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The ABCs of Dealing With Domestic Violence

Domestic violence was a part of my family's life for years. When I made the decision to leave with my children, I had to rely on the law to provide the protection we needed. Sometimes, the system does not work as fast as we want. I soon learned that going at it alone without any guidance caused significant delays. I created this blog to help others who are seeking legal means to deal with an abusive ex. By making the right moves, it is possible to get the necessary protections in place so that you can also live a happier and healthier life.

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The ABCs of Dealing With Domestic Violence

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Who Is Liable for an Injury When a Seatbelt Breaks?
It's one of those worst-nightmare scenarios when you hear of a car accident in which a seatbelt broke. Those belts are meant to protect you, so to have one break and allow someone in the car to be injured is terrible. But it also brings up another problem: If you're in a car accident in which a seatbelt breaks and that person is injured, who is liable? Is it the responsibility of the person who hit your car, or does the car manufacturer have any liability as well?

Pain In The Wallet: Understanding The Financial Side Of Car Accidents
As if your physical injuries from a car accident was not enough, you may also experience some financial issues sooner or later. Two major opportunities for compensation exist after an accident, and taking action quickly is never more important. Read on for a better understanding of the importance of being proactive and getting these two monetary forms of damage paid to you for an accident that was not your fault.  

4 Tips For Hiring An Attorney For A Homeowners Association
In this day and age, many communities and neighborhoods have homeowners associations. When a community has a homeowners association, all residence pay dues for the upkeep of common areas. In addition, homeowners associations also enforce rules that help keep a community in good condition. Since a homeowners association deals with a large amount of money, contracts, and the creation of rules and regulations, it is important to have an association attorney.

Guidelines For Getting A Divorce On Your Terms
To make sure that you are able to move forward and get help with a divorce, you'll want to set up your legal team, while also following some reasonable strategies. Getting a divorce is a matter that can be legally arduous, while also creating chaos in your personal life. With this in your head, the tips below will be worthwhile when it comes to moving forward and finding the right legal assistance.

Medical Treatment After A Car Accident
1.6 million accidents in 2012 involved an injury of some kind. These injuries range in severity from small cuts and bruises to debilitating injuries that change a person's quality of life forever. If you or someone you love gets injured because of an accident, contact a car accident law firm for help collecting the compensation that you deserve.  Common Injuries The main types of injuries after a car accident include:

3 Things To Consider Before Filing For Worker's Compensation
Are you considering filing a worker's compensation claim due to being injured while on the job? Following are a few crucial things to think about before deciding whether or not to take the plunge: You'll Give up the Right to Sue By filing for worker's compensation after being injured at your place of work, you'll be giving up any rights you would have to sue your employer for additional compensation due to your pain and suffering.

4 Tips For Getting Disability
One of the most challenging times in life may be when you're hurt and unable to work. This can be financially exhausting, and you'll want to do all you can to get disability benefits, if possible. If you're fortunate at this, you'll be able to receive compensation until you're ready to return to work. Of course, the first thing you will need to do is file a claim. Knowing specific tips to assist you in filing a claim is sure to be helpful to you.

Who Should You Sue If You Are Accidentally Shot During A Hunting Trip?
If you have been injured in a hunting accident, then the first step to getting the compensation you clearly deserve is to identify the liable party. Here are some of the potential parties you may hold responsible for such an accident: The Shooter In many shooting accidents, the shooter almost always bears part of the blame. However, shooter liability isn't automatic, you must prove that the shooter did something to cause the accident or failed to do something, and this lead to the accidental shooting.

Tips For Victims Of Auto Accidents
After you have experienced a significant auto accident, you can find yourself unsure of the steps that you should be taking to recover damages from this incident. However, you will hopefully have little experience with going through these accidents. Therefore, it can be wise to review some key points so that you will be well-aware of your rights and the best practices for proceeding after an auto accident. It Is Possible To Negotiate With The Insurance Company

4 Tips For Winning Your Personal Injury
If you have been involved in a personal injury, it's a good idea to do everything you can to win your case. Many times, personal injury cases are dismissed because there is just not enough evidence or effort put forth by the injured party for the insurance to provide compensation for the injuries. Here are four tips to consider to ensure that you win your case: Save All of the Evidence: From the moment the injury has occurred to the moment that the case is settled, you need to save all of the evidence.

