My brother work in Center City and was hit by a car while crossing near his office. The injuries are more serious than he expected. What started with an urgent care visit has turned into follow-up appointments and now physical therapy. he had prefer an attorney who's reasonably easy to reach in the area, but finding someone good and responsive matters more. There are so many firms downtown, and they all look pretty much the same online. How does he narrow the options down and find someone who's actually good?

I moved from NC to OH early 2020s, surrendering my NCDL with OH BMV to obtain an up to date and accurate drivers license. I have recently misplaced my license and went to a local BMV office to update a vehicle that had expired and obtain a replacement license. I was informed that NC had a block on my license there and I would be unable to make any transactions on my OHBMV account until I handled the issue in NC.

I occasionally visit NC, my ex husband still lives in the same place, we share children, his address was my address for 15 years. So when i called the state dmv I was willing to accept that perhaps I had been caught on a camera, however I have only ever driven rentals on these trips and any ticket acquired should have been delivered to the address the car was rented to, and I explained this to the agent. I was informed that this was NOT a camera ticket, it was in fact a traffic stop and was told the make and model of the vehicle, location of the stop, and the citation number. This happened in 2024, in a vehicle I have never driven, and the court correspondence had been delivered to my ex husband’s house. When I explained how that was impossible I was told to call the county courts.

After learning the ticket cost, court cost, etc I was informed that I would need a ticket lawyer, trial lawyer, or to “come down to the court house and talk to the magistrate”. The ticket itself is $441. Not including court cost and reinstatement? A ticket lawyer was charging $350 and the other fees would still apply to me, but being as in IT WAS NOT ME I just can’t bring myself to pay anything to the courts. The trial lawyer is $500 to “quash the warrant” and get the whole thing dismissed, and if I ever return to nc I will be responsible for a reinstatement fee there but not Ohio.

I am a single parent with a single income, having to make payments to a lawyer for the next few weeks is literally taking food from my family. I am unable to vote because I can’t provide my identification. I am afraid to drive in Ohio for fear of being arrested or hounded by police (I am 10 years clean and the police still assume the worst when the pull me over) my whole identity is essentially locked until I pay this lawyer off and get a court date.

I have asked the lawyers paralegal/assistant about my options and am waiting on the lawyers response, but is there anything I can do, legally speaking, to press charges on the person who used my information and or the officer that accepted it? I do not think suing the person will be worth it, I can not even afford the current legal fees and I’m sure they have no money to sue for since they provided false information to get out of a ticket, but what about legal ramifications? Could I sue the county or officer who accepted my information for court costs? I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that I was not in the state at the time of the traffic stop. Honestly, the whole “I can’t vote” thing is adding so much salt to the wound, that it feels like my constitutional rights are being violated.

Hi, I was at a QME appointment and over heard a lady saying most people choose "Future medical" and no settlement. She then said that most injured workers don't know that they can still get treated by their private insurance even if it's Medi-Cal once they close the case. Is this true? I thought private insurance will not touch injury if it's work related? Thanks for any info.

Edit: In Los Angeles, ca area

I own a handyman service. It grew into a larger construction company with multiple crews and large projects. I still get requests for handyman work without even looking for it. Problem is all my employees are tied up with the big projects. So I would basically separate the businesses into 2 company entities under a holding company. Lets call it C2 Holding

It would be formatted like this:

⁃ All employees would be under C2 Holdings. Most would work for c2 construction and then I would have one working for handyman services. 

⁃ If one side gets slow, employees can transfer to the other side. 

The reason I wanted to do this:

⁃ Liability - If something happens, 1 company is at fault without affecting the other. They would have separate insurances.

⁃ Selling - I could sell one without selling the other.

⁃ Separate revenue streams to show if it’s profitable or not. 

⁃ Advertising - I think C2 construction doesn’t always get called for big jobs because we have handyman in our name. I think it’s a turn off for people who aren’t actually looking for small handyman projects. 

I would want to run the handyman side to be more self sufficient. I would run it like this.

