Title: Mentally Sick Drug Addict is Pregnant Again (US)

Question:
Hello Reddit.

Earlier tonight I had gotten a message from my younger sister saying that our biological mom might be pregnant again. Usually news of having a new baby brother or sister is happy and exciting news but this is not the case here.

A little bit of background story here; my biological mother is diagnosed mentally unstable (biggest issue is a bad case of bipolar disorder) and abuses substances, drug of choice being crack. I remember being little and being made to go around begging to strangers at truck stops, returning and selling anything of any value so she could have her next fix, being robbed and at dangerous areas late at night so she could find a dealer. I remember all the abuse and watching her make crack pipes out of a soda can. I was only child for a few years until my younger sister came along. She was born blue and almost died at birth due to drugs and to this day she still has health issues. I remember taking my sister and hiding with her when our birth giver went on her rampages, and I remember being too scared to go to visitation weekends with my dad because that would mean leaving my sister alone with her.

Of course child services got involved and we were taken away and seperated. I went to live with my dad until he became unable to care for me due to alcoholism, and my sister went straight to foster care because her father was unfit as well. I did not hear from my sister again until many years later and neither of us were supposed to have contact with our biological mother.

I had to take catch up lessons after being moved in with my father just to graduate from first grade because that woman never took me to school. We've had to get restraining orders because she would show up strung out her mind and try and kidnap me. I was never tempted to go with her, I was always scared.

Over the years, my life mellows out. From what I hear, my biological mother is constantly in and out of jail and will still pop up from time to time but I try to avoid her like the plague. I'm 25 now and have my own family, a husband and beautiful daughter who will be two soon. We're both active duty military. Just last yast year I even got in contact with my younger sister again, and we learn we have ANOTHER sister, that is still a child, neither of us have ever met. Of course biological mom already lost custody and youngest sister is in foster care. I'm not too concerned about her welfare right now, her foster family is nice, stays in touch with us, and is looking to adopt her. They really seem to care for her and I'm happy knowing she is well cared for and being allowed to forge a relationship with her.

Back to the current issue, since my younger sister and I have been in touch, our biological mothers focus has shifted away from me to her. I feel bad but it's been a small relief to not be the main focus of her harassment right now. Biological mom says she's pregnant again and is asking my grandmother, her mom, for money already. This poor, old woman has been robbed and given heart attacks by her own daughter and her actions. I love my grandmother, she's everything I admire and doesn't deserve the mess her daughter brings. Biological mother says she's clean but nobody believes that for a second. Neither my sister or I can let this women around another child.

If she is not lying about being pregnant, what are my options to fight her for custody of this child? I know it won't be easy but I can't let it go. Would I have to wait for her to majorly fuck up like she did with her other children before taking action? Will being active duty help or hurt my case for custody? Will they even consider me as a guardian for the child if I express interest? I'm currently stationed in CA but from the East coast. I'm not sure where my biological mother is right now.

Sorry this is so long and unorganized. I feel a little background is important here, but my mind is racing all over the place currently. Any and all information and support is appreciated.

Thank you.

TLDR: Biological mother is a confirmed physcopath and possibly pregnant. Can I get custody of the baby from her?

Answer: The best thing you can do is call CPS in your mother’s state, and hope that they assess and monitor women who are pregnant, under these circumstances. Not all states do.


Title: How long does it take lawyers to review a page of a contract? Michigan

Question:
I'm in the process of contacting lawyers for their hourly rates reviewing contracts. I'll actually be needing their help at the end of February, but I'm researching prices because I'll be doing a fundraiser this month to help cover costs.

I estimated how much money I would need before, but now I'm wondering if I way overestimated. I'm guessing you can't have too much money set aside for a lawyer, but still, I want to ask...

How long does it take lawyers to review a page of a contract?

I have 3 1-page contracts that need reviewed. I'm working on a new business model that handles copyright and intellectual property of myself and others, and want to make sure I have my legal bases covered.

If it helps in time estimations, the font size is 12.

I'd be open to sharing the contracts, but I don't want to post personally identifiable information and get banned.

(Btw, I'm stating Michigan because it was mentioned as a requirement, but unless Michigan lawyers work at a different speed than the rest of America I'll take your advice as useful. :))

EDIT: 2 additional questions...
1. How long does it generally take attorneys to draft contracts?
2. Is the rate generally different for drafting contracts than it is for reviewing them?

EDIT: Just wanted to say thank you for your comments! I asked the question because I am not familiar with drafting contracts. Even though I haven't responded to all the comments, I have read all of them, and thank you for contributing!
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: Probably a long time, because a one page contract is likely missing a huge amount of information and language.  It'd likely be smarter to ask the attorney to draft the thing and see if she or he has a template they can work off of to speed things up.Answer #2: A one page contract?  That is enough to identify the parties and not much else.  Sounds like you need an attorney to *draft* a contract.


Title: Texas DUI- “Inconclusive” breathalyzer results; still being charged

Question:
At about midnight I was pulling out of a bar I had never been to, realized that their was a raised median separating the two lanes too late, so as opposed to hopping the curb, and after making sure no one was coming, I made a split decision and  drove the wrong way on the right lane until I could safely get into the correct lane.

I was then stopped. The cop said he smelled alcohol and asked if I had had anything to drink. Unfortunately I’m socially awkward and a klutz; I told him yes, two beers. Which was correct, though they were very small cups of light beer (maybe 8 ounces) that the bar had a special for that night.

I then took a field sobriety test, which I thought I was doing okay on (yes I know everyone says that). But, when completed, I was arrested. I fully cooperated, and almost immediately brought up that I wanted to do the breathalyzer, as I knew that I was not intoxicated.

Long story short, blew into the machine extremely hard at the police station 3-4 times, each time not stopping until the light flashed signaling that I could stop. The police then said that the results were ‘inconclusive’ and said that I would go ahead and be booked into jail.

I grew a little flustered at that point, and asked if I could take the blood test then. They then said something confusing; something about how it was too late to go the hospital that night, about how there would be a two hour traffic jam to go through; eventually saying no, that I could not take the blood test. I said that I didn’t understand how any of that effected me wanting to take the blood test. They repeated that it just was not an option. I said okay.

A few minutes later, in the jail ‘lobby’ I was waiting in, I saw the arresting officer doing paperwork, I approached him respectfully and reiterated my confusion about the situation and very adamantly asked if there was any way to take the blood test. He said no. I asked if that was the official policy, that I could be refused the test when I’m requesting it, he said that it was (which I’ve since learned is true). I then asked him if he was going to put that I adamantly and profusely asked for the blood test in his report, he said that yes, he would. I was then booked into jail.

I have since learned that they are going to go ahead and file the charges, saying that I was FAKING blowing into the breathalyzer. Now I’m even more confused, because as far as I know, I was not marked as a refusal to blow, because right after the breathalyzer they gave me back my license, which i still have now with no additional restrictions. Can they change their decision to ‘refusal to blow’ after the fact? I had hoped that the video tape of all that had transpired would be sufficient to help me, but I guess not. I’m going to be getting in touch with an attorney ASAP, but I’m incredibly anxious about all of this and could use some clarification if anyone can spare it.

Answer: At this point you should be calling around getting a lawyer instead of trying to get free legal advice from a bunch of blokes from the internet


Title: Small business owners wont pay me minimum wage for working hours spent training! But ive been "training " for 14 days !

Question: (San Diego, CA) About 3 weeks ago a local pizza shop offered me a job making pizzas, so me being 19 and desperate for money went all in. Ive been working 6-hour shifts for 14 days. They started off by giving me $25 a day in cash when the minimum wage in california is $10.50 an hour, so in my mind i was assuming id be receiving the rest of my money once I was done with training but according to them I won't be done with training until Ive memorized the menu. So yes ive been working here for 14 days, the last 3 days ive been paid $40 a day and Im still working 6+ hour shifts. So apparently ive been in training for 14 days and when i asked them when id receive the rest of my money, they told me that I wasn't being paid by the hour for training, I'm almost positive I am being fucked over but i don't know what to do or who to talk to. My employer always comes up with some reason for why I am not being paid completely, his last reason is because they are a mom and pop pizza shop and they get to make their own rules for employees. It a family business by the way ( me being the only one outside of the family), I don't have a time card or anything like that, I go in at 3pm and get out at 9pm and it is not as easy as it sounds to make pizzas. Is there something im missing? Please ive me advice or help me figure out a solution, Im a college student trying to get a car but this job doesn't seem legit. Do I stop working for them immediately? Thank you for your time

Answer:
 > I'm almost positive I am being fucked over

You are being fucked over.

> i don't know what to do

File a [wage claim](https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToFileWageClaim.htm) with the state. Keep detailed records of when you worked and how much you were paid (and what they said).

> or who to talk to

A new employer at a new job.Answer #2: 1. You are being fucked over

2. File a wage claim

3. Find another job

Good luckAnswer #3: The good news is that now you have two weeks of pizza making experience while you look for a new job.

As the others said, file a wage claim and get outAnswer #4: You're being screwed with. New job and wage complaint with state. Yes, making pizzas is that easy. I was in training at a mom and pop place for delivery in unfamiliar area and handling making food when there wasn't a delivery for one day not 14. If I wasn't familiar with the address, my boss (the owner) or the other driver would draw the general directions from our shop to the customer's door. Got to love days before GPS and smart phones.


Title: [AZ]Am I facing prison time/criminal record?

Question:
Last Saturday I was at my mom's house and we got into a fight (not physical), I got pretty fed up with her nagging on me constantly, every single time we ever have a conversation, basically calling me lazy, an embarrassment, and I need to do more, no matter what I do in life.

