Get free answers to your Civil Litigation legal questions from lawyers in your area.
I got a letter from the TEXAS DPS about wanting to suspend my license due to an accident for no insurance but I had insurance just did not activate on time. The insurance company wants to sue me but I’m 20 and didn’t work for months and they are asking for big numbers that I can’t afford and... View More
answered on Jul 5, 2023
Your driver license can be suspended under the Texas Safety Responsibility Act if you meet the following criteria:
1. You were involved in an automobile crash;
2. The investigating officer lists contributing factors that indicate you were responsible;
3. You did not have... View More
I lost custody of my then 10-year-old daughter, due to a cps case opened by a letter she wrote saying that I beat her. The case was ruled unable to determine, shortly after Iwas served with child modification papers by her father. Even though I agreed that she could live with him, she was removed... View More
answered on Jun 19, 2023
If she is telling you the truth now, you have a very strong case for what is sometimes colloquially called parental alienation.
On the other hand, if she is not telling you the truth now, your child may be dangerously manipulative (i.e. she might have lied on you originally and being lying... View More
Stowers someone for over policy limits
answered on Jun 10, 2023
An email can be effectively used to transmit a Stowers demand to an opposing party’s insurance company.
The benefit of certified mail is you have clear documentation of delivery.
But you can also request a delivery or read receipt to an email. And often, the recipient will send... View More
Last night there was a big thunderstorm that caused a tree on my property to break and fall onto my neighbor's roof. Now he wants me to pay for the repair. Am I legally liable?
answered on Jun 9, 2023
When homeowners know they have dying, diseased or unstable trees, it is their responsibility to take steps to prevent them from causing severe damage. If the tree was dying, unstable or diseased and the homeowner knew about it, he or she could be liable if it falls over on its own or during a... View More
I dropped my counterclaim but now the opposing party isn't living up to their deal. How can I bring back my counterclaim? Do I just file it similar to what I did the 1st time or is their a special way to do it?
answered on Jun 9, 2023
If you non-suited your counterclaim without prejudice and the statute of limitations has not expired and you haven’t passed any pleading deadline set by the court in a scheduling order, you can simply file a new amended counterclaim in Texas state court.
In federal court, you most likely... View More
answered on Jun 9, 2023
You still have the right to make an opening statement and a closing argument. Whether it is necessary depends on several factors.
If I know the judge is familiar enough with the facts of a case, I often waive opening. If a judge signals he/she understands my party’s contentions and is... View More
Autopedia Inc sold a used vehicle to a customer who signed a form acknowledging that the odometer reading was not accurate. The buyer later filed a lawsuit in the 192nd District Court, and despite our filing a motion to compel arbitration, the court issued a default judgment without allowing us to... View More
answered on Jun 7, 2023
I am an appellate lawyer who regularly practices before the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. I charge $450 per hour. Because the time spent on an appeal is heavily front-loaded, I typically require an initial retainer of $25,000 to handle a direct or restricted appeal from a default judgment.... View More
Looking to see if my verbal agreement with someone is binding in Texas. She is saying it is no longer valid because we have had a fight and are no longer really speaking to each other. Is there something that I can read into and possibly reference in court?
answered on Jun 4, 2023
Unless there is a statute or common law rule requiring a writing, oral agreements are just as valid and enforceable as written agreements. This is a fundamental principle of contract law which is not dependent on the existence of any specific statute.
Of course, you still have to prove all... View More
maximum amount of economic damages I can sue for? In my demand letter can I ask for double the cost of the truck back or in my suit if it goes to court? I am prepared to send my demand letter today, I am just unsure of all the damages I can ask to recover. I am doing this without an attorney so I... View More
answered on May 5, 2023
You can ask for whatever amount you like. Awards of damages for mental anguish vary depending upon the facts and circumstances presented by the evidence to the jury.
A decent rule of thumb for settlement purposes is no more than 1.5x the amount of your medical expenses for whatever bodily... View More
When the Respondent in an Original Petition for Divorce files a Motion for TRO, TI and TO into the case,
is the Respondent now the considered the Petitioner in the Motion?
Is the general rule that the person who brings the Motion for anything considered the Petitioner?
My... View More
answered on May 5, 2023
The party who files a motion is commonly called the Movant.
