of it if they want the license, with the explicit understanding that you still might turn her down after you've had professional input.

This is very much a negotiation. If you can't see eye-to-eye, the status quo remains in place, and she'll have to get rid of some of her cats or move.

The license appears to be part of [this ordinance](http://www.rivcocob.org/ords/6307.pdf), which is pretty clear about the additional obligations it imposes and about why the ordinance exists. In particular, it appears to authorize animal welfare workers to enter the property more or less at will to inspect it, and exposes the licensee to fairly specific fines for animal welfare violations. However, I wouldn't trust an animal welfare risk or any substantial property risk to free advice from the internet, personally.


Title: Apartment wants to renovate my unit and gave me a less than 24 hour notice.

Question:
Today I found a letter on my door knob saying that they will be renovating my unit tomorrow. I have no issue with it. It's just that my apartment is a mess and I want it to look presentable. I spend 16+ hours a day at my university so I rarely have time to clean and finals are on Saturday. Is it legal for them all enter my unit with such short notice?

EDIT: I live in Daytona beach Florida. I'm 20. The apartment is in my name and my mother is a guarantor.

Answer:
 When did they put the notice on your door? The clock doesn't start when you see it, it starts when they post it.

Edit because you updated location: Florida only requires 12 hours notice.


Title: Is the restaurant I work at illegally screwing me out of money?

Question:
To start, I do get paid under the table (I’m not sure how much that matters here). The restaurant I work at pays me $5 an hour- which I understand is slightly below legal but that’s not the part that bothers me.
On delivery orders, there is a delivery charge, but that never goes to the driver. Additionally, there is a tip jar by the register, where I take calls and orders and generally do my work. All of the money that goes in that tip jar goes to the owners, and I’ve been reprimanded for telling the customer that those tips don’t go to me.

Basically, where I make my money is tips on delivery orders that I get to take, Which lately there has been either too few orders, or too many people not tipping me (who assume the delivery charge goes to the driver), and there are times during the shift where I’m basically losing money.

I’m not even sure if I’d want to take legal action at all (if it’s too trivial), at least I’d just want to leverage a situation where I get paid more fairly.

Side note: State is FL.

So basically, do I just have a shitty job and should look for another place to work - or is there something I can do?

(Perhaps I sound greedy but I’m just trying to pay rent+tuition)

Answer: You are working illegally and you are getting paid illegally. Find a new job


Title: [IL] Employer wants to pay for speeding ticket from pooled tips

Question:
So at my job, we make deliveries and my employer pools and distributes our delivery tips based on the number of hours we work. We share a company car for these deliveries, and one of my coworkers got caught by an automated speed enforcement camera and the $100 ticket was sent to our boss. Apparently we have received a ticket before (I, along with a couple of my other corkers, have no knowledge of this) and it was paid for by the company. This time, our boss is upset about it and wants to pay for the ticket out of our pooled tips. This can't be legal, can it?

Additional info:
- We have never been informed about this policy (until now), nor have we signed any sort of agreement.
- We can tell exactly who was in the car when we got the ticket based on the ticket's timestamp and info on our delivery service's app, which shows delivery times and the driver...so a lot of us find it unfair that we are all paying for it, even though it isn't a huge sum of money split amongst us.

Answer:
 Nope, nope, nopity nope. Employers cannot deduct from wages (this includes tips) to pay for expenses. You can file a wage claim if he docks your tips, but your employer can choose to fire you (personally I wouldn't want to work there).

Since you're a chain, you might want to call corporate about this.


Title: Is having access to a bathroom a right?

Question: I know for work places it is, due to osha, but is a business having a bathroom for employees only(and no access for customers), or a public park with no bathrooms, possibly breaking the law?

Answer: It depends on the specifics. There are many places where having a restaurant open to the public means you need a bathroom for the public. And there are exceptions for when a public restroom is impractical.


Title: Signed a Nonsolicitation agreement saying I can't recruit former employees to my new company. How often is stuff like this enforced? [Illinois]

Question: Say a recruiter contacted this individual who I referred and this individual went through the recruiting process and decided to join my company. Is there any chance I can get sued over this? How would they even link it to me if I wasn't the person to initiate contact?

Answer:
 >How often is stuff like this enforced?

Sometimes. If the company really cares about the principle and/or they lost some money, they're more likely to go after you.

>Is there any chance I can get sued over this?

Yes.

>How would they even link it to me if I wasn't the person to initiate contact?

If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck...or someone said something.


Title: So I got into an arguement with my parents, and I got punched in the face. It left a mark and I have a concussion from it... but I don't want to press charges or anything like that at all... but my friends know what happened and I'm afraid they'll try to report it for me, can that happen?

Question:
I got into an arguement with my family a few nights ago, and I got punched in the face. It left a visible mark and I have a concussion from it. But I know my family and I know this is something they are ashamed of and regretful of. They've already asked to talk over the phone about everything, and before I walked out the door they said sorry, even though I kept on walking.

What happened exactly was that I got grabbed by the arm before going out the door, and I was told to stay so they could talk more. I said no and pulled away, and that is when I got hit. They immediately apologized after and but I just walked out after that. On the way home my head hurt and I felt sick so I stopped to the er, and they said I just probably have a concussion and to be careful. I told the doctors I was in an arguement and got hit, but nothing else because I didn't want it to go any further.

