Legal Q&A Topics
Browse published legal information questions. Pages are sorted by recent reader activity.
A contractor poured the patio in the wrong size and wants full payment anyway. Do I have to pay?
In general, if a contractor did work that does not match the agreed size or specifications, you may have a basis to dispute full payment. Under basic contract principles, a homeowner usually pays for work that was agreed...
Can I claim pain and suffering for a minor accident if I had physical therapy for six weeks?
In Utah, you may sometimes claim pain and suffering after a minor accident if the crash caused real physical injury, pain, and treatment such as six weeks of physical therapy. A “minor” accident does not automatically me...
Is it legal for my tax refund to be taken because of defaulted student loans?
In general, yes. A tax refund may be taken, or offset, to collect certain past-due debts, including defaulted federal student loans, depending on the facts and the type of debt involved. This is a common collection tool...
Can I qualify for teacher loan forgiveness and PSLF for the same teaching years?
In general, you may be able to have the same teaching years considered for both Teacher Loan Forgiveness and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), but the rules are not always simple and the programs do not work in exa...
Can my landlord deduct $600 for nail holes and normal wear after I lived there five years?
In Wisconsin, a landlord usually cannot charge a tenant for ordinary wear and tear, and that often includes minor damage that happens from normal living over time. Nail holes from hanging pictures or everyday use may som...
What are my rights if an app recorded audio during a support call without clear notice?
In California, a call recording without clear notice can raise privacy and consent concerns, but the legal answer usually depends on the facts. The most important questions are whether the call was actually recorded, whe...
How do I prove my old employer was a qualifying nonprofit if it no longer exists?
If an old employer no longer exists, proving that it was a qualifying nonprofit usually means reconstructing the organization’s status from records that still exist in government databases, tax filings, corporate filings...
What happens if I accidentally shared someone else’s defamatory post without checking it?
If you accidentally shared someone else’s defamatory post, you may still face legal risk, but the outcome usually depends on several facts, including what you knew, what you repeated, how widely it spread, and whether yo...
How do I protect rental property income in a prenuptial agreement?
In general, a prenuptial agreement can be one way to define how rental property and rental income will be treated during a marriage. For example, the agreement may state that a particular building remains separate proper...
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...
Can I take my roommate to court for damaging shared furniture?
In general, you may be able to bring a court claim against a roommate if they damaged furniture that you own or co-own, but the result usually depends on who owned the item, how the damage happened, and what proof you ha...
Does My Aunt’s Husband Automatically Inherit Her Share of Michigan Property?
In Michigan, an aunt’s husband does not automatically inherit her share of property in every situation. Whether he receives anything usually depends on how the property was titled, whether there was a will or trust, and...
What are my rights if my mineral royalty payments were turned over as unclaimed property?
If your mineral royalty payments were turned over as unclaimed property, you generally still may have a right to claim the money from the state or the holder that reported it. In North Dakota, as in other states, unclaim...
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...
My employer pays bonuses but skipped me after I gave notice. Is that legal?
In California, the answer often depends on what kind of bonus it was, what the employer’s written policies said, and whether you had already met the conditions for earning it before you gave notice. In general, an employ...