I'm 22, have a full-time job, work 40-50 hours a week, get good grades (I guess), 3.75 GPA, and have my own apartment.

So, I smashed a glass cup in frustration on the ground which caused some damage to the floor and left.

I got a phone call yesterday from an officer and he showed up to my work to tell me I'm under arrest. Had my Miranda rights read, took a photo, and stamp. Fortunately, due to distance and not being able to get home, I was able to get not be taken into custody and got a citation in lieu of being taken in. I do have a court date 1 month from now.

I'm facing 2 misdemeanors, 1 for disorderly conduct and 1 from criminal damage. The officer told me the damages were up to/between$250-$500, which I don't mind paying. However, I'm in Arizona, and googling these will land me jail time on top of it.

What's going to happen to me?

This is my first offense. The officer told me what's going to happen to me is up to the judge to decide, but I have no faith in the American justice system.

Another Question, what happens after the verdict? If I do end up getting sent to prison/jail, will it be directly from the court room?

Answer: You'll need to hire a criminal defense attorney. At this point, you're likely looking at a criminal record but no jail time, though that's not off the table entirely.


Title: Is smuggling legal things legal?

Question: Hypothetical: if I put Thomas the Tank Engine toy in a condom and up my butt.  Then when through TSA and they found it, would there be any repercussions?  No drugs or anything illegal.  Just Thomas.

Answer:
 While you can smuggle products that are not in and of themselves illegal, if your bringing it into the country is legal then you are by definition not smuggling it regardless of how you stored it (ie sneaking in legal products to avoid paying taxes is illegal, even though the possession of said products isn't).Answer #2: There has to be intent to defraud for it to be smuggling. When you can get in trouble for transporting otherwise legal objects depends on the object and other circumstances.

Thomas the Tank Engine up your butt, sure, go nuts. Buy a carton of cigarettes while on vacation in North Dakota and take them back home to Minnesota, sure. Take a box truck full of cigarettes from North Dakota (state tax $0.44 cents a pack) to Minnesota ($3.04), you may get charged with smuggling.Answer #3: Smuggling is by definition about contraband. What legal objects you put up your own butt is your own business.Answer #4: I know what I’m trying this weekend.Answer #5: You're allowed to put stuff up your butt. Welcome to America.


Title: Apartment is threatening to evict my dog after being wrongfully accused of not picking up after him.

Question: (CA) I recently got a notice on my door stating there was animal feces "in my area" that had not been picked up. They said they had pictures to back up there claims and eye witnesses that it was me or my wife but when I asked for the picture it was just a picture of some dog poop. I don't even take my dog to that area and pick up after him Everytime but despite my claim I still have had a mark put on my renters history and a strike for a 3 strike rule violation. Is there anyone I can call?

Answer:
 Threatening to evict and being evicted are two different things.  To evict you for the dog droppings they would have to show a judge reason, which unable to prove you have been caught in the act, a judge would hopefully decline.Answer #2: I would start with a strongly worded letter that explains:

* You do not bring your dog to that area
* Where you DO bring your dog and the steps taken to clean up after them
* A request for actual evidence instead of a photo of dog feces that any dog could have left


Title: Neighbors have dogs in pet free apartment, landlord allows it. Can I break lease?

Question: I live in an apartment in Iowa. I moved in under the assumption of a pet free apartment (that’s how it was advertised and it is stated in the lease), my upstairs neighbor has a dog when I moved in, but landlord let another neighbor get a dog since I’ve been there. It was advertised as pet free, the dogs bark and smell. I would like to leave but the landlord is uncooperative. Anything I can do to break lease with ought having to pay rent for the rest of the year. Thank you, resolving this matter would really help me.

Answer:
 IANAL. People can have both therapy and assistance animals. Landlords can't refuse either, and they can't disclose their status to you. If the animals aren't in your unit, then it's not reason enough to get out of your lease.

You should have it in your lease that you can break it following certain terms. Typically it's a stated amount of money or a few months rent or whatever. I think that's the only route you could take to break it, and I'd start re-reading your lease.


Title: Was in a car wreck. Not getting much, what are my options.

Question:
I'm in Washington state. Friday evening, while my wife and I were just departing for a weekend at the coast, another driver pulled out from a parking lot directly in front of us. They admitted fault and we're ticketed by the cop for causing the wreck. Thier insurance is paying for my car, as it was deemed a total loss. This thing is, I took out a loan last year to pay for my deposits at my apartment. I used my car as collateral and had a kushy monthly payment of 78$. My car was old, but in perfect working condition. They estimate the value as being just enough that after paying off my loan, I'll receive 53$. I can't afford a car payment and I don't have any savings to apply towards another vehicle. My wife and I depended on our car for all our errands and transportation needs. Now we're completely without.

I don't know what to do. I think suing the other driver might be the only option. But I don't know if that's possible if thier insurance is already paying. It's just not enough to replace the vehicle.

Answer:
 They only owe you what the car is worth.  They have to bring you back up to even.  Here's an example of how that looks:

You have a car that is worth 5,000.

You take a loan out for 4,500 using the car as collateral.

The net value there is $500.

You get in a wreck and they pay off the loan, and give you $500.

You take out a loan for the other $4500, and get a car of identical make model and year to the one you lost.

Now you have another car worth 5,000, and a loan for 4,500, and a net of $500.

You're back to where you were.

Which is all they owe you.


Title: [NYC] Apartment wants me to move out early...and not prorate my rent

Question:
I am breaking my lease to move across the country. I found a new tenant for my apartment, and my apartment allowed me to break the lease because I had found one. EDIT: To be clear, they have officially signed a lease with the new tenant, she informed me earlier this week.

After signing the lease with the new person, they notified me that I have to leave on February 19th instead of the end of the month. I told them they would have to pro-rate me for the last bit of the month. They communicated that they would not do that and were taking the full month's rent "as a fee" for me breaking my lease.

In addition, on the phone the woman was already making comments about my deposit like "we'll need to paint and clean which will come out of your deposit" which was a major red flag for me. I told her that it was very clear that usual wear and tear cannot come out of a deposit and she immediately got defensive. I'm worried they are going to try and take my deposit, not prorate my rent AND I ended up paying for all of February.

A few questions:

1. Is what they are doing regarding pro-rating my rent legal?

2. My lease doesn't say anything about the pro-rating of rent or breaking of lease terms. Does that mean their "policy" is not legally binding? Could I sue them over the money?

3. In NYC is it illegal or will it cause me problems to tell them my deposit is the last months rent and be done with it?

Thank you for your help!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: They can't charge a fee unless it's stated in your lease. Regardless, you can stay until the end of the month because they won't even get an eviction hearing before that date.


Title: [Erie County, NY] Me 23, started Internet dating a 17 year old[Texas] three months after they came of age

Question:
We became friends when they were 16, and we seemed fairly fond of each other. Nothing sexual about it, then when they were 17 we started flirting more heavily, but mostly just "I had a dream about you last night" and "I love you", "Wish we could hang out" etc - nothing sexual about it, I wanted to make sure I got to know them well enough first. When we eventually parted ways (broke up) barely a year after, they pointed out how they frequently felt like they were at a disadvantage because of the differences in age. I usually tried to keep things equal between us so this really shocked me.
In hindsight, I wasn't a particularly outstanding Boyfriend, but I didn't do anything morally wrong.
Could I still get in trouble?

Answer:
 If nothing sexual was discussed, and there was no exchange of explicit material, then no, you're not getting in trouble.

That said, find folks your own age to talk to. She's right -- there is nothing you could have done to not put her at a disadvantage. It doesn't matter how nice and whatever a 23 year old you are.


Title: [Texas] Neighbor had a new in-ground swimming pool installed - vibration from jackhammering the rock has caused a leak in our pool. What to do?

Question:
We have an in-ground concrete swimming pool, approximately 35 years old.

About 7 years ago, there was a leak, which we had professionally repaired. We have not noticed any leaks since then, and have not had to refill the pool except to replace water normally lost by evaporation, backwashing and cleaning.

I add water manually so I know how much water is added.

About three weeks ago, the next door neighbor started having a new in-ground pool installed. This involved jackhammering the limestone to make the hole. The noise and vibration has been almost unbearable in our house. Construction is still in progress.

About two weeks ago I noticed that our pool level had gone down unexpectedly, and I refilled it to the correct level. Now it loses approximately 2” of water a week, and I have to refill it frequently. It seems to me that the jackhammering from the neighbors pool installation has damaged our pool.

If left untreated, erosion may cause the water loss to increase over time.

We want to have our pool professionally repaired, and for either the neighbors or their pool installation company to pay for this.

What’s the best way to proceed?

Edit: thank you all for your helpful suggestions. It looks as though the best way to go is: homeowners insurance, keeping accurate records of everything, and letting the homeowners insurance figure out how to recover from the neighbor or the pool construction company. We'll do this. Once again, thanks for your help.

Edit 2: I also found the following advice (more details in comment below): "you can file the claim against your neighbors insurance company".

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Homeowner's insurance.  They'll fix it and figure out whether they can recover from the neighbor.


Title: Mentally ill family member refuses help

Question:
This is in Florida.

For the past few years, we've been worried that my father's mother hasn't been "right" in the head. My parents are doctors and have been suspecting that she's been developing Alzheimer's. She currently lives alone.

A year ago, my grandmother wanted to go to a retirement home, but was denied because she makes under $20,000/year on social security. That's when she started getting extremely paranoid about her financials and refused to let my father see them. When they were touring homes, she even laughed about how she accidentally put her keys in the freezer. What if she had put them in the microwave? She could have gotten herself killed! She was in a car accident a few years ago for accidentally flooring the gas instead of hitting the brake while parking. Last fall, she went on a bender insisting that my parents were getting divorced because my mother missed a family dinner to visit me up in college. Even some of her doctors have suggested taking a memory test, but she gets offended, refuses to listen, and changes doctors each time.