I told my friends what happened and they are adamant about me calling the police, but I don't want to do that. My family isn't like that, and they are already wanting to talk and make it right. I don't want to burn that bridge if I don't have to, and I know that my family isn't like that. I have siblings, but I know that they are fine, because my family just isn't like that. This is the first time anything like this has ever happened.

I just want to know if I decide not to do anything, can my friends try to report it and succeed? Because I don't want that to happen and for my family to blame me for it, especially if we're trying to make things right ourselves. And I want to be the one to deal with this, not someone else.

I just want to know what will happen if they try to report it or contact the police about it. I live in Delaware.

Thank you!

Answer:
 Your friends can report it. Without your cooperation, in most jurisdictions it's not particularly likely to go anywhere (particularly since no officers were at the scene), but it can be reported

However, you use the phrase "my family isn't like that" repeatedly, but apparently Somebody in your family IS like that, because Somebody punched you in the face and you have a concussion. You're frankly lucky you didn't lose consciousness on the way home. Trying to make things right yourself is noble, but Somebody needs some serious help before another incident happens. You didn't say this was an accident, that they meant to hit the door or whatever; Somebody got upset and deliberately assaulted. If Somebody gets upset again and causes serious harm to another family member, are you going to be able to live with yourself?


Title: Hearing Officer ruled in my favor after company that didn't pay me did not show up to hearing. What is my next move?

Question:
I worked freelance one day for one company last year. After three months of no payment, I took them to the labor department and realized they were a popular name there for not paying their employees. I filed a wage claim against them, went to a group hearing, their representative offered me a settlement, I declined, and then was invited to this next private hearing in which they didn't show up. I received an "Order, Decision, or Award of the Labor Commissioner" letter today which states that, "IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendant pays Plaintiff... ~$1,600."

How do I go about collecting this money? Do I have to sit and wait for a few weeks before I'm able to do anything about it? What is my next move?

Answer: About 10 years ago I had a employer not pay me for a couple pay checks, I sued him and won a judgement.  I paid some kinda of fee ( $150 ? )  were the court went in and seized some funds from his bank account.


Title: My mom put me on the paperwork when she bought a house and I was a kid. She got evicted when I wasn't living there and now I have an eviction notice on my record. What can I do?

Question:
Title says it all. I  was just a kid when my mom bought a house in Silverton, Oregon, but she put my name on the paperwork too. When she moved out, she stopped paying for the house and it was foreclosed on, eviction notice and everything. I haven't lived with her, or in that house since I was 18. Here we are four years later and I am finally financially stable enough to try and get a place of my own, but my background check says I have an eviction notice and that automatically disqualifies me from any company owned properties. (Apartments, duplexes, rentals, loans) I feel like my mom has royally fucked me here, and I have no idea what, if anything, I can do about it. Any legal advice would be greatly appreciated.

Update: I talked with the property company. An agent saw me getting the mail and put my name down as an occupant. Mom still had mail delivered there and I wasn't smart enough to get a PO box when I started living with friends. I'm starting to think less fraud and more of... something else I don't understand. Also, thank you all for such quick responses and points of view I'm otherwise incapable of seeing.

Answer:
 I think we're getting our documents confused here.  Eviction is about tenancy, not ownership.  It's more likely that OP's name got on the blacklist by virtue of being an 18yo co-resident, than because she was a 12yo co-signee of a mortgage.Answer #2: How old were you? This sounds fraudulent, you were a kid and your name was on the mortgage? That doesn't make a ton of sense unless there was mortgage fraud. You should call the credit reporting agencies and explain it to them, you will probably need to file a police report.

How long have you known your name was on the mortgage? How old are you now? You might need a lawyer to help sort this out.Answer #3: >I feel like my mom has royally fucked me here

You are absolutely correct.  So how do you feel about her going to jail?

>I have no idea what, if anything, I can do about it

You can report her for her crime if she used your name and information fraudulently.  This does appear to be identity theft, possibly more, but you can [start here](https://www.identitytheft.gov/) to get it properly reported and begin cleaning up your history.

Now, if you are NOT willing to see your mom prosecuted for her crimes, there may be nothing you can do.  In many cases, disputing something like this REQUIRES a police report to have it removed.


Title: If someone makes a donation to a charity in my name, can I claim that as a tax deduction?

Answer:
 You can claim an income tax deduction for a donation of your own money or your own property. If a 3rd person donated money *directly* to a charity, it's their money that was donated.

The "in your name" thing is something that charities do to encourage donations, not an official IRS tax thing.


Title: CFP moved over $20k of stocks into my roboadvisor account, instead of my brokerage account. Roboadvisor immediately sells it all. Best path forward?

Question:
At the beginning of June, I signed up with a CFP who I know to be very well credentialed and has done great things for many of my family members. I had assets in a couple places prior to that, which I was looking to consolidate under his management: \~$7k in a Schwab Robo Advisor (intelligent portfolio) account, $\~23k of various stock holdings in Robinhood. Probably \~$20k of these stocks have been held for less than one year. I also had an already opened Schwab brokerage account which I hadn't ever used.