Injured Veterans: What Does the VA Owe You?
Being an injured veteran is a unique situation in that there are a lot of services available, but those services are sometimes hard to get to. The Department of Veteran Affairs (the VA) specifically has a compensation system for disabled veterans that provides monetary compensation and enhanced medical support, but there are a few forms of proof that need to be presented first. If your condition is related to military service, or if you're not sure about how your condition could be compensated, here's a bit of information to point you in the right direction.

4 Tips For Dealing With A Difficult Soon To Be Ex-Spouse
The challenges of being married can be overwhelming to some people and may end in divorce. Of course, this decision isn't always easy to arrive at, and there are almost sure to be hurt feelings along the way. The key to stressing less about the end of your marriage may be knowing how to get through it with a difficult partner. This will take some effort on your part, but being aware of tips can be helpful to you.

Time to Plan Your Will? 4 Tips to Avoid Having It Contested
Now that you've reached retirement age, it's time to start thinking about your future. Part of that future includes estate planning. You might not want to think about your estate right when you're about to embark on a life away from work and responsibilities. However, this is the time when you need to have your final plans in order. One of the most important parts of your estate is your last will and testament.

What You Need To Know About Catheter Malpractice
Catheters are a commonly used medical device and are often considered harmless. However, human error, or medical malpractice, can turn routine catheter use into something far more serious and dangerous. Unfortunately, you or a loved one know the risk associated with catheter malpractice all too well. It's important to understand that you are not alone and that you do have legal options. Infections In terms of injury, infections present the most common threat.

What To Do When You're Bitten By A Friend's Dog
When the dog of a friend bites you, the relationship might suffer. They might not want to take responsibility for what happened and refuse to help with medical or hospital bills. This may surprise you, but you still have the ability to file some kind of claim to ensure that you receive the financial help you need. In order to keep your case on track, you've got to pay attention to these pointers.

Denied Benefits? Understanding the Social-Security Disability Appeals Process
If you were denied social-security disability benefits after your initial application, there's no need to be alarmed. Each state in the US is slightly different, but overall, 64% of applications for social-security disability benefits are denied. Whether your application was denied because it was incomplete or the SSA determined that you are not disabled, you have a process of appeal to try and get the benefits you deserve. Filing for a Reconsideration

Tips For New Employers To Deal With Negative Background Check Results
As the hiring manager or owner of a small business, venturing into those first few interviews can be difficult. When you find that perfect candidate, it's always a good idea to run a complete background check. Unfortunately, those background checks aren't always flawless. So, what happens if you get one back with what appears to be problematic information? Do you immediately rescind the offer or do you do something different? Here are a few tips to help you decide.

When Grandparents Seek Child Custody
As a grandparent, it's heartbreaking to acknowledge that your grandchild is not receiving adequate care. Ultimately, however, grandparents can sometimes realize that they must step in and care for that grandchild. Grandparents today have more rights about the care, visitation, and custody of their grandchildren than ever before, and it may be necessary for you to assert your rights and seek custody of your grandchild. The family courts don't take custody changes lightly, so knowing what the judge is looking for when it comes to child custody can make a big difference in how you approach the child custody hearing.

Pushing For A Better VA Appeal
Getting an appeal through the Veterans Affairs (VA) claim system isn't easy. There's a high burden of proof that needs to be shown with official paperwork, and any medical evidence needs to illuminate your problem in a way that the VA can understand for their decision. If you're missing critical pieces of evidence, have been rejected with the evidence you have, or aren't sure what you need to make your claim better, here's a bit of appeal system insight and ways that a professional can help your appeal succeed.

You've Been Appointed Executor: Now What?
Mixed feelings are perfectly normal for those who've learned that they have been appointed executor (or personal representative) for an estate. This appointment can seem a bit overwhelming, especially if you are not certain what your duties will entail. Before too much panic sets in, however, you should certainly take a moment to relish the honor; only the most trusted and responsible of friends and family members are asked to perform this duty for the deceased.

