Title: Insurance - Car accident last night, owner of the other vehicle (elderly man) told his insurance company that the accident was my fault. (PA, USA)

Question:
Last night, as I was waiting at a stop sign to pull out onto a pretty empty road, a car approaching (from the left) had its turn signal on and was slowing down to turn onto the road I was currently stopped on. I felt confident enough that the car was turning, so I pulled out to make my own turn and was struck by the same car--who decided to go straight instead of finish his turn.

My car is wrecked. No police report. No injuries. Witness was there but said he would be much of a help.

I'm not sure how to even go about fighting this, but the insurance agent (his insurance provider) initially said I was at fault but when I explained the situation they stated they will take it to another department to investigate it further.

Any recommendations?

Answer: You probably are at-fault here. You can share fault, which is why you should speak with *your* insurance and report the accident, but ultimately, someone having a turn signal on doesn't always mean they're going to turn.


Title: How would it work if you were being charged for multiple different, totally unrelated crimes?

Question:
Inspired by a character who continually appears in local papers in my city.

Say, you beat your wife, and you also embezzle a large amount of money from your company, and you also were elected to a local council position but committed electoral fraud to get said position, and you also assaulted a journalist, and you also faked a car crash to get out of going to court one day. And you were also found with some illegal drugs on you.

So you get charged with all these different, unrelated crimes. How do the courts go about prosecuting? Do you go to court for each different crime, or do they bundle all the crimes? What if you were found guilty, but received different jail sentences, or maybe different community service orders, or charges to pay.

How would this work?

Answer:
 Caveat: Criminal law always varies by jurisdiction. I am answering this generally based on my jurisdiction's laws and procedures.

Unless he went on a crime spree and committed all those offenses and then was caught, they would likely be filed as separate cases. Once he's in court, all of the cases would most likely be handled by the same prosecutor and defense attorney, so he would show up or be transported for all cases on the same day.

If all the cases were filed as one and the case was going to trial, the defense could file a motion to sever the cases from each other so they could be tried separately. Conversely, if the prosecution originally filed them separately but wanted them to be tried together, s/he could file a motion to consolidate the cases into one (or more) case.

Sentencing is very complicated. Sometimes crimes can be sentenced consecutively, sometimes they are concurrent. A lot depends on the particular crimes, the prosecutor, and the judge.


Title: Can I be exempted from from federal wage and hour law?

Question:
Hi All,

So I'm about to start my first big boy job. The contract I signed includes the following language:

>As a regular, full time employee, you are expected to work an average of 40 hours per week. This position is considered exempt from federal wage-hour law which means that you will not be eligible for overtime pay for hours actually worked in excess of 40 in a given work week.

So basically my question is...is this legal? I'm not a manager in any even remotely plausible way. I was under the impression that non-managers are legally required to be paid to time-and-a-half for any hours beyond 40 in a given week. Am I missing something here?

Thanks for any help!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 >This position is considered exempt from federal wage-hour law which means ...

Yes, an exempt position is legal.  Exempt means what the contract says it means.

Welcome to the club of salaried professionals.


Title: (Ne) someone took videos of my friend without her knowledge

Question: My friend who is a nice and caring girl is getting threats of videos of her if she doesn't give the person money and/or have sex with them.  She is terrified about this and after being told to call police she said she can't because they know where she lives.  What can she Do?  I'm trying to figure out who they are

Answer: She needs to call the police and report the extortion.


Title: Can I sue my school for emotional distress? I apologize for the long post.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: There's pretty much zero chance you could successfully sue for emotional distress over this.


Title: Extremely abusive parents found where I live and are outside my apartment- please help

Question: I (24 trans woman) grew up with extremely abusive parents. They were physically, emotionally, mentally, and even sexually abusive. I havent seen them or had contact in 3 years. It's taken me forever to heal and to move on. I have nightmares about the past almost every night. I've gotten sober and gotten help and am now engaged to s wonderful person. Today my mother and father went thru the front door of our apartment landing, which was unlocked because our roommate had come home recently. My fiance opened our apartment door and told them I wasnt here. However they confirmed that I did live there. My fiance knows I have extremely abusive parents and did not realize it was them or they wouldn't have said that I lived there. I've moved alot of times since they last saw me and dont have any social media. I have no idea how they found me. An old family friend emailed me and told me that they had hired someone to investigate where I lived. Idk what to do. My parents are not mentally stable in the slightest. They were insisting on having my workplace info from my fiance and almost barged in even when my fiance said no. Last time they found me they parked in front of the house for multiple days and stalked me. My mom and dad have hit me, choked me, abused me, degraded me and done other things as well. They have said it's better that I be dead then live the life I've chosen. They are extreme religious conservatives. They are honestly insane. I know they wont leave now that they know where I live. They believe that they are doing all of this out love. To save me. Anyways, I do not know what to do. I feel like I'm trapped in this house. I'm scared and I genuinely cannot handle talking or seeing them again. I dont feel safe. I cant go to work tomorrow because I know theyll be waiting by the house. Idk what to do. I know this sounds weak but I genuinely cannot deal with seeing them again. I have finally gotten healthg and made a new life for myself. I am scared and devastated. Idk what to do. If anyone has any advice about what I can do to make them leave me alone I would appreciate it deeply. Do I call the police? Even if they leave now I'll never feel safe because i know  theyll be waiting. Theyll park a block down and watch the house. Idk what to do. I'm honestly devastated.

Answer: Call the police. ASAP. You don't mention your state/country, but if the US/Canada, you should be able to seek a restraining order.


Title: Can my employer make me go to church for work? (NJ)

Question:
I work at a marketing agency, and recently, we took on work for the owner’s church. They’re considered partially a paying client and partially a pro bono client. They have a small budget, so once we hit that point, the rest of the work is considered pro-bono.
The goal we were given is to increase attendance at Sunday Mass and boost their reach in the community.
I’ve had ethical concerns about this that I’ve stated in passing, so I’ve tried to keep my involvement more on the community outreach end of things.
We’ve done some video, graphic design and social media work for them, which I’m kind of okay with, as it feels like it’s more on the secular side of things. However, now we’re promoting things like bible study classes, and a few days ago, the head of the church has told the owner of the agency that they want those of us working on the job to attend Sunday mass in order to “get a feel for the service.”
The owner has said that they think this is a good idea. And while I haven’t raised any concerns yet, I feel like this is a step too far.
Can my employer make me to go to church on a Sunday and attend mass, even if it is “for work purposes?”
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 As long as they are paying you for your time, it doesn't seem illegal.

You can inform the owner that you are not comfortable with this task and request an alternative task.  If you are strongly against stepping foot inside a church you always have the option to quit  and find a new job.Answer #2: They're asking you to go once to understand the client. This is solid business practice. They aren't requiring you to go all the time or convert or trying to get you to convert. They have to pay you for the time since you're working. Answer #3: I would insist on being paid for my time.Answer #4: Why would any of this be illegal?  How does creating marketing materials make you uncomfortable?  That is literally the job you signed up for.


Title: Employer wants I9 filled out after termination

Question:
So a person I know worked a few months part time for $2 under min wage and under the table (cash).  Yes the employer wanted it this way, but recently said person was let go (no fault of their own) and this employer now wants them to come back and fill out an I-9 form.

How is this even legal since the employer didn't even pay min wage?  I'm sure the employer will not have any record of hours so no liability there, but I see this as not the employees problem now that they are terminated.  Any advice helps

Location AZ, USA

Answer:
 It wasn't legal for anyone involved.

Most likely the employer is getting hit with a USCIS audit or afraid of one and trying to do a CYA.

The I-9 and subsequent verification of eligibility to work are the responsibility of the employer to check and maintain. You are correct in that your friend can ignore this without any risk to himself if he no longer works there.

Edits: Typing before coffee makes many typos


Question:
Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I am fully aware that student loan debt cannot be discharged in a bankruptcy. That's not what I am asking here.

What kind of lawyer would I speak to for advice on student loan debts?

I lost my job 3 months ago and took out a forbearance for my loans. The forbearance period is ending and I still don't have a job (although I think I will soon, (knock on wood)).

I need to know what my loan providers will be able to do to me legally and what kind of time-frame I am looking at.

I have loans at 3 institutions, 2 are private companies, one is federal through the department of education.

My dad has been paying the federal one since I graduated 3 years ago as a graduation gift. I have been paying the other 2 private institutions without any problems.

Another issue I need to consider is that I may not be able to find a job that pays as well as my old job. There were periods at my old job where (after I paid my taxes AND living expenses AND my student loans) I was basically living paycheck to paycheck. The job paid well, but the loan payments were really high.

Now, my Philosophy so far has been "The student loans get paid last". When I get paid each month and do my bills, the student loans are the last to get their check and only if I have enough to pay them. (so far, I always have).

My reasoning is, if I don't pay my rent, I get evicted. If I don't pay my car, it gets repossessed. If I don't pay for water, electricity, cellular, and Internet, they get shut off. If I don't pay for food, I don't eat. (I should point out that I live very modestly and within my means).

But if I don't pay my student loans, they have no collateral, they can't take anything, they can only hurt my credit. (without going to court and getting a garnishment order).

So they have to be paid last.

If I have to take a lower paying job, I might not be able to pay them after I pay my living expenses, and I need to know how much the private companies can garnish me for. I need to know if there is anything in my state law (North Carolina) that can protect me.

So what kind of lawyer can advise me on this? My first thought is a bankruptcy lawyer, but I'm not sure.