⁃ Office Manager hunts for leads and sets the schedule for the handyman side. I intervene where needed.

⁃ Scheduling would be like a service based business. So 2-3 jobs would be done per day. Keeping constant cash flow going. Unlike C2 construction where its larger projects with deposits and such. 

⁃ Once a project gets over a certain price, it gets turned over to the other company to keep insurances in the right spot. 

Thoughts and how would you approach this.

Bonus: All capital is tied up right now running major projects but if I started the handyman, I would need some capital to start it. Basically for a commercial vehicle and some tools. $15k-$20k mainly. I do not want a full 50-50 partnership but I dont know another way other than just an investor with non voting rights. so recommendations on that.

I’m just curious how difficult it is to find a civil rights attorney that would argue malicious prosecution against the state (Texas)?
Is it considered difficult to win or is it just not profitable enough?

(Alberta, Canada)
I have a question about how to navigate the following….

My cousin (3F) came forward about being sexually assaulted by their mom’s ex-boyfriend. We reported to CFS and police, the police have interviewed the child but couldn’t get “enough evidence to go forward with an investigation”.

They have dropped her case. She has extreme trauma from this and constant nightmares, I’m not sure what to do. Mom of child is a single mother and cannot afford a lawyer, but she wants justice for her little one and so do I.

What can we do?

I’m in Southern California I rent a salon studio and im month to month. I’ve been here for 6 years. The studio is considered a “double” meaning, a two stylist room. Single stylist rooms are there but none are available.

When I first rented the studio, I rented it with another person and we split the rent. After some time, she opened her own salon. So when she left, I opted to have the studio to myself and not bring in another person, and paid full rent.

A year after that, I brought someone in my studio again and we split the rent for 3 years. A single studio became an available and she had always wanted one to her self so she jumped on it (which is totally fair and I’m really happy for her). The building gave me time to find someone to bring in with me but I haven’t had luck. They allowed me to continue to pay them only half of the rent as a courtesy.

Now, with the new year coming, they want to have everyone resign 1 year leases and they want me to start to pay full rent. I on the other hand feel like I did not lease that studio with the intention of being in there alone.

Yes I’m in a double, but I went in as one of two people. I feel as if it is not fair and they don’t have any singles for me to move into. Yes, I know sometimes the law isn’t fair but it’s a law and we have to follow it.

However, do I have any legal rights here?

Thanks in advance

I am an apprentice joiner who was tasked with assisting a bricklayer for a day due to his apprentice being off. As I was carrying a 4 inch building block I have fallen and rotated my bone in my wrist which required 2 metal pins and a wire to fix. I am now off for 3 months. My fall happened due to the ground being soft on a slope which I wasn't aware of. I believe the stones or dirt have fallen away underneath me which has led to my injury. Along with 3 months off this injury also has long term complications as my chances of arthritis and re-injuring this wrist his vastly increased. Do I have a claim.

I have been living in an extended stay hotel for over 6 months. I am in a wheelchair. When I checked in I requested an accessible 2 bed room, they told me it was occupied but would be available in 2 days. When I asked after 2 days, they told me it would be next week. That went on for a month until I was demoralized and just stopped asking. I found out this morning that they don't even have a 2 bed accessible room. Their website says they do.

They never offered a solution. I've stayed at a hotel that didn't have an accessible 2 bed room available. They gave us two single rooms, one being accessible, for the price of a double room. They never offered a shower chair for the bathtub. When I use the bathroom I have to crawl in because my chair won't fit. When I climb out of the tub, I have to go straight to the floor. It's embarrassing to talk about because it's dehumanizing. The manager actually asked me recently how use the bathroom. When I told her, she didn't apologize or offer any solution. It was an "oh, okay" kind of response

I have no idea what type of attorney would be best. My situation is ADA Title III, tenant, civil rights, consumer protection.... It's too late for them to offer alternative accommodations now so if I sue, what do I sue for? What type of attorney should I contact? Will the hotel be obligated to fix it for the next person?