5 Workers Compensation Mistakes To Avoid
Workers compensation is a form of insurance that employers are required to have in order to protect employees who may be injured on the job. After a workplace injury, workers compensation can pay for medical bills as well as any wages that are lost due to missing work while recovering. If you are hurt at work, it is important to avoid common mistakes when it comes to workers compensation. Some of the most common workers compensation mistakes include:

Can You Sue If You Are Injured While Performing Work For A Friend Or Neighbor?
Doing a small job for a friend or neighbor, such as helping them install a new garbage disposal or checking on their cat while they are on vacation, isn't usually any cause for financial worries. Unfortunately, sometimes accidents do happen and you may need to be compensated for the cost of treatment, lost wages, or even pain and suffering. The following guide can help you understand what you may be entitled to.

Covered Or Not? Less Common Workplace Injuries
Being injured in a work-related incident can mean eligibility for valuable benefits, such as payment for your medical care and coverage of a portion of your regular wages while you seek medical treatment and recuperate. The question of workers' compensation coverage may come into play, however, when your accident occurs under less common circumstances and locations. Read on to learn more about what you can expect if you find yourself the victim of one of these uncommon situations for work-related injuries.

4 Tips For Welcoming An Adopted School-Age Child Into Your Home
Adoption is often a blessing for both the child who is being adopted and the family who is welcoming the child into their home. While adoption is usually a positive experience in the long run, there can be unexpected challenges and hurdles along the way. That's especially true if you are adopting a school age child. While adopted infants get the benefit of growing up with only memories of their adopted home, school age children may have lived with their biological parents, other relatives, or even a series of foster homes.

Neighbors Stop Acting Neighborly? 4 Steps To Take When You're Involved In A Dispute
Neighbor disputes can destroy the sanctity of your home, especially if the dispute escalates to hurt feelings and hostility. If you're involved in a dispute with your neighbor, you want to try and settle it before things really get out of hand. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to settle differences. If the dispute with your neighbor has gotten out of hand, here are some steps you should take to settle the matter.

Keep It Legal: 4 Steps For Your Home Business To Take Right Now
If you plan to run a business out of your home, you are part of a growing trend. About 50% of all businesses in the United States are actually home-based, and that number shows no sign of decreasing any time soon. To ensure that your empire is on the right side of the law, read on to learn more about the 4 steps you need to take right now to keep your business legal.

2 Things You Need To Know About The Difference Between Civil And Criminal Court
If you have experienced the death of a loved one you might be wondering if there is anything you can do to get restitution if the death was caused by some sort of accident or malicious act. The good news is that you can take legal action against the responsible party. This will send a clear message that this kind of behavior is unacceptable, and it will help give you some sort of compensation for your pain and suffering.

Three Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Divorce
Although you might think that a settlement is the quickest and easiest way to end your divorce, it's important that you don't sacrifice your own needs in the process. Unfortunately, some people end up making mistakes along the way in the interest of settling things quickly. Here's a look at a few of the most common divorce missteps so that you can avoid them in your situation. 1. Know Your Financial Status

3 Reasons A Landlord May Need A Real Estate Attorney
Being a landlord comes with many responsibilities. This can be the more challenging side of renting your property to others, and you may not always be capable of keeping the peace. There are certain situations when you may need to rely on the expertise of a real estate attorney. By knowing some of the ways, this individual can help you may be the motivation you need to do so. Reason #1: Creating a rental contract

3 Tax Mistakes You Don't Want To Make
With tax deadlines fast-approaching, many people are in a rush to gather documents and get things done. However, you want to make sure that you are doing your taxes right. Making even a small mistake could end up costing you far more than you bargained for. To make sure you don't end up paying a bunch of penalties and fees, here are a few tax mistakes you don't want to make.

Three Misconceptions You Should Know Before Filing A Personal Injury Case
Personal injury law is one of those legal disciplines that often leaves claimants feeling confused and uncertain. It is also often the subject of many misconceptions and misunderstandings. With so much false information out there, it can be tough to know what you can really count on in these cases. In reality, personal injury cases aren't as complex or intimidating as you might think. Here's a look at a few false statements you might hear and the truth behind them.