The party responding to the motion is commonly called the Respondent; but, if the motion is a motion for summary judgment, the party against whom the motion is filed is called the non-movant (a summary judgment cannot be granted by... View More
The Affirmative defenses until 2 weeks after it was filed
answered on Apr 19, 2023
If there are matters you wish to raise in avoidance of an affirmative defense (in essence, an affirmative defense to an affirmative defense), you must affirmatively plead them within the pleading deadline set by any applicable scheduling order.
Almost always, the discovery period will... View More
Halen is the wills name my grandmother left me this. In the will that was probated in 72 it says my estate will be left to (myname) as i was the only child when she died. in the estate it includes around 45k acres of land 5-15 million dollars and in 89 my father was my estate guardian and got... View More
answered on Apr 8, 2023
The settlor of the trust (in this case, your grandmother) chose the trustee and any substitute trustees in the event her first choice (presumably your father) does or is removed for cause. From your question, it sounds like your sister was the first substitute trustee selected by your grandmother.... View More
answered on Apr 7, 2023
That is up to you. Unless your agreement with your former attorney requires presuit notice, mediation, or arbitration, there is no legal requirement to give prior notice.
In my experience, presenting your claim prior to filing suit in detail and offering to mediate before filing can help... View More
We have court order for child. Out of money but the opposite lawyer now wants jury trial. He stated he was pro bono in front of judge ,so why do we have to pay for an already won case and court order because they didn’t like the outcome or the judges final decision .
answered on Mar 20, 2023
A party who timely requests a jury trial is entitled to one. A timely request must be made before your final trial.
You say you have won custody, so there must have been a final trial.
I’m going to guess that when you say you won custody, what really happened is you were awarded... View More
back ground check. I drove 100 miles each day for 2 weeks. Also they made me file for an LLC which was $150 and go on ride alongs with other salesman and I spent over $200 in gas. They owe me around $1500 and will not pay because I failed the background check. I believe since they put me through... View More
answered on Mar 7, 2023
It depends on the terms of your employment agreement and the reason you failed its background check.
If your employment offer was not conditioned on you successfully passing their background check and a background check is not required by some law or regulation governing your occupation,... View More
back ground check. I drove 100 miles each day for 2 weeks. Also they made me file for an LLC which was $150 and go on ride alongs with other salesman and I spent over $200 in gas. They owe me around $1500 and will not pay because I failed the background check. I believe since they put me through... View More
answered on Mar 11, 2023
If the company hired you as an at-will employee, they may terminate your employment at any time for any reason, including the results of a background check. However, if they promised to pay you for your training and expenses, they may be legally obligated to do so.
You should review any... View More
My driver did not have underinsured or personal injury the guy who slammed into the back of us did not have insurance and lyft states they are not responsible because their drivers drive their own cars. I've had two criminal attorneys work with me for a few months but let me go due to... View More
answered on Feb 24, 2023
The driver who slammed into your Lyft is likely ultimately responsible under the facts you describe.
As the provider of a computer app, Lyft is unlikely to have any responsibility.
Unless your Lyft driver is also partly responsible for the collision, that driver is likely not... View More
My driver did not have underinsured or personal injury the guy who slammed into the back of us did not have insurance and lyft states they are not responsible because their drivers drive their own cars. I've had two criminal attorneys work with me for a few months but let me go due to... View More
answered on Feb 26, 2023
The reality is that determining what technically is known as “legal liability” for injuries you sustained while riding in a Lyft carshare can be complicated. With that said, the information that you received there is “nobody you can go after” if you have sustained injuries caused by someone... View More
In order to reduce cell phone charges by having 5 or more devices on one bill. 20 months later we find out that he has been monitoring all of our calls, text messages, and tracking our daily movements. Is this legal? Is he responsible for our reasonable expectation of privacy that has been... View More
answered on Feb 23, 2023
It depends.
A cell phone account holder commonly has access to information concerning the usage of the cell phones on that account. That enables the account holder to monitor each device’s usage for unauthorized activity.
Smart devices can share their location with others... View More
my daughter who was going to lunch was running a few mins late to get to the cafeteria because she was helping another student and when she got to the cafeteria the girls had already been called to the line and when she went to get her food, she was denied lunch stating girls and boys could not... View More
answered on Feb 21, 2023
A Texas attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for three weeks. At this point, you could reach out to law firms to discuss. However, before you start spending money for a legal investigation, maybe you could contact the school administration to figure out what happened here.... View More
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.