Legal Q&A Topics
Browse published legal information questions. Pages are sorted by recent reader activity.
How do I dispute a phone company charging me for services I never activated?
If a phone company charged you for a service you believe you never activated, the first step is usually to gather your bills, account records, and any messages or screenshots that show what was charged and when. In gener...
Do I have to pay a debt collector if they cannot prove the debt is mine?
In general, a debt collector should be able to identify what debt it is trying to collect and why it says you owe it. If a collector cannot provide enough information to connect the debt to you, that may raise a serious...
Can I record my landlord threatening me if I am worried they will deny it later?
In California, the answer is often: maybe, but you need to be very careful. California is generally considered a two-party consent state for confidential communications, which means recording a conversation without permi...
Can I sue someone for defamation if they posted on Facebook that I stole money from my employer?
In California, a Facebook post accusing someone of stealing money from an employer may potentially support a defamation claim, depending on the exact words used and the surrounding facts. A statement that clearly accuses...
Do I have to pay a fee to claim money that was escheated to the state treasury in New York?
In New York, you usually do not have to pay a fee just to search for or file a basic claim for unclaimed property that was turned over to the state treasury, often called escheated property. In many situations, the state...
Is it legal to move money out of a joint account before filing for divorce?
In Florida, moving money out of a joint account before filing for divorce is not automatically illegal. In general, a person who is a joint owner of an account may have access to the funds in that account. But that does...
What happens if a contractor used cheaper materials than what was listed in our written agreement?
If a contractor used cheaper materials than what your written agreement called for, the situation is often treated as a possible contract dispute, and sometimes also as a consumer-protection issue, depending on the facts...
Is it legal for an insurance company to deny my claim because I waited three days to report the crash?
In Arkansas, an insurance company may try to deny or reduce a claim if the accident was not reported right away, but a delay of three days does not automatically mean the insurer can legally deny the claim. In general, t...
My Contractor Used Unlicensed Workers — Can I Cancel the Contract?
In California, the answer often depends on the facts of the job, the contract terms, and what “unlicensed workers” means in your situation. In general, a contractor using workers who do not hold a required license does n...
Do I have to keep paying child support if my child turned 18 but is still in high school?
In New York, the answer is often yes, but it depends on the facts and on the terms of your support order or agreement. In general, child support does not automatically end the moment a child turns 18. If a child is still...
Can My Employer Deny Sick Leave Because I Didn’t Find Coverage?
In Oregon, an employer usually cannot require you to find someone to cover your shift before allowing protected sick leave, but the answer can depend on the type of leave involved and the employer’s policies. If the abse...
What are my rights if the landlord accepted rent after the eviction notice deadline passed?
In general, if a landlord accepts rent after an eviction notice deadline has passed, that acceptance may affect the eviction process. In some situations, taking rent can be treated as waiving the default or as evidence t...
Do I have to get consent from everyone before recording a family Zoom call about an inheritance dispute?
In Pennsylvania, the answer is often “it depends,” and the safest approach is usually to get consent before recording any family Zoom call. Video and audio recordings can raise privacy, wiretap, and trust issues, especia...
What happens if a private investigator records my conversation from outside my window?
In California, the answer usually depends on what was recorded, where the conversation happened, and whether anyone had a reasonable expectation of privacy. A private investigator standing outside your window does not au...
Do I have to pay alimony if my former spouse now earns more than I do?
In New York, the fact that your former spouse now earns more than you do does not automatically mean alimony, also called spousal maintenance, ends or never has to be paid. Courts usually look at the full financial pictu...