If I am living modestly and don't have enough left over to pay my private loans, can they still garnish my pay?

Answer:
 First, I think you would be better off with a financial adviser rather than a lawyer.

But if you really want to talk to a lawyer who knows a lot about student loan debt, pretty much any lawyer who graduated in the last 5 years will do. (It's a joke--we all have 6-figure student loan debt because of law school.)Answer #2: Call your lenders and apply for an extension. Forbearance can go up to 3 years in most cases - especially if you have financial hardship. Just don't do what some people do and not call and instead ignore the bills until they get sent to collections. Most companies are willing to work with you.


Title: (IA) What to Do About Trespasser Picking Mushrooms on Hunting Property

Question: My family recently acquired some hunting ground in Iowa. We posted no hunting / private property signs upon acquisition. We put up trail cams, and noticed via the trail cams a few days ago that two individuals trespassing through some of the timber next to the road. Morel mushrooms are in season in Iowa right now, and we guessed they were scouting for mushrooms, as they didn't have any bags/buckets to collect. We don't live on the property, and thus couldn't talk to them. Then a few days later, one of the individuals pinged one of our trail cams again, this time with a bag to collect, presumably, morels. My dad happened to be at the property this time, and drove over by the trail cam that was pinged, and found a car parked on the side of the road, near the camera. It's a gravel road, and there's hardly ever anyone on it, so it had to have been this individual's car. My dad waited a couple hours, but the guy never turned up and it got dark, so he took a picture of the license plate and went home. What's the best way for us to go about using the license plate and trail cam video to prevent further trespassing from these individuals?

Answer: Poachers are thieves who are stealing our fish and wildlife resources. You, as a concerned citizen, can take an active role in helping Iowa DNR put these fish and wildlife thieves out of business. If you witness or even hear of poaching activity call the TIP HOTLINE (1-800/532-2020)Answer #2: Take what you have and report it to the local police for the property's jurisdiction.


Title: I didn't do it is a common defense in the legal system, but what if there is a chance that you really didn't do it?

Question: Suspected criminal activity in Polk County, Iowa caused the Des Moines, Iowa police department to seek and receive a search warrant and go to the place to search the suspected house, which satisfied them enough to decide to have the owner of the house arrested for possible drug manufacturing. During this search they also found a drivers license inside the house with my name on if, and so I was arrested as co-defendant.  I did not live at the house, and only occasionally visited the people who lived there, but I did have a missing drivers license and so, was willing to wait for "my day in court."  While in jail waiting for trial date to arrive, my dad became severely ill and so I requested and received opportunity to plead guilty to a felony charge of possession of precursor and so was released before the date of my dads heart surgery so I could be there (by the way, he died that day).  5 years later i still wondered of the whole thing and so went to the polk county district court house and requested a copy of the entire record.  Upon examining this record i discovered that the original arrest documents had my social security number, birthdate, address, and physical description incorrectly recorded, which again brought up suspicions of identity theft and the question of whether they had actually found my lost license at all or if someone else had gotten one with my name on it.  And so, i have wanted to request the opportunity to see this license.  The questions begin there with, how long are they required to keep the physical evidence that had originally been why i was arrested.  How long do i have to request someone to look into identity theft issues, and who would i want to talk to about such suspicions?  Since i voluntarily pled guilty, is there anything i could do now since discovering the possibilities of it not being me at all they were thinking of, only my name, since i didn't live there and barely knew the people who did. Is it all just too late to question?  who do i approach to ask such questions?

Answer:
 I have absolutely 0 idea why you plead guilty. Your public defender could've allowed you to visit the hospital on a special type of bail given to bereavement cases.

You boned yourself by pleading guilty. There is little to nothing that can be done about this. You did not do it under duress, the matter is closed, and you cannot appeal it. The time to fight those inconsistencies was when the matter was to be presented before the court dude.


Title: [California] My parents shouldn't have custody of my younger brother.

Question: I am the older brother and I don't believe my parents should take care of my younger brother. Is there a way I could gain custody or another family member?

Answer:
 You have given us a single reason why he wouldn't be in their custody. If he is being abused, call CPS.

If you just don't like them, or they're kind of crap parents, you're probably out of luck. Answer #2: Not unless the child is being abused. If they are, call CPS


Title: Minor in NSFW chat

Question: Hello, i run a NSFW chat on Telegram and a few weeks ago i temporarily banned a minor until they are of age.  They are persistent trying to make me feel guilty and to add them back to the chat.  I have tried to explain why they cant be there but they refuse to listen to me.  I would like to explain why they cant be in there in better detail, but I'm unable to, they don't seem to trust me.  Could I get a brief explanation of why they cant be in there?  I have googled it myself but couldn't seem to find a definite answer to show them.  Thank You.

Answer:
 Your chat, your rules. Tell them that if they continue to nag, they'll soon turn the temporary ban into a permanent.

This is a mod matter, not a legal matter.


Title: CA- What can we do about urgent care doctor's negligence?

Question: My father has been in the ICU since Thursday night because of kidney failure. He had fever for a month and we went to urgent care, they did blood test and x-ray, but just sent him home with no answers.  It's been two weeks since then and he had an appointment with his PCP.  She said his blood test and symptoms indicated kidney failure and sent him to the ER. Now after talking to the nephrologist, she said that results from urgent care should have prompted them to do repeat blood tests. If they had done that, he wouldn't have gotten as sick as he did.  I am extremely upset that this happened and could have been avoided. What legal rights do I have against this doctor?

Answer: This kind of stuff is way beyond this subreddit. You will most definitely need to consult with a lawyer specializing in this.


Title: [NC] Legality of "hacking" spouse's facebook account from shared family computer for evidence of marital misconduct

Question:
This has been quite a ride over the last 24hrs, so I'll just get to the relevant part:

My girlfriend's parents are getting divorced.  Her father called and told her yesterday evening before he even told her mother.  He has already taken half of the money from the joint bank account and is leaving.  He insisted he was not cheating, but a mutual friend who is friended on his facebook showed us evidence that he has a girlfriend on the side (she called herself his girlfriend, and he called himself her boyfriend).

They have a family computer that I could gain access to, login to his facebook using the saved password, and just download the entirety of his profile, including private messages, etc. We're interested in this for the marital misconduct purposes in court.

My question is:  Is this legal?  Would it be admissible? And, if not, could I potentially use the information gained from it to collect other more public evidence or would anything gained from it be considered inadmissible?

Thank you!

Answer:
 Definitely not legal. Answer #2: > They have a family computer that I could gain access to, login to his facebook using the saved password, and just download the entirety of his profile, including private messages, etc.

This would be illegally federally, also also (on top of that) illegal in North Carolina, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-453 to 14-458. Who would prosecute you, the feds or the state? Both? Neither? How much would you be fined? How much time would you serve in jail? How hard would it be for you to get a job with a criminal record?

Hard to guess.

If somehow your illegal behavior was admissible, it would likely not be useful, as North Carolina (like the other 50 states) does not require fault to grant a divorce. The advantage would be (if you were able to appreciate it from your jail cell) that the one-year "living apart" requirement would not be necessary in a fault divorce in NC.

But it's also unnecessary because in NC, abandoning the "bed and board" (he's leaving) is the same as adultery. In a divorce from bed and board situation, the parties go to court, and the injured spouse proves to the judge that the guilty spouse committed one of the six types of marital misconduct. Injured spouses must also prove to the judge that they didn't provoke the guilty spouse into committing misconduct. The judge then issues a judgment for divorce.


Title: Would a lawyer accept our case of suing a funeral home?

Question:
DC-USA. My brother in law passed away on July 7th. He was sent to a funeral home the following day and we were told that the chemicals use to preserve his body would last 30 days. They also said they had it covered when we offered to bring clothes for him to be in for the services.

Six days after that, we had his funeral where he looked as though his face had been cut into. He was green, swollen, smelled, and from my perspective, wasn't preserved. I have been to quite a few open caskets, and no one has ever looked so bad. It should be noted that he died after losing brain function from a heart attack. No physical injuries or trauma at his time of death. We did not request an autopsy so I don't believe there would be any reason to cut into him. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The day after his funeral, the body was flown to his home country to have another viewing with the rest of the family. He arrived looking even worse, smelling as though he was decomposing and without pants. I guess the funeral home needed their clothes back?

We spent thousands of dollars on this funeral and it has also been kind of haunting for his family to see him in such terrible condition.  Is this something that would hold up in court?

Answer:
 You certainly could sue for breach of contract.  Also, you may be able to recover under a claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress.  Definitely consult a lawyer, because your grievances do not seem meritless.Answer #2: You can certainly complain and request the money you spent at the funeral parlor back.

That does sound egregious ~~though probably does not rise to the level of negligent infliction of emotional distress.  (Actually [maybe it does](http://www.insurancedefenseblog.us/2011/07/in-hedgepath-v-whitman-walker-clinic-no-07-cv-158-dc-june-30-2011-the-dc-court-of-appeals-sitting-en-banc-held-t.html) since funerals are one of those emotional things.)  I suspect you can get back what you paid to them, at the least.~~

*You should be able to recover for their negligence.  Sources by /u/sobedrummer below showing recovery for similar kinds of body mishandling.*

However, consulting with an attorney is free, and I recommend you find an attorney to advise you about how your locality handles such issues.