How A Family Lawyer Can Help With Child Custody And Visitations
If you are separating from the other parent of your children, or you have been separated for a while but have just never had any legal documentation regarding the children, you might want to consider retaining a family lawyer. To help understand just why that is, you might want to check out the following points. Legal Custody Can Be Established It is important to make sure that the exact details of the custody of the children is determined.

Minimizing The Effect Of Pre-Existing Injuries On Your Claim
When pursuing a personal injury claim, the respondent or his insurance company will do anything possible to deny or reduce your settlement. One way of doing this is to label all or most of your injuries as pre-existing. Although pre-existing injuries may limit your claim, there are steps to ensure the effect is fair to you. Here are the three major steps you need to take: Prove Current Injuries As Independent Of Pre-existing Injuries

Auto Accident Litigation: The Path to a Trial
Being injured in an auto accident is a difficult time in anyone's life, and perhaps the last thing you want to think about is getting involved in a lawsuit. In some cases, however, this might be necessary, as insurance companies usually attempt to keep their payouts low. If you decide to pursue a legal case, it's important to be familiar with the initial steps leading to a possible trial. This article examines the key steps involved.   Demand Letter  

How Is Defamation Different From False Light Portrayal?
What does it mean if you are accused of portraying another person in a false light? Is it the same as defamation? Both of these are things that cause harm to the reputation because they entail spreading false or misleading information about the victim. Since they are nearly the same thing, some states do not treat them as separate legal issues. However, for those states that recognize their separation, the typical differences include the following:

3 Ways That You May Qualify For Asylum Status
Are you seeking to stay indefinitely in the United States because you fear persecution or physical harm in your home country? If so, you may qualify for something called asylum status in the United States. The United States offers a limited number of asylum grants each year to immigrants who may be in danger in their home country. To qualify, you must be in real danger of persecution. That is the government in your home country must be seeking to imprison you or do you harm, or the government must be willing to stand on the sidelines while others do you harm.

What Can You Do If You Are In An Accident With An Uninsured Driver?
If you are involved in a car accident with someone who is uninsured, you could be faced with having to handle the repairs yourself. You can take legal action against the person, but it is possible that you will never recover damages. If you are in this situation, here are your available options.  File a Claim With Your Insurance Company Even though you are not at fault for the accident, your insurance company might pay for the damages you suffered.

Is It Possible To Qualify For SSA Disability Benefits Due To Lead Poisoning When You Were A Child?
Is it possible to qualify for Social Security disability benefits based on the lingering effects of lead poisoning? Maybe. If you suffered lead poisoning as a child, this is what you should know. Lead poisoning usually results from repeated exposure. Lead is a toxic metal that's present in a lot of things around us, including imported toys, costume jewelry, water, old paint, and old pipes. It can even be in the dust you are breathing or in the soil around your home, depending on whether or not the soil was contaminated over the years by building materials and other lead sources.

How To Strengthen Your Workers Compensation Case
If you have been hurt at work, chances are good that you are not going to be able to work for a certain amount of time, decreasing the amount of money that you are making, and will need to pay large medical bills, increasing the amount of money that you are spending. In order to make sure that you are able to cope with these financial burdens, you are going to want to seek workers compensation from your employer.

How Prenups Are Overturned
When a couple plans to marry, they should get a prenup if they have any significant personal or business assets. Although you may not find the notion very romantic, going into a marriage without one is risky. Currently, 40 to 50% of marriages end in divorce. Second marriages have an even higher rate of failure. If you are planning to get married, you need a prenuptial agreement that cannot be easily overturned if your marriage fails.

Key Differences between Handing an Abuse Case in a Family Court versus a Criminal Court
A case of domestic abuse can be handled in a criminal court, a family court, or both. However, the manner in which the case will be treated in both courts is different. There is a great difference between family and criminal courts. When it comes to a family court case, don't forget these three things: It Is You against the Abuser A case in a family court pits you against the abuser.