Some of her issues include paranoia, false memories, confusion, and forgetfulness. She clearly needs help. The problem is, she's refusing help. She finally agreed to an appointment at a memory clinic. However, now she's taken my parents and I off the visitors list in her community so we can't get in, has not been answering her phone, and actually got a new will that specifies EVERYTHING goes to my older sister (lying, money hungry bitch who stopped speaking to my parents because they wouldn't keep sending her money after she turned 25).

I told my parents to give her an ultimatum of either get help or lose her relationship with all of us. It's obviously very hard on my father. Are there any other legal options that my parents could try that would allow them to get her tested and potentially treated against her will since she does seem to be a danger to herself/others?

Tl;dr: grandmother may have Alzheimer's but refuses to get tested. Is now avoiding my parents. Legal options to make her get tested/treated since she's a risk to herself/others?

Answer:
 Your parents are doctors.  Do they work at a hospital?  Hospitals deal with this stuff all the time, and I would imagine a quick consult with the hospitals lawyers, or the staff of relevant section of the hospital, would be able to give them excellent advice.

You parents are doctors.  This means they should be able to go consult with an actual attorney who can help them in this manner.

When asking for legal advice, we don't care who is in the 'right' or who is in the 'wrong'.  Things like this: " (lying, money hungry bitch who stopped speaking to my parents because they wouldn't keep sending her money after she turned 25)." are completely inapplicable, irrelevant, and frankly make us suspect the strict factual accuracy of everything else you are saying.


Title: Florida. Boyfriend is being blackmailed by rape charges to pay for an abortion.

Question:
Disclaimer: I was at work so this is everything my boyfriend told me. I fully believe him and his story.

Okay My Boyfriend Steve has known his Best friend Laura for 8 years. Laura has an on and off boyfriend who she has been having unprotected sex for 6 months and just get a full pannel STD test done a two weeks before this all started.

So they go to the beach at at least one other mutial friend was there. Laura hit both Steve and Other Friend up for cash because she cant pay rent this month. They offer her 20bucks eavh but forget to give it to her. She lives more inland and wasn't feeling up to driving home so they went to his place by the beach. When they get there, she tells him she's feeling kinda horny  and asks him to use a dildo on her for anal sex. He and I are in an open relationship and he has used toys with Laura before but never had sex with her. He gets her off and then she goes to take a nap in his bed, naked. Steve sets an alarm because she has to leave by a certain time to get back home. He gets in bed and falls asleep.

Alarm goes off and he wakes up Laura. Laura says it's fine, she can sleep an extra few minutes. Steve says okay and rolls over to go back to sleep. Ten minutes later Laura wakes in a start and goes to run and leave. Steve is confused but doesn't ask her. He texts her in a hour and ask if she got home alright. She says she's pissed at him for fucking her while she's asleep. She says he has to get a std test and send it to her within the next week.

He tries talking to her because he doesn't remember any sexual acts other then the dildo. She says she woke up and he was on top of her after the alarm went off.

Two weeks later she texts him and says she's pregnant, it's his, and he has to pay 1500 for an abortion and he's lucky he isn't in jail.

Laura has always asked Steve for money or used him for money, his car, or a place to stay. Laura has 3 kids, all school age. Her boyfriend does not have any kids and would like them some day. My theory is the kid is his and if he found out he would want her to keep it.

Always, long story short, my boyfriend doesn't want to go to the cops because they have never sided with him when he has problems as a teen. His mom would call the cops on him if he disobyed and he had a record as a juvenile because of it. He feels like it would be easier to give her the money or pay the abortion clinic then go to the cops. We both know he didn't rape her, but he's afraid of charges being pressed and ruining his career and life even though he would be cleared of it.

So what if he does pay her? Isn't that an admission of guilt more or less? Is there anything a cop or lawyer can do?

**EDIT for clarification: She is pregnant, Steve is not the father. Steve did not rape her. I'm asking about where to turn now that she is blackmailing him for money for an abortion.**
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: Has he seen hospital records confirming the pregnancy?


Title: Accidentally used my dad's email to send myself pictures of my girlfriend, debatable for "sexting" material. Arizona

Question: I know the title maybe a bit confusing but I was using my old iPad which contained old pictures and I was in the middle of transferring some through airdrop or iCloud and I ended up using the email feature. For some reason my dad's Work email (real estate company) was default email and boom, it sent through. The pictures aren't bad at all (underwear) and you can barely make out her face, but I'm wondering if they'll get flagged and looked at. I already went ahead and deleted the message from his email minutes after sending but I doubt that will do much. Just asking if you think I'll be fine or if I should seek legal defense if my dad's company finds it. Thank you for your time.

Answer: Give your dad a heads up so he's not blindsided *if* his company's IT department finds it. Please tell me your gf isn't a minor.


Title: If I release a song about someone who has died do I have to get permission from their family?

Question:
So long story short, I am a rescue diver. 2 years ago December 7, 2017 I had to pull a 3 year old girl from a river who was murdered. I’ve struggled a lot with it and in my past life I was a musician so I used music to help with my healing. I’ve finally finished a song dedicated to her and I wanted to record it and release it under the premise that all proceeds gained, if any, will be donated to a charity for abused children.

In my release post I wanted to make people aware of the story but am unsure as to if this is smart in the off chance her mother sees it, though I doubt she would. The reason I don’t approach her mother regarding the issue is because based on the facts surrounding the case I am not convinced her mother did not have a part of or at least knew of her daughters murder.

Could her mother seek monetary anything in this off chance? Or should i keep my release post regarding the story vague?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 No.  It's considered pop culture.  Four good examples:

Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"  received with admiration and praise from the lost sailor's families despite Gordon making a fortune off the song.

Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs Robinson" sued by Joe DiMaggio for using his name.  Joe lost royally in court.

The rock band Lynard Skynard is a swipe at their old high school coach whom they hated.

Led Zeppelin was sued by the family of Von Hindenburg the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin.  The Zeppelin family lost.

An artist is allowed to use medium from his or her times and life experience in their work.


Title: Is it illegal to purposefully look up underaged pornography? [GA]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Attempting to commit a crime is usually a crime also.

So you would be guilty (technically) of attempting to possess child pornography.

Will anything come of it if you stop and never do it again?  Probably not.


Title: Is it illegal to offer someone money to...

Question: Is it illegal to offer someone money to back out of an offer they accepted on a house? My spouse and I fell in love with a house, went to make an offer and found out they already accepted one. We've made a back up offer but haven't heard anything back. We're tempted to contact the owner of the house asking them to back out of the offer and we'll give them the full asking price plus a couple thousand in cash if they will. We just want to make sure this isn't illegal in anyway before we actually do it. I'm sure it's probably frowned upon but that's seriously how much we are in love with this house.

Answer: Yes. Interfering with someone else's contract/deal is illegal and can end up in civil court with a large lawsuit


Title: Someone throwing away my mail

Question: So long story short i left my place of residence with very short notice and the people who are still living there sent me text today saying they had my mail (along with a check that they opened and took a picture of and sent to me) and that if i couldn't come get it right now they are throwing it away. Well i was at work so i didnt respond right away and by the time i text them back they replied "its been thrown away". Not sure where to go from here.

Answer:
 Opening mail that is not yours is a federal offense. Contact the post office.

Keep all text messages that show they opened your mail as evidence


Title: (California) My live-in ex-girlfriend is threatening to report me to police for untrue charges if I follow through on evicting her. What are my options without involving police?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Hire an attorney.  Process the eviction.  If she makes a charge, defend yourself against it.  Answer #2: First, from what you said this is not obviously a false charge. Even if you weren't paying her for individual sex acts. If, like many sugar baby/daddy relationships, you negotiated compensation up front with an understanding that she would be providing sex acts in exchange, you're probably at best in a grey area. Putting an escort on retainer doesn't make her stop being an escort.

It's also illegal for her to blackmail you. You need to consult a lawyer here. Before getting advice from a lawyer, I would definitely not feel comfortable going to the police in your position.Answer #3: Can OP kick out the new boyfriend? It doesn't seem like the guy could have possibly been able to establish tenancy, so you wouldn't have to go through an eviction process. Granted, since the ex has tenancy, she could argue that the new boyfriend is her guest. The problem here would be "how long guests are permitted." My guess is that OP has no formal lease agreement, which would generally limit the number of days a guest could stay. Unfortunately, this isn't an easy situation.

**OP this is something you should act on ASAP**, particularly in regards to getting the new boyfriend out. The longer he stays, the harder it will be to get both of them out. What's also important is to document everything (dates, times, etc.), such as the threats to lie to the police, threats from the new boyfriend, etc.


Title: Oklahoma pet divorce decree

Question: I was divorced 3 and a half years ago.  In the divorce decree it explicitly states my ex has ownership of one of two dogs.  However, she chose to move in somewhere that did not allow pets.  She asked me to keep her dog until she was able to find somewhere she could afford that would allow pets.  Fast forward to present day she now wants the dog.  Do I have any chance at keeping the dog after a prolonged period of caring for the dog during her abandonment?  If not, would I be able to recoup expenses for the dog during the 3 and a half years I was the care taker?  Hoping to use that as a deterrent for legal action, not that I necessarily want the money. My ultimate goal is to keep the dog.

Answer:
 Did she ask you to hold onto the dog 3 years ago or recently?

Either way she asked you to hold onto it temporarily by your own words. She didn't abandon the dog.