Title: 17 yo in turkey

Question:
I live with my muslim family and go to a religious school. I dont want any of that and I dont share the same beliefs at all. Im p sure my family wont accept that if i told them and im scared to risk telling them. Terrified of the consequences. I’m in my senior year but I don’t want to continue going to that school or wear the hijab and all that jazz. What do I do? Can I live with a friend for a few months til im 18 and then enroll into a hs by myself? Can I legally do something to make them stop forcing me to do all of this? h e l p
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 People here are not really familiar with the law in Turkey, they mostly know American law.

However, there are some resources for ex-muslims. Post to /r/exmuslim. Also, contact the Council of Ex-Muslims in Britain and the Ex-Muslims of North America. These groups are based in the UK and America but they have contacts all over the world so they might be able to find someone who can give you advise on Turkish law. Answer #2: You might be able to run away. Look up the laws for that in your area. If not, just tough it out till you're 18.


Title: Roommate (Under a separate lease) is stating that I am required to give him 30 days notice to move out.

Question:
Hi guys, I'm currently in the middle of packing to move into my new apartment. I gave my landlord 30 days notice that I plan to move into my new apartment by June 1st and we have settled and made plans to return keys etc. before that date.

While I was packing, my roommate who refuses to pay utilities (or rent) and has not resided here since January tells me that I am legally required to give him 30 days notice and that I have failed to do so. Now. I understand that if we were under the same lease and me moving would affect the amount of rent that this would be required. My current lease, that I payed for two years, was just for my room and had nothing to do with him nor my other roommate. His rent will not be increasing other than him being required to actually pay the utilities since he will be the sole occupant.

Does he have any legal basis in New York State to be stating that he should have been notified?

Answer: Your obligation is typically to the other person on the lease, and anyone that lease specifies. You are squared away with your landlord and unless your lease says you need to give your cheap ass roommate notice, then you don't and he can go pound sand.


Title: (TX) My post office has been screwing me over for years

Question: Half of the time I order anything on the internet, I have problems getting the package from my local post office. My tracking number says it is delivered, but when I go there, they say they don't have it and that there's nothing they can do about it. And when they finally find it they say they sent it back because I didn't pick it up. But when they receive a package, they are supposed to leave a slip in my PO Box saying my package is ready for pick up, which they never do. So when I go complain they say they sent it back already. What can I do to get them to pay for another package they just lost? It's not fair that I'm losing money because someone there isn't doing their job.

Answer:
 Ask to talk to the station manager (postmaster) at your post office. Explain all this, and see what their response is.  They should be able to help you fill out the appropriate forms for complaint.

And in the meantime, try and find another address you can mail to... that's about all I can think of.Answer #2: I was having the same issue, and I contacted the postmaster at the post office in my area, and mentioned I didn't think my area was being visited at all on the weekends, and IMMEDIATELY started getting my packages the next day


Title: Should I hire attorney?

Question: Grand County, CO.   First time arrested. Picked up for being drunk. Disorderly Conduct M3, Resisting Arrest M2, Obstructing Government Official M3. Applied for public defender but they said that since I have a job I can not get public defense. So public defender refers me to just about the only lawyer in the tiny town where the jail, courthouse and sheriff are all located at. This lawyer tells me it will be 1500 for the whole case unless it goes to trial. He says that it will not go to trial and that no one else would do it for cheaper than that. Not sure if I should even consider him since he lives in the same small town as everyone who is working against me. So should I represent myself, hire the small town lawyer or look for some big town lawyers who will likely be even more espensive? Sidenote: Im a cook that rents apartments and I only have 4k to my name.

Answer:
 The small-town attorney may actually be better in this case than a big-name attorney. He will likely be well connected in the town and have substantial experience in handling the indviduals that will be prosecuting you. While a big-name attorney may have great experience and knowledge, they'd likely lack those valuable connections.

At a lower cost from a local attorney, I think that they would be a great decision. Feel free to reach out and examine your options, but I would advise against representing yourself.


Title: Can I safely ignore invoices/collections from Fedex for a prepaid label?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You need to sort this out with FedEx.  Ignoring collections can damage your credit and they may ultimately sue you for your debt.  How much money are we talking about?


Title: Bank Cancelled Crypto Purchase Against My Wishes

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Your bank is not obligated to conduct transactions with vendors it chooses not to conduct transactions with. Its only obligation is to hand you cash up to the current balance on your account, subject to the terms and conditions they place on withdrawals.


Title: Contacted by secret service

Question:
So, like a true bone head, retweeted something about the president being impeached, resigning or being a*.   Backstory,  wife and two school aged kids.  We work so grandparents pick up from school.  Grandpa arrives home to a local leo and 2 SS agents in my backyard (fenced and locked)   they start asking questions, with my kids present.    He responds politely I'll be home later.  They wait on my property.  Wife arrives home, start questioning her then she calls me and tells me to get home.  She finally tells them to leave and we will contact them- they leave a card and tell her to have me report to local PD as soon as possible.

Now, this was a retweet to Trumps bs.  I know it was wrong to say something like a*.  I meet them at the PD, ask if I am being detained and they say no.  I ask if there is any reason to believe I am a threat, have intent, means, motive and they say no.  They then ask a couple questions regarding my mental state (standard questions they say) which I did answer.  After 15 minutes I asked if I'm free to go, which they say I am.

My question now is what are my rights?   Am I on a list?  No fly?  Did I do everything correctly?  I mean, f that guy but getting questioned by the SS due to a retweet seems extreme.    Please advise as my wife thinks we can't get on a plane anymore.  Also, I am white living in upper middle class suburbia.
Edit due to bot in Michigan

Answer:
 >Did I do everything correctly?

Everything except hiring a defense attorney before attending the interview.   The 5th Amendment protects the innocent as well as the guilty.

>getting questioned by the SS due to a retweet seems extreme.

Imagine how the Secret Service executive protection detail, who are completely out of budget and hopelessly over-stretched, feel about chasing down an interview with every suburbanite with an itchy Twitter finger who retweets a threat against POTUS45.

Your rights are the same as they were before.    You were interviewed, and they put that interview in a file marked "mostly harmless".

You are not on a no-fly list.   You do not have a secret wiretap on your phone.   You have not been marked down in a secret law enforcement database as being black.Answer #2: > Did I do everything correctly?

No.

You threatened the president and then you spoke to the Secret Service about it without an attorney present.

> Also, I am white living in upper middle class suburbia.

What does this possibly have to do with anything?


Title: (PA) (PHILLY) My gf's deadbeat dad has himself covered from all legal angles we can see, and it's destroying her life.

Question:
(Throwaway, obviously) It tears me apart to see her this way, all of her life she's had to be the adult for her mom & two siblings because dad won't pay child support. As a man who's father's hands are like rocks because he worked so hard every day for his family, it positively blows my mind. This dad, classic case - pays for a bit, slacks off until chewed out or court ordered, then repeats. Except now he's covered himself to probably never have to pay again.

It has gotten to the point where they're in fairly desperate circumstances - risk losing a house, mom can't work and has filed for disability (which very well may bounce back *because* of the child support they're *supposed* to be getting.)
... And here the oldest daughter is, a legally single 24yo, never having gone to college because she needed to work, supporting a younger sister, brother & mom basically by herself. She has been 1/2 of the household's breadwinner since 16, and fully breadwinner since 21, when mom couldn't work anymore.

Here's the kicker. Dad has himself totally covered from all angles we can see. He's currently listed as unemployed, yet plays in bands, cash under the table, utilizing his fiancee's (who he obviously won't marry until youngest brother is 18) income. They're going to Aruba. He's buying her engagement rings. Meanwhile his oldest daughter is tearing her hair out trying to pick up the slack for this incredible disregard for family.

I can't see any way out. I can't see any way to force this scumbag to shoulder even a chunk of the responsibility his daughter now shoulders for him.

Is there any legal recourse? They certainly can't afford a lawyer. Are there foundations made to help? Are there forms or documents to file with mom's disability to help show his lack of support? My research has turned up little help other than OSCC, and what can they do given his "unemployed" status? We're lost and in the dark here.

Seriously fuck this guy. I can't begin to imagine bailing on three people I brought into the world. Blows my God damn mind. It's the least fair thing I've ever encountered in my life - my gf working her tail off every day, not taking the European vacation she'd saved for for years because dad bailed on support, meanwhile dickface mcguitarist is jet setting to Aruba, totally covered, not contributing a dime. And it seems like there's not a thing she or her family can do. :(

Please help.

Answer: If you know for a fact he is working for money under the table, than more than likely he is not reporting the income to the IRS. Report him, and let the IRS sink their teeth into him and his girlfriend.


Title: My fiancé and I are being harassed and threatened by a former employer, how can we stop the madness? All serious replies are greatly appreciated!

Question:
Alright, Reddit. So I worked at an overpriced salad/bowl joint close to a major east coast city in summer 2017’. I quit the job on bad terms with the management—I walked out mid-shift after being called into work while sick and being shot down for a livable wage that I would be willing to take. They had normal shoddy restaurant management that denied people the proper pay-scale according to experience and fucked with employees that they did not like.

Fast forward to tax season and I have yet to receive my W-2. Ive contacted them via email and phone call and was pretty much told to fuck off for how I quit.

I live about an hour away with my domestic partner. We have life insurance, and health policies for each other. We have bank accounts together and live together. We’re getting married in October. So this is my person fo life. She works in the major City, quite near to this restaurant.

