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I'm planning to start a trading card business with my partner, where we are the only two people working for the business. We plan to keep finances simple with a joint business account and track all purchases. Our primary goal is to grow the business, and we're looking for a 50/50... View More 
answered on Apr 16, 2025
You should meet with an experienced business attorney and a CPA to discuss this before you just choose an entity type (LLC v LLP v S Corporation) and have a 50/50 partnership. I am generally not a fan of 50/50 ownership unless you have very clear documentation on how you terminate or get out of a... View More
During an argument at work, a coworker, who is in the military reserves, threatened to beat me up and insulted my age by calling me old and senile. In response, I mentioned I wasn't afraid of him because he is in the stupid military. He filed a discrimination claim against me, alleging... View More
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answered on Apr 9, 2025
Hi,
You may want to seek counsel within Florida if that is the jurisdiction you are working in. This is a matter of some concern to you obviously, as it should be. Unfortunately, you have to wait on the response from your employer but if you have not given notice of the co-worker's... View More
I rented a house in Pittsburgh, PA, with a friend and we were both taken to court by our landlord, who won a judgment for $5,600 against us for damages. Although we are both named on the court papers, the landlord's lawyer claims I am responsible for the entire amount, possibly because my... View More
answered on Apr 9, 2025
You and your co-judgment debtor are each responsible for 100% of the judgment amount. if the other guy can't be found, refuses to pay, etc., its all on you. Landlord's attorney is 100% correct.
I am a 65-year-old driver who received my first-ever citation for not yielding in Pennsylvania. The incident involved a low black motorcycle that I did not see due to its color matching the newly paved blacktop, and the rider was also wearing black. There were witnesses who also did not see the... View More
answered on Apr 5, 2025
A Pennsylvania attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for a month. You may have resolved this or rescheduled this by now. A local traffic ticket defense attorney should advise here (I can't speak for Pennsylvania, but nationwide, it is common for failure-to-yield violations... View More
I, the father, have filed a petition of contempt against the mother for arranging a psychological evaluation for our child without my consent, though we have joint legal custody. The mother has filed a petition to transfer the case to a new jurisdiction, as she and the child have moved to a... View More
answered on Mar 27, 2025
You should always file your response timely according to the rules of civil procedure. You will want to check to verify whether the prior relocation order specified whether issuing court retains jurisdiction or if it provides for a transfer to the new state of primary residence of the child. I... View More
I have been cleared to return to work after a workers' compensation claim. Am I required to inform the workers' compensation insurance company about my new employer if I haven't informed anyone yet, there are no continuing benefits, and there were no specific instructions given... View More
answered on Mar 24, 2025
If you are not currently receiving wage loss benefits, you are not required to proactively inform the carrier of the new employer. If you receive reporting forms, you will then need to include the new employer in your response on those forms.
My wife has filed for divorce, and the situation has been stressful due to a rumor about me cheating, which I deny. Recently, she pressured me to sign a prenuptial agreement so I wouldn't pursue our house in the divorce. She threatened to divorce me immediately if I didn’t sign. I had no... View More
answered on Mar 23, 2025
First of all, it appears that you signed a post-nuptial agreement, not a pre-nup. Post-nuptial means "after marriage". Typically, the burden is on the person claiming to have been unduly pressured to sign an agreement or contract. It's a high bar to get over but it may be possible.... View More
I received an email from a pre-litigation company about a credit card debt with HSBC that was supposedly charged off in 2016. The representative mentioned that the debt was purchased by a law firm and could be pursued for breach of contract under a 10-year statute of limitations. I have lived in... View More
answered on Mar 14, 2025
A "charge-off" of a debt is an internal accounting process, and it has no legal effect on the indebtedness.
You appear to be correct about the length of PA limitations.
Note that the PA statute of limitations runs from the date of default. That period may be extended,... View More
I have a court order that states my child’s father gets visitation the second weekend of every month from Friday at 7:30 p.m. to Sunday. The new month recently started on a Saturday. The previous Friday was February 28th, and I did not consider that weekend to be the first weekend of the month as... View More
answered on Mar 7, 2025
Bear in mind that I'm providing this information to you without having had the opportunity to review the current order. I would say that logically the weekends start on Friday and so in this case I believe your interpretation is correct. However, if it's not really a huge issue for you,... View More
I started a lawsuit against Pennsylvania American Water because I was being charged an exorbitant amount for water usage, equivalent to an Olympic-sized pool, for my one-bedroom apartment. My landlord and an independent plumber confirmed there were no leaks or issues with the plumbing.... View More
answered on Mar 7, 2025
A Pennsylvania attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for almost a month. This might be too complex a matter for attorneys to offer a quick and direct response to on a public Q & A forum. If you approached an attorney on this, they're going to want to examine the... View More
I was at work in Pennsylvania and went to a customer's house. While proceeding to the backyard, I slipped and fell on visible ice and broke my tibia and ankle. There were no warning signs about the icy conditions. I reported the incident to my employer and am currently in the hospital for... View More
answered on Mar 2, 2025
You can potentially sue the homeowner and claim workers' compensation. You will still want to claim workers' compensation to pay for your current medical bills and to provide income now since a personal injury claim may take several years to resolve. The workers' compensation... View More
My husband believes he doesn't need a will since he assumes I, as his wife, will automatically inherit everything. I think he should have a will. He has no legal documents regarding his assets, which are only in his name, and he wishes for me to inherit everything after his passing. He has... View More
answered on Feb 28, 2025
The short answer is for assets that are owned solely by your husband you do NOT inherit all of his assets when he dies. In fact, since the children are not from your marriage, you would most likely inherit only one-half (1/2) of his assets and the other half would go to his children.
