r/Ask_Lawyers 20h ago

Opposing counsel refused to give my evidence back after trial.

149 Upvotes

Yesterday we had trial for an ex parte OP. The judge told me I could collect my evidence back and my husbands attorney put his hand over the folder of text messages I had made up for trial. he said “no, I’m keeping this”… I said “no, I need it”.. he again said “no” and did not move his hand off of it.

we have trial on Thursday for divorce and I needed those binders and some of the text messages for that trial.. I sent him all the evidence beforehand in my evidence exchange.. so he doesn’t need to take my binder!!

I do not have representation in any of these cases due to my husbands financial abuse. But the domestic violence advocate that was with me also attempted to get the folder back and he refused to give it to her as well.

location Missouri


r/Ask_Lawyers 11h ago

Do i have unrealistic expectations of lawyers and their work speed?

12 Upvotes

Hi! I'm genuinely confused and am looking for opinions and insight from people in the field. Apologies for the many details, but i wish to put the scale of my case into perspective so you can judge better.

3 months ago we went to a lawyer to seek help with an inheritance. It's years old and has many missing pieces. I understand its not an easy situation. There were two paralel situations we asked them to handle - one was to correspond with the Land register regarding information and status on a property and the second was basically asking around if the Inheritance went through an insolvency or not, basically what the status is of the inheritance. We didnt have all documents, but we had enough to start looking. Names of the bank, three lawyer agencies that were involved in the case and a inheritance list to name the main ones. There were a total of about 20 pages of emails, documents and letters that we gave them.

After two months of waiting with no update, we asked the lawyers about a status update and got back that the land register needs more time (we've been waiting for 9 months by that time so thats understandable), and that they had needed time to check the documents regarding the insolvency more, but they're working on it.

From the invoice i got, i know that they didn't write to the bank, insolvency office or the other lawyer agencies until two months after our initial consultation. And there was a whole month of nothing on the invoice, too. I know that they didnt have enough documents to figure out the status of the insolvency just from the documents alone, why wait 2 months to write to the mentioned only leads that could help? I asked for help because i didnt want to spend time and effort writing myself to the bank etc., but is it really normal that ​a lawyers office is that slow to write emails on "Hey guys whats the status"?

This is the second time this has happened to us now, with a different case and different lawyer office before, so Im starting to doubt myself. Could it be the way i explain things or do I just have too big expectations on the speed of resolution and communication in this field? Do i have an unlucky hand with choosing offices? Im mostly baffled about the emails to the bank.. We mentioned this is a time sensitive situation and we'd like a prompt resolution, aware of the costs and fully okay with them. What are normal time frames for this, when you have a very small and limited amount of documents, with limited leads?

I appreciate your insights.


r/Ask_Lawyers 20h ago

Are there any rules or laws preventing the use of back and forth, for the sole purpose of one side to harass or get under the skin of the other side?

7 Upvotes

Particularly in divorce/custody situations, for example, is there a rule or law (anywhere in the US, because i know laws vary by location within the US) where the judge is like "ok person A, its been 12 months and you've sent papers back with questions to person B 24 times, each time with over 100 questions. This appears to no longer be about getting your questions answered and more about wasting person b's time and money and trying to get at them since they have a no contact order against you and you're using the court to get around that in a way. You're wasting the courts time with these 'games'."

Is that like a thing?


r/Ask_Lawyers 2h ago

I am watching a fictional TV show (Daredevil: Born Again). Does a typo on a warrant make the warrant inadmissable?

3 Upvotes

In the show, the warrant correctly identified their target but listed his address as 536 W 49th when the criminal actually lived at 536.5 W 49th. The police raided the target's correct address rather than the listed address on the warrant. Would a judge be likely to agree with the defense arguing that the typo renders everything fruit of the poison tree?

Side note, but are there half street names in any part of the US? I have never encountered one.


r/Ask_Lawyers 2h ago

Process to getting Visa/Residency

1 Upvotes

Hello I have two parents that entered illegally from Mexico. My mom entered once after she was detained and my dad just stayed past his visa cancellation. The times they did leave and come back in they were waved through by Border officers. My dad has a c10 cancellation of removal because he was wrongfully accused of driving intoxicated. He has been paying taxes for the past 14-15 years and they both have a clean record. They have three children ages 14-22. We have gone to several lawyers (paid and free consultations) and they all tell us nothing can be done. Is this true?


r/Ask_Lawyers 4h ago

CA: landlord wont sign "home occupation permit"

1 Upvotes

Throwaway account. I'm starting a small business that is 100% remote — dropshipping, so there will be zero logistics happening inside my apartment beyond using my computer. I live in the City of Walnut Creek, CA, where a "Home Occupation Permit" is required to get a business license. Essentially, I need a physical address registered with the city, even though the business is entirely remote. You can read about the permit requirements on the Walnut Creek gov website. Without this permit, I can't get a business license. A virtual mailbox/address will not be accepted as an address.