Are You Facing Financial Abuse?
Elder financial abuse is unfortunately too common. According to a study done by MetLife, a million American seniors lose about $2.6 billion each year. Financial exploitation happens to seniors from all walks of life; even celebrities such as Mickey Rooney were not immune. Most people think that elder financial exploitation is done by strangers, but most cases occur at the hands of relatives and caregivers. Crossing the Line From Nurturing into Exploitation

Common Myths About Personal Injury Lawsuits Debunked
Being injured as a result of someone else's actions can be one of the worst experiences you can go through because of the costs, pain and inconveniences that are caused by these incidents. Pursuing justice for these damages will often require you to take the party responsible to court, and this process can be somewhat overwhelming. In particular, you may find that this process is even more confusing if you believe the following two myths about personal injury lawsuits are true.

Three Ways To Survive A High Conflict Divorce
Emotions are riding high and you are both feeling various degrees of hurt and anger. Every discussion about how to settle the divorce ends up badly. What do you do? Here are some possible solutions to the three biggest and most common problems when dealing with a divorce. 1. Use a parenting technique to divide and choose assets. In divorce, you divide up the assets in relatively even packets and then the other spouse gets to choose which one(s) they want, or vice versa, much like you'd do with children.

3 Things You Should Do If You Want To Sue A Restaurant For Food Poisoning
If you have recently been to a restaurant and have gotten food poisoning shortly after, you could be wondering what type of recourse you might have against the restaurant. Filing a law suit is a good way to have your medical bills and other related expenses paid, so it's a smart idea to do so. These are three things that you should do if this is something that you're interested in.

Which Patent Should I Apply For?
If you have an invention, you surely want to protect it. Assuming that you have already decided to file for a patent, your next step is to decide on which type of patent you want to pursue. Here are the types of patents available through the United States government and the reasons to file for them: Design Patents Design Patents are meant to protect the appearance of an item. The appearance may relate to the pattern on the item, the actual shape of the item, or another design aspect of the item that isn't defined by its function.

Step-Parent Adoptions: 3 Facts You Should Know
Despite the fact that many stepparents play an important role in the lives of their stepchildren, the law does not currently offer these individuals the same rights as a biological parent. In fact, stepparents may even be denied the right to custody or visitation if something should happen to their spouse. This is precisely why many stepparents choose to take steps to adopt their stepchildren and create a legal parent/child relationship.

Misconceptions About Miranda Rights
Many people are familiar with Miranda rights because of movies and police dramas on TV. Under certain circumstances, police officers are required by federal law to inform a person of these rights when making an arrest. If they don't do so, this can cause problems with the prosecution's case. If you've been charged with a crime and you didn't hear your Miranda rights, you may be hoping to have the charges dropped.

Top Ways a Car Accident Attorney Can Help You
Not every car accident ends up being a part of a court case. However, if yours was serious enough that you are going taking legal action, you might want to make sure to retain a car accident attorney. Even though you certainly have the right to represent yourself in court, you might not want to after learning how an attorney can help you. Take a moment to review the following ways a skilled car accident attorney might be able to help you in one of your biggest times of need.

How Motorists Are Expected To Take Reasonable Care To Avoid Accidents
While on the road, it is not just enough to obey traffic laws such as driving on the correct side or stopping at traffic lights. You are also expected to take reasonable care to avoid causing accidents. You are expected to do this by: Driving At a Reasonable Speed You are expected to drive at a reasonable speed whenever you are on the road. Do not confuse reasonable speed with keeping within the speed limit; the two are very different.

The Benefits Of Plea Bargaining
If you have been arrested for a crime, you may have had a conversation with your criminal defense attorney regarding plea bargaining. This can be a good way to reduce your charge and overall sentencing for the crime you were arrested for, but it's not always a guarantee that you will be able to get the prosecutor to accept a plea bargain deal. It's best to talk more about this with your attorney, but this article will give you an overview on the type of plea bargaining that's available, and how it can be beneficial to you.