Yesterday, I sent her with a signed letter to the restaurant to try and ask for the W-2 again so that I can pay Uncle Sam. When she arrived, she was made to wait for about an hour in the hipster-esque overpriced restaurant, while management tried to “figure out” how to print my document. She was told by the owner when she first arrived, via phone call from an employee’s cell, that she could easily pick up the form once the other owner arrived.

Instead, the other owner crassly told her to come back at 9:30 am on Friday when the book-keeper may be in. My partner is a special education teacher so thats not a great time for her. When expressing that, the conversation quickly became confrontational. Eventually, she was pushed out the open door by the manager.

Like most millennials, my partner took to Facebook and created numerous bad reviews of the establishment. After receiving fake cease-and-desist letters and having the owner misrepresent himself as a lawyer, she kept only up her original comments and reviews that only had facts.

After sharing our experience with Farmhouse Greens on facebook, she quickly began receiving serious harassment and stalking from the owners. He told her that he would contact her administration and convince them that she was a drug addict. She was told that she needed to lose tons of weight and that she was a piss-poor educator. All day long, as she deals with the nonsense of Inner City Public Schools, her phone continues to buzz with internet harassment.

Now these unprofessional restauranteurs have started to harass people that have shared her posts. Grown men have spent their entire day researching the personal details of complete strangers and trying to sabotage their lives or careers.

We both went to the County Courthouse today and received peace orders prohibiting any contact with us of any kind from these crazy dummies. However, they persist with their large egos, as could have been predicted. They continue to post on my partner’s social media via various avenues despite an easy trip to md.casesearch to see those peace orders in place.

Now they are threatening my professional license as a massage therapist by giving fake reviews of sexual harassment, after also stealing a freaking hubcap off my partner’s car today.

So Reddit, what else should we pursue? What else can be done to let people know that this place will easily charge you 13+ dollars for one skimpy salad, while only giving a wage of 10 an hour for employees? What else can be done to tell people that this place that claims to be gluten-free safe, IS DEFINITELY NOT and contamination can easily happen on the line? What else can be done to let people know that asshats that run this place will spend days harassing a 20-some special educator slaving in a title 9 school over a bad review and refusal to give a W-2?

Help me out Reddit. This guy is going so far as to contact old high school teachers and threaten to have the police raid my house because I have a legal med card.  He’s also created at least one fake account to leave bogus reviews alleging sexual misconduct.  I have a professional license and take my career as a massage therapist very seriously. What are my options legal experts of reddit?

TLDR: Old crappy employer won’t provide me my W-2. They are now threatening and harassing my fiance and I, despite a peace order. What else can I do to stop this? What course of action do I have since my livelihood and professional life is now being dragged into this mess?

I’m trying to contact the IRS regarding a substitute W2 but it’s understandably busy this time of year.

Answer:
 About the W-2, you are owed one, no matter what. You do not have to pay for it either. It should have been given to you [by the January 31st 2018 deadline.](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1141.pdf)

Fill out Form 4852, and contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 if you feel you need more information. For Section 10, if you have saved communication that you tried to get your W2, say that you sent a written request that your W2 be given to you on X, Y, and Z dates, and your employer did not do so. The IRS may fine them for failing to give you a W-2.

* This document may be helpful: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/missing-form-w2-irs-can-help


Title: [TN] My son stayed with a friend for 5 days while I was out of town. The parents didn't mention that they have a bedbug infestation, and now our house has bedbugs. The parents deny responsibility. Would I likely win in small claims if I sued for the cost of the extermination? (tl;dr at top)

Question:
**tl;dr**- My kid stayed with a friend for 5 days while I was out of town. When he got back home, he had bug bites. The bites get worse and multiply for days. The same happens to me. Exterminator says we have new bedbugs. Parent of friend he stayed with reveals a week after my son came home that their house has been infested with bedbugs for some time. Denies that the bedbugs in my house came from their house. They refuse to acknowledge that there might be a connection, I want them to pay for the expensive extermination that I can't reasonably afford as a single parent in a low wage job. Would I likely win a small claims case for the cost of the extermination? Would it be reasonable to add the cost of my kid's doctor visit due to the bites? **/**tl;dr

I have an 8 year old son, "Jake". I had to go out of state almost two weeks ago for a family emergency, and Jake stayed with his friend "Alex" from Wednesday until Sunday when I got back. Jake had never stayed at Alex's before, but I had gotten to know his parents from school events, birthday parties, play dates at the park and whatnot. They were very friendly, clean, normal people.

I got back on Sunday morning (a week ago today), and Jake talked about itchy bug bites on his legs. Then on Monday, Jake said the bites hurt really badly. He did have a few (maybe 4-5 on each leg), but I assumed they were mosquito bites from being outside all weekend. I tell him he has to stay inside and play now until they go away. Tuesday, he has a few more bites which get darker throughout the day. Wednesday, the bites on his legs have doubled in number and spread. He now has them on his abdomen, legs, arm, and back (about 15-20 in total). I take him to the doctor, thinking chicken pox, but the pediatrician says it's definitely some kind of bug bite. He just says to watch it, stay inside, put this ointment on it, come back Monday if it's not better. On Thursday, I woke up to find that I now have a few spots. 5 on my legs, 3 on my side/stomach. Throughout the day, they get darker and more start to appear. By bedtime, I had 13.

Friday morning, I call an exterminator to come check it out. He comes to the conclusion that we have bedbugs. There's not an infestation yet, but it needs to be dealt with ASAP. I mentioned that the bites just started showing up a few days ago, to which he says he doesn't think they've been there for very long. The ones he found were adults and he didn't see signs of babies. It was also said that they've very likely already been laying eggs in the house for however long they've been here. He tells me about the process and price, and I tell him I'll have to look at my funds over the weekend because the trip drained my savings. But I've been doing all the things you should, washing everything in hot water twice, vacuuming, etc.

So yesterday (Saturday), Alex's mom calls me and asks if I could watch Alex overnight because their sitter canceled last minute. I embarrassingly explained to her that I couldn't because we just found out we have a small bedbug issue. She says, "Oh, I hate that! We've been dealing with them for almost a year, they're tricky. You think you've gotten rid of them and then they just show up again." I asked her to repeat herself and clarified with her- Did you just say you've had a bedbug problem for a year? And they're not gone? She replied, "Yes but they're not as bad as they used to be! We used to have a real problem with them. Now they're just kind of annoying." I seriously couldn't figure out if she was joking, because normal, sane people don't act so casual and bring other people's children into their home when they have a bedbug infestation, right? She wasn't joking. I asked her sarcastically if she thought *maybe* the bugs at my house came from her house. She said, "Well, they *could* but I doubt it. You can pick those up anywhere, they're all over the place." I had to get off the phone to calm myself down before proceeding. I then text her and said that I don't know if she realizes how not-okay it is that I now have her bedbugs, specifically because she knew she had an infestation and didn't mention it until the damage was already done. I couldn't afford the cost of that type of extermination. I said as nicely as I could that I expect their cooperation in getting the matter resolved. She text back some time later and said what equated to, "I don't know why you think we have anything to do with this. We have no intention of speaking with you to resolve this, or of contributing to the cost of extermination. Don't contact us again."

Does this sound like a case I could win in small claims court? I just want the cost of the extermination paid. Is this a reasonable motivation to want to sue someone? I don't think I'm overreacting, but if I am, I would really like someone to mention it. Thanks in advance for the help.

Answer:
 Even if you plan to sue this person in small claims, it is in your best interest to somehow get the money and start the extermination process ASAP.

The court process takes time, and there is no guarantee you'll win. If you do win, you will also have to go through the process of trying to collect the money from the other party.


Title: (AZ) Girlfriends landlord wants to replace broken ceiling fan with a really ugly one

Question:
I know this might not seem too serious compared to alot of stuff on this sub but I figured I'd try posting here anyways. This is in Arizona by the way.

So my girlfriends bedroom ceiling fan stopped working and she called her landlord asking her to fix it. A few days later her landlord brings this ugly thing over to store it until someone can come install it.
http://imgur.com/wUNDSWX

When my girlfriend saw this fan, she called her landlord to see if there was a different fan available but her landlord flipped out and started yelling at her about how she's not going to spend any more money on that house (She just replaced a broken AC unit). Is there any way that my girlfriend can get her landlord to replace the fan with a normal looking one?

Update: thanks everyone for the replies! The landlord ended up calling back and apologizing for her outburst, surprisingly. Anyways, she repainted it and now it's a light brown that will look much better in the room.

To anyone in this same situation, it looks like you can't really do much if your landlord wants to install something like this. The only thing you could do is talk with your landlord about you buying a new one or painting it, just be sure to do some research about what paint is safe to us! Luckily this landlord came through and it worked out.

Answer:
 > Is there any way that my girlfriend can get her landlord to replace the fan with a normal looking one?

No. If it's really upsetting her though, she could ask the landlord if she can buy her own fan to be installed. [You can find them pretty cheap](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-Farmington-52-in-Indoor-Oil-Rubbed-Bronze-Ceiling-Fan-B552QI-ORB/205316894).

My sympathies though, that is a hilariously ugly fan.Answer #2: That fan borders on constructive eviction

ಠ_ಠAnswer #3: She can remove it and install a new one herself.  Then, she just has to make sure to put this one back before moving out.Answer #4: My god, that fan is ugly.

What if you just bought your own to do the landlord a "favor" (and keeping your sanity). Ceiling fans aren't crazy expensive...I mean, $200 on a ceiling fan instead of that hideous thing is worth it.Answer #5: You have a cardboard box as a table.... you're worried the fan is going to hurt your decor?Answer #6: Buy one she likes herself.Answer #7: I work at a home improvement store. I guarantee she purchased it on clearance or it was a display of a discontinued model. But like other people have mentioned, you can get a nice fan for $60.Answer #8: Maybe that one can be painted


Title: Company owes me money, Ignores my mails, calls and support tickets.