if... View More
I moved out of state for a job advertised as an office manager position, but it was actually an accountant role for a small business and personal accountant for the owner. The job falsely advertised benefits like paid holidays and insurance, which were not provided. I have the original job listing... View More
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answered on Feb 27, 2025
Sorry to hear of this. My suggestion is that you call an employment attorney in your locale and discuss possible claims falling under gender discrimination and harassment. You can also reach out to the EEOC online and file a complaint. It is urgent that you do so quickly as there are limitation... View More
I'm employed through an agency that contracts with a school district to hire substitutes and paraprofessionals. I recently posted a comment on a news article about a raise for the superintendent and assistant superintendent, which was publicly disclosed, but not the specific amount.... View More
answered on Feb 25, 2025
Public school teachers have First Amendment rights. The First Amendment doesn't give public school teachers unlimited rights, but may protect their speech when speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern. If your situation fits within that scope, and you were not hired as a... View More
I am considering bidding on a second chance foreclosure property in Pennsylvania. The auction offers the property with a Special Warranty Deed (Quitclaim) and mentions no warranties. The property has a first and second mortgage, and the total outstanding amount for both is $198,000. If the winning... View More
answered on Feb 24, 2025
When finished (judicial Order confirming sale), a judicial foreclosure removes all liens, and Sheriff pays on taxea, poundage and liens per PA priority.
All liens foreclosed are removed from property and successful bidder gets Sheriff's feed (a quitclaim deed).
If a... View More
I am concerned about a situation where the same bank teller named themselves as the beneficiary of an alcoholic's IRA and managed to make withdrawals when the individual was intoxicated and legally married. The individual has now passed away, leaving notes that are difficult to interpret.... View More
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answered on Feb 23, 2025
You might start by the Next of Kin calling the local LEOs in PA. Apparently proof may be difficult. The surviving Spouse should at least make the complaint. A civil suit for conversion and fraud will be difficult, but discovery might show how the teller accessed the monies without authority.... View More
My uncle was born as Patrick James Gallagher, but he has always gone by James or P. James. Some bank accounts list him as James J. Gallagher. We are having trouble obtaining a power of attorney because the names don't match. We were informed that a notarized document is needed, but we're... View More
answered on Feb 21, 2025
when drafting the POA you should have the attorney list every name variant above as A/K/A (also known as) and there should be a separate signature line for each A/K/A.
the first name and the most important one is the name on your uncle's driver license since he has to provide a copy of... View More
I am considering starting a "print on demand" business and would like to use a design inspired by a Heinz ketchup bottle. Specifically, I plan to use the shape of the original bottle and keep the shape of the white label. I may also include the green and yellow border on the label, but I... View More
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answered on Feb 19, 2025
This is likely to be a concern under "Trade Dress" law. Trade dress is really formally registered. It constitutes things like the shape of the bottle, the shape of the label, the green line around the label. You are seriously playing with fire if you intend to use Heinz Ketchup trade... View More
I had to call out of work because I tested positive for COVID and had a fever of 101.5 degrees. I informed my employer two hours before my shift because I was experiencing symptoms like shortness of breath and light-headedness. I sent them a picture of my positive test as requested and used my PTO... View More
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answered on Feb 27, 2025
I note counsel's points below. I would also be curious if your illness was more serious than a simple bout of COVID. For example, if you have underlying disabilities like COPD or Asthma that were aggravated or exacerbated by COVID, also did you need to seek Family Medical Leave if you were... View More
I need information on the statute of limitations for collecting back rent in Pennsylvania. I have a written lease agreement, and the back rent has been due since January 2016. There have been no court proceedings or formal communications with the tenant regarding the back rent, although there have... View More
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answered on Feb 17, 2025
At this point if there has not been a payment in the last 4 years the debt is not collectable through the Courts. Also, since it is so old it is unlikely that it will be successful in litigation. Most Municipalities and Landlord Tenant Courts require a rental license and valid inspections. If... View More
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