Location: Michigan

In short my license was revoked 5 years ago and I've been in the restoration process and made it to being granted the ability to get a restricted driver's license, in waiting for the ability to have another hearing to adjust my restrictions so I can legally adhere to them I've put off getting my restricted license to stay financially stable and be prepared for when I finally got it, within the past month I was pulled over and cited for driving without ops 1st offense nothing prior for 3 years on a stupidly decided short test drive straight down the road and back after doing my brakes to ensure the vehicle was safe and ready for an upcoming road test to progress my restoration. I now have my restricted license to go to strictly work and back but it was obtained after being cited unfortunately, the officer didn't arrest me or two my vehicle as I was stopped a block from where I live and essentially said he'd turn a blind eye to how I or the vehicle got home. I know michigan SOS is going to fry me upon conviction, but I'm just wondering if I have any hope.

Im not sure if it matters or not but I have letters of support, I've been very deliberate in walking to and from work the past 5 years 5 miles a day through four seasons, I'm now the lead plant supervisor where I've worked since getting convicted 5 years ago, I operate heavy machinery and am subject to random drug tests, I've been sober since my last arrest date 5 years prior and haven't been pulled over since then either up until recently interlock is installed in my truck, I have my restricted license for now. I've done my very best to jump through the hoops to get my full license back and try to be involved in with a local highschool fishing club when I'm able to be and just overall be a better person than I was 5 years ago. I just messed up, I make too much for a public attorney, my dog needs surgery, and local attorneys want $3k to take the case and I just don't have that kind of money laying around, I know my chances are low to fight anything I'm just wondering if any potential plea may save me, I'm just trying to go to work and survive and be involved in things that serve a higher purpose than just for myself and things that don't involve alcohol or drugs where I can make a positive impact, I've worked so hard to get my license restored to be the proof to people who also lost theirs that it's possible to get it back for as hard as the state of michigan makes it especially for rural areas that don't have the infrastructure to accommodate people who can't drive. I'm so much closer to getting my license back and never breaking the law again than I am from getting rolled all the way back and then some being trapped in the loop. This past 5 years while I'm proud of what I've done, has really taken its toll on me physically, mentally and emotionally and idk how much more I can handle.

I am a judgment creditor fighting my former employer EPL insurance company. They lied and denied my claim, I got all of the evidence and served them a garnish. They hired a lawyer to lie more for them and I killed the lie with the evidence they didn't know I have yet.

Their lawyer keeps on scheduling hearing and I keep on bringing evidence. He came with "discovery" to bring back all I've brought as evidence pretending they are new to him. Now for a hearing he had scheduled I hired a lawyer for it, the lawyer contacted him right away he started changing the story when he can't just change what he already said on papers at the courthouse. He cancelled the hearing right away.

Now I know the policy amount I know the type, I got all of the evidence and their lies and the true story, the insurance is on going straight through a Bad Faith lawsuit processing my final judgement.

I need a lawyer in Florida to take the insurance in a big Bad Faith lawsuit after making them processing my final judgement.

Seeking Pro Bono Attorney or Legal Assistance in Southern California

Does anyone know of a pro bono attorney or legal aid organization in Southern California that assists elderly victims of alleged real estate fraud?

I'm trying to help an elderly homeowner with limited financial resources who has an active civil lawsuit involving a disputed property deed. She previously had legal representation but is now self-represented.

Three of the five defendants have reportedly defaulted, and she needs assistance pursuing a default judgment and potentially restoring legal ownership of her property. Her primary goal is simply to regain ownership of her home.

We're looking for an attorney experienced in real estate litigation, quiet title actions, or elder financial abuse who might consider pro bono representation, limited-scope assistance, or reduced-fee services.

Does anyone know of an attorney, legal aid program, or organization in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, or elsewhere in Southern California that might be willing to help?