Question:
Hi,

Obvious throwaway here, I own several websites that I operate for revenue, and one of these ways is to use advertisement based captcha puzzels provided by solvemedia(dot com).

I have submitted a FW8BEN (tax) form as required and about those matters communication was reasonably quick.

However now that I have gathered a substantial balance in my account I would like to activate monthly payments from my account and I have been sending mails, tried calling all phone numbers on their website and also opening support tickets but I am being completely ignored by this company.

Solvemedia is a US based company and I am living and operating from Europe (im not american).

Is there anything I can do beside hoping someone reads any of my messages and helps me ? Can i sue ? What are my best options ?

Any help is welcome,
Thanks in advance

/edit: Locations: Company: New York, Me: Netherlands.

/edit: UPDATE

I have just gotten off the phone after dialing the number as listed on their support page here:
https://portal.solvemedia.com/portal/help/pub/

The phone was answered by a machine that said welcome to circulate.com or something like that, eventually I speak to a guy and I ask him if this is Solvemedia. He replied that this was not solvemedia and that they had not updated the information on their website.

Call #2: I just called the number in the top right corner of Adiant.com and the menu just keeps repeating itself, ignoring my key presses.

/edit: UPDATE

Well I have just gotten a reply to one of my support tickets with a form attached that I have to submit with my banking information. Will update again.

Answer:
 NAL, but i'm in the ad industry. How long has the balance been open?

The ad industry is notorious for late payments all the way down the supply chain. Solve is a legitimate (and last I heard) solvent company, but they're likely dealing with at a 90 day payout from most of their customers, and you're last in line.

In practical terms, you want to identify and contact their accounts payable coordinator, who may be part of the parent company, Adiant. Answer #2: This doesn't exactly help you, but it looks like the Adiant and Solve Media have been going through a bit transition period.  I just did a quick google and came out with a recent press release from Adiant [here](http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/04/prweb13315548.htm) which references Solve and seems to imply Solve is a recent acquisition.  Further digging on LinkedIn [here](https://www.linkedin.com/company/solve-media-inc) shows Solve has posted a few job openings in the last month, so it is really unlikely the company is getting ready for bankruptcy.

You mention you have tried calling "all phone numbers on their website" but don't mention what happened when you did -- were you able to talk to anybody?  What did they say?  Did you try [this](https://portal.solvemedia.com/portal/help/pub/) number?  My guess is you haven't been able to get to the right person yet & once you do your problems will disappear.


Title: School charged me to rent gym uniform, what to do?

Question:
So I tried looking into this to no prevail. I just got done with my swim unit on Friday and we go to normal class. Yesterday we went back to our usual gym courses. I thought I forgot my gym uniform so I go to the area to get another for a day. Just to be told to put in my name and student id to be charged a dollar for it. Is this legal? (I suppose I deserve it, I actually did have my uniform, it was just  in the shadows of my locker.)
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Have you ever heard the expression that sometimes you have to choose your battles?


Title: Should I have an attorney review a "performance improvement plan" from my employer? (NEW YORK)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Are you in a union, or do you have a contract?

>I may want to eventually take legal action for discimination.

Is this based on your membership in a protected class?

>What can I do to protect my interests?

Proactively start seeking new employment.

>Should an attorney review the language before I sign?

It never hurts if you have spare change lying around.  But absent union membership or an employment contract, your review doesn't really make a difference.

>What happens if I don't sign?

Absent union or contract, you'll be fired.

You apparently went off on the CEO of the company it seems.  You've just stamped your ticket as "first person out the door when downsizing happen" if they don't terminate you sooner.


Title: Not being able to get my tips from serving?

Question: So I’ve worked as a server for years in Missouri, and the way my restaurant works is we put our credit tips in and receive them in cash at the end of the night. We just had to significantly extend our hours and I ended up serving until 3:00 AM. However, when I went to put my tips in at 3:00, there were no credit entries, as if everything I did that night had reset in our system. I was told “the day ends” at 3:00 AM and there was no way for me to get my tips. I guess the managers didn’t anticipate this situation happening when they extended the hours? Anyway, I essentially earned over $200 that night in tips. They took all the paper receipts and kept them to see if there was a way to pay me, but they were not very optimistic. I know theres laws that they will have to compensate me so that I was making minimum wage during the shift but are there any laws about servers being entitled to their tips? Thanks

Answer:
 Restaurant manager here. You likely use a POS system like Aloha,  correct? In the backend of these  systems, there is a set time for the business day to end. When that happens, all open checks are automatically closed out, all credit cards are settled, and all employees are clocked out.  It’s a safety net to ensure that every business day can be separately tracked.

Your manager(s) failed to take that into account when extending your hours. We can adjust ours based on hour extensions.  For instance, we usually close at 11.  Aloha refreshes at 2. But we are next to an arena where an NHL team plays. They’re currently in playoffs and the volume is insanely higher, so we are staying open later. I’ve adjusted EOB (end of business) on Aloha to refresh at 5 AM.

This is 100% a fault of your management team and you have a claim to that money. In my store, if that were to happen, I would reach out to my director of operations and see what the best way to get you your money would be. I would definitely get in trouble for this, which is why your managers are trying to brush it off. If they refuse to do anything, do you have an HR team you could go to? My staff have access to a 24/7 number that they can reach out to and leave a message- and remain anonymous if they wish- that HR will handle as soon as possible.


Title: Bought Used Car double sales tax

Question:
So I was visiting my parents in Florida and their neighbors gave me a great deal on a car. I have bill of sale and title and plan to drive it back to Wisconsin and register it. Typically and as I understand it, I would register at a DMV in Wisconsin and pay the sales tax therewhile getting a temporary 30-day license in Florida, but to get a temporary in transit tag in Florida it appears you have to pay sales tax there as well. Here is the page I'm reading:

http://fdhsmv.rapidinsites.com/answer/temporary

I really hate the idea of paying sales tax twice on one purchase. What are my options? Am I SOL?

Answer:
 You should be able to get Wisconsin to give you credit for the sales tax paid in Florida.  Details are here:

https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/TaxPro/news-170615d.aspx


Title: I got an ex pregnant and she is demanding I pay for the hospital bill of the birth.

Question: Yes, I royally fucked up and knocked up an ex who wanted me back and is now trying to make my life a living hell and using the child as leverage. My question is, am I legally responsible to pay for any of the child birth costs or the her stay at the hospital? I have no problem paying child support for my child but I'm not exactly fond of paying 4G for the payment of the birth. I live In CA, child is 2 months old. Thank you

Answer:
 >My question is, am I legally responsible to pay for any of the child birth costs or the her stay at the hospital?

Absent a court order, you don't have to pay for anything.

Whether it would benefit you to contribute something in an effort to keep a decent relationship with the mother, who you will be dealing with in some capacity, for 18 years, is a relevant consideration, but not a legal one.  That's assuming you are 100 percent sure the child is yours.


Title: Asked to submit to a drug test after case was cleared

Question:
Hi guys,

I was in court last Thursday for a possession of marijuana charge and it was my compliance date. I complied with all requirements but this morning I got a call from the courthouse saying that I had to come in for a drug screen when the case was already dealt with by my lawyer. I was supposed to have a screen on that Thursday according to my lawyer but when I was in court no one asked me to do so. I smoked thursday, friday, and saturday after my court date since I assumed I was done. My lawyer called the prosecutor today and left a message stating that he also thought the case was closed. I am very nervous because I would not be able to currently pass a drug test and do not want to go to jail as a result. Can I be forced to submit to a drug test despite the case already being closed by the prosecutor?

Answer:
 Just heard back from my lawyer and he spoke to the prosecutor. Prosecutor agreed that I don't have to submit to another screen since he remembers closing my case. Huge sigh of relief!!Answer #2: > Can I be forced to submit to a drug test despite the case already being closed by the prosecutor?

More than likely, yes.  Your case isn't closed until **all** the requirements are met.  If a final test is a requirement of your punishment, then they haven't all been met.


Title: HOA issue (OK)

Question:
20+years ago, my grandparents sold their house and bought a condo. Grandma still lives there and is having an issue with the HOA fees.

Until recently the HOA fees were reasonable (less than $200 per month). Now they keep adding additional fees on top of it. They have had fees for new roofs and carports (those fees she was ok with because they did need to be replaced), and now there are additional fees for renovations to the clubhouse and pool (that she'll never use). The condo complex never sold all of their units and about half of them are rented as apartments, and apparently some of these HOA fees are going to renovations for those so they can be rented for more.

The problem is these additional fees are now coming to about 1/4 of Grandma's monthly income and she really can't afford to just throw money at things she'll never use. She feels like they're trying to push out the homeowners (most of them are older) because the complex is trying to attract younger renters (which is why they've put so much money into updating things there).

Is there anything to prevent an HOA from just adding on hundreds of dollars in fees every month?

Answer:
 Grandma should see if other residents are pissed at the assessments

If so they should organize and run to unseat the current HOA board. Answer #2: >Is there anything to prevent an HOA from just adding on hundreds of dollars in fees every month?

Read the HOA agreement.  If you want, have a lawyer look at it.  They'll probably tell you that an HOA can do more or less anything it wants, occasionally outside of state laws.


