Other Areas of Law

The rules for obtaining name changes vary by state, with certain restrictions in common. For example, you cannot change your name with the intention of perpetrating a fraud, nor can you change...

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...

Preparing for a court trial often includes obtaining subpoenas for relevant documents and key witnesses. Some documentary evidence is easy to subpoena because it is not protected by...

When you file for personal bankruptcy, you must notify all creditors of your bankruptcy petition by mail. Under a Chapter 7 plan, your estate will be liquidated to pay these creditors. Under a...

Filing a lawsuit against ING Financial is a moderately complex process because it is what legally is known as a holding company. ING Financial undertakes its operations with customers and clients...

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...

A legal settlement is an acknowledgment by parties to a civil court case that it is in their best interests to agree to settle the matter rather than face the inherent risks of proceeding to trial.

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...

A civil action officially commences when an individual who has a dispute with another files a complaint against that person in court. The complaint is a short and plain statement of the facts...

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...

The rules and procedures associated with filing a petition in civil court are similar across the country. Although there are some local variations, overall the main elements of starting a civil...

A civil court injunction is an order that requires an individual, business or other entity either to stop or continue a specified activity. There are two general types of injunctions: temporary...

Judgments are money debts. County courts issue judgments at the conclusion of a trial. County courts exist in the United States but are more prevalent in England.

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...

It is the policy of all federal district courts to encourage settlement of civil cases. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (F.R.C.P.), Rule 16, requires the parties and counsel to meet in one or...

Are you thinking about taking someone to civil court also known as small claims court? Filing a civil suit against someone is an effective way of getting money that is owed to you. Many people...

A civil court filing is the process in which parties to a lawsuit file various legal documents associated with their particular civil case with the designated court that has jurisdiction to hear...

A judgment is an official designation entered on a court's docket that signifies that a plaintiff has prevailed in his court case against the named defendant. A settlement is an agreement by both...

Most civil court cases are settled prior to trial. The specific terms of most settlements are embodied in a legally binding contract that specifies the terms and conditions of the parties'...

Although making a settlement agreement in your court case is a significant event, it is not necessarily the end of your case. Until the other side has performed according to the settlement...

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...

Sometimes taking your case through trial may not be the best answer. In the moment, you may be emotionally charged to have your grievance heard, and that can be natural. However, before you...

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...

An attorney who takes your case on "contingency" is agreeing that you will pay a fee for services only if you win the case. Contingency fees may be high, because they take the attorney's level of...

Garnishment is a form of debt collection wherein a creditor takes the money they are owed directly from a debtor's paycheck or bank account. Garnishments must be approved by the court. When a...

When you receive notice of a lawsuit filed with your state's small claims court, you need to turn your thoughts to your defense. In most states, you don't have to have a lawyer to defend you, but...

There a numerous reasons you may want to dismiss a small claims case. If you and the opposing party have reached an out-of-court settlement, dismissing the case is appropriate. You also may...

So you've received a summons to appear in court for a credit card debt. What this means is that a creditor has decided to sue you in a civil court case for a debt you owe. You may not have heard...

You won the arbitration and the dispute is over--or maybe not. Until you collect the award, you still have further work to do. The first step is to simply request payment. If that does not produce...

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...

Civil cases are filed to resolve disputes regarding a variety of matters, many arising out of accidents, injuries or contract. Although these cases are prepared and pursued in such a way that the...

If you feel that you have been unfairly penalized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you can contest the penalty in court. There are several ways to sue the IRS and you will probably want to...

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...

Tax law is complicated, so much so that sometimes taxpayers and the IRS disagree over who's interpreting the law correctly, and going to court is the only way to resolve the issue. There are...

Small-claims court is sometimes called the people's court because you can't have a lawyer represent you. It is designed to quickly and inexpensively settle claims that amount to $7,500 or less.

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,...

Civil court actions are lawsuits filed by a plaintiff against a defendant. Each civil action is docketed by a court and tracked. Every pleading that is filed in connection with the civil action...

A marriage contract is a legal agreement between two people. The contract identifies the two people entering into the agreement and outlines the purpose it will serve. Included in the marriage...

You make a civil court case by filing a civil complaint against one or more defendants and then formally serving those defendants with a copy of the complaint. The complaint can cover any legal or...

County Court judgments are made by County Courts in England and Wales. The judgments are entered on the Register of County Court Judgments, which can be checked by anyone to assess the...

The large majority of lawsuits are tried in state court. You may file suit in federal district court only if the court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of the lawsuit and the parties...

Each court system has its own rules for filing documents and claims, including electronic submissions. Within the federal system, each district has its own local rules with some districts...

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...

How a civil court case is dismissed depends a whole lot on who's doing the dismissing. It's usually easier for the person bringing the suit to have it voluntarily dismissed than for the person...

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,...