Not legal advice, but just give the dog back.


Title: Can I get sued for Star Wars doggie treats for charity?

Question:
Hi!

So for various reasons I can't volunteer at my local dog shelter, so I've been wanting to donate the dog treats/chew toys that I make for my own dogs (that was bad phrasing but I mean like, same recipe different batches. Not used treats. Obviously). I make my own treats because I realized long ago that dog biscuits are either overpriced or horrible for the dog, and the most popular chew toy, rawhides, is *also* terrible for your dogs. Also, I know a lot of people with nut allergies, and lots of popular healthy dog treats have peanut butter in them, which is hard if your dog has a habit of licking/breathing/being-anywhere-near your kid's face. I've shared them with my friends, and so far they've all said positive things. Anyway, I digress.

If I was to sell these treats (with the proper permits obv) at, say, a local farmer's market/fair (we have a ridiculous amount in my town), with the Star Wars cookie cutter image ([link](https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/star-wars-8-piece-cookie-cutter-set/?pkey=s%7Cstar%20wars%7C35)), would I be sued? Can I add a note that acknowledges the copyright? Note all proceeds are going to charity, the cost of the materials is nothing (it's like organic pumpkin puree, flour, and eggs. I'm not that worried).

Sorry for my assorted long-windedness. Thanks, everyone! :)
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: One of the quickest ways to attract unpleasant attention is to infringe on Disney Intellectual property. Those guys make Darth Vader look cuddly and wholesome. Doing this would be a really bad idea.


Title: Legally speaking will this be considered as a child sexual abuse or a molestation?

Question: [removed]

Answer: No, my kids did this weekly. It was called bath time.


Title: What rights does a custodial father have when he just found out the daughter he raised for 8 years isn't his biologically?

Question:
To be clear here's the situation:
My husband has two daughters with an ex wife.
One is eight and one is seven.
We are now married and have two other children also.
Ex wife moved to a town five hours away and we have custody with the exception of some visits here and there with mom. Today she emails my husband that she ran into an "old friend and they discussed how much he resembled her oldest daughter" they did a paternity test and my husband is not the biological father. She has a letter from the bio dad (not sure what it says yet as we haven't received said letter) and he wants to be in her life.
My husband and her were NOT married when eight year old was born. But did marry a year or so later. He IS the name on the birth certificate and has raised her as his own.

Where do we go from here. Any advice welcomed.

We are in Washington State. King co to be specific.

UPDATE

I'm using speak text so I hope this works I had to sit there and wait for her to hand me a letter and a paternity test which was icing on the entire cake that the letter says that he wants my husband to consider signing away his parental rights or paternal rights maybe it was I don't have the letter in front of me anymore.  he wants to exercise his parental rights to be in the girls life I don't think after four years he has any grounds to stand on.
Also the lab results clearly stated it isn't a third party lab. It's not admissible in court.
They swabbed her mouth in December.

Denial of Paternity
Is what he wants us to sign

Answer:
 A quick survey of WA statutes indicate the following:

* Your husband is a presumed father of the child pursuant to RCW 26.26.116

* The challenge to his paternity, if brought by third party, would have to have been brought within 4 years of the birth of the child pursuant to RCW 26.26.540

So, your husband has whatever custody he was granted in the divorce from his ex-wife.  If she wants the bio father around, she can do that on her time.

NOTE - time-barred claims are tricky things - limitations can be tolled etc.

So, if you want a better analysis, contact a WA-licensed attorney who handles matters relating to family law.  Otherwise, since your husband would be a necessary party to an action to determine parentage of his presumed daughter, get an attorney if and when he's served.Answer #2: I think if you laid out what outcome you want, it will be easier for folks to provide adviceAnswer #3: Depends on what result your husband wants. If he wants to stay in "his" daughter's life he can and should get a court order prohibiting the ex from allowing the bio dad around the girl, and prohibiting him from even contacting her. There was a US Supreme Court case out of California with very similar facts where a bio dad sued for custody of a child when the child was 10(ish?) and the court denied the claim on the basis that not interfering with an existing family is of greater priority than an absentee parent's rights.

If he want nothing to do with the kid then his only real option is a relinquishment of rights and a suit for termination, but most judges won't go for that unless its combined with a suit for adoption by the bio dad.


Title: Sold a man my old car, left my phone in it and now he refuses to return it.

Question:
[Wisconsin]

I sold a man my old totaled car for $100, earlier today he messaged me and asked me how to unlock it/if I know the iCloud email and password.

I told him that the phone is my property and I would like it back but he keeps telling me since I sold him the car and accidentally left the phone in there it’s his now. The exact words were “You sold me the car that's whatever contents left in it are sold with it.”

What can I do to get it back, or should I just go to the police?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Log into your FindiPhone account and lock it. But it sounds like a small claims issue. Answer #2: This isn’t a criminal matter.  If the phone is worth your time, then take it to small claims court.


Title: First time going to court

Question:
so i already posted something about my shoplifting about a month ago so i won't really go back into detail about it, but i do have some questions regarding court.
so my gf and i cant afford an attorney so were going in alone. we understand that we are going to have to pay some fines so i have some money saved up but i dont think its gonna cover the whole fine. all we stole was 2 pairs of shoes a lil under $200, so does anyone have any idea what the punishment would be? or the size of the price of the fine. im a lil scared because this is our first offense and there is no way in hell i can tell my parents because they dont have any money to help me out.
also, does maine background checks appear on nh background checks? and is there a way to set up a payment plan for the fine or do we have to pay for the whole thing right then and there?
i really appreciate the help

Answer:
 You should either be retaining a lawyer or asking for a public defender to be appointed.  If you cannot afford a lawyer you should appear at your first court appearance and ask that a public defender be appointed to your case.

There are two reasons, other than the obvious, for having an attorney before resolving this case:

* There may be options available that avoid the conviction completely.  Those are obviously preferable to a conviction.

* Theft convictions carry what are called collateral consequences.  Off the top of my head I believe a theft conviction can prevent you from ever working, in any capacity, in a bank or other financial institution.  There may be other consequences.  You need to be fully aware of all of the consequences of this conviction before you even consider pleading guilty.

Despite what you may think and what others, even people in the courtroom, may say this is not something to be taken lightly.

This appears to be the Maine law on point:

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/17-a/title17-Asec353.html

Theft of goods valued $500 or less
Class E crime
Up to six months of jail; fine not to exceed $1,000

As to background checks: it depends.


Title: Help being sued by Discover

Question:
Reposted from /r/personalfinance since I guess it didn't fit there. I am located in NY.

Long story short I made some credit mistakes when I was younger. One of these mistakes involves my discover card where I had run up over a 3000 dollar balance on it. I got into a series of roller coaster events in my life that put me into an uncomfortable position with being able to pay this card. I had been on auto pay forever but I had to take it off because at one point I was unable to make my minimum payment. Things stayed like this for awhile and I had been ignoring paying the card. Now they are seeking judgement against me and I received a letter stating to contact them within 20 days. I have a steady job and WANT to settle this debt and move on with my life. I am looking to you kind folks here because I feel like at this point I'm in over my head and don't want to be contacting the lawyers of someone who is trying to collect a debt from me with no prior knowledge on how to handle it. Any advice would be truly appreciated.

Answer:
 You have to respond to any sort of document from the judiciary system. You absolutely cannot ignore being served notice that you're being sued.

Have you been served notice? Or is this just the credit company contacting you?

If the credit company is contacting you directly then you may be able to work out a repayment plan with them. It is in their interest to get you to pay up. They don't want to have to go through the legal process to sue you, they'd rather you just pay up the money, even if its on a payment plan. They'd rather get something than nothing from you.

If they already have sued you and you have received service of notice then you must respond to this. Its gone past the company. Now its court time. You do have to respond to it. There will be detailed instructions in the notice on how to respond and what the court dates are. You must show up or the plaintiff (credit card company) wins by default.

If all else fails and you are unable to pay the debt then you may need to declare bankrupcy, though this will be far more traumatic than working out a payment plan with the credit card company. They are aware you can declare bankruptcy as a last resort. They don't want that because they'll get very little or even nothing at all. They may be receptive to working out a payment plan if you contact them.


Title: Are Double Keyed Deadbolt locks illegal in a private home that's renting out rooms?

Question:
Hello, I'm renting a room in a house in Orange, California and the homeowner has locks on all the home exits, one of which (the door to the backyard) he hasn't provided the key for. I only have the key to the front door which has double keyed deadbolt lock (a lock that requires a key to open on both sides) I was wondering whether or not this is legal, my concern is that in the event of a fire I won't be able to open the front door because I might not be able to get to my key and I'd be trapped.

Apologies ahead of time if this is the wrong sub for this kind of question.

Answer:
 almost certainly not up to code.Answer #2: [Calif. Fire Code § 1008.1.9](http://www.ecodes.biz/ecodes_support/free_resources/2013California/13Fire/PDFs/Chapter%2010%20-%20Means%20of%20Egress.pdf) prohibits "egress doors" which require a key or special tool to open from the inside.  If it's a single or two family residence or townhouse, [Calif. Residential Code § R311.2](http://www.ecodes.biz/ecodes_support/free_resources/2013California/13Residential/PDFs/Chapter%203%20-%20Building%20Planning.pdf) prohibits them.  Talk to the landlord and if he/she won't change it, call the local Building Dept. and file a complaint.

Edit: Or as /u/JeanNaimard_WouldSay suggested, the Fire Chief.Answer #3: No, it is not legal to have all exits have a key lock.  There must be at least one egress door that does not require a key.Answer #4: The fire chief would undoubtely be the guy you need to talk to.