Title: Police took my Dash Cam SD card

Question: Hello /r/legaladvice, I was in a car crash recently and was ticketed for reckless driving. My car was totaled and towed away. I got it out the impound as I am going to part it out. I grabbed my dash cam to see the footage yet the SD card was not in there. I am certain the police took it from my car. Are they allowed to take this without my permission? Are they going to use this against me in court to give me even more tickets for other traffic violations I have committed or are they not allowed to use that footage since they have no warrant to take it? This is in Illinois, any answers are greatly appreciated!

Answer: It's evidence since you have been cited.


Title: [Ontario/Canada] - Defendant that I am suing in small claims is sending private investigators after me and I fear for my safety.

Question:
TL;DR:
Suing a small business in small claims in an almost guaranteed winning case, small business owner is very angry and could have ties to organised crime. Business owner hired PIs to investigate on me and my family and have been on my property, presented themselves as government officials, and I have reasons to believe they vandalized my property. Don't know what to do about this.

Hi,

I live in Ontario/Canada.

I currently have a case against a small business in small claims court. This is a long story that I want to avoid the details of due to privacy. Basically, the business used many tactics to sell me a product that was defective and used a phantom company to hide from lawsuits. I do not need legal advice on my small claims case, because it's quite a clear cut case with many written proof where the defendant admits to screwing me over and witnesses that have testified against the defendant. I know this is quite vague and might make you confused, but I really do not want to be identified. All you need to do is that my court date is coming soon and it is quite obvious that I will win my case, asking for $20k. The resolution am I am asking for is to return the product, pay for repairs I had to do due to product damaging my property, and misc fees ranging from expert inspections to punitive damages, pain and suffering, loss of time, stress, etc. This is not an unfounded claim and the money am I am asking for is justified.

This is where I need help. I recently became aware that the defendant has hired private investigators on many occasions to try to see if he can find anything against me in the case. He did not. The following are the issues I have with the private investigators:

* I have been called from people claiming to be from the government and asking for a bunch of personal information to "update their files" and even asked about my whereabouts. I believe this would fall under some law against representing yourself a a government employee to gain private information. I even received calls from someone pretending to be from my bank. I did not reveal any information to them, but I am still worried that they could catch me off guard one day and reveal private information about me. I do not have any proof that these calls were from the private investigators. I do not have any recordings. I am not here to sue them or press criminal charges as I have nothing to prove what they did apart from my testimony. I know these calls are from the PIs and not just some scammer because they knew a lot of information about me such as previous jobs and bank account, as I revealed that information to the defendant. I am going to pick up the investigation report to see if the PIs claim they made these calls. Basically I know it was the,, I just have no proof.

*  The PIs have been on my property. A man came to my door late at night and pretended to want to buy the product I am suing the defendant for. That was very fishy as no one really knows about the product and I asked questions about who he is and how he knows about the product and he refused to answer.

* My product has been damaged during the events when the PIs were active. My product can be seen from outside and someone has vandalized said product soon after I received the calls and the man came at my door. Again, I have no proof that they did it, I just highly suspect it.

I know these may seem like nothing to you, but the problem is that I am scared. I am not necessarily here to ask you how can I push legal action action the PIs, as I don't even know if what they did was legal or not. I do believe they could fall under trespassing laws for coming late at night and harassment since I received more than 5 calls to get information out of me.

What I am here for is to ask legal advice about what I should do about the defendant and how I can protect myself. I believe the defendant hired PIs to gain information that could compromise me but found nothing, so decided to vandalize my product as he found the address where the product is at with the help of PIs.

The defendant seems like a tough guy that could be involved in organised crime. He seems to be willing to do anything to stop me from wining the case as he is know counter-suing me for $10k in fees for private investigators and lawyers. However, you can't have lawyers in small claims. I know his claims will be dismissed in court, but the fact that he is counter-suing seems to indicate he wants to make me back down.

I am afraid that once I win, he will be very angry and might hire people to do bad things to me or my family. I learned last night about the fact that he hired PIs against me, so I am still learning new things every moment.

To reiterate, I am not here for legal advice on my small claims case nor am I claiming that I want to sue the PIs. If you could tell me if they did anything illegal, I would appreciate it though. I am mainly looking for information on how to legally get them to back off, how I could protect myself from them or any other group that the defendant hires against me. As I said, I am afraid of him. If I wasn't afraid of retaliation, I would tell my stories to the news and tell my story on his facebook page, but I am afraid he will send people after me. Is there anything I should tell to the judge about this in my case?

Answer:
 >To reiterate, I am not here for legal advice on my small claims case nor am I claiming that I want to sue the PIs. If you could tell me if they did anything illegal, I would appreciate it though. I am mainly looking for information on how to legally get them to back off, how I could protect myself from them or any other group that the defendant hires against me.

Put up cameras around your property / put up no trespassing signs / call police every time someone does tresspass. Video any encounters with these people and record the phonecall. File a police report every time someone does tresspass.

Bring said police reports to the trial.

Edit:

Also might be a good idea to let some neighbours know of the situation and to be on the look out for suspicious behaviours / call the police if they see anything.


Title: [MA] my ex sent nudes to several friends via Facebook. He lives in Texas, I live in Massachusetts. can I bring charges? what can I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > can I bring charges.

No. Criminal charges are filed and prosecuted by the district attorney / US attorney (or similar).

> what can I do?

File a report with the police. Let the wheels of government do their slow grind thing.


Title: Is it legal to place a tip on a walk out credit tab

Question: As the title says... if a customer walks into my bar and opens a credit tab and leaves without closing the tab can I place a gratuity tip on said tab and close it out?

Answer:
 The auto-grat _might_ be legal, but you're begging for chargebacks, and enough of those will see your ability to process credit cards seriously limited or even removed.

Unilaterally increasing the price after the customer is gone is pretty clear-cut fraud.Answer #2: No, of course not.  They have no obligation to tip.Answer #3: Please let us know the name of your scummy bar so we can avoid it


Title: Does my roommate have a right to move his girlfriend in and kick me out?

Question:
Not going to go into too much detail. My friend and I had just got a place together. We agreed not to have either his or my girlfriend living there. He agreed. He ended up having his parent's do most of the work in getting the place. So the front office has all my paperwork for the place bit my name isn't on the lease. I've paid half of everything so far. Now he has a new girlfriend and wants to move her into our house. I told him I'm not okay with it. So now he says he's kicking me out. Does he have the right to do that?

Not to mention I just locked myself out of the house with my wallet inside, with no way to get back in...

Answer: Where are you and how long have you lived there?


Title: Can I get out of this employment contract?

Question: The reason I'm thinking there's some sort of loophole is that it took me months to get a copy of the contract from HR. HR employee told me that they would be in trouble per HR director if they gave me a copy. I was finally able to get a copy from the new director, because he said, "i feel like I have to give it to  you because you signed it." I told him that I felt the same way. But before he would physically hand it to me he said, "you aren't going to use this to hurt us are you?" His and the director before home behavior leads me to believe that there is SOMETHING up with this contract, I'm just not sure what.

Answer: I don't know, we don't have your contract man only you do.


Title: Apartment charging different rates for handicap units

Question:
I am in the process of looking for an apartment and one of the places I ran into quoted the apartment being $750 a month. I liked it and went to call back for more information on it. It turns out that original rate was for the handicap apartment and the same apartment that wasn't handicap accessible was $850. After I realized what was going on I commented about how it was discriminatory practices and to my knowledge was illegal to do so. At first the girl was kind of speechless, but she recovered stating that the reason it was listed for 750 was due to it being on special. She also made a tangent off about how it had been empty for so long and was hard to find a tenant. for.

Is what they are doing an illegal practice? It just feels all types of shady to me.

EDIT: I feel I should clarify this is in Louisville, KY

Answer: they can charge different prices for different apartments in the complex.  they can't charge different people different prices for the same apartment.  Answer #2: Don't know what state you're in, but generally speaking there is no law that requires LL's to charge the same rent for all units.


Title: Freeloader finally left. How do I proceed?

Question: I live in Kentucky (United States) and a relative lived with us for a while. We finally convinced them to leave but they pulled a camper onto the property and began trashing up the yard. They hooked to our utilities from connections outside and we called the law. The law advised us that we were within our rights to disconnect them from our utilities as everything is in our name and we are not legally obligated to provide someone else with water and electricity. The family member was also told by the police that if they entered our home at any time they would be taken to jail for trespassing. She left and went to live elsewhere presumably because she has no water or electricity. It's been 3 days. She has left a broken down vehicle, her camper, and a bunch of junk in my yard. How do I get rid of it? I have no contact information to reach out to her.

Answer: She’s on your property but the police didn’t consider it trespassing? Call them again and ask to speak to a supervisor, sergeant, or lieutenant.Answer #2: Personally I'd load the junk into her trailer and have the vehicle and trailer towed as abandoned. Would be worth talking to the local police first though.


Title: Someone is posting fake craigslist ads as my business. I need them to stop.

Question:
Location: Syracuse NY

Someone is posting fake craigslist ads as my business, offering "free estimates", which I do not do.

This is damaging my business because when I refuse to do the free in home estimates, the customers think I'm doing a bait-and-switch.

I keep reporting the posts, but have never gotten a response from Craigslist and am not sure that reporting actually accomplishes anything.

I've used the CL contact form many times however I never hear back from them and nothing happens.

Is there any way to make craigslist refuse to accept ads for my business that are not submitted by an email address @my businesses domain?