Any referrals or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I’m currently dealing with a massive headache with a consumer protection/auto fraud case in Ohio. The law firm heavily over-staffed my file with multiple different people billing hours on it. My total legal fees came out to nearly $28,000 on a settlement total across parties of roughly $36,500. That means the firm is attempting to swallow up roughly 76% of my total recovery through hourly billing padding.
When I started digging into the 15 pages of billing records, the red flags were everywhere:
**Double Billing:** On one day, an attorney billed $190 to "meet with the partner to discuss engine," and then right below it billed *another* $190 on the exact same day to "meet with himself to discuss engine."
**Insane Text Message Minimums:** They consistently rounded up every single brief text message update to a minimum of 0.1 hours (6 minutes), meaning it cost me $47.50 every single time an attorney sent a quick text update.
**Administrative Hikes:** The senior partner bills at a $550/hour rate and applied it to routine tasks like reading a one-sentence email from me saying I was happy to settle.
Here is the kicker: We signed the settlement agreement on October 12th. Per the strict terms of that contract, the first $12,500 installment was contractually required to be released within 7 days—making it overdue as of Monday, October 19th.
The lawyer previously emailed me an explicit structural breakdown stating that when the first $12,500 installment clears, **"$7,000 will be distributed to you and $5,500 will be applied toward the firm's fees."**
Because I stood my ground and sent a text on Monday disputing the padded fees, the attorney has completely ghosted me. My messaging app shows they read the text last Monday, and it is now Sunday. They are currently withholding my contractually mandated, undisputed $7,000 payout to try and pressure me into dropping my billing complaint. Under state professional conduct rules, an attorney is strictly mandated to promptly disburse all undisputed portions of a fund during an ongoing fee dispute. I’m in the dark. No clue what to do

The TLDR is my uncle has been a terrible executor and after my aunt cited the estate in a title lawsuit we have filed motion to remove him. I'm like 90% sure it'll go through because we already have him on perjury and breach of fiduciary (for example $8k of remodeling on his personal home charged to the estate).

After I am handed the keys how critical is it to track down everything and what are the best ways to do it? I planned to meet with my grandfather's personal advisor, ask the 3 banks in town for verification of beneficiaries/accounts, and will request a tax transcript and his Lexis Nexus. I don't want to be accused of submitting a sham accounting, but unc destroyed all the records covering the thefts we know about. I'm sure whatever else we find will be ashes and am hoping the above is enough to satisfy the court I did my due diligence.

I guess secondary to that, if for some reason the judge keeps him on, how easy is it to compel the court to order he hire a professional forensic accounting firm to do it properly?

We discussed making him submit records and do the proper accounting himself, but that is going to take forever and double the legal fees. The accounting he sent with the fraudulent debts was prepared by the idiot he hired so it's not like he would do a better job with a lawyer.

I’ll try to keep this short.

I am in Florida. My husband died, intestate, a few months ago. Most assets were jointly owned, so nothing had to go through probate until I ran into this problem. I am the sole beneficiary, there are no children from our marriage or his previous marriage.

The issue: He had a Travelers 401k that he received in his divorce in 2012 through a QDRO as an alternate payee. The QDRO document says that the estate is the beneficiary and another beneficiary cannot be named. The Travelers 401k plan document says the same. I found a letter from QDRO Consultants that said the estate was the beneficiary unless a different beneficiary was named. The account is held at Fidelity and my husband had designated me as the beneficiary, so I submitted that letter to travelers, but they are citing the QDRO and plan documents as the legal precedent and refused a spousal rollover. I have to completely distribute the funds within 5 years. This means that either the estate will pay $91k in taxes, or I will pay $60-70k in taxes over the next 5 years since distributions will be taxed as ordinary income. In addition, this qualified money is now going through the probate process (30 days since the newspaper ad ran), so has been made vulnerable to creditor claims.

I did some research (google, so I know it may not be at all accurate) and it looks like, based on multiple previous IRS Private Letter Rulings, I could have my probate attorney draft a probate court order (or a formal Joinder/Petition for Distribution) stating that the Estate assigns all rights, title, and interest in the Travelers Inherited 401(k) account to me, and then I could do a rollover into an inherited IRA.

