Legal Q&A Topics
Browse published legal information questions. Pages are sorted by recent reader activity.
Is it legal for a state to keep interest earned on money after it is escheated?
In general, the answer depends on the law that governs the unclaimed property and on what happened to the money while the state held it. Escheat or unclaimed property laws usually let the state take custody of abandoned...
What are my rights if my spouse used marital money to pay for an affair?
If you are in Tennessee and your spouse used marital money to support an affair, that fact may matter in a divorce or legal separation case, but it does not automatically create a separate claim for every dollar spent. I...
Is it legal for a store to allow a customer’s dog inside after it growled at people?
In Indiana, a store may be allowed to let a customer bring a dog inside after the dog growled at people, but that does not automatically make the decision safe or risk-free. The legal answer usually depends on the type o...
In Missouri, can a landlord charge every tenant for a plumbing repair after one clogged pipe?
In Missouri, the answer usually depends on what caused the clog, what the lease says, and how the building is set up. A landlord may sometimes pass repair costs to tenants if the lease clearly allows it and the clog was...
Do I Have to Return Wrong Items Sent With My Buyee Order From Japan?
If Buyee or a seller sent you the wrong item, the answer is usually fact-specific. In general, whether you have to return it depends on the purchase terms, who made the mistake, what was delivered, and whether any return...
Can I Break My Lease if Apartment Guest Access Is Severely Restricted?
In California, severely restricted guest access might create a lease or habitability issue, but it does not automatically let a tenant break a lease. The answer usually depends on what the lease says, how the restriction...
What happens if my employer qualifies now but did not qualify during my first two years there?
In general, the answer depends on what law you are talking about. Some workplace laws apply only if an employer has a certain number of employees or meets another coverage test. If your employer did not meet that test du...
How do I prove lost income if I am self-employed and missed three weeks of work?
If you are self-employed and missed three weeks of work, proving lost income usually means showing what you normally earned, what work you lost, and how the missed time affected your business income. That often involves...
Is it legal for child support enforcement to freeze my bank account without warning in Arizona?
In Arizona, child support enforcement may be able to take steps that affect a bank account when child support is overdue, but whether a freeze can happen without warning depends on the facts and the collection process be...
Do I have to pay for damage in a rental car if I bought the company’s collision waiver?
In general, buying a rental car company’s collision waiver may reduce or eliminate your responsibility for certain damage to the rental vehicle, but it does not always mean you owe nothing in every situation. The exact a...
What happens if I received a recording that someone else made illegally under Penal Code 632?
In California, receiving a recording that someone else may have made illegally can create legal risk, but the exact consequences usually depend on what you knew, how you got the recording, and how you used it. Penal Code...
Can police use what I said during a traffic stop if they never Mirandized me?
In general, yes, police may be able to use what you said during a traffic stop even if you were never read Miranda warnings. Miranda warnings are usually required only when a person is both in custody and being questione...
Can my landlord evict me for having a camera doorbell outside my apartment?
In Wyoming, a landlord may be able to challenge or remove a camera doorbell if it violates the lease, building rules, or property policies, but eviction is usually not automatic just because a tenant installed one. The a...
Do I have to get consent if the conversation happened on speakerphone with other people nearby?
In California, the answer may depend on whether the conversation was being recorded or otherwise intercepted, and on whether the people involved had a reasonable expectation of privacy. Speakerphone use by itself does no...
Do I have to pay a cancellation fee for a wedding venue that rescheduled my date without asking?
In general, a wedding venue may not be able to enforce a cancellation fee if the venue itself changed the date without your agreement. But the answer depends heavily on the contract language, what the venue actually did,...