Title: Today I was robbed by a Taxi Driver in Mankato, MN

Question:
TL;DR 5 college students who don't have cars on campus use taxi to drive to nearby restaurant. Taxi driver overcharges for ever stop and then falsely accuses us for vomiting in his taxi with no actual proof of any vomit ever being in the taxi and then asking for $75 cleaning fee.

Just had the worst experience with Kato Cab tonight. I was with a group of friends celebrating a birthday party by riding a cab around Mankato and stopping at a place to eat. We called one of their taxis and were picked up from Minnesota State University. We asked the driver to take us to Taco Johns and when we arrived it was closed so we asked him to take us to Perkins, which was also closed for "maintenance". At Perkins he charged us $20.50 and then took us to Happy Chef and charged us an additional $8.50. (This should have cost about $18.90 total, yes we called Kato Cab and asked) After we finished eating and having a wonderful time at Happy Chef we walked over to the gas station next door and shopped around for a bit. From there we called Kato Cab again and we were picked up by the same driver. Upon entering the Taxi the driver showed us a picture on his phone of vomit that he claimed we had left in his Taxi and asked us to pay $75 for the cleaning (there was no vomit, there was no smell, and none of us vomited in his taxi). He claimed that he had picked up some other college students after dropping us off who had noticed the vomit. He claimed that they couldn't have been the ones who vomited because they saw it before they entered the taxi. This occurred around 1am and there is no way anyone could have seen any vomit from **outside** of the taxi at this time of night. I also couldn't believe that he showed us this picture off of his smart phone rather than pointing out a stain in the car and asked us to pay him upfront. This made his story totally unbelievable. After arguing with him for a few minutes he decided to "drop it" and drive us to our destination anyway. For the trip back to the University from Happy Chef he charged us $21 (which should have cost about $11, yes we called and asked about this too). I believe the driver was attempting to rob us, and succeeded with his overpricing. We have called Kato Cab and made a complaint and are hoping for a full refund but they said that they would call us back tomorrow. Is there anything we should do? This man could continue to rob unsuspecting college students. Please help.

Edit: I'm new to reddit so forgive me for any formatting errors or any information that I forgot to include that should have been included from the start.

We were not drinking or planning on drinking. We were simply looking for a restraunt to hang out at in celebration for a friend's birthday that had happened a few days prior but we didn't have time to celebrate it then.

Answer:
 You addressed your complaint to the taxicab company.  You'll just have to be patient and give it an opportunity to resolve it.

If, for whatever reason, you remain unsatisfied, you can contact your city government offices and ask to file a grievance with the person or agency responsible for overseeing taxi licensing.


Title: My brother fell on the school playground and had to get surgery because his elbow came out of place.(VA)

Question: I would just like to know if the school is responsible for any medical assistance. Or if anything can be done to help me.

Answer:
 When did he fall? In what way was the school negligent? Did the school cause him to fall?

Most likely the school is not liableAnswer #2:
The school is most likely not liable, unless there was some hazardous condition on the playground that the school failed to warn about or correct.  The school is only responsible if it was negligent.  Run-of-the-mill playground injuries like falling from the monkey bars, etc., aren’t the legal responsibility of the school.


Title: Ohio. Boyfriend's landlord not accepting 60 day notification and is difficult to get ahold of.

Question:
Hi there,

This is in Ohio. My boyfriend signed a lease on an apartment last October 31, 2016. He planned to stay in this apartment for a while. However, earlier this year I got pregnant. His lease was up October 31 this year. He talked to his landlord about doing a month to month lease and she said that rent at first was being raised by $15 a month and if he wanted to do month to month that would be an additional $50 a month. Next conversation he has with her she says rent is going up $25. None of this was put into writing.

He ended up writing his 60 day notice on October 15 and putting it in the landlord mailbox. He never received notification that she received it so a week later he wrote another notice. Finally, he called her and she said she was "just about to call him" and told him that in order to give 60 days it had to be 60 days prior to his lease ending on October 31. I do not think the lease said that explicitly but I will have to look at it again.

This landlord is a different one from when he moved into his apartment. His first encounter with her was in the laundry room where she asked what apartment he lived in. When he told her she said she was the new landlord. She is never in the rental office and is in general hard to get ahold of.

My boyfriend realizes it was his fault for not taking action sooner on the end of lease arrangements. He mistakenly assumed that he would receive notice that his lease was coming to an end as he has at every other apartment he has lived in. His lease does say that if you do not give notice you are automatically renewed for another year.

Landlord asked if he could possibly be out soon if she can find someone or would he do a six month lease. He really does not want to do another lease.

Anyway, he would like to move out on December 15, which is when he gave notice. Does he had legal right to leave his apartment and receive his deposit back and not be gone after for abandoning his lease?

Thank you so much.

Answer: You need to read the lease. It sounds like the landlord believes it automatically renews for another year if not terminated with 60 days notice before the end of the lease. Is that what it says, or no?


Title: [KY] My child is in 4th grade and is getting bullied by the teacher. What can I do?

Question:
My child is in 4th grade and is constantly being bullied by her teacher. She is not the only child that is getting this either. The teacher mocks are other students for speech impediments. I have spoken to the principal about this numerous times and no action has been taken. Can i have my daughter record the audio and use that? Should i go to the school board? My daughter is coming home in tears because of how this teacher is treating her.

My daughter lives with her grandparents and not for bad reasons. They live a block away and since i and my wife work it was easier to do it this way. She basically has 4 parents that take care of her. My daughters teacher has told mocked her for this sayign things like well i would never let anyone have my child. And comments like well arent you just special you must think you are really cool. Its none of her business and she shouldnt be saying shit like that. Another student in her class has a speech impediment and when he talks the teacher will tell him to speak clearly and not sound like -insert mocking impersonation of the child-. This really has to stop and the principal and other staff refuse to do anything.

Answer:
 Escalate to the school board and consider homeschooling your kid for the year if the school board is slow to address the problem.

I’ve been this kid. Same grade, even. Bullying by a teacher is devastating and I’m glad you’re intervening.Answer #2: Its time to visit the superintendent. Document everything and speak civil.Answer #3: In my opinion, school/teacher complaints should go in this order...

* Teacher
* Head of Department (if there is one)
* Principal
* Superintendent & School Board
* State Education Agency/Department

If still no resolution, then I would start the name and shame tour with...

* Local/Regional News Stations
* Local Government (mayor)
* State Government (governor)

If still no resolution, remove your child from the school under protest. At this point is when I would speak with a lawyer to see what can be done to remedy the situation. If you can't speak with a lawyer, I would at least send certified letters to all agencies listed above (and any other you can think of) documenting the whole ordeal.

I would also pursue any/all other parents whose child has been publicly shamed and demeaned. There is power in numbers. It's much more compelling to have a half dozen parents show up with the same complaint!

Good luck.


Title: [NSFW] Legality of selling used socks and foot fetish videos

Question:
Massachusetts, USA. I know this is an unusual question, but I'm asking in earnest.

&#x200B;

I'm a broke college student looking to make a little extra cash, and I've heard of people making money selling used socks and pictures/videos of their feet to fetishists. It's weird, obviously, but it seems like a pretty easy way to make some extra change on the side. That said, I had some questions on the legality of it:

&#x200B;

1. Is it legal to sell and mail out used socks, or is it considered a biohazard? How would I package and ship it legally? And is there a legal way to send it without giving away my home address to internet weirdos?
2. If I were to sell foot videos on the internet, how would I file them on my taxes?

&#x200B;

Thank you.

Answer:
 1) Yes. People sell used clothes online everyday. Socks are not biohazard.... Unless you're like radioactive or something.

You can get a po box for a return address.

2) you report it as "other income"Answer #2: Definitely legal, and you'd keep track of your income and expenses like any other business. You can deduct the cost of socks, shipping, maybe even home office space, internet, electricity - if you have a space that is reserved for the sole (ha, I made a foot joke) use of the business. You can establish an LLC or operate as a sole (I kill me) proprietor - both are "pass-through" entities for tax purposes.


Title: [Discussion] /r/legaladvice Vetting questions/Advice Do's and Don'ts/Repercussions ..

Answer:
 I'm sorry, but who the hell are you?  I've never seen you post before today.  Do you usually bust into someone else's house and tell them they're doing it wrong?  Why should people who've been here months or years and have been upvoted thousands of times listen to your opinion about anything?  Answer #2: > TIL lawyers have big egos...!

This has nothing to do with egos. It has to do with the stupidity of your suggestions.Answer #3: I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:

- [/r/bestoflegaladvice] ["This sub is doing everything wrong. You've never seen me post or contribute, but I demand you make the following changes immediately..."](https://np.reddit.com/r/bestoflegaladvice/comments/37e9cc/this_sub_is_doing_everything_wrong_youve_never/)

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

[](#bot)Answer #4: Why am I not surprised to see this poster is a contributor to /r/spacedicks?


Title: Ulta Beauty sold me and my gf makeup REPLICAS

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Contact the company you purchased from and tell them you received replicas and not the actual product.

If that doesn't work contact the actual company (Too Faced, etc) and tell them you received replicas, maybe they'll help you.

If that doesn't work, and you used a credit card, you can likely issue a chargeback.

Did you purchase directly from Ulta or someone who claims to be an "official supplier"?


Title: [USA] mailing things to elected officials

Question:
I'm in IL, prospective elected officials' offices are mostly in DC. Could I get into trouble for mailing/emailing/faxing high volumes of things to elected officials' offices, or for doing so repeatedly? e.g. if I were to mail a poem twenty times, or to repeatedly fax an IPCC climate report. It's topical, it's not like I'd be faxing [the chicken chicken chicken: chicken chicken paper](https://isotropic.org/papers/chicken.pdf), but I still wondered. Obviously, I would stop if requested to do so.