Any other suggestions?

So far they seem impenetrable. Are there any magic words that would get their attention or the attention of their legal department? I'm a very small business and can't afford to actually sue them, but I also can't let this continue because it's creating pissed off customers even though I've done nothing wrong.

Answer: You may have to file a John Doe lawsuit to subpoena whatever information Craigslist has to help you identify the culprit, that is the on,u way to demand it. You can also send a cease and desist telling Craigslist not to post anything related to your company, but that has no legal weight.


Title: If someone takes a nude of him/herself when s/he is underaged, will she be charged with possession of child pornography in the future?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Yes. In the US you can be charged with production and possession, even if it is of yourself.

Not all nude images are child porn though; so no need to burn the baby photos of you in a tub.


Title: [Sweden/Ireland] Worries about age of consent in a long distance relationship

Question:
So I (22f from Sweden) recently started chatting with someone (16f from Ireland) online. We haven't met and we probably won't meet for a very long time but some of our conversations have been close to steering into nsfw territories and we have both expressed interest in going furthe in the future.

So I guess I'm wondering how the age of consent laws would work in this situation? For me it's 15, but for her it's 17 and her birthday is next month. I'm really scared of saying or doing much of anything in case that would be seen as coercing a minor even though she's legal in my country.

So I guess my questions are: is anything I'm doing or could be doing right now illegal? And what about in a month when she's 17? Meeting up and pictures is obviously a no go but what about just chatting?

Answer:
 "Age of consent" is all about sexual contact (at least in the USA).

If you guys are just talking, you're likely fine.

If there are pictures being exchanged, then the term you're looking for is "Child Pornography."Answer #2: In addition to what /u/Citicop said I'd recommend that when you have to deal with laws from two different jurisdictions always adhere to the strictest of the two. So if the age consent is 15 and 17 respectively then you go with 17.


Title: My brother was beaten to a pulp and the DA allowed the perp to plead down to misdemeanor harassment

Question:
Oregon, USA.

My brother was at a college party with his girlfriend, on the college campus, when a guy started hitting on her. He was clearly drunk and was making very lewd comments. My brother's girlfriend wasn't exactly helping the situation, because she was saying some pretty horrible things back to him (calling him names and saying he wasn't a man and such).

Anyways, it started getting heated, so they left the party. On the way out, the guy followed them to their car (my brother's gf had been drinking, but my brother was the DD and was sober). The guy started yelling profanities at her and and calling her a slut and a whore and such. My brother tapped tapped him on the shoulder and told him to leave his girlfriend alone. The guy turned around and punched him to the ground. He then straddled him and punched him repeatedly. By the time he was off my brother's face was so swollen and purple his eyes were swelled shut and they had to take a cab.

That morning, they went into the police department and filed a report, and pressed charges. The DA originally charged him with assault (can't remember what degree) and harassment, but somehow plead down to only the harassment charge. This guy has to pay my brother $1000, do 100 hours of community service, but then the charge will go off his record.

This seems really unfair, and our family is definitely not for him getting off so easy. He could have died because he was beaten on concrete and the guy was hitting his head against the ground. His doctor even said he was lucky not to have serious injuries and just extreme bruising (including on the back of his head, which is an extremely vulnerable and sensitive area).

This seems really unfair. How could the DA think that harassment is an appropriate charge for this? Does it have to do with money?

EDIT: Thank you everyone for the replies. To clarify, I'm not necessarily saying that I think there is anything that can be done now, I am just trying to understand the logic and reasoning behind why the decision was made. I appreciate everyone's insights; they have been very helpful.

Answer:
 Plea deals are common. I'm really not sure what your legal question is here, but all your brother can really do is sue the guy for any financial expenses he incurred as a result of this and move on with his life.Answer #2: In a criminal charge, the case is the government (local/state/federal level) vs the defendant.  Your brother is *not* a part of that trial, except possibly as a witness.  He has no more bearing on the case than someone else on the street.  What the DA and perpetrator did was essentially settle, similar to where a deal is made outside of a trial to prevent a trial.

If your brother has further damages, such as medical bills, he can sue the guy in a civil court.  He won't go to jail or anything for it, but it could be used to make your brother whole - any damages he may have as a result of his actions can be claimed in the suit, and it will be up to the judge to decide what is appropriate, if anything.


Title: (USA, GA) Academic Transcript does not have degrees I earned on it. College says I probably never graduated.

Question:
Hello everyone. This is my first time using the sub, and I'm on a throw away.
It's kinda hard to fit this all into the title, so here's the real gist of what happened.

Two years ago I attended a community college and obtained two associate degrees. Everything went mostly well bar the usual college problems with the registrar and financial aid. Eventually I graduated with honors on two associate degrees.

Come today I'm currently and have been receiving classes at a university to get my bachelors, and due to various events it's come to light my transcript has never had the degrees I earned posted on it. Due to this I've taken a class or two that I never needed to take, and arguably a whole years worth of college I never needed to take.

The whole reason I started attending this university was because I was having an impossible time finding a job. Multiple jobs I sent in a transcript to so that I could verify I have the educational requirements, and on all of them I was always told I did not meet them.

After learning today that the original college actually never said I graduated, despite me walking and having two diplomas, it's very possible the reason I was turned down for these jobs was because my transcript actually never said I had any associates.

Today I went to visit the college and was basically told that there should be no way I have the printed diplomas I have, and that their information says I have not graduated. They said that they would look into it today and tomorrow, but I don't have high hopes as this doesn't seem like something that can happen.

I'm not scared that I can't prove I don't have a degree. I have all the hours I took, cap and gown, professor testimony, and the actual physical diplomas saying "******** hereby confers upon ******** an associates of science"

I want to know if this is a case I could actively fight in court due to the error of not having the degrees on my transcript for two years, leading me into being unqualified when I was actually qualified for numerous jobs I applied too; in addition to possibly taking a whole year of college that was un-needed based upon the last assumption.

It makes me seriously mad that I could have missed out on numerous great opportunities for two years due to this, and there seems to be no way to explain the college not knowing I graduated.

Thanks in advance for any help you're able to give me regarding this matter.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Can you point to any law which says they must have your degree on your transcript?  And how did it take you so long to discover this?   It's virtually certain there is nothing you can do about anything that happened in the past. Best case going forward is you get a transcript which reflects your degrees. Answer #2: Most schools require you to apply for graduation, this is separate from any commencement ceremony involving a cap and gown or even a printed diploma. Did you complete that step?


Title: 20 years old and I just received a DUI in Alabama

Question: I made a terrible decision recently to drive home drunk. I was pulled over and taken in, I was given the option to blow or not once I got to the station and decided to blow and blew a .10. I have a court date set and a $1000 fine. How do I go about making sure my mugshot is removed from the web (as well as it can be) and making sure this doesn’t affect me in the long term. Additionally without it ending up on my record/insurance

Answer:
 You can’t. Those mugshot sites mass copy content from the webpages of law enforcement agencies and the mugshot company’s servers are located off shore. There have been documentaries about this, and in fact it’s even difficult to determine who actually owns the company.

You need to worry less about your mugshot and focus on hiring a criminal defense attorney or else you will end up with a criminal record.Answer #2: Absent a time machine, nobody can promise any of those things.  Hire a lawyer to get the best outcome.

Your bad decision wasn't to drive home drunk, btw -- it was to drink at all.  You are underage.


Title: Faulty THC testing in Seoul, South Korea

Question:
Hello,

I am a 24 y/o male Korean born naturalized American citizen. I was a regular Marijuana smoker in the states during college and had been a frequent smoker since graduating a year back.

I came to Korea towards the end of August of this year to meet relatives and get some work experience. To be honest I had smoked up until I left for Korea. In order to apply for a visa I had to take a drug test at a hospital around 2 1/2 months after arriving. They had blood and urine testing performed which tested positive for thc. They sent those results to a local police station and I was told to report to the police office. Prior to going to the police station I had another test done at a different hospital which those results came back negative.

I was pretty confident nothing would show up in my tests when I went to the police office but my on site urine test came back positive. This is 3 months after I arrived in Korea. So they had taken my statement in which I explained I had no relation to Marijuana in any way since arriving towards the end of August. They said okay and said they would do a hair follicle test through the Korean "csi". I submitted my hair strands and was told that as long as the tests show up that I had no use in the last three months everything would be clear.

Two weeks after (tonight) I was told to report back to the police office. They told me their super accurate hair follicle test revealed I had been smoking regularly from 3 months back to about 1 month back, all in the time frame of me being in Korea. In the middle of taking my statement again I told them I would be back with a lawyer from the US embassy.

Obviously, I don't want to be branded as a criminal in my home country especially since I did not commit any crimes here. I will have to return to the station in two days. I am completely lost and frustrated since I don't know much about Korean law. Please let me know how I should proceed. I did not see, touch, or smell a trace of Marijuana since my arrival.

Answer:
 You admittedly smoked weed less than 3 months ago, and the drug test is designed to determine if you smoked weed 1-3 months ago.

I don't see what's faulty or inaccurate about this.


Title: CT - can I sue former employer for wrongful termination?

Question:
In Connecticut - My former employer let me go last Dec. 29th with no written notice, only a verbal "Your last day will be December 29th" on Dec. 20. I had a feeling it was coming b/c they wanted to hire a cheaper replacement. They told me replacement was starting in the spring, "some time in April," but she ended up starting right after they terminated me.