Aggressive Lane Changing by Commercial Trucks
As a driver, you are aware of the many dangers you face on the road. One of the worst dangers you encounter is the recklessness of other drivers, which is even worse if the other vehicle is a commercial truck due to its superior weight. Unsafe lane changes by commercial trucks are a leading cause of accidents on the roads, and you can easily become a victim. If you are severely injured due to a truck driver's aggressive or unsafe lane changing, you may be able to make a claim against them with the help of a truck accident attorney and recover damages for your loss.

Lost Income And Career Potential After Injury: How Do You Find A Value?
A significant part of any slip-and-fall injury claim is going to be your lost income—including estimated future losses. Figuring out future income losses can get complicated for a number of reasons, especially for those who occupy professional positions. Even a short-term injury can cause long-term problems for your career. Here's what you should know. It's About The Lost Potential, Not Actual Income Future lost income isn't calculated based on the work that you've done in the past.

3 Tips For Giving A Deposition For Your Auto Accident Case
If you have been the victim of a car collision injury, you may need to file a legal action against the driver who was at fault. This will help you recover the financial losses you may have endured because of the accident. During the civil litigation process, you will to provide accurate information during the discovery stage of the case. One of these will include giving a deposition and knowing tips to help strengthen your case when doing this can be helpful:

Common Questions Concerning The Car Insurance Claim Investigation Process
Out of nowhere you are struck by another driver on the roadway. You may know right off that this was not your fault, but after just one conversation with the insurance company, there is a good chance your head is spinning. The claims process after an auto accident can be exhausting. As if that was not bad enough, once your initial claim is filed the insurance company will try to ward you off with a whole slew of investigators from a damage assessment expert to a so-called claim evaluator.

What To Do After An Insurer Responds To Your Demand Letter
When you write a demand letter, you expect any of these three things to happen: the insurance company may give in to your demand, reject it or make a counteroffer. Here is what happens and how you should react to each situation: Acceptance The best response you can get from the insurance company is an acceptance of your demand, meaning the insurance company is willing to pay the compensation you requested.

Wrongly Accused Of A Sex Crime? Here's How To Handle It
Being accused of a crime that you didn't commit can be a nightmare, and it can be particularly heinous if the crime that you're being accused of is sex-related. There is a certain stigma that goes along with this type of crime, and the impact on your life can be drastic. There are certain things that you can do to help protect yourself, though. By following these tips, you can begin to navigate through this nightmare and work toward normalcy.

3 Reasons To Always Speak With A Worker's Compensation Attorney
Being injured on the job is often no small matter, and in most areas the employer is responsible for all medical costs related to such injuries. If you've been injured in any way while at work or while on company time, even if your injuries are relatively minor, you want to speak with a worker's compensation attorney. There are several reasons for this; consider a few of them here. 1. You may be entitled to more compensation than you realize

Facing A Vehicle Repossession? Here's What To Do
Regardless of where you live or what you do, a car is a staple in many homes today. If you find yourself falling behind on the payments and are facing repossession, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy might be just what you need to hold onto your vehicle and get back on your feet. If you don't want to keep your vehicle, it will buy you enough time to try and find a more affordable option.

Going To Trial? Here's What You Need To Know
Criminal cases often go to trial, so you'll need to have an attorney to represent you in court. A trial may be heard by a judge, which is known as a bench trial, or by a jury of your peers. If you've been charged with committing a felony, you and your trial attorney can discuss which type of trial is best, depending on the circumstances of your case. If you've been accused of a misdemeanor, your only choice is a bench trial.

3 Things You Need To Bring To Your Initial Meeting With A Workers Compensation Attorney
If you have had an accident at work, you might be thinking about filing a workers' compensation lawsuit. If you decide to file a lawsuit, you will need to meet with an attorney that specializes in workers' compensation claims. When you meet with the lawyer for the first time, you will need to have a couple items on hand. Here are 3 things you should bring to your first meeting with the lawyer.

Three Tips For Protecting The Children When Divorce Is Imminent
Divorce is a sad and traumatic time for nearly everyone involved. If you're going to get through it intact, it helps to remember that you may be doing a hard thing, but you're doing it for all the right reasons. Two people who live together in discord creates a stressful environment -- for the children most of all. When your family situation has escalated to this point, divorce may be the healthiest move you can make, especially for the children.