(no comments on potential actual impact/effectiveness, please. it's basically for an art piece.)

Answer:
 I used to intern at a congressman's office. That happens pretty frequently. They get thrown away. Unless it's inflammatory no one will really care. Actually, no one really cared even when it was insulting. The elected official probably won't see it so the insult (if that's your plan) will likely never reach the target. Basically, the only way to get noticed is to threaten specific harm. Then you'll probably get a visit from a federal agent.

Not that you care but all you're going to do is add a little extra crap for an intern to deal with.


Title: Texas - I was lied to about being the father of my son for over 4 years, until a random court ordered DNA test proved I was. She told me in 2015 she was 100% she it was NOT mine, and to leave her alone. She said the months didn't even line up and said she lied out of fear

Question:
I do NOT have the messages from 2015, where she stated in all caps : "I AM 100% POSITIVE YOU ARE NOT THE FATHER PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE."

Now she is suing me for child support. I already pay child support for my 2 year old son that I love and raised, cut the umbilical cord, was in love with the mother etc , but the totaling CS payments for him won't be officially submitted until next week.

My attorney has suggested we submit a counter-defense to avoid the 4 years of back-payments. I am not sure how to proceed. The attorney wants $3500(1000 upfront) to represent me on this case.

Yes he is DNA confirmed as my son, but the attorney wants to submit a defense for visitation because I have never even seen the child, and the family had previously stated "They arent after my money, they just want to know who the father is." I am not sure how true this is, and I know the state can seek my money for any support Texas has given the child.

I feel very very betrayed and strange. I am perfectly okay being the child's father and helping, but I do not feel like I owe money for the 4 years I had no idea I even had a son.

The attorney listed as the mother's is the default one from the Child Support Office. They have been incredibly rude and unhelpful even though I have been extremely polite and patient.

The official letter saying I am being sued states: You are commanded to serve a copy of the PRECEPT TO SERVE and the accompanying copy of Petition to Establish the Parent-Child Relationship and Order Setting Hearing and Health Insurance Availability Form.

They want my IRS tax returns and W2s. I already overpay for my 2 yr old son.

My attorney thinks that if we request visitation and counter-sue , they might want to discharge me of parental rights entirely.

I am sorry if this was not well organized I did my best and will address any discrepancies ASAP.

Could it be true they don't want money and this is just the CS office seeking medical funds or something?

I thank you VERY much for you time. This is NOT fair to me or the child. Or my family.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: There is no chance at all that anyone here can take what you wrote above and give you a better or more accurate set of advice and information than your attorney already did.


Title: My boss cancelled my health insurance without telling me and I now owe a provider 1k.

Question:
Hi reddit world,
I have never really posted here so bear with me if I do it wrong.
A couple of months ago, I put in my notice that I was leaving my job. My last day was mid month, so my boss assured me that my insurance would last until the end of that month. At the beginning of said month (june) I went to a doctors visit (June 3) to run a few tests before I was out of my insurance. I paid my normal copay ($60), everything went normal. My doctor had me go to the lab so she could run some blood tests. I also had an appointment with a dermatologist for two days later. The day after my first appointment, I get a call from the dermatologist letting me know my insurance was invalid and requesting my new one. I cancelled that appointment and texted me boss to see what had happened.
She let me know that her and our insurance guy decided that since I had taken time off work a few months prior and owed money for the time that they covered my insurance (about $300) that they would be ending my insurance as of June 1st instead of July 1st. I wasn’t aware of owing them money, it’s normally deducted from the checks after your time off. I told her that would have been nice to know before I got tests done and she responded with “I know i’m sorry it slipped my mind” (I have screen shots). Now two months later, that doctor has slapped me with a $955 bill for the visits and the tests. I just started my own business so it’s safe to say $955 is a lot of money for me.
I feel that it’s important to mention that I worked for a franchise, so while the business name is recognizable, there is no HR team, just my boss, and the owner who could not care less about the employees. Also, I live in Texas.
My boyfriend is a lawyer (lucky me) but he is in tech transactions and knows nothing about any litigation business. Any advice?

TLDR; my boss cancelled my health insurance without telling me and i’m left with an unanticipated doctor bill of almost $1k, which I would like for them to pay.

Answer: seeing as no one weighted in, I will give you advice from what I know.....The $955 bill is yours to pay. don't let it go to collections, see if you can make a payment plan or something or do what you can to pay it off without being late. To see your money back again, you will have to sue your employer. What i do not know is if you have a good chance winning in court or not. This will surely just be a small claims court issue being such a low monetary damages. good luck, hopefully the law is on your side. I fear it will come down to you are required to know if your insurance is valid and not knowing so is always your fault. Answer #2: You might have an ERISA claim, talk to an employment law attorney. In the meantime, you still owe to doctor and you will be responsible if it goes to collections so pay by the due date or set up a payment plan.


Title: Can a therapist breach confidentiality for an adult?

Question:
I wanted to make this on a throwaway, but Reddit's captcha seems messed up and I need to ask this by tomorrow, so screw it.

[19, New York state]
I've always understood that a therapist could breach confidentiality for a minor to alert the authorities/patient's parents if they believed the patient was a risk to themselves or others. However, my therapist has told me that she'll tell my parents if she thinks I'm a danger to myself. My parents are abusive, and even though I'm an adult I still depend on them, they can't know anything about my mental state right now because they would use that against me.

Can my therapist tell my parents anything I don't want them to even though I'm an adult?

EDIT: Flaired as healthcare since I figured that was the best fit. Please let me know if there's a better one.

EDIT 2: It's looking like the answer to this is "Yes, and the therapist may be required by law to breach confidentiality in certain circumstances". Thanks to everyone that answered and explained this to me, I appreciate the help!
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 There are specific reasons that would allow a therapist to breach confidentiality, although I am not sure that calling your parents would be the normal way to do that. Answer #2: So therapists have a duty to report in certain situations.  Your therapist likely is required to report to some authority figure if she genuinely believes you represent a real and significant threat to yourself.  However, you can (and should) notify your therapist that your parents are abusive and detail to your therapist HOW the abuse usually occurs.  That's very important information for your therapist to have.  You can also request that your therapist report to someone OTHER than your parents, and discuss with your therapist who that other authority might be.

Chances are good that it will have to be the police, and that your parents will find out anyway if it results in a involuntary hold.  But this is a discussion that you should be having with your therapist.  It is a normal discussion.

Keep in mind that if you cannot come to a place where you BOTH feel comfortable, you may have to find a different therapist.  Which is also normal.  Therapists have to be a good fit on all levels.


Title: [TEXAS] Apartments put adhesive sticker on my window

Question:
Car is a month past inspection, apartments sticker the size of a regualr sheet of paper on my window that is leaving torn paper and glue all over my window if I try to take it off.

Anything I should follow up on?

Answer:
 Sounds like you're making a big deal out of something minor in order to avoid taking responsibility for your own shit.

I'm sure you can figure out how to remove some adhesive from a window.


Title: In the State of Ohio, can I (16) sit in the back of an open bed truck to make sure something doesn't move?

Answer: Non-legal advice: Physics says that the time when you need to hold it down the most will be the time you're least able to do so. Buy some tie-down straps at Home Depot.


Title: A friend got in trouble at work for discussing pay

Question: Does he have any legal right to discuss pay with a coworker? He told them what he made. His boss told him that he signed a paper upon employment saying he won’t discuss pay. He was told it was against company policy. He’s an hourly employee at a restaurant in Illinois.

Answer:
>Does he have any legal right to discuss pay with a coworker?

[Probably](https://www.dol.gov/wb/media/pay_secrecy.pdf). More FAQ and resources here : https://www.nlrb.gov/resources/faq/nlrb#t38n3182Answer #2: If they are In The United States this is illegal.  Employees are allowed to discuss wages according to the National Labor Relations Act of 1935.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Labor_Relations_Act_of_1935


Title: Can my parents sell my car?

Question:
My parents purchased a used car for me at 2300$ around 3 months ago. The tittle is under my name only, I am 18, and I pay the insurance for the vehicle by myself.

Tensions have been high as of late and we have had a falling out. They are threatening to sell the car. would they be able to?

I live in Las Vegas Nevada if this helps

EDIT: thank you everyone for your help and clearing things up and giving me advice.

For the ones that wanted to know more information about the whole thing

The reason for the fight is because I decided to join the navy and my parents wanted me to go directly to college after high school. They had told from early on that I would be paying rent if I don't go to college. They still wanted me to follow the rules and curfews that they had set before paying rent. So I decided that if I'm going to pay rent then I should receive the benefits that would come with it. I talked to a coworker and she offered a room in her house for me to rent for the time I will be in town. In my parents defense we have always been a close family and I am the oldest of 4 leaving the house and I have never been the kid to undermine my parents authority. So it may have come as a bit of a shock to them that I made the decision. Without informing them much of it.
They were not a fan of me moving out and joining the military. I still needed the car for work and getting around a town with horrible public transportation and for meetings with my recruiter. It's the only reason I'm fighting so hard for it. I understand I'm leaving soon so I plan on giving the car to my sister for her 16 birthday before I leave.

Answer:
 No. They cannot sell your car if it is titled in your name, you are an adult, and you do not agree.

Now be an adult and move out and support yourself fully.