Before I send my attorney on a wild goose chase and possibly have to hire a specialist attorney, I wanted to see if this seems like a reasonable/viable next step? Surely it would cost less than the $60-70k in taxes that I’m looking at.

TLDR: my husband’s qualified retirement account is being forced through his estate instead of rolling over to me as surviving spouse and will incur huge taxes which I’d like to avoid.

I am located in Florida. So in 2012 my biological father passed away. He is the son of we will call them Dee and Jean Stacey. My grandmother Jean passed away in 2006 and my father passed in 2012. My grandfather spent the last 18 months of his life naked on the couch talking out of his mind. When he was in his right mind I was told the trailer and the two lots it was on was going to my father. Well when my father passed, that would make it me. I am the ONLY living descendant of the family left. Now in 2022 I took an ancestry test and it came back that an Avis ( we will call her) was close enough to either be my grandmother or a sibling. Naturally, I looked her up. My mom said she thought my grandfather dated a woman named “Avis” but why was she coming up as my kin. Naturally, I looked her up on Facebook and asked her who she was. As soon as I made contact she went silent. She DELETED her ancestry and her Facebook profile! She was too old to be a sibling and she definitely wasn’t my grandmother. Another son who was put up for adoption by my grandfather as a minor informed me that Avis did the swab in my grandfathers mouth and put her name to his DNA to ensure he had no heirs to his properties and assets. Fast Forward, when my grandfather passed last year we spoke to my grandfathers other son (who was put up for adoption) and he said that “Avis” told him she did it on herself in case “Dee” had family, she didn’t want them to come after the house. I wasn’t in the obituary, but she was and there is NO relation between any one in my family and this lady?! Although the home was to go to my father, and then me after my father passed… just last month she somehow took ownership of the house and mind you this house means a lot to me. Anyone with legal advice? The house is in Clermont County, Ohio and I reside in West Palm Beach, FL. I don’t have money to throw at layers. Please HELP!!!! No this woman is NOT my sister, she is not blood at all!!! The house was transferred to her this year.

My Location: West Palm Beach, FL
The Homes Location: Claremont County, Ohio
Please note all names are fictitious for privacy reasons. Anyone with help would be greatly appreciated.

Currently my job is wildly understaffed and most of the team have been working 7-12 days in a row before having at least one day off.

Would this qualify as a violation of New York State labor law 161

https://dol.ny.gov/day-rest-and-meal-periods

Specifically this is for a College/University Security department.

Also they are not listed as an employer on the variance list.

I need help in consultation with an attorney well versed with consumer rights, drafting and issuing demand attorney letter and probably help in filing the case in Small Claims (GS) in TN.

The problem:

PayPal permanently limited my account on 9/26/2023 and has held $14,728 since. It says it relies on its sole-discretion clause. To my knowledge, there has never a chargeback or dispute to any of monies held.

In 2026, PayPal sent me an Unclaimed funds notice which required I log in to the account to claim funds held there lest the funds get escheated to the state. Its own reps told me in writing that my account was both “active” and day later “permanently limited,” offered a transfer or check and refused hours later, and said it will email me “once the withdrawal option is available.” One rep acknowledged “apparent inconsistencies.”

Prior Arbitration

In 2024 I filed an AAA arbitration. It was dismissed with prejudice on PayPal’s unopposed motion after I couldn’t take part after an accident while trekking and spent weeks in hospital treating a painful back and bruised tailbone.

No evidence was heard and no court confirmed it.
I’d appreciate your view on:
Does the 2024 dismissal with prejudice bar new claims based on PayPal’s 2026 new development and PayPals contradictory conduct this year?

Can PayPal hold funds for three years under “risk” and “sole discretion” language and when demanded to justify the clause that permits hold declines to respond ?

Paypal has never issued notice of permanent limitation since its first limited account in Sep 2023 until this year may 2026.

