I have been fielding a lot of inquiries about whether people are eligible for any of the many programs out there, including many people applying for unemployment for the first time. As I have said before, the old rules don’t apply right now, so just because you thought that you would be ineligible for unemployment if “X” happened, things may have changed. So even if you think you might not be eligible for Read More

If you worked as an independent contractor for a company (i.e., Uber, Lyft, Instacart  etc.), and receive a Form 1099 at the end of the year instead of wages reported on a W2, you might be confused about what your options are for receiving money from the government since you were not classified by your company as an "employee." But there is help for you, too. Here are some of the options available to you as of this Read More

On Friday, March 28, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was officially signed into law.  This a historic, sweeping law that will do a lot for a lot of people, even though I’m sure not everyone is pleased with how the money is being distributed.   But I read the entire thing.  It took me most of an entire day, but I wanted to take the time to explain what’s in and what is not, Read More

When it comes to communicating with a representative from your insurance company after a car accident or when filing a claim, less is more. Similar to the “anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law” concept of criminal interrogation, you should generally refrain from saying anything you are not obligated to share with an insurance agent. The best practice is to always say exactly what Read More

As children are very rarely treated as adults when they commit a criminal offense, you might think that they are similarly off-limits if you are considering a civil suit. However, there are situations in which you may be able to collect a payout after a personal injury, though it is more difficult than if an adult was responsible. The child’s age and intent, as well as the nature of the activity the child was engaged Read More

With the exception of Montana, all states have some form of at-will employment that governs firing practices at public entities and private companies. If you are indeed employed “at-will,” (again, the vast majority of American workers are considered at-will) then you may generally be fired at any point in your employment for any reason. Employees in every state (again, besides Montana) are presumed to be employed Read More

If you are attempting to earn a payout of damages after a personal injury to yourself, you can be sure the negligent party or parties that caused the harm will do everything possible to avoid paying anything. One of the defenses that may be raised in a personal injury case is assumption-of-risk. This type of defense will essentially try to pin blame on you, the victim, for your own injury.  The central argument in an Read More

Since 1992, individuals with disabilities have been protected from discrimination in the workplace thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the ADA, employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees with a disability at any stage of the employment process. This includes recruiting, hiring, interviewing, and even promoting employees. If you invoke the ADA while you are employed Read More