Title: Social Security going after mother for ex-husbands "debt"

Question: My dad passed away in January 2018. He divorced my mother in between 2003-2005 and was able to collect child support via Social Security because collected SSDI. A couple years in, they began paying him more child support (not sure how much more each month) without docking my mother's SSDI. When I graduated HS, social security realized they overpaid him for around 8-9 years. Naturally, SS wanted to recollect the money and by this time my dad was on SSDI due to a permanent work injury, so they were going to take his check away. The total he owed was around $20,000. I spoke with SS when he died and they said SS couldn't go after me for anything because I was a minor when the money was paid to me as child support (that's the language they used). Now, SS is trying to take it out of my mother's check. They've been divorced over 10 years. Her and I live in MA. Can SS take what he owed from here & why or why not? I received his estate, and according to our probate lawyer, banks and all other debts only have 1 year from date of death to collect from the state (using any form of non legal or legal action). Is that the same as SS? Technically, neither seem legal since 1) my mother has no legal responsibility to pay any debts of her ex-husband, & 2) they were planning on taking most of his check away anyway; now he's dead and they don't have to pay him. Please advise on course of legal action.

Answer:
 Your mom needs to get a consultation with an attorney in your area who specialized in Social Security.   The SSA is amazing inept -- they will make payments for years to somebody and then say "Oops, we shouldn't have given you that.  You need to give it back."  Those people are frequently low-income and, naturally, have been using the money to support themselves, completely unaware of any overpayment.  And, frequently, the SSA is wrong that an overpayment is due.

One good thing is that the SSA will frequently pay the attorneys fees for people caught in this situation.  (I don't know the specifics, but that's one of the things the lawyer should tell your mom in hte consultation.)


Title: My ex-boyfriend followed me to school thirty minutes from where we live.

Question:
I’m a minor. My ex-boyfriend is not.  I live thirty minutes from the school I attend. We were both driving and I ran into him at a light near my house. He proceeded to follow me for twenty miles because he wanted to talk and I refuse to contact him when he attempts to co tact me. He saw I was terrified when I finally got to school and parked. He gave me something worthless but was mine and then drive off. He was also banned from the campus of the school I go to. This was in the Dallas area. Sorry for the terrible sentence structure.

What action could I take or should I take?

Answer: Since you’re a minor, the first thing you should be doing is tell your parents. If you’re uncomfortable doing that, maybe talk to an adult you are comfortable with at your school.


Title: Father received first time DUI. Could have been medication... Details inside.

Question:
Thanks for reading.  My Dad said he was drinking earlier in the day, he said he had a 5th of vodka 2 hours earlier before the incident.  He is 6' and 220lbs.

Keeping this short, my father has been diagnosed/thought to have sundown syndrome after a slew of medical problems and two closed-head injuries.

(Sundown syndrome is a term that describes the onset of confusion and agitation that generally affects people with dementia or cognitive impairment and usually strikes around sunset.)

Back to the question at hand -- My Dad was driving in Michigan in the evening, near Detroit and was pulled over for erratic driving.  The officer arrested my Dad after determining that he was drunk/under the influence of alcohol.  My Dad attempted the breathalyzer, but was not able to "blow" for the required amount of time due to health/medical problems.  Failing to do so, registers as a refusal to take the test and is grounds for automatic arrest and license suspension.

He was taken to jail, was given a blood test and those were sent off and they've not come back yet.  The police said it could be up to two months before the samples are back.

My Dad met with a lawyer today and said that he's not very impressed at his willingness to take the case and that he stated that DUI's are locked up pretty tight and there's not a whole lot that he thinks he can do to help. The laws are what they are. He said he will try to get it knocked down to a lesser charge but he's not guaranteeing anything.  Legal representation is required.

Of course he cannot guarantee anything, but for a first time offense of a 67 year old man with medical issues that could have been the whole ordeal anyway -- should he look for a different attorney, or does he have any other avenues?

I'm not local to Michigan and would like to help any way I can, but with not being there -- I feel as if my only assistance is gathering opinions and help from you.

Thank you very much for your time and attention.
Topic:
DUI

Answer:
 I know you aren't going to want to hear this but your father obviously has some serious medical conditions, takes prescription drugs for them and then drinks. I can't help feeling that this (the arrest and license suspension) might be the best think that could happen. Not from his point of view of course, because whatever happens he's looking at some considerable expense, but it's clear from what you say that he cannot be trusted with 2 tons of metal. If he has sundowning then even without a diagnosis, I can tell you, he isn't going to get better. He might not get worse, although that's unlikely, but this has to be a wake-up call for him and the rest of the family that he can no longer be considered a safe driver. Luckily this time he was stopped but I can assure you from working with family members of dementia sufferers that this is a major ~~stabling~~ stumbling block: stopping an unsafe driver from driving. Hard for family members to do,  but in some ways, having the state make the decision for him might be easier all round.

I should warn you, it's possible that he may not remember that his license has been suspended, so your mother needs to be preapred for that.


Title: My high school won't reimburse me. Any action I can take?

Question:
(Michigan)  Just as the title says, I purchased flowers for my high school graduation because they needed them last minute and I was the only one who could run and get them (around $150).  I was promised I would be reimbursed,  so I turned in the receipt to the office and was told I would receive a check in the mail in 2 weeks.  It's been 13 weeks and I still haven't received anything.  I went back to the school 4 times asking why I haven't been reimbursed and I'm always told to come back later.  It's getting really frustrating,  especially since I have tuition due soon. I don't have another copy of the receipt,  however I do have the bank transaction.  What should I do to get my money back?

Edit: It's nice to see people lurking just to down vote people who are looking for help.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: If you are in the US, you can take them to small claims court. But first, have you tried contacting someone on the school board?


Title: Do museums own rights to classic art paintings?

Question:
Currently working on a T-Shirt design. I'm going to put a famous painting and redesign it (draw it from scratch digitally and make it look similar but with some diffirences). It's gonna look like this (example):
https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2013/06/MonaLisa.jpg
So my question is: do I have a right to sell my T-Shirt with altered paintings? Do museums own rights to classic art paintings or they are all in the public domain? Thank you

Answer: No they don't, they are in public domain as most of them were made before the concept of copyright was anywhere as well developed as it was today meaning they couldn't have been transferred after the author's death


Title: [NJ] My uncle died unexpectedly with no will. Is there any way for my mom and aunt to get his pension (he was single/no kids)?

Question: A few months ago my uncle unexpectedly passed away, a few years short of retirement, with no will \(intestate\).  He worked retail and was part of a worker's union.  Due to health problems, he was unable to continue working and had just gotten approved for COBRA before he passed.  I'm not sure how this works so forgive me, but because he got COBRA and died before he was old enough to collect retirement benefits from the union, nobody can get his death benefit or pension because he had no wife or kids and because he'll never reach the required age to collect his benefits.  My mom and my aunt are both livid that the union won't do anything \(except have their convention in Las Vegas\) and that he put 35\+ years of work into that place for nothing.  They think it's discriminatory due to his family status.  Is there anything that can be done, or is this just the way it is?

Answer:
 Often these pension plans work just that way. They are for the benefit of the worker and his/her spouse (and maybe minor children), but aren't an asset that you can just give to any other arbitrary person. You'd have to see the plan documents to know for sure.Answer #2: I'm not holding out a lot of hope, but I would suggest contacting the Human Resources division of the company he worked for, and see if you can find the pension plan document.  That will give you the information about what can and what can't happen.

In general, pensions are a 100%-company-paid pool of money that the company pays to retirees and possibly their spouses upon the death of the employee.  Your mom and your aunt might be confusing a 401K or IRA with a pension.

From the company's viewpoint, your uncle worked for 35 years and got paid for 35 years.  They're square.  The pension was a post-retirement benefit for him.  Had he survived long enough, he might have collected a month's worth of money or he might have collected 30 years of money.  It's not a separate pool of money set aside specifically for him that relatives have access to after he passed.


Title: CEO of company I work for just plead guilty in billion dollar fraud. What should I do?

Question:
The company I work for has been charged in a crimanal conspiracy what as an employee should I do? Like what if they dont pay us for the work we have done? (Im an hourly employee) sprry if this is a jumbled mess im super nervous because they didn't

Any advice would be greatly appreciated im really nervous idk what im going to do if i dont get final my pay checks

Im in florida usa

Answer:
 Do your job.

If you don’t get paid, find another job. Answer #2: NAL: Right now is a good time to start looking for another job. As far as pay goes, I wouldn’t start worrying until the company starts looking at bankruptcy/closing up shop. A company that is closing down and filing bankruptcy means that even with a wage dispute filed with the state, it’s likely to be written off in the bankruptcy. Meaning if you see any pay at all, it will likely be a fraction of what you’re owed.


Title: [Georgia] My employer charge me for shrinkage/breakage?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 [Georgia's employer handbook.](https://dol.georgia.gov/sites/dol.georgia.gov/files/related_files/document/dol224.pdf)

They can only deduct from you if they have written authorization from you.  If they deduct without your permission, file a wage complaint.

If you don't pay for the missing merchandise, however, you can be fired and you should file for unemployment.

Either way, I'd search for employment elsewhere.  That's a shitty thing to do.


Title: damages

Question: I work at Goodwill which is a thrift store.I started working there few months back.On my first day by mistake i told one shopper that all are clothes are washed before putting them on the floor.Though he has never shown up again but i am scared that one day he will know the truth and sue me personally and my company.My question is can he do that and have i incurred a financial liability or can take 1000s of $ from me.I am from India and people say in America they can sue you for anything and that is why i am scared.

Answer: That's not going to happen. The person would have no damages to sue for.