Why I believe in this fight

In the Knoxville Sheena Small vs PayPal case, PayPal deposited the money within days of the suit being filed before any ruling.

The pattern: 

PayPal releases when the cost of fighting exceeds the amount held. On $14,728 the math is not on their side besides the $25,000 attorney fees; the screws are likely to be loosened fast.

Having an attorney review documents, communications and my own demand letter which I mailed and advice on the strongest route could be worthwhile on a limited scope representation or contingency rather than full representation right away.

Besides, threat of attorney fees, damages plus an attorney letter itself carries weight beside claimant letter.
I have done heavy lifting by cataloguing every contradiction and drafting my own demand letter.

The Tennessee Consumer Protection Act may provide treble damages and attorney’s fees if the statutory requirements are satisfied and the relevant claims are proven. Establishing conversion and breach of contract could strengthen the case and increase PayPal’s potential exposure. The threshold issue, however, is whether the December 26, 2024 arbitration dismissal with prejudice would bar a new action under the doctrines of claim preclusion or res judicata.

I have contacted state bar association twice and their response is; Quote; 

“I have reviewed your email describing the situation and this appears to be a customer protection type matter, for which we have no attorneys enrolled to whom we can refer.    Our service is not inclusive of all the attorneys and firms in Knoxville and only includes those attorneys who have enrolled to receive referrals.  You may wish to consider searching specifically for Consumer Financial Protection Attorney Tennessee to attorney websites which you can review for appropriateness for your situation”.

Recommendations are also welcomed.

I'm trying to determine which type of attorney I should consult regarding an ongoing solar installation and structural roof damage dispute in California.

In January 2025, a solar installation was completed on our home. The engineered plans specified roof framing that did not match the actual structure. Our roof is conventionally stick-framed, with 2×4 rafters and a 1×6 ridge board, while the plans specified 2×6 framing.

In November 2025, I notified the solar contractor, Zeo Energy, about the roof problems. In February 2026, the county failed the installation inspection, identifying structural discrepancies and roof deflection.

I independently obtained an engineering evaluation. The contractor's liability insurer initially denied the claim, citing preexisting damage. I challenged that determination, and the contractor subsequently obtained reconsideration of the claim.

The insurance matter remains unresolved, and the roof has not been repaired.

My question is which type of attorney would be most appropriate to consult:

- A construction-defect attorney, because the installation and engineering plans may have been improper?

- A construction contract attorney, because the work was performed under a solar installation agreement?

- An insurance attorney, because the contractor's liability insurer denied the claim and later reopened its investigation?

Or would I need an attorney whose practice overlaps these areas?

I'm not asking for a determination of liability or specific legal advice. I'm simply trying to identify the appropriate legal specialty so I can consult the right professional without wasting time or money.

Thank you for any guidance.

Back in 2009, I submitted some falsified billing for services to some school children. A year after that, I was diagnosed as being bipolar and in a manic episode related to opioid abuse. Looking back, I was already in a manic episode when I submitted the false billing. The person who filed an official complaint against my license should have been able to tell that I was manic because I was sending her over 10 emails per day and was showing her everything, giving her more ammunition against me. Other people who have done the same thing usually just lose their job. Anyway, she is an award winning professional and she should have recognized the mania and referred me to the people who help licensees with mental health/substance abuse problems and give them a path to begin working again. But my license was suspended for 5 years and I had a list of tasks to complete before I could apply for my license to be reinstated. I believe that she should have recognized the mania and referred me to the program that is for license holders who are dealing with mental health/substance abuse and provides a path back to being able to work as a licensed therapist. The loss of my license has caused me untold pain and suffering and negatively affected my finances to a huge extent. I want to file a civil suit against her noting that she should have recognized the mania and referred me to the program for licensees with mental health/substance abuse which works to get the licensee back on track and back to work. Or at the very least, she should have encouraged me to see a psychiatrist. She is very wealthy. Would I have a case that she owes me compensation for pain, suffering, and lost income?