Our mutual intention was to move all of this into a Schwab broker (not roboadvisor) account with him given Limited Power of Attorney over it. So, his assistant walked me through the paperwork- LPOA forms, transfer forms, and the investor agreement. Here is the chronology of this:

1. Assistant sends me blank Schwab LPOA form and blank transfer form for my Robinhood stocks. I figure they know what they're doing so I only sign and date and let the assistant do the rest, I do not fill in the account numbers etc.
2. I do not see a copy of the signed LPOA form or transfer form after assistant fills it out. She sends in the LPOA form first, and awaits Schwab's approval.
3. She receives Schwab's approval, so she then sends in the Robinhood transfer form.
4. One week later, Schwab contacts my CFP and his assistant to say that there was an error made, they cannot assign him as the adviser on a roboadvisor account, so we must do redo process but this time with a standard brokerage account. I tell her I already have the unused brokerage account.
5. I sign an LPOA form for the existing brokerage account, and a letter asking Schwab to transfer everything in kind from the Robo account into my standard brokerage account.
6. This is successful. A few weeks later (a few days ago), I am contacted by the assistant asking for me to sign another transfer form, as she doesn't see any of the stocks I had with Robinhood in the brokerage account. I check the brokerage account, and note that the total holding value is indeed the right number, so on the surface it looks like it transferred over correctly.
7. Upon further inspection, I realize that I have numerous Schwab ETFs and the like. After looking through my history, I see that the since closed robo account had immediately sold all of my $23k worth of stocks, and then began investing in its own preferred holdings.

That brings us to now. The CFP asked me for all of the transactions made by the robo account, which I provided a few days ago. He said that he would do "everything he can to straighten this out."

I know there's been negligence here, by me and probably both by the CFP (via his assistant) and Schwab. I'd like to ultimately stay with this CFP, but it doesn't seem like the short term capital gains tax should be my sole burden to bear. Is there an obvious path forward here?

Answer:
 NAL, but I do work in an advisor office.

Give them a few days to see what can be done.  Trades placed in error can be reversed with the party at fault eating the cost.

I've seen bigger messes than this get cleaned up.

Be patient, it's a holiday week.

Word of advice, don't sign blank forms.  We have a strict policy at our office to never send blank forms for signatures.  Prevents error and fraud. Answer #2: Do you actually know how much you're facing in tax? Might be helpful to figure that out first.


Title: Does my employer have a right to my medical history?

Question:
I was assaulted at the workplace. I was pregnant during the time which I wrote in the report. I’ve since had an abortion due to said assault. Does my employer have a write to a hospital report statin I was pregnant? Is it required to give them proof of the pregnancy or abortion? This is in Missouri.
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 Are you trying to get the abortion covered under workman's comp?Answer #2: I think we're missing some details.  Why would your employer want those records?  Are you trying to get coverage from workmans comp? Are you asking for an accommodation due to the trauma?

To answer your question, generally no, they do not have a right to see those records. However, there are some cases where they can request to see them (or at least a doctor's note documenting your condition).  Without more information, we can't say more.


Title: After i break things off, Ex fuck buddy claims to have STDs, including HIV.

Question:
I live in west Virginia. We are both men. I'm not sure if that affects anything though.

I am 100% sure that he is lying, but is there anything I can do to teach him not to be a collosal ass? I don't want to ruin his life though. He doesn't deserve that.

Answer:
 Before you conclude he is lying, you should go and get tested for STD's and talk to a doctor about HIV prophylaxis, especially if you've had unprotected sex.  You may need follow-up testing for HIV in a few months.

Then, assuming everything is fine, just cut him out of your life.  He wants attention, don't give it to him.Answer #2: You can call the police.  In the US, apparently, 30 states have prosecuted people criminally for exposing others to HIV.  [Link.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_transmission_of_HIV_in_the_United_States)
Answer #3: It's a [crime in WV](http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/transmitting-std-west-virginia.htm), punishable by up to 30 days in jail, to expose another person HIV or other "venereal disease". File a police report and let them handle the investigation.


Title: New Job Asked for Social Media Access

Question:
Hello,

I'm starting a new job in Maryland soon and one of the things they asked for was access to my social media. Is this normal?

I have nothing embarrassing on my social media, so I don't mind showing it. But I was surprised that it was asked of me since no previous job has ever asked for my social media before and none of my friends' jobs have asked them.

Should I give access?

Answer: By "access" do you mean they want your user name and password?  As a result of an interesting 2011 case, Maryland became the first state to ban employers from asking for actual access to social media accounts.  Or, do you mean they want you to "friend" them so they can see it?


Title: My mother is psychologically abusive and idk what to do

Question:
I know this is probably not very much in the right format but I really don't know where else to say this. My mother has been psychologically abusive to me, my father, and my sister for years now, but so far the legal system has failed us. My father met with a lawyer who basically told us that legal action (divorce) would lead to my dad having to take a low-paying job (because he works late) and pay alimony. Their advice was to just wait until I'm 18 so that I can get out of the household so that my dad could divorce without having to worry about custody of me. I can just say now that 3 more years is not going to work. I'm already struggling in school because of home issues and I already know it will get worse (as this same thing happened with my sister.) Is there anything me or my dad could possibly do?

Edit: because the bot said to, I'm from North Carolina in the USA

Answer:
 > my dad having to take a low-paying job (because he works late)

I am doing a lot of extrapolating here, but are you saying that your father would have to change his work hours if he had custody because he currently works a late shift? And it is three years until you turn 18, so you are currently 15? 15yos can be home alone while a parent works. Your father would not have to change his job.

Alimony and spousal support is based on a judge's discretion in NC and there are many factors that can affect it. Does your mother work at all?Answer #2: Have your father meet with a different lawyer and get a second opinion.