Title: Wrongfully terminated from job

Question: My employer fired me over an accusation of smoking pot from another employee I requested drug testing and was denied went and took one myself at a lab passed went and spoke to an attorney around July when this happened he took the case has tried getting in touch with me old employer for information or my file no response I was awarded unemployment and they agreed there was no legit reason for letting me go what are my options

Answer: NJ doesn't protect you from being fired for using marijuana unless you were using it pursuant to a medical recommendation. And as it is an at will state you can be fired for any reason (including a "bad" or inaccurate one) or no reason at all so long as the reason isn't membership in a protected class. That you got unemployment doesn't mean you were wrongfully terminated, it just means you were not terminated for misconduct.  You should find a new attorney if you don't like your current one and still want to try to sue the company, but it doesn't sound like you have a case based solely on the facts presented here.


Title: [GA] 7th grader expelled from private school without viewing video that caused it

Question:
The girl in question filmed a video in the locker room of another girl dancing after school was over. She then shared the video with some people, who then shared it with others. This video involves no nudity, with only a small part of the stomach showing, but the school is calling it child pornography, even after admitting they haven't seen the video. The school now has her phone. What would be our best course of action?

Sorry, English is not my first language.

Answer:
 Appeal to the principal.Answer #2: Don't worry, if they don't expel her for CP, they'll expel her for cyber bullying. Watching the video isn't necessary.

I'd start looking for another school.


Title: [RI] My SO’s HR department contacted her Dr to make him change the restrictions of her broken arm.

Question:
Throwaway, mobile

My Significant other (SO) broke her arm last week.  Yesterday, she went to the emergency room and then to a specialist who advised she should not go to work for the next two weeks.

She asked the Dr if she could work from home and the Dr wrote a note to state either no work for 2 weeks (returning to work April 10 or so) or work from home.

Today, she was contacted by the dr office, who told her they spoke directly to the HR person, and now she has to go back to work Monday.

She says she didn’t sign anything giving up her privacy. She works at a small company who has 1 HR person.

My question is, is what her company did illegal? Or did the dr office do something illegal? I thought the dr office has privacy terms in which they cannot speak to, or provide information to a 3rd party without the patients consent?

Answer:
 I'd be inclined to file a HIPAA complaint against the doctors office. They should not have spoken about your SO's medical condition to her employer.

Was her broken arm a work related injury? Is she going through workers comp for it?Answer #2: Doctors notes are not legally binding documents. Does she qualify for FMLA protected leave?Answer #3: NAL, but would like to outline a scenario for for how this could have went down without a HIPAA or privacy violation, not that I’m solid on those laws but have a job where data privacy matters.

I assume SO gave her employer the Dr note, which probably had the dr’s contact info, meaning SO disclosed that she was seen for a medical reason by that dr to her employer.

What could be possible is that HR sent a job description to the Dr office, and the Dr determined that the condition (broken arm) was not a medical hindrance to performing the duties in that description, thus modifying their determination of what accommodations were medically necessary.

Just a thought. Hope her arm heals fast and comfortably!


Title: A hypothetical legal case with an implausible resolution?

Question:
I've been puzzling over a hypothetical case I found in some legal article. It was written by lawyers, but it doesn't make legal sense to me (of course, I'm not a lawyer, so I could be wrong). I want to know what others think. Here's the case:

An employee uses a company van to drive to customers' locations. In the course of one year, he is involved in three different auto accidents while he is on the job. Although it is not explicitly stated, it is safe to assume that the employee was found to be at fault for all three accidents because the employer's insurance company paid out damages to the other drivers each time.

After the third accident, the employer fires the worker.

The employee then sues the company for firing him without cause (or for wrongful firing). His demand is that he get his job back and be compensated for lost wages.

Here's the shocker (to me, anyway): In the hypothetical, the case is resolved when the employer agrees to settle the employee's claim by giving him a sum of money equivalent to six months' wages.

Would any company, in real life, be at any risk whatsoever of being found liable for damages to an employee that it fired for the stated reasons?

And if not, is it plausible that the company would agree to settle money on the worker?

Answer:
 Without knowing more about where this supposedly took place, the company policies and other circumstances of the firing, it's difficult to offer any real opinion here.  Keeping in mind, of course, that this is totally made up, likely to illustrate a specific point.

Note, in the general case, that defendants will often pay out an amount even if they feel they're not liable, because taking things to trial costs money.  If "six month's wages" is less than "cost of trial" than a smart company will just pay the wages and write a good settlement admitting no guilt.


Title: [NJ - USA] Sister-in-law and her boyfriend are in a terrible truck lease and I am seeing what options they have...

Question:
Lease is in the bf's name. The truck is a 2017 Toyota Tacoma.

The date they entered the lease is January of 2018.

The sticker price for the truck is: $37,868.

Money down:

$7,502 (capitalized cost reduction)

$555 (first payment)

$497 (tax on capitalized reduction)

Now, this next part is where I am confused and asking for advice. On the next page of their lease agreement, the "Gross Capitalized Cost" aka agreed value of the vehicle is entered at $45,562.71...Which is $7,694.71 more than the sticker price.

They then got hit with $393 (taxes), $650 (acquisition fee), $499 (document fee), and $995 (guaranteed auto protection) bringing it to $48,107.21

After subtracting $7,502.95 (capitalized cost reduction) they are left with an Adjusted Capital Cost of $40,604.26 which is what was used to calculate the base monthly payment...still about $3,000 more than the sticker price of the vehicle...

Can someone please explain how or why the agreed value of the vehicle is more than the sticker and if there is any action her and her bf can take to terminate or readjust this lease or are they just SOL cause they signed all the documents?

Happy to provide any more info. if needed.

Answer:
 One way that the Purchase price could be higher than the sticker price is if they traded in a vehicle in which they had negative equity.  The dealer would roll the amount they were short on their old vehicle into the lease for the new one.

They really need to just knuckle down and pay this one until the lease is up, AND get gap insurance for this vehicle too.  If this vehicle is in an accident and totaled, without gap insurance their insurance company will pay them what it is worth, not what they owe.


Title: (X-Post from r/Finance) Money missing from Subway safe; Manager making everybody pay for it. Please help.

Question:
I work at a Subway in FL, and 2 days ago, a little under 300$ went missing. My boss is making everybody pay 38$ to chip in and recover the money, even though there are security cameras throughout the store. He also refuses to look at them. He says if it is not payed by tomorrow, we will be fired.

This seems highly unfair, but I do not know enough to do anything about it. Can anybody please point me in the right direction?

Answer:
 You're in a franchise store.  Talk to the franchise owner, instead of the manager.  The fact that he won't look at the security camera is pretty weird (and makes me think that either he did it or he knows how did it, and it's a buddy of his.)

If you are making tipped minimum wage he can't deduct anything, or force you to pay for anything without taking you below minimum wage.  [Which is illegal.](http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs16.pdf).Answer #2: >He also refuses to look at them. He says if it is not payed by tomorrow, we will be fired.

Man, I imagine that it would be hard for him to make all those sandwiches during lunch rush all by himself.

It's not legal for him to make you all pay for the missing money, but he can fire you for not paying.
Answer #3: Go over his head. Hes obviously keeping this from his superiors. Answer #4: If the "sandwich artists" are minimum wage (I'm thinking a possibility.), this might be a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Answer #5: He could be violating minimum wage law. Specifically, he can't take any of you below the (Minimum Wage * Hours Over Pay Period) threshold for these two weeks. If he's billing EVERYONE $38, then someone who only works a few hours a week probably can make a hell of a case out of this.

Also, some states make making this request illegal, but it doesn't look like Florida is one, but you might want to confirm.

Lastly, yes he can absolutely fire you without proving you did it. At-Will.


Title: Wife was in a hit and run

Question:
Longish story.
This happened in Houston Texas.
So on Halloween night my wife was in a hit and run. Police determined it wasn't her fault. We had it towed to the body shop and the claims adjuster said it's a total loss. We had just bought it on 10/21.  I have comprehensive, collision, and uninsured motorist. They will give us the actual cash value of the car pre accident plus 25%. My wife was hurt and didn't go to the doctors yet she doesn't have insurance. She can't hear out of her left ear and has a cut on her arm. They said they could her a check for some medical bills or we pay out of pocket and he issues are long term we might be better to not take the check up front. We don't know how to move forward. They haven't crunched the final numbers yet and we are afraid they might try and shaft us cause of all the insurance stories we have heard. Thank you for reading.

Answer: If you take a check up front they'll make you sign something indemnifying them from further coverage on this matter? If so then that's likely a bad idea until you have an opinion from a medical professional on the extent of her injuries.


Title: Employer fired me for one sick day and refuses to pay for working one day that week.

Question:
I took a personal day off due to family issues on friday after working thursday, and my employer now told me to not come back to work and that i wont get paid for my thursday shift, and i said they cant legally do that, they reply "take me to court", but they know i dont have much money and am struggling as it is, what do i do? i cant afford a lawyer, am i screwed? What should i do legally?

Im in Ontario, Canada also, incase the law is unique here or something.

Answer: You get paid for time you work it's as simple as that.  Contact your local department of labour and they will investigate, and more than likely for freeAnswer #2: In America at least the dept of labor has a lot of pull. My old boss was very fishy about bouncing checks (especially my last one), and "miscalculating" pay rate and hours. Long story short investigation took 4 months they went through his documents like a tornado and turned out he owed me and other employees shit loads of money. Plus he got in massive trouble


Title: I have a court summons in WA. I live in CA. Can I change the court summons to CA?

Question: So basically the title says it all, I got in trouble with the law in Washington state and am now awaiting a court summons there. The problem is that I live in California and am leaving the state of Washington very soon. Is there any way I can change the court summons to a location in California?

Answer: No. You broke a Washington law, and thus a Washington court has jurisdiction.