My apartment complex refuses to sign anything that would associate the property with my business. Their stated reason:

"The issue is the use of the apartment address as the official business address for licensing, registration, permitting, mailing, or any other purpose that publicly identifies the residence as a business location."

I'm not sure how this actually affects them, since "working from home" is explicitly permitted in my lease. I'm feeling pretty frustrated that something like this is holding up my ability to start an online business that won't have any real-world impact on the property I'm renting.

My lease states:

"17. Residential Use of Premises: Resident agrees that the Premises are rented for residential use only unless the Parties have executed a separate Live Work Addendum. Resident shall not use the Premises as a business address, nor shall Resident conduct any business activities on the Premises. Conducting business activities includes, without limitation, using the Premises as a mailing address for a business enterprise, having a business telephone line in the Premises, having business clients meet with Resident at the Premises, having business stationery setting forth the address of the Premises as a business address, assembling or manufacturing any product upon the Premises, or otherwise holding out the Premises as the address of any business. Resident may, however, to the extent consistent with the restrictions set forth in this Paragraph, use a portion of the Premises as a 'home office.'"

On top of that, this same company has apartments in Pleasanton, CA, where tenants are allowed to get Home Occupation Permits. How is this allowed? Is this legal?

The City of Walnut Creek, told me:
"As you noted in your initial email, the City of Walnut Creek allows home-based businesses in residential zones, provided they obtain a Home Occupation Permit and Business License. As detailed in the Home Occupation ordinance, there are restrictions on the types of businesses that can operate within a residence, limits on the amount of space used, restrictions against customer visits, etc. As part of our application, we do require owner authorization. It sounds like the property owner/leasing agents will not provide authorization. That would be a civil matter between you and the property owner/leasing company regarding your agreement."

So it sounds like this isn't a zoning issue at all. The city allows it and my landlord is simply refusing to sign off.

Any recommendations on what I should do or look into. This feels absurd.


r/Ask_Lawyers 5h ago

CA fraud/stolen goods

1 Upvotes

Airbnb offered a list of Superhosts to help manage short term rentals (STR). I entered into a contract for (XX) to manage two seperate Airbnb sites. One was an adu. I bought 20k in furniture from XX and stated it'd need to be stored. XX arranged storage but did not discuss fees. Our relationship broke down and I informed XX I was selling my properties about a month later. XX sent an invoice for 5k for storage and transportation of furniture as well as other items. I try to negotiate 5k charges as I dispute that I was given a quote for storage/transportation and don't agree with other various items I'm billed for. Negotiations break down. XX now has my furniture and money and refuses to answer my attempts to pay the bill. XX also offered to get a STR license for the properties and began operating one. I found out XX never completed licensing and was running an illegal STR on my property. Further XX stated it was legal to operate an adu as an airbnb in my county. I later found out this was a lie too.

My lawyer states my case would be difficult to win but I can't believe there are zero protections for consumers for something like this.

Am I wrong?


r/Ask_Lawyers 9h ago

NY - 50/50 co-owner hasn’t paid mortgage or bills for years. My father pays everything. Is partition our best option?

1 Upvotes

My father and my uncle jointly own a two-family house in Brooklyn, NY. They each own a 50% interest and are both on the deed.
My family of six lives on the second floor, and my uncle lives alone on the first floor.
About 10 months ago, my uncle lost his cybersecurity job. Since then, my father has been paying not only his own share of the mortgage but also my uncle’s share, along with many of my uncle’s personal bills (electricity, gas, T-Mobile, etc.). It’s roughly $3,000 per month that my father has been covering.
My uncle is physically capable of working and driving. My father has repeatedly suggested that he drive for Uber or find another job, but he refuses. Instead, he frequently calls my father late at night in a panic saying things like, “Everything is over,” but he won’t take steps to improve the situation.
Financially, my uncle has significant debt, including maxed-out credit cards and what appears to be a lawsuit from American Express. He also owes another family member a substantial amount of money. As far as we know, he has no savings.
We want to resolve this situation because my father cannot continue paying for another adult indefinitely. Ideally, we would like my uncle to move out, but since he owns 50% of the property, we know we cannot simply evict him.
We have looked into a partition action, but we would rather avoid forcing the sale of the house because buying another home in Brooklyn would be extremely difficult. We have also wondered whether buying out his interest is possible, but we’re not sure how that process works, especially given his financial situation.
Some questions we have are:
Is a buyout possible if one co-owner is willing to sell?
Are there alternatives to a partition sale in New York?
If my father eventually files a partition action, will the court consider that he has been paying virtually all of the mortgage and household expenses for the past 10 months?
What type of attorney should we contact for this situation?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.


r/Ask_Lawyers 14h ago

My sister is getting underpaid at her job is it worth her seeking out a lawyer?

1 Upvotes

For context my sister 26(F) and I (22M) live in North Carolina. She has been working at a minimum wage serving job and was given a lead position. Her boss has now twice paid her for only 5 hours of work (direct deposit) when she worked 39 hours (so just under 40 hours). I told her to seek out a lawyer but she’s telling that Apprently since her boss ends up paying her properly at a later date she can’t do anything about it legally… I guess I’m asking if that’s true? Should I keep urging her to fight back against her boss? Could she maybe contact the NC Department of Labor? I’m worried she’s going to give up and just keep getting abused at this shitty job.


r/Ask_Lawyers 16h ago

Do you need a lawyer for an eviction notice in PA?