Title: Employer suspected of withholding but not PAYING Child support - MI

Question:
My wife had a child with an individual who pays monthly child support. He pays an extra amount on top of what he's legally required to in order to pay arrears. He suspects his employer was withholding the extra money from his paycheck but didn't pay it out because my wife hasn't seen any of the extra money. Who would he report his employer to? It's state child support so IRS doesn't seem relevant
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer: There is typically a state agency that oversees child support. I would report it directly to them.


Title: If there is a vehicle obstructing my view, while passing a street light in red. Would that be a good defense if I have a dashcam as evidence?

Question:
I haven't experienced it yet,but it came to mind today. There was a truck that had an escort hauling a very large shed.

They approached a traffic light as it was turning yellow and pretty ran the light. Me & a few other people kept going and I realized we were running a red light.

I'm sure a cop would understand this situation if they say it,but in a situation where this happens and there evidence, would you likely have your ticket revoked?

Answer: It could be argued you were following too closely if you weren't able to see the traffic lights before entering the intersection.Answer #2: You’re supposed to hang back so you can see the light in time to stop if necessary.


Title: (FL) An advisor at the community college wants to block me from attending because she believes that I'm lying about my race.

Question:
I have an appointment next week with the head of advising, I'm just try to get a better idea of the situation.

On the application I put white/European American & African American, which is true but I take after my dad more so I have lighter eyes/skin and a higher nose.

There were a few issues with my high school transcripts so I went to go speak to an advisor and get it straighted out, we got that fixed then she went over my application to make sure everything was correct. When she went over the demographics part she asked why I put down white and African American. I told her because I am, she said that I must be lying because I look 100%white. She "warned" me that if I lied about my race I could be kicked out. I asked to speak to her boss and made an appointment to discuss it(that's the one next week).

Can she legally declare me what race she thinks I am? Isn't this discrimination?

Answer: I work in higher ed. Though your advisor is correct (lying about your race is serious), she was thoughtless and rude. Explain your concerns to her supervisor in your meeting. It wouldn't hurt to have a family photo with you, but that shouldn't be necessary.Answer #2: Paging /u/I_work_in_HIEDAnswer #3: Is race not self-reported?


Title: Can an employer tell employees not to speak Spanish?

Question: I work at a doctor's office in Arizona and a large portion of our medical assistants are Hispanic.  They sometimes talk to each other in Spanish when they are all gather in their work space. Today I said "Hola" to one of them and that was when she let me know our manager told them they could not speak Spanish around the office. I found this particularly offensive because being in Arizona there are a lot of Spanish speaking patients and every English speaker in the office depends on these girls to help communicate with them. Are these girls protected under some type of discrimination law if they continue speaking Spanish. Or is there somewhere a complaint can be filed against the manager?

Answer:
 In the general case, an employer can enact an English-only rule so long as it is applied across the board, equally to all employees, and is not used to specifically fire or discourage employees on racial grounds.

Given that the rule applies to you(presumably not a minority, based on your question) and also the minorities, it's likely fine.


Title: [TX] Am I able to sue someone for slander if they accuse me of threatening to rape them?

Question:
A young woman whom I accosted online is claiming that I sent her threatening messages. We have communicated for multiple years, during which I complimented her on many occasions and made my feelings for her clear. I believe at the time I sent her messages the feelings were mutual.

One particular message she seems to have misconstrued as some type of threat. I'm not sure why she would feel this way as I have only been friendly to her and we get along quite well. She publicly brought up her problem with the message TWO YEARS after I sent it to her, claiming that I threatened to rape her.

I fear this may be damaging to my career, should my peers hear of it and I would like to sue her for defamation or slander. I'm not entirely sure of the difference between the two but whichever stops her and compensates me properly is what I am after.

This is the message she believes to be threatening: https://imgur.com/TZCZcRb

I was flirting with her as I usually do and she did not reply. She soon blocked me on Twitter.

Also she lives in Canada if that changes anything.

Answer:
 >A young woman whom I ***accosted*** online is claiming that I sent her threatening messages.

1.  You should choose your words more carefully, because you basically screamed guilt with your phrasing.

2.  Until she does something, you have no recourse, as you have no damages.

3.  Leave her alone.


Title: (Ca) Real Estate agent flooded a room in our house for sale.

Question:
Mr parents put our house for sale and due to the relocation company were forced to stick with a set real estate company. Well long story short an agent showing the house did not go through it at the end and one of their clients turned on the hot water valve to the washer machine and never fully closed it, which lead to the flooding of our laundry room. Luckily, my mom decided to go back to California to look at the house that day or else the water would not have been discovered for another week eventually flooding the whole house. My parents never shut off the utilities, due to having a pool and wanting to keep the yard in tip top shape. Our real estate agent called the last few people to show the house and of course they all denied everything. Our listing agent agreed to put an electronic lock box on the house which never happened (would document the agents obtaining the key for the house). Our listing agent also made idiotic comments saying "don't worry the water will just evaporate over night" when clearly water seeped through the walls and most definitely up the dry wall. She also told my parents that they should just try to hide the damage and hope this wont effect the full offer on the house they accepted the night before the flooding was discovered. My parents doing the right thing had an inspection done and will end up costing my parents thousands out of their own pockets to get fixed.

I doubt my parents are trying to pursue any legal action but possibly if they were what would they be able to do? At the very least is there a real estate equivalent to the "BAR Association" to which my parents could report or review both of the agents involved in this incident. They were wronged and do not want this happening to others.

TLDR; Laundry room flooded at the wrongdoing and neglect of our listing agents and other real estate agents showing the house. What legal route can my parents take to hold the ones responsible accountable.

