Other Areas of Law

Insurance claims can be tricky, but they are certainly not impossible to navigate yourself. If you are about to file a claim with your insurance company, you may consider doing so yourself....

It is nearly impossible to delete your name from public records like voter registrations, property assessment rolls and motor vehicle registrations. Other people are entitled to see those records...

Legal documents encompass many types of paperwork, including contracts, divorce papers, settlement agreements, affidavits and petitions. Although non-lawyers who do not have a law license may not...

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...

All Canadian citizens are required to have a Social Insurance Number, or SIN, before they are allowed to work and access government programs. Like a Social Security Number in the United States,...

Legally speaking, changing the spelling of your name, even one letter, takes as much paperwork as changing your name entirely. When people change their names due to marriage or divorce, the...

Marriage, divorce or a mistake in paperwork can cause an incorrect name to be printed on your Social Security card. It is important to have the correct name associated with your Social Security...

If you've gotten married, divorced or changed your name through court order, you'll need to notify Social Security of the change. You can also apply for a new Social Security card in your new...

An immigrant in the United States who fears returning home may apply for asylum. You may qualify for asylum if you have been persecuted (severe harm) or fear persecution based on your race,...

The United States Government controls immigration to the country by requiring employers to verify the immigration status for all employees. Employers use Form I-9 to verify an employee is...

Not all legal documents need to be witnessed, but if you have a legal document, such as a mortgage or a will, chances are, you want a witness to be able to confirm before a court of law that you...

Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) has two programs government agencies can use to verify the eligibility of a person holding a permanent resident alien card, or "green card." These two...

Financial institutions require documents such as DBAs (doing business as) papers to be notarized before you can open a business account. Other legal documents that require notaries include...

The decision to get married is one of the most important ones you will make in your entire life. But once you get engaged, unnecessary trepidation and worry fades away unless your fiance is not a...

A Correction Agreement gives a mortgage lender limited power of attorney for the borrower. The power of attorney is only exercised after a real-estate closing if changes need to be made on the...

When a baby is born, getting a Social Security number for the infant is the last thing on some parents' minds. Parents are not legally required to do so until the child reaches the age of one....

The rules for filing legal documents differ from state to state. In addition, the specific rules of each courthouse will likely differ. Before attempting to file any legal documents, it is...

There are basically three ways to obtain your California Apostille: 1. Use an Apostille Service, 2. Do-it-yourself, 3. Hybrid of #1 and #2. This article addresses the Apostille Steps so that you...

Due to the large number of civil suits that are filed in courts across the country every day, sheriff's departments cannot keep up with all of the documents that needs to be served in regard to...

A U.S. employer is subject to penalties for hiring someone unauthorized to work, and it has become the employer's responsibility to check to see that a person is authorized to work in the U.S.

You must have a Social Security number in order to get a job in the U.S. and receive Social Security benefits or other services provided by the U.S. government. Your Social Security number, along...

Apostille stamps are certifications that a document is valid and was issued from the nation that created the stamps. All nations that are subject to the Hague Convention, abolishing the...

By definition, an executed legal document represents the final expression of a party's intent to be bound by the instrument. Version numbers should never be assigned to any signed legal document,...

When drafting your complaint or answer, motions, and other formal, written court documents – also called pleadings - that need to be filed for your legal matter, you will find that exhibits are...

Signing a legal document shows your assent to the terms listed in it. Because of the potential ramifications associated with signing a contract or other legal documents, you may be asked to show...

Thanks to federal freedom of information laws as well as state public record laws, the majority of court records are open to public inspection and can easily be accessed if you have the right...

Adding another borrower to an existing mortgage may not be easy. Refinancing is necessary and the second borrower must be approved by the lender. The process may be easier if the co-borrower...

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for paralegals will grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2016. Whether you're contemplating a career change or...

A process server is a person who has the sometimes thankless task of delivering subpoenas and other important documents on behalf of a lawyer to people who are being sued. The process server's job...

There are two main reasons you may want to change your name on your birth certificate. Either there has been a misspelling, typographical error or other mistake on your birth certificate, or you...

There are multiple types of courts that adjudicate lawsuits. For instance, you might be able to file a lawsuit in family, small claims, civil, criminal, district, county or federal court. If you...

A visa is a document needed by any people who are not naturally born citizens of the United States to legally enter the country. Without a proper visa, a person is considered an illegal immigrant...

Legal forms of identification are used to establish identity, residency and citizenship. Employers, schools, government agencies, banks, social service agencies all may ask for legal ID before...

A paralegal is an integral part of a lawyer's practice. A lawyer relies on a paralegal to handle cases, draft court documents, manage the office and speak with clients. The lawyer uses the work...

A paralegal is a person who researches law, prepares documents and files them with the court. Paralegals can work independently or directly under an attorney. If you only need assistance with...

The small claims court process is designed for individuals and small businesses to get justice quickly and inexpensively. The system is less formal than other courts, and usually simplified to the...

The process of becoming a paralegal involves instruction at a college or university, where the candidate learns the skills that will give him or her an advantage upon entering the job market. The...

Protecting against identity theft should be a top concern for everyone. The statistics bear this out: "Up to 700,000 people in the United States may be victimized by identity bandits each year,"...

Canada is a country with diverse cultures, a proud heritage and beautiful lands. For some individuals who desire to live in Canada, this country is a dream come true. The process required for a...

The Freedom of Information Act was passed in 1966 to promote government transparency and increase public accountability for the policies, procedures and actions undertaken by agencies of the...

At some time nearly everybody will need some basic legal documents. Attorneys can draft them at hourly rates of $100 or more or you can buy these documents online. Working with an attorney will...

A North Carolina Notary Public notarizes legal documents for the state of North Carolina. In addition to notarizing and witnessing documents, the notary must follow certain guidelines and rules.

Falling in love is the most beautiful thing in life. However, when that special person is a foreigner, the love birds must be separated until the foreigner can obtain a visa to enter the U.S. ...

A state photo identification card is an alternative form of identification for individuals who do not have a driver's license. Pennsylvania residents over 16 years of age are eligible to obtain a...

A property settlement often arises out of a divorce, in which one party keeps the property or the divorcing spouses agree to sell it and split the proceeds. But if one person doesn't keep up their...

Legal fees are charges billed by an attorney for representing a client. Attorneys usually charge fees for any services that are performed for the client.

To verify employment eligibility, a potential employee must be able to produce at least two documents. These can be selected from several options broken into three lists. An employee must produce...

The Federal Rules of Evidence explain the use of facts in court. Rule 1002 is part of Chapter XI; Contents of Writings, Recordings and Photographs. It is a modern interpretation of the Common Law...

To change your name on legally binding documents, you will need to provide proof that your name has been changed due to a new status or a specific action of the courts. Once you obtain...

Lawyers are expensive, and sometimes they are not necessary. Many routine legal transactions can be done without a lawyer. If you are a do-it-yourself type person, you can probably figure out how...