Former employer has been trying like hell to deny my unemployment benefits but referee has found in my favor, since former employer decided the termination date.  She is deranged and keeps insisting that I quit, but has no proof of that.

At this point she has appealed the decision twice, can I sue her for wrongful termination?

Answer:
 No.

You already won the appeal over unemployment.

You have no other legal claim against the employer since CT is an at will state.

If, in the future, you suffer losses because of the employer bad mouthing you, etc... then you MAY have some legal recourse.

As things are, you are done with that particular relationship and need to focus on moving on with your life.


Title: UPDATE: [KY] [Apartment/Tenant Law] Changed apartments in November within same apartment complex. Complex was bought by different owners in February. Now they are claiming they don't have nor owe me a security deposit - my lease says otherwise.

Question:
[Original post here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4um1fd/ky_apartmenttenant_law_changed_apartments_in/)

I met with the representative yesterday. She thinks that the previous owners had applied a credit to my account when they transferred companies which included my security deposit. In her mind, this would absolve the need for a security deposit payment to me at the end of the lease.

She is requesting the full ledger of the payments from Company A to show payment.

Thoughts? I feel like, especially if she cannot get the full ledger including my previous lease, they don't have a leg to stand on, and must pay me my deposit back at the end of the lease.

[According to Kentucky Statute 383.580 (1)](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=35733), "All landlords of residential property requiring security deposits prior to occupancy shall be required to deposit all tenants' security deposits in an account used only for that purpose..."

This means that they cannot apply my deposit as an "amount paid" to my account, and must keep it seperate, correct?

Advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 Just to double check, you didn't have a month where your rent was $500 less than normal sometime around February, did you?

It might seem obvious, but sometimes people leave out these important details.Answer #2: If you *have* already received your security deposit, then statute or no statute, it is going to be very difficult to show any loss.

However it is for them to show that the payment has already been made to you; if they cannot provide the ledger showing that then it really is their problem and not yours. However, I would personally be proactive in checking what they say against your own records, to avoid any surprises down the line.Answer #3: Landlord here (in MA though, so state laws will vary, but the gist is usually the same): I am guessing that *if* you were unaware of any application, then it likely didn't happen. What documentation, if any, did you sign when the property was purchased?

If you didn't sign anything, then as far as you are aware, you have a security deposit. Typically, the landlord cannot move or otherwise apply the security deposit at any time except move out without the written authorization of the tenant...the money belongs to you.

Unless the new landlord can produce such documentation, or proof that you were refunded the monies (and many states do not allow for automatic application of escrowed funds) then the new landlord assumed all responsibility.
I hope that helps, and best of luck!


Title: [LA] Trying to keep Abusive Father from seeing my daughter. How far can I legally go?

Question:
I found out my ex-monster of a husband was physically and psychologically abusing my daughter(4 years old). We found out through a CPS investigation. I immediately got an attourney's who said to keep her from him, using the CPS investigation as a reason.

It's been 6 months and he is asking to see her again. I learned yesterday the CPS case has "no records at all", as if it didn't exist. I'm terrified for my daughter to ever see him again. (Since I've been keeping her from him, her personality and demeanor has changed drastically for the better. There's no doubt he does awful things. She's confided in me with some, pleading me to never let him know she 'told on' him.)

My attorney only speaks to me in meetings, the next one is 2 weeks away. And I need some sort of direction now.

What can I legally do, for how long? How do I keep him away until I can file for full custody? I don't mean to bring emotion to the thread, but I feel like time is running out and I don't want him to influence how great she has been doing since last seeing him.
Can he show up with the police and demand her? I don't want to create a court case against myself.

Answer:
 Is there a current custody order in place?Answer #2: If there is a custody order on file, you need to follow that.  If the custody order guarantees him specific visitation, you need to allow him to have that.  Your legal options are to file for emergency custody if you can back up your claims or attempt to change the order via the normal court custody process.  Both you should discuss with a lawyer before pursuing.

If you fail to follow the order or actively seek to undermine it, you could end up in contempt.  You could also end up losing primary custody.  Courts do not like it when one parent withholds a child from the other due to unsubstantiated allegations.

If your daughter is reporting abuse, report that to CPS.  Document every thing she tells you and date it.  You can also encourage her to talk to her teachers about anything if she goes to school so they too can report anything disturbing to CPS.


Title: HELP!! my Ex and I have a year old mutual agreement on joint custody 50/50 of our 2 children not involving the courts..2 days ago she started refusing to let me see them ?? (Im in Tn and she just moved to Ky)

Question:
    So my Ex and I have two children together, a 1 and 3 year old. We separated a year ago (never married), and have always mutually agreed on joint custody 50/50. We both split all cost for them like daycare, diapers, etc etc. We have never involved the court system before. 2 days ago we got into an argument and now she refuses to let me see my children. I realize I'm going to have to take her to court now, but being never married, what rights in Tn do I have if any?
   On a side note; I can make her look pretty irresponsible in court as she has dated 4 different guys in the last year since our split. She has moved my children in with two of them and has lived in a total of 3 different houses within the year. (not the most stable environment) She got pregnant about a month after our split by Guy #1 but aborted it shortly after. She moved on to Guy #2 but that didn't last long and she ended it up getting pregnant again by Guy #3 as she is still carrying that baby even though the relationship with Guy #3 didn't last. She then met Guy #4 and ended up marrying him a mere 7 or 8 weeks after they met. She and my two children now live with him as she is carrying Guy #3 child. She has 2 kids, pregnant with a 3rd, had 1 miscarriage with me last year and 1 abortion this year and is only 22. A couple weeks ago her and her new husband decided to pick up and move 45 mins down the road across state lines into KY, and didn't even bother to tell me til after the fact thru a text message from her mom. Technically she isnt a resident of KY yet though, her DL is still in TN, she still recieves food stamps in TN and she works in TN. She expected me to still meet her at least halfway for the kids even though she handled her moving like she did but I have been meeting her at halfway just to avoid more drama and chaos. Recently it has turned into I don't have any gas money ( they both have crappy jobs) so you have to make the full drive to come get the kids. However, that isn't even an option now. I refuse to just be an every other weekend dad I love them so muxh they are my everything. I would love to have them fulltime but realize they need their mom also.  any advice would be helpful im 31. PLEASE HELP!!! how should I proceed and what should I expect??

Answer:
 NAL, but slut-shaming your ex isn't really a strategy I'd go with in court.  She's married now, and the fact that she was with other people since your breakup isn't a concern.

Also, you were a 28 year old who knocked up a 19 year old and didn't marry her, so there's that.Answer #2: If your "agreement" doesn't involve the courts then it has almost no ability to be enforced. Get a family law lawyer right away. You can't afford to not have one.Answer #3: >On a side note; I can make her look pretty irresponsible in court as she has dated 4 different guys in the last year since our split.

No you can’t. You are way too involved with her personal life. Seek a legal custody arrangement and don’t do anything without your lawyer’s advice. Don’t make threats either. Answer #4: You need a formal court order on this and you need it now.  Different states have residency requirements in order to have jurisdiction over the child. For instance, I believe Texas has jurisdiction over child custody matters once the child has been here for 6 months.

My guess is that you want this handled in Tennessee as you live there.  If you delay, jurisdiction could switch to Kentucky, which likely will not work in your favor.


Title: Mom just got letter in mail saying she is subpoenaed as a witness to a trial *tomorrow*. No idea how she is related.

Question:
We are in Maryland. Is it legal to mail a subpoena the day before the trial?

My mom has no idea who the defendant is (looked up the case by case number) or how she is related. What should she do?

Answer:
 >  What should she do?

Call the issuing party immediately.  If they don't excuse her, she needs to report as it says on the subpoena.


Title: NC- Separated from husband for three years, just found out that I am required to list him as father on my soon to be born child’s birth certificate, is there any way around this?

Question:
As mentioned in title, I have not been with my husband for three years, in fact I have no idea where he is and have not spoken to him in a couple years.

I am having a baby with my current partner and I assumed that he would just need to sign a paternity affidavit at birth and would be listed as the father. Apparently this is not true. From the sounds of things husband is the presumptive father, and it would require contacting him and and asking him to fill out a form denying paternity.

Unfortunately, I do not feel safe doing that. This man abused me for the duration of our relationship and I am terrified of what will happen if he finds out I am having a child. Furthermore, I don’t think I could find him even if I wanted to, last year I sought him out for the purposes of a divorce, he seems to no longer live in the state and has no family to contact.

Is there any way to just get a DNA test to acknowledge my partner as father or otherwise avoid putting my estranged husband on the birth certificate or having to contact him? Can I just refuse to put a father at all and revisit this at a later date? It sounds like if my ex is listed I have to give my child his surname, I absolutely cannot do that. Worst case, if I lie and say that we’re divorced am I looking at jail time for listing my child’s biological father on his birth certificate? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 You CAN have a birth certificate amended later...  so it can be straightened out eventually, after the divorce.

But, seriously, get divorced.   I think MOST ex's when faced with the choice of "Hey, sign the divorce papers now, or you may be on the hook for the next 18-22 years worth of child support," will take the reasonable choice.  To get this done quickly, you'll need a lawyer - at least to consult with.  Legal aid may talk to you about it.  Answer #2: Here is a link to some information you may find helpful.

https://www.divorcenet.com/resources/paternity-north-carolina.html

The last thing you want to do here is lie and complicate the situation even more. You have to do this by the book. So no, do not lie. You need to get a divorce. You should have gotten a divorce before another man got you pregnant but what's done is done.