Answer:
 I don't think it is normal to expect water damage from the water supply to the washer being turned on. Most people leave the water on.

> one of their clients turned on the hot water valve to the washer machine and never fully closed it, which lead to the flooding of our laundry room.

No. Either the hose or the washer itself was defective. I don't see neglect on the part of the real estate agents prior to the incident.

The listing agent's comment to hide the damage is appalling though.


Title: Possible Child Abuse [FL]

Question:
Hey there, this post is not about me, it's about my sister-in law's child.

My Sister in law became very religious a few years ago and met and married a man who is very religious and part of what we suspect to be a cult.

Skip ahead a few years and she has moved with him to Floridia and has a child who is 1 year and 11 months old. This is where it gets bad. My mom went to visit my SIL and she reported that she has taken to whipping her with a leather strap. Every time the child acts up she takes it into another room (Where nobody can see the whipping) and hits her with a leather strap (that she won't show anybody). The force of the blows is sufficient enough that they can be hear the next room over through the wall with the door shut. There are apparently marks but they do not last very long. My other SIL (the religious SIL's sister) told my mom when she was staying with them she once say the child whipped 8-10 times in one day. Apparently is what bad enough that when she told my mom this she cried.

My SIL straight told my mom that she has been counseled by the church (That we suspect is a cult) on how to whip the child without leaving marks, not to let anybody see the leather strap, and not to let anybody see the actual whipping. This would imply to me that they know (or at least believe) that this is somehow illegal, however I am not a lower so that is obviously why I am asking here.

I would love the input of some actual lawyers who specialize in this (not sure what that would be called, Family law?) but any help is appreciated.

Answer:
 >whip the child without leaving marks,

OK. Then it is not illegal.

You are welcome to call CPS with your concerns and they can investigate. But if there are no marks then that is not illegal.

Edit [link](http://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/abuse-hotline/frequently-asked-questions)


Title: [GA] Postal worker using my mailbox to store my neighbors large packages

Question: Obligatory apology for posting on mobile. I live on old farmland that belonged to my husband’s grandfather. Now it’s no longer a farm, but three of my husband’s other siblings have either built houses or moved mobile homes on the land. We all have separate addresses and separate mailboxes. My family lives in the original farmhouse and we have one of those large steel mailboxes that’s about five times larger than a normal mailbox. Our postal worker has started leaving the large packages of anyone that shares our last name in our mailbox with the expectation that we will deliver it to them rightful owner. This normally wouldn’t be an issue, but we have a second home in the city that where we will stay a few days at a time. Twice now my sister in law has claimed lost packages, not realizing her packages were in my mailbox. Is this legal? The first few times we thought it was a mistake, but once we realized it was a trend the postal worker simply stated that she was afraid of dogs. FedEx and UPS deliver packages with no issues.

Answer: Leave a note on the mailbox explaining that it solely belongs to the people at your address (list them off by name) and that if he leaves packages there again you will be reporting him for mishandling mail because he is absolutely leaving them at the wrong address


Title: Wife threatening to tell police I beat her

Question: I’ll keep this short and sweet, my wife is leaving me and is threatening to tell the police that I beat her last August. She has pictures of a bruised face from a prior relationship that she plans to use as evidence and her sister is going to testify for her. Am I fucked, what do I do? I’m innocent but I’m not sure how I’ll prove it. I’ll have plenty of funds for a lawyer, more than her by a long shot and the state is Georgia. What do you guys think?

Answer: You need to start documenting with times and dates. Also, Georgia is a one-party consent state for recording audio as long as you are a part in the conversation.


Title: Are my parents allowed to cut my chair in half? [Canada]

Question:
I spend an excessive time on my computer. Now there would be no problem with this except for the fact that I'm on the tall side (6 feet tall) meaning I slouch all the time. I've been doing this for so long now that I'm starting to develop a hunch (Like the hunchback of Notre Dame!).

This really concerns my parents, and with good reason, sitting straight is hard but I try to do it. So recently my parents have come up with the idea to cut the seat part of my chair in half to get me to perch on the edge so I have to sit straight.

If they decide to do this I'm going to buy a cheap chair off Craigslist or something. If I buy this chair with my own money that I've earned by working a job, are they allowed to cut it in half? If they do could I bring them to small claims court and represent myself?

I know it all sounds ridiculous, and it kind of is, but I would do it. Would my plan work?

Thanks for listing to my completely ridiculous and stupid plan.

Edit: I'm totally willing to sit straight. I just don't want any of my stuff altered.
Topic:
Canada

Answer: Start sitting up straight. In 10 years you will regret it. Trust me man try fixing your posture now. It doesn't seem important but it is.


Title: Bicyclist runs stop sign, hits my bike, breaks her elbow, wants me to pay

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Contact your homeowners or renters insurance. Also send a certified letter yourself to them stating damages to your property with a bill of damages you expect them to pay.  This will end up in court.


Title: The man I babysit for put a camera in the bathroom. I may have also made threats to him because of it.

Question:
I am 19 and I’m California. I babysit kids during the summer. Among others, I babysit for an older man in his early 30s. He’s a single father with a 3 year old daughter. He seemed like a good man and I remember wanting to set him up with my dads cousin, who’s also a single parent.

I was washing my hands in the washroom when I noticed some kind of device. Then I realized it was a camera. I instantly threw up. I felt disgusted, violated and horrified. I felt scared that he was recording me without my knowledge in a place I’ve changed and used the washroom.

