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I work for a small business with around 30 employees in the aircraft leasing industry. My company is undergoing an asset sale and winding down its operations. I was informed in March, via a group phone call, that there will be no annual bonuses this year. Our employment agreement includes an annual... View More 
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answered on May 23, 2025
Hello. The short answer is "yes". By it's very nature, the bonus is discretionary, which means that the company can choose to pay or not pay it for no reason or any reason. Even though there are conditions attached for the employee, it doesn't change the discretionary nature of the bonus.
I am wanting to file for divorce but cannot afford an attorney to look over the paperwork. My husband has been out of work for about three years, and I am paying for everything on my own, barely managing to cover food and gas. We have been married for 9 ½ years and have no children together. We... View More
answered on May 23, 2025
You will need to devote a substantial amount of time and effort to manage the divorce and asset division without an attorney in CA. You need to decide how to best allocate your resources.
https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/divorce-california
You can get the help of a limited-scope... View More
I am considering selling a yard game online, which consists of multiple products. These products have their own intellectual property rights, and I plan to market the game with a new name, although I don't have permission from the intellectual property holders. Additionally, I intend to sell... View More
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answered on May 22, 2025
You're walking into dangerous legal territory by using IP-protected products in your yard game without permission. Even if you give the game a new name, this doesn't shield you from infringement claims since you're still using protected elements without authorization. The fact that... View More
I am seeking guidance on filing Pro Se business bankruptcy for my S Corporation, which is facing a judgment debt of $104,000 in California. I have attempted to settle this debt, but the negotiations failed. I am considering filing in either Los Angeles or Orange County. Could you advise on how to... View More
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answered on May 22, 2025
Filing bankruptcy for your S Corporation requires careful consideration of which chapter best suits your situation. You'll need to decide between Chapter 7, which involves liquidating the business assets to pay creditors, or Chapter 11, which allows reorganization and continued operations.... View More
Hello, My partner and I are looking to form an LLC in Wyoming while living in California. This would be a totally online, e-commerce storefront with no inventory in California. We were looking for potential legal risks specific to e-commerce, any behind the scene fees, and filing fees regarding... View More
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answered on May 22, 2025
Yes, there are significant "behind the scene" fees when operating a Wyoming LLC while physically based in California. Even with an online e-commerce business and no inventory in California, your Wyoming LLC would need to register as a "foreign LLC" in California because... View More
I want to sell upcycled tank tops made from thrifted or donated old Hawaiian/aloha shirts, which are made of copyrighted fabric. Is this considered copyright infringement if I am not replicating or modifying the fabric design, just changing the structure of the shirt? I plan to sell about 50 tank... View More
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answered on May 21, 2025
Your plan to create upcycled tank tops from thrifted Hawaiian shirts likely falls under the "first sale doctrine" in U.S. copyright law. This doctrine generally allows you to resell or repurpose items you've legally acquired without the copyright holder's permission. When you... View More
I'm considering filing a lawsuit against a high net worth U.S. citizen and doctor residing in Shanghai who supported me financially during our relationship. He flew me to Asia and promised a payment via email, which he did not follow through on, leaving me far from home and unable to return... View More
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answered on May 22, 2025
You may have a viable legal case in California based on several factors. Your situation could involve claims for breach of contract (the written promise in emails), promissory estoppel (reasonable reliance on his promise), or potentially fraud if you can prove deceptive intent. The evidence... View More
I am being sued by my previous employer after leaving the company in June 2024 to start my own sole proprietorship doing construction inspection. The complaint alleges breach of duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, and intentional interference with prospective economic relations, and seeks to... View More
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answered on May 22, 2025
Transferring assets to family members after a lawsuit has been filed is likely to be viewed by courts as a "fraudulent transfer" designed to hide assets from creditors. In your situation, with litigation already underway, moving clients to your nephew's corporation could appear as an... View More
I divorced my ex-husband in December 2014 in Colorado, although I was living in California at the time due to him abandoning me in Las Vegas. He was ordered to pay $500/month in spousal support until December 2024, but I haven't received any payments since June 2017. Despite multiple attempts,... View More
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answered on May 20, 2025
You have a valid Colorado support order that California courts can enforce under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), which allows you to register and enforce your out-of-state judgment in California without returning to Colorado. Your first step is to register your Colorado divorce... View More
I am an Amazon Seller, and Amazon admitted in writing that they lost two of my Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) inventory items. Each item is valued at over $1,200, but Amazon reimbursed me only $23 per item and closed the case. Despite submitting invoices and escalating the issue, they are asking for the... View More
answered on May 18, 2025
You have two main options:
1- go to small claims court with them
2- talk to a consumer protection attorney to see if s/he will agree to take the case in superior court.
