Legal Q&A Topics
Browse published legal information questions. Pages are sorted by recent reader activity.
Can I bring a claim if a dog bite left a scar on my face?
In Virginia, a dog bite that leaves a scar on your face may be part of a personal injury claim, depending on the facts. A visible facial scar can matter because it may be considered a permanent injury, a disfigurement, o...
What happens if police read Miranda rights after I already made damaging statements?
In general, Miranda warnings are meant to protect a person during custodial police questioning. If police read the warnings only after you have already made damaging statements, that does not automatically erase the earl...
Do I have to give the insurance company access to my mental health records?
In general, an insurance company does not automatically get unlimited access to your mental health records just because you make a claim. Whether you have to share them usually depends on the type of insurance, what you...
Is it defamation if someone falsely says my nonprofit misused donations?
In general, a false statement that a nonprofit misused donations can be defamatory if it is communicated to someone else and harms the nonprofit’s reputation. A statement like this may be especially serious because it su...
Can I sue my landlord if I found a hidden camera inside my bedroom smoke detector?
If you found a hidden camera inside a smoke detector in your bedroom, that can raise very serious privacy and safety concerns. In California, a landlord generally is not allowed to secretly record a tenant in a private a...
What happens if a subscription streaming service charged my expired card through a card updater program?
If a subscription streaming service charged an expired card through a card updater program, the charge may still go through even though the card you originally gave the company was no longer active. In general, card upda...
Can a minor get protection from harassment by another student in Washington?
Yes, a minor in Washington may be able to seek legal protection from harassment by another student, depending on the facts and the type of conduct involved. In general, Washington law can provide protection orders or oth...
What are my rights if a student loan settlement company charged $900 and did nothing?
If a student loan settlement company in Oklahoma charged you $900 and then did little or nothing, you may have several possible consumer-law concerns, depending on exactly what was promised, what was delivered, and how t...
My Phone Repair Shop Lost My Device — What Can I Recover?
If a phone repair shop lost your device in Illinois, you may be able to recover the value of the phone and, in some situations, related losses caused by the loss. What is recoverable usually depends on the facts, includi...
Can a company escheat a refund check if I never cashed it?
In general, yes. If a refund check is issued to you and you never cash it, the company may eventually treat the money as unclaimed property and turn it over to the state under Virginia’s unclaimed-property rules. That pr...
What are my rights if a business reported my customer credit balance as abandoned?
If a business reported your customer credit balance as abandoned, you may have rights to notice, to claim the balance, and to challenge the reporting if the balance was not actually abandoned under applicable law. In gen...
What are my rights if the officer mumbled the Miranda warning and I could not hear it?
In general, Miranda warnings are meant to inform you of important constitutional rights before certain police questioning. If an officer mumbled the warning, spoke too quickly, or otherwise made it hard to hear, that may...
How do I include ownership of a family business in a prenup?
If you own or expect to receive an interest in a family business, a prenuptial agreement can often be used to clarify how that ownership will be treated if you marry. In general, the prenup can say whether the business i...
Is it legal for someone to threaten to release private photos unless I talk to them?
In general, a threat to release private photos in order to pressure someone into talking, meeting, or complying may raise serious legal concerns. In Washington, the answer often depends on what exactly was said, what the...
My Employer Reduced My Commission After the Sale Closed — Is That Legal?
In Florida, whether an employer may reduce your commission after a sale closes usually depends on the commission agreement, company policy, and when the commission was earned under the applicable arrangement. In general,...