I waited for him to come back and the kid was asleep. I confronted him about the camera. He said it was a nanny cam and he was being cautious.

I remember seeing red and going on a verbal rampage.I don’t know anything about verbal harassment, but it’s something I’m worried about. I was screaming, cursing and going IN on him. But I held myself back and did not hit or touch him at all.

He said that he was legally within his rights to have the nannycam and record in his home. I told him he had to tell me about it and he said that’s not true.

I was yelling and demanding that he give me the camera and all footage. He said it’s his property.

I told him I’ll have my dad come and get it from him and Ieft.

Now that I’ve calm, I haven’t done anything yet. I haven’t told anyone about the situation or reached out to the man. I have a few questions.

Was me saying I’d have my dad come get it a threat? My dad is a very large man that he has seen pick me up. Can I be charged for this?

Is he allowed to record me without my consent. If so is he allowed to film me in the washroom where I change?

What can I do about this? I want the footage gone and I feel completely violated by this man.

Answer:
 He was absolutely not in the right to have a nanny cam in the bathroom. Call the police. Seriously. This needs to be reported.

Unless you threatened violence or blackmail, you're fine legally.Answer #2: Yes call the police. It is illegal in California for a person to view the inside of a bathroom via camera.
California Penal Code 647(j) PC is California's criminal “invasion of privacy” law. This law states that it is illegal for a person to view the inside of a room or area in which a person has a “reasonable expectation of privacy” in.

According to PC 647(j), a person has a reasonable expectation in the following:

bathrooms,
bedrooms,
changing rooms,
fitting rooms,
dressing rooms, and
tanning booths.Answer #3: Call the police and report this.  It would have been better if you'd called them and shown them the camera before he could remove it, but it's still worth reporting.Answer #4: He is completely gaslighting you with his explanation. There is virtually a 100% chance this guy was trying to get footage of you naked or using the bathroom for sexual gratification.  There is even some chance he is uploading this footage online.  You need to contact the police and pressure them to take this very seriously. Get your parents involved as well.  Also do you know any of the prior babysitters?  Any of them underage?  Could help facilitate a police investigation. It’s likely you are not the first victim.


Title: If a lawyer tells me that something is legal, and I do that thing, and later it's determined by a court that it's actually illegal, who's at fault?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Your lawyer is not liable for or criminally responsible for what you do with their advice.

If your lawyer is flagrantly wrong or did not uphold their duty to you in some way, you might have a malpractice case against your lawyer.Answer #2: You would be responsible for the fines and/or jail time criminally and any civil judgements against you as well, but civilly you might have a legal malpractice claim against the attorney. "He told me it wasn't illegal" will almost never help you in court, no matter who the "he"in question is.


Title: [Michigan] Would it be a good idea to register my cats as emotional support animals now, so that when I do eventually have to move, I'll have an easier time finding a space for us to live?

Question:
For the record, I am autistic, and my pet cats have been a fantastic emotional support throughout my life.

Currently, I am living in my childhood home.  Due to my father's passing and mother's subsequent remarry, she moved in with her new husband, but was not ready to sell the paid off property as well as move my college age youngest siblings away from their jobs and school- (she moved 15 minutes away, so it was for convenience above all.)

As such, she asked me to move back into the house (I had been moved out for a year and a half in a duplex with a no pets policy).  I agreed to this because while she was kind enough to provide minimal care to my cat, I couldn't ask her to take the cat with her or adopt the cat out.  Since the mortgage is paid off, I only pay the utility and cable bills as "rent".

My concern comes from the near future.  Within the next 2-3 years my siblings will finish school and move out, and mom will sell the house.  I have two cats now, and expect to take them with me when I move as well.  While I do have a pet friendly apartment complex in mind, in the event it does not work out and I must find another location, would it be more beneficial to have my cats registered as emotional support animals so that I have more options?  In my case, at least, they very much are emotional support, and, I have considered registering them regardless.

Thank you in advance for any and all input!

EDIT- I'm assuming my post wasn't too clear.  I want to state that I know an ESA is not a service animal.  I am not trying to "register" them in any sort of attempt to "game" a system or get special treatment, though I can understand it may seem that way.  In my specific case in dealing with my mental disorder, my cats have been extremely good for my mental and emotional health.  Therefore, it makes sense to me to have them listed as ESAs because that is what they are.  An Emotional Support Animal.  Again, I don't want to demand special treatment with such a register either.  I only thought that in the extreme case the pet friendly apartment complex I have mostly lined up for my next home does not work out, and I am unable to find another pet friendly home, that an "official" label might help a possible future landlord understand that I feel it necessary to live with my cats, whether they accept it or refuse.

Answer:
 People like you are the reason people despise  entitled pet owners.  Answer #2: There is no official registration process for emotional support animals, so don't pay for any such claim. You will need to have a medical or mental health professional write a "prescription" for the animals stating that you have a disability that impacts your life and the animals  are recommended to ease the impact of that disability.

The landlords do not always have to accept that, but it is where you need to start.Answer #3: You don't have to register an ESA--you have to have a doctors note saying you need one.


Title: (NE) If a teacher confiscates my phone, can the school administration keep it over night?

