Homelessness Often Treated as a Crime
Each year, 3.5 million Americans will experience homelessness. On a given night, 636,000 individuals are homeless. Of this number, 40 percent will be “unsheltered.” They will have no place to stay, not...
View ArticleFighting Pregnancy Discrimination
Women are the primary or co-primary earners in two-thirds of American households. Their income is essential to the well-being of their families. Many of these women get pregnant. In spite of evidence...
View ArticleNew Rules Proposed to Protect Children’s Privacy Online
At one time, parenting was a lot simpler. All parents had to worry about was their child’s behavior in school, on the playground or around the dinner table. Children lived in protected, limited...
View ArticleLaws on Owning Pit Bulls
Each decade has its “dangerous dog.” In the 1970s, it was Doberman pinschers. In the 1980s, it was German shepherds. In the 1990s, it was Rottweilers. Today, it’s pit bull terriers. Pit bulls were...
View ArticleThe Pluses and Pitfalls of Flexible Spending Accounts
Healthcare flexible spending accounts are an employee benefit by which workers can set aside a certain amount of their salary, pre-tax, to use for healthcare costs. Some 33 million American workers...
View ArticleCompounding Pharmacy Implicated in Deaths
A compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts has been linked to the outbreak of a rare form of fungal meningitis caused by contamination of steroid injections commonly used for back and neck pain...By:...
View ArticleWhat You Should Know and Do If Arrested
Being arrested or detained by the police is a frightening experience. Here are a few things you should know. An arrest occurs when a law enforcement officer takes you into custody and you are not free...
View ArticleNew Tax Laws Will Affect Most Americans
At the beginning of 2013, President Obama signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, averting the dreaded “fiscal cliff” and making significant changes to U.S. tax law. While the top 1 percent of...
View ArticleWhen Can the Police Search Your Car?
For police to legally search your car, a number of circumstances must be met. Because it is mobile and comparatively easy to dispose of, a car has fewer protections against search than a home. Your...
View ArticleWho Gets the House in a Divorce?
In a divorce, assets and debts accrued during the marriage are divided. The most valuable marital asset is usually the house. The largest debt is usually the mortgage. Deciding what happens to the...
View ArticleWill Changes to Minimum Wage Affect Your Pay?
During the recession, many middle-wage jobs were lost and replaced with lower-paid work. Many of these jobs pay the minimum wage, which is set at $7.25 an hour by federal law....By: Janet Raasch
View ArticleVAWA Now Covers LBGTs and Native Americans
Since passage of the original Violence Against Women Act in 1994, reported incidents of violence against women in the United States have decreased by an impressive two-thirds. Still, violence against...
View ArticleCan Your Doctor Block Your Access to Your Medical Records?
No. In every state, your health care provider must provide you with a copy of your medical records if you ask for them....By: Janet Raasch
View ArticleU Visas Protect Crime Victims
People, often women, illegally in the United States can feel that they must choose between lives of abuse or, if they report a crime, the threat of deportation. As a result, many illegal immigrants...
View ArticleIs It Legal for My Landlord to Raise the Rent?
Whether or not your landlord can raise your rent depends on a number of variables, including the terms of your agreement and where you live. But here are some general guidelines....By: Janet Raasch
View ArticleCan My Newborn Be Vaccinated Without My Permission?
When born in a hospital, a baby is routinely given a hepatitis B shot, a vitamin K injection and an application of ointment in the eyes. In all states, a parent can refuse these treatments. It is best...
View ArticleHome Confinement Can Be an Alternative to Prison
Today’s jails and prisons are overcrowded and expensive. To cope, court systems increasingly offer home confinement, or house arrest, as an alternative to traditional incarceration. Home confinement...
View ArticleIs It Legal for My Landlord to Shut Off My Utilities?
In most situations, your landlord is not allowed to cut off your utilities. A landlord who wants you to leave can evict you under the terms of the lease or rental agreement, but cannot cut off your...
View ArticleWho Gets the Retirement Accounts in a Divorce?
When couples divorce, they divide up their “marital assets.” These include retirement accounts created or added to during the course of the marriage. Retirement accounts (along with the family...
View ArticleCan Undocumented Immigrants Get Driver’s Licenses?
The ability to drive a car can be essential to many of the tasks of daily life — taking the kids to school, picking up groceries, going to the doctor and, perhaps most importantly, getting to...
View ArticleLiving Wills Vital to Receiving Desired End-of-Life Care
Most of us have had the same nightmare. We are slowly dying in a hospital bed, tubes going in and out, being kept alive by beeping machines. Worse yet, we are unable to communicate our wishes to our...
View ArticleIs Overdraft Coverage on Your Bank Account Worth the Fees?
If you’re not careful, the cup of coffee that you buy with your debit card can cost you close to $40....By: Janet Raasch
View ArticleCan Your Landlord Evict You for Smoking?
It is getting harder and harder to find a place to smoke cigarettes. Smoking is not allowed in many workplaces; in many retail establishments like stores, restaurants and bars; and in many public...
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