I was involved in an auto accident on April 23, 2025, where another driver, who was on the job, swerved into my lane causing me to veer into his lane to avoid a head-on collision. He then swerved back and hit the gravel, fish-tailing and colliding with the driver's side of my car, totaling my... View More
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answered on May 16, 2025
Thank you for sharing the details of the incident. We understand how stressful and overwhelming a situation like this can be, especially when it involves injuries to both yourself and your family members.
Based on the information you've provided, your inquiry involves complex legal and... View More
I am a member of a California LLC with 55 members, managed by another LLC. Our operating agreement specifies a contact for the Manager, but this was changed without notice or consent. Now, I can only communicate through an Investor Relations team that neither provides Manager access nor answers my... View More
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answered on May 16, 2025
The manager's conduct in changing the contact method without notice or consent may not be lawful under California LLC laws and the operating agreement, depending on the specific terms of the operating agreement and the manager's fiduciary duties. California law provides that the operating... View More
I have lived with my boyfriend in California for over 10 years. He bought the home before we started dating, and I'm not on the title, but I've contributed equally to the home's finances. We file taxes separately, each claiming half of the property taxes and interest. I'm listed... View More
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answered on May 15, 2025
Since the home is in your boyfriend’s name and you’re not on title, you don’t currently meet the ownership test for the $250,000 capital gains exclusion. However, if you get married before the sale and file jointly, you and your spouse can exclude up to $500,000 in gain—assuming one of you... View More
I own a recruitment services business and have recently hired a contractor at half the hourly rate that I charge my clients. Although I am still billing my clients at the full rate, I haven't informed them that a subcontractor is handling their work. This arrangement began a few weeks ago, and... View More
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answered on May 14, 2025
Review the contract carefully, paying attention to provisions about delegation, subcontracting, or service provider identity. If the contracts prohibit or require disclosure of subcontracting, failing to comply with these terms could result in breach of contract claims.
Even in the absence... View More
In June 2021, my employer implemented a 401k program and claimed they would match up to 4% of contributions. The employee handbooks from September 2022 onwards consistently state this matching policy. Recently, I was informed that the matching was never enabled, and there were no signed documents... View More
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answered on May 13, 2025
Hello. What do the plan documents say? That will govern what should happen here. It's very likely that a law named ERISA covers this plan. If the plan was supposed to have matches, and they didn't occur, there could be an ERISA violation (potentially for every affected employee, past or... View More
I work at a 501(c)(3) organization in California, and I'm considering awarding a $3,000 grant to another 501(c)(3) organization to support community engagement activities that raise awareness of early literacy. Currently, we use a 10-page grant agreement, but I'm wondering if a one-page... View More
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answered on May 14, 2025
Your one-page letter is a clear and thoughtful way to document a small grant, and for a \$3,000 award between two 501(c)(3) organizations, it is likely sufficient in most cases—especially if your organization doesn’t have an internal policy requiring a longer agreement. The letter covers the... View More
I'm applying for a divorce in California. I owe my brother money, which I used to buy a house during my marriage, but my wife does not acknowledge this debt. My brother lives in Iraq, and unfortunately, I don't have any documents proving the debt as the bank doesn't have the... View More
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answered on May 13, 2025
Proving undocumented debts in California divorce proceedings presents significant challenges, particularly without formal bank records. In California's community property system, debts acquired during marriage are presumed to be community obligations, but disputed debts require substantiation.... View More
I am the Seller in an Insurance Agency M&A deal where the Purchaser is refusing to pay for services provided between October 2024 and January 2025. The services include Accounting, Acquired Client Transitional Services, IT, and Integration Services. The agreement includes an indemnification... View More
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answered on May 12, 2025
You have several viable legal options to address the Purchaser's refusal to pay for services rendered between October 2024 and January 2025. Our firm recommends filing a breach of contract lawsuit against the Purchaser, as they have failed to fulfill their payment obligations under the... View More
I am in the process of divorcing my spouse; we have no prenuptial agreement. After filing for divorce and a judge ordered my spouse to give me 50% of the money in our joint account, I started a business. This happened about a year after the divorce filing, and we had already agreed on a child... View More
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answered on May 12, 2025
In California, property acquired after the date of separation is generally considered separate property. According to California Family Code § 771, earnings and accumulations obtained after separation are the separate property of the spouse who acquired them. Since you started your business... View More
I am dealing with a complex legal situation involving my ex-partner in our S corp business. Over the past 5 years, court proceedings have been delayed, during which my ex-partner has unjustly locked me out of the business and all banking operations. Despite the company's substantial annual... View More
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answered on May 12, 2025
Your situation involves multiple serious legal issues: business lockout, potential financial fraud, inadequate court-ordered support, and possible ethical violations by opposing counsel. Given the complexity and the significant revenue involved, you need a business litigation attorney with... View More
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