Question:
There's been a lot of talk from the teachers at my school that if they confiscate our phones, it's possible for them to keep it for longer than just the school day. They say it's perfectly legal for the administration to keep our phones over night, and when asked about it they say "college professors do it all the time, so get used to it!" I just wanted to know if it is actually legal for them to do this. I know you lose a lot of your rights when you walk into a school building, but I don't think this is something the administration can do.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 they can likely keep a hold of it until your parents come pick it up Answer #2: My mom is a professor and she just makes them let her answer their phone in the middle of class or read the texts out loud.

Backfired on her though because my sister called her one time during class and the students asked her if they could answer. She let them though!


Title: My dad escaped my horrible mother, nearly 2 years ago. He didn't get a divorce. Can she take his Social security disability and retirement checks?

Question:
My dad was a complete mental mess when I got him out of the country. He's been living in Thailand with me for over a year. She's saying she can divorce him and take half his checks.

She's had 1 boyfriend and gets a SSI disability check already. We haven't had to take care of her or give her anything since we left. Arkansas is the state

Answer:
 have him file for divorce with documentation of her abuse and her current social security fraud. Answer #2: She may be able to claim spousal benefits, but it won't reduce the amount he gets.  Even if they divorce (as long as they were married over 10 years), she would be eligible for the spousal benefit, but again, it would not affect his benefit amount.Answer #3: First things first, grounds: he'll have to show 18 months of separation, cruel and barbarous treatment as to endanger the life of the other, or show such indignities to render his condition intolerable. [Arkansas Family Law](http://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-9/subtitle-2/chapter-12/subchapter-3/9-12-301)

As they're still married, the SSI and Retirement Checks are marital property. The court will look at an equitable division, based on a number of factors:

> Contributions, monetary and non-monetary

>Value of all property of each party

>Economic Circumstances of each party

>Circumstances contributing to estrangement

>Duration of marriage

>Age of parties

>Physical/Mental Condition

>How property was acquired, including effort, interest

>Contribution to property titled as tenants in entirety

>Award of alimony, provisions, re. family use personal property or family home

>Any other factor for Equity

When your father files for divorce, the lawyer will want to show that your mother "constructively deserted" the marriage by making continued habitation unreasonable, and her actions led to the estrangement of the marriage. The fact that your mother has a boyfriend is not as relevant as you might think, as they were separated at the time.

**TL;DR: Yes, the SSI and Retirement checks are marital property. What amount she gets is up to the court.**


Title: Trespasser on my property

Question:
I own a home in Wood County, Ohio, USA.

A man showed up at my house saying he was interested in purchasing it. I allowed him into my home. He spoke with me and my live-in-boyfriend. We received his phone number and email address. His phone number has been disconnected, we emailed him asking him not to show up my property again.

Today I found that he was arrested for throwing gasoline on two men, and running in to a gas station claiming he had a gun (he did not have a gun).

I do not want this man on my property. He has showed up three times since the first visit, but we have not allowed him in our home since the first day.

We called the local police station. They took down our name and his name. They said if he shows up again we should call and they will remove him from our property.

Is there any legal action I can take to document the fact that we are asking him to stay off of our property?

I later attempted to reach him by phone, but the number was disconnected.

EDIT: Noted that he turned off his phone and that we emailed him.

Answer:
 >Is there any legal action I can take to document the fact that we are asking him to stay off of our property?

It may be helpful to at least note the date and time he shows up.  You are perfectly entitled to ask unwanted people to leave your property and to contact the police if they are unwilling to leave on their own accord.  You are also entitled to defend yourself and your property from damage but calling the police is SOO the better option.

As for contacting him further, I wouldn't.  The best thing to do is ignore him unless he returns to your property.


Title: How to get my money back?

Question:
I invested 10K in a friend's company.

Said friend dropped that company and started something completely different shortly after.
I insisted for years that he reimburses me because he didn't put effort into the company I invested in (it is not like he actually worked hard on it and failed, in which case I would've accepted the loss.)

After lots of back-and-forth (all via email) spanning a few months, he agreed (through email) to reimburse me by paying me in 4 installments. He missed the 1st one, and after I asked him to no end, he sent me about half of the amount of the 1st installment. Since then, he has been ignoring my phone calls and emails.

The installment schedule that HE decided on is something he actually emailed me, so I have it in writing.

Any chance I could recoup my investment through suing him?

Edit: Location. I am in PA, he is in MI

Answer: Sounds like you took a very risky investment that didn't pan out. That's the thing about investing, sometimes you **lose** money.


Title: Police brutality in the ER

Question:
Last week I admitted myself to the local ER due to feeling suicidal. I suffer from both PTSD (directly related to being in a hospital) and bipolar disorder. While there, I had a PTSD episode in which I tried to run and hide. I was tackled by around six local police officers and a hospital security guard.

At this point, I should mention that I am a 5'6, 23 year old woman who weighs around 130lbs and am quite out of shape right now. All of the police officers and the guard were male and significantly larger than me.

The officers handcuffed me behind my back and pinned me to the floor. One officer had disjointed my shoulder while handcuffing me. Another got frustrated with me and told me to "grow up" before slamming my head into the floor. Hard. This went on for around five minutes. The officer told me that if I so much as moved again he would file assault charges on me and take me to jail. The guard was kneeling on a tendon in my leg to intentionally put me in pain (he told this to me) so I would stop resisting. They moved me to a bed where I was put into four point restraints. There, the police officer who slammed my head into the floor continued going off on me for "acting childish" and telling me how I brought all of it on myself. I was injected with thorazine by a nurse. The police officer continued to push me really hard back onto the bed if I so much as tried to lift my head. Eventually they finally left.

