Other Laws

For people who live in California wanting a name and gender change, there are a series of steps they can take to officially and legally change this information. You’re social security number won’t...

After a person has passed away you may want to find out if they have left anything for you in their will. If you are not sure if someone in your family has left something to you in their will, a...

If you’ve started a legal case against someone or a company, you might be offered a structured settlement in which you are paid a certain amount of money over a period of time rather than taking...

Obtaining the guardianship of a child requires the close involvement of the probate or family court. The court closely reviews a petition seeking the appointment of a guardian and then monitors...

Divorce is often a messy, and sometimes nasty, proceeding. When a married couple has decided that they wish their union to be split, an accounting is done of all the assets and all the debts, and...

You may wish to legally change your last name to your maternal grandfather's last name for a number of reasons. Perhaps you just went through a divorce and you don't want to revert back to your...

While a person can use any name they choose for personal interaction and non-formal documents, using a name other than that which is on a person's birth certificate for legal forms requires an...

After a plaintiff wins a lawsuit, the court enters a judgment that usually is monetary. The court does not actively collect money for plaintiffs. If a defendant does not have any assets, then it...

The U.S. Supreme Court justices receive correspondence from the public by letter rather than by email.

Before you fire your accident lawyer, make sure that you understand the status of your case and have new counsel in place. If you do not have time to retain a new lawyer before your next trial or...

Court judicial hearing officers are taking larger roles in courthouses across the country today. These judicial hearing officers undertake different functions depending on the specific court...

Missing a court date without informing the proper parties may result in the judge issuing a warrant for your arrest. If you become ill or have another sudden emergency that will prevent you from...

Having to bail someone out of jail is an unfortunate situation for anyone to deal with. Your first time dealing with the legal system can be an intimidating process. If you are called upon to help...

Finding a federal court record can be difficult. U.S. courts are just beginning to step into the technology age, and not all records are available online. However, with a little hard work and...

Everyone has the right to feel "safe." Unfortunately this right is sometimes infringed upon by another party or parties. Whether a person's well-being is threatened in any way,...

A sociopath is a person who is unable to feel empathy or conscience and who cannot internalize and act according to social norms. Sociopaths are often manipulative and deceitful, using other...

The purpose of small claims court is to give people a place to resolve their disputes without spending a lot of time and money. In California, an individual may file a claim for up to $7,500. The...

In most states, felony criminal cases and civil lawsuits may start with local police or courts but are usually processed in a state-level court. Each county houses a court to handle those matters,...

There are federal courts for handling criminal, civil and bankruptcy matters. Criminal cases that have connections to more than one state, or to Canada or Mexico, are handled in a U.S. district...

If you receive a notice of hearing or summons to appear in court and you cannot attend, you must ask the court to reschedule the hearing date. To move a court date, you must file a "motion to...

If you have gone to court and obtained a restraining order to protect yourself from the abusive conduct of another person, federal law mandates that all existing restraining orders made in any...

If a member of your family (or another person with whom you have a close personal relationship) is unable to care for her needs, obtaining guardianship papers is an option. Established through the...

If you find yourself being harassed by a person who resides in another state, you can obtain restraining orders to protect yourself. Every state and the District of Columbia have laws that provide...

Regardless of how prepared you may be for a trial, occasionally something will come up preventing you from making your court date. Missing a court date can have drastic negative consequences. You...

Understanding the landmark United States Supreme Court case "Roe v. Wade" requires the examination of complicated topics such as when human life begins, the doctor/patient relationship, rights to...

So you don't like your name---want to change it? You can legally change your name by filling out a few forms and forking over a few bucks. Legal (also known as court ordered) name changes are...

Court records are an important source of public information that can be useful for both individuals and businesses. Nowadays, pre-employment background checks are routinely performed as part of...

Any date that the court assigns to you is considered your promise to show up in court. Missing a court date or "failure to appear" can have dire legal and financial consequences.

Being served papers for a small claims court can be alarming and confusing. Unfortunately, due to misunderstandings of the processes that must be followed once papers are served, many individuals...

According to the Quiz Law website, a will is "a document prepared by someone which states what they want to happen to their property when they die." Wills specify how the deceased's possessions...

An appeal is the process of asking a court to reverse or modify a previous judgment in a legal matter. The reasoning behind an appeal is that humans are prone to error, and even a small error...

If you live in Alabama, your landlord can terminate your rental agreement for property damage, not following rules in the agreement, or nonpayment of rent. If you don't pay your rent, the landlord...

Judges order criminal defendants to undergo mental competency evaluations in order to determine their ability to stand trial. Psychologists and psychiatrists will employ a variety of methods to...

Small claims court can be a scary experience for someone who is trying to sue another party, but it doesn't have to be. Small claims is reserved for small amounts of damages, usually under $10,000...

Superior courts give citizens the information they need to judge their fellow citizens and know how justice is done. As servants to the public, court officers keep their daily work open to the...

Although the judge presides over a courtroom, the courtroom clerk ensures that the proceedings progress smoothly. The courtroom clerk keeps track of the cases, makes sure the appropriate people...

A day and time scheduled for a hearing or a trial is called a setting; sometimes, unforeseen events will come up that make your setting impossible to keep as originally scheduled. If you go about...

Dementia is a gradual loss of the ability to think caused by Alzheimer's Disease and other conditions. As the disease progresses, it may become necessary for a person with dementia to have a...

Although your name contains your identity, you don't get to choose your first one. Someone in your family, usually your parents, christened you according to what appealed to them or what they...

A restraining order is issued by a judge to keep a reasonable distance between two or more people who are disrupting, endangering or threatening the life of the other. The first step is to file...

While every adult U.S. citizen has a right to change his name, the new name must meet certain criteria. No one may change his name for the purposes of committing a crime and concealing his...

If a bank imposes a garnishment of your wages in order to pay off a debt, that could make it impractical for you to live on your earned income or support a family. You can file a claim of...

The only requirement to become a Supreme Court justice is approval by a majority of the United States Senate.

Finding information on an inmate's court date is easy if you know the county and state of incarceration. The information is a matter of public record, and most counties will have it online in a...

Court reporters document word-for-word transcripts when a legal record is necessary for an oral proceeding. This process includes typing what attorneys, judges, witnesses and other parties say...

The state of Georgia does not interfere with the affairs of landlords and tenants, but landlords and tenants can take the matters to court. According to the Georgia Department of Community...

Associate Justices are the eight members of the U.S. Supreme Court in addition to the Chief Justice. Associate Justices have specific duties in their roles as members of the highest court in the...

De novo standard of review describes a type of legal appeal where the appeals court looks at the case anew, as if the earlier trial had never occurred. Other standards of appellate review grant...

The state of New York strictly limits who can obtain certified copies of birth certificates. Only the person named on the birth certificate or the named person's parents can request a birth...

Rules of evidence govern the admissibility of facts during trials. Each state has its own rules of evidence while all federal courts adhere to the Federal Rules of Evidence. In addition, evidence...