Do I have any standing to pursue legal charges against the officers/guard who did this? It seems like excessive use of force to me. I have been having symptoms of a concussion since it happened. I was eventually transferred from the ER to a local psych hospital. There numerous injuries on my body were documented (extensive bruising, abrasions to my face/head, and lacerations to my wrists from the handcuffs.

I should note that all I tried to do was leave my room. I didn't make any threats to myself or anyone else through the entire thing. I just kept begging them to stop hurting me.

I have been having very elevated anxiety since this incident and have not been able to sleep or eat very well. I keep having nightmares about the police attacking/harming me. I am just so fucking pissed over this. I feel like they were abusing their authority and used excessive force and inappropriately used restraints.

Edit: For reference, I live in North Carolina.
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 > Do I have any standing to pursue legal charges against the officers/guard who did this? It seems like excessive use of force to me.

You can make a complaint to the local police department, if you want.  You can also try reporting this to internal affairs at the department, as well.


Title: [PA] [I'm 14] Parents are Divorced, want to switch who I live with

Question:
So, my parents are divorced, and I currently live with my mom and alcoholic of a step-dad. The current environment I live in with my alcoholic step dad and mom is super fucking toxic. My anxiety has caused me to lose sleep, have nightmares about my anxiety, make me puke because of my anxiety, etc. But that's aside from the point. Bottom line, I need to get the hell out of this situation. I need to live with my dad.

Here are the key details

-Dad is working on finishing new house. (Should be done in 1 months time) + he has a good paying job (Manager, $55k salary + benefits and insurance)

-Step-dad is verbally abusive and alcoholic (I'm sure I can use this Shauna's them)

-Mom is emotionally unstable (Smashed $1,000 phone while they were verbally fighting) + Had dozens of opportunities to leave this asshole but keeps coming back totally disregarding our feelings.

Here is me and my dads plan

-They finish house + get it furnished
(Should be done by late May)

-Once dad picks us up for summer break, we iniate the process of legally living with him. (This is done so we don't have to deal with step dad / moms verbal abuse)

-Finalize everything and finally live a normal life.

Here are my questions:

I'm a 14 year old guy, and I don't know what my odds of being successfully granted the right to live with my dad. My worst fear is trying to do this, failing and being stuck with my mom and step dads verbal abuse (it will be 10X worse if this happens). I google what the age is to choose which parent I live with is, and I don't get a straight forward answer. But, here are some details about myself.

-Own a Web Design / Digital marketing agency.

-1700 PSAT score @ 14 years old

-Been Told I Am One of The Most Mature People For My Age They Know.

The only reason I mention these details, is they say maturity is a key part of determining if they rule in your favor or not, and I want to see if any of these boost my maturity in the eyes of the law.

What are the chances at 14, I would have my choice ruled in favor of?

My other question is, if I do successfully do this, am I legally required to keep in contact with / visit my mom?

I appreciate you reading this long ass thread, I really appreciate it and possibly you can offer some wisdom to my situation.

Thanks!

Answer: If you say that your mother is placing you in harm, or is unfit to care for you then that's reason enough to leave her behind. I'm no expert so feel free to talk to others. Answer #2: Have you told your dad? He needs to get a family lawyer and fight for custody of you.


Title: Can I do anything legally about a minor (possibly?) sitting outside my shop asking for other people to buy him things?

Question: I own a store in jersey. This kid is bugging people outside my shop to buy him food products (not alcohol or anything like that) and I want to know if I can have him removed. Hes not homeless. Pretty sure hes just a punk. Any advice?

Answer:
 Have him trespassed for loitering Answer #2: Of course, put up a NO LOITERING signAnswer #3: I would call child protective services.  Children generally do not hang out and beg for people to buy them food.

I would suspect neglect, and/or perhaps a disability.  Hearing this the first thing that popped into my mind was  Prader\-Willi syndrom.


Title: Need help with false Title IX accusation

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 To be clear: Title IX hearings are not legal proceedings, they are not courts, they are school disciplinary proceedings - they use a lot of the same terminology as real courts, but they are not.  You are not entitled to the same level of due proces here as you would be in a criminal proceeding, you are not being charge with a crime, you are being accused of violating a school policy.

Because this is not a legal proceeding, the rules are dependent, in large part, on what your particular school says they are.  The school sets these rules (in theory within certain limits) and the rules they set out are the rules - you should look to your student handbook to see what those are.

The student handbook is (more or less) a contract between you and the school and if they fail to follow those rules, you may have recourse, but if they follow them you likely do not (assuming they are somewhat close to the legal limits).  You want to look at what the handbook says to get an idea of what to expect.


Title: [OH] My dad doesn't want his kids, but wants to take our dogs

Question:
My mom is divorcing my abusive father and he's clawing for whatever he can no matter who it hurts and I'm scared. His lawyer brought up in court that our dogs should be split 50/50 as they are "marrital assets". I paid for my dog as a minor and have proof, and the other was a gift to my mom to which she has proof also.

I feel like I'm worrying too much but I'm terrified and I think he would abuse the dogs as well. Also I'm sorry for any bias whether in the title or body of this post. I'm freaking out.

Edit: Thank you to everyone giving their input I thank you so so so much and I know my mom will when I show her. There's a lot of stuff here I wasn't even aware of and I can't tell you how grateful I am for each of you taking time out of your day to respond.

Answer:
 Dog Law specialist here.

Dogs are considered property in most states; "dog custody" isn't a thing unless you're in Alaska.