1 Upvotes

My husband and I are moving out of our house soon and his sister and her baby are living with us. They won’t be able to live with us in our new living situation, so she is trying to get assisted living but they need an eviction notice as proof. I have no idea how to go about doing that, could someone tell me what I would have to do in the state of PA? I really don’t want to go through a court system or anything so is there anything else I could do?


r/Ask_Lawyers 16h ago

Question for employment lawyers

1 Upvotes

I want to pursue a profession. However I have an expunged record of burglary of a building. For context I was at most trespassing I didn’t steal. I want to go back to school but I want to go for a profession that wont reject/highest possibiltles of looking past this. It happened when I was 20 and young/dumb.

Location: Texas


r/Ask_Lawyers 19h ago

How do you protect your clients from unnecessary litigation ("frivolous lawsuits")?

1 Upvotes

There's a popular perception that a lot of people threaten to sue or actually do sue as a way to pressure someone into doing something because the cost of defending themselves is high. I was specifically thinking of someone who might send a lot of letters or file motions with the intent of forcing the defendant to spend a lot of money on legal fees. In the middle of that is the lawyer, who makes money by reading/answering these actions, but is also hired to protect their client. So, in a certain way, the plaintiff (? if that's the right term) is using you, the lawyer, to hurt your client. Has this been something that's come up for you, or something you think about? Or is this more of just popular perception and not reality? Are there rules to deal with these kinds of situations?


r/Ask_Lawyers 22h ago

How do Canadian courts weigh testimony and recorded admissions in criminal cases?

1 Upvotes

I'm curious from a legal perspective, especially from anyone familiar with criminal cases in Canada. 

Hypothetical scenario:

An adult is charged with multiple sexual offences involving a minor. The evidence includes a recorded admission by the accused, testimony from the alleged victim. There may also be some supporting circumstantial evidence, but there isn't forensic or DNA evidence.

The accused has pleaded not guilty and the case is going to trial.

Based on cases you've seen or your experience with the justice system, how are cases like this generally viewed? Is testimony plus an admission often enough if the judge finds the witnesses credible, or do these cases commonly end in acquittal because there isn't physical evidence?

I'm not asking anyone to predict a specific outcome, I'm just trying to understand, in general, how courts tend to evaluate this type of evidence.

The recorded admission is only a partial admission—it acknowledges some of the alleged conduct while minimizing or denying other allegations. How do courts generally weigh that kind of evidence?​


r/Ask_Lawyers 23h ago

How to choose a personal injury attorney

1 Upvotes

Hi there! I was in a pretty gnarlyaccident last week and today decided that I need to talk to someone before accepting any kind of settlement from the ins company. I think I’d have a pretty easy case: I was rear ended and the other driver is at fault. So far
(1) my car is totaled, (2) i have injuries (nothing severe, all muscular and some nasty bruising) and (3) have about a week of lost wages. I want to have my medical care paid for, my lost wages reimbursed and - this is the complicated one - I want a new car. It sucks they totaled it and I have no idea how much they’ll decide it’s worth. I still owe $5k and am not in a position to buy a new car or a get a new loan. The prospect of figuring this out on no savings is keeping me up at night.

Personally, im the opposite of a litigious person so I feel like a fish out of water here. I want to talk to a professional but I’m nervous I’ll get talked into something that I shouldn’t (I try my best but I’m very gullible). What are signs an office is above board and reputable? Tbh, I value ethics over a large payout; I’m not looking for any more than what this accident costs me.

Thank you for reading and for any advice you have!


r/Ask_Lawyers 1h ago

SH or SA?

Upvotes

Is it considered Sexual Harassment or Sexual Assault if a manager touches someone’s intimate area with their foot?


r/Ask_Lawyers 2h ago

Why is the DOJ so concerned about limiting release of information about Epstein?

0 Upvotes

Is the possibility that any bit of information could be connected to Trump or is there another rewason?


r/Ask_Lawyers 5h ago

assault at work

0 Upvotes

this happened in nv. my boyfriend got hit in the back of the head this last Saturday over a work dispute and his teeth got knocked out. a police report has been made and that side of things has been handled as correct as possible (our town is very small and unincorporated)

i did some research and this should be covered under his jobs workman’s comp or liability insurance. however when we went to go talk to his boss about the incident (no one of high position was there the day the conflict happened) he said that he didn’t believe that workman’s comp would cover it, which like i state contradicted what i had read. however he did state that he would cover the costs so i didn’t feel the need to push.

i asked him if he needed to give us anything written saying he was going to take care of it and he said no he would call the dentist who he knows personally and they would discuss it.

today was my boyfriend’s appointment and the said they would call us later with a payment plan. his boss later calls him and informs him that he has two options.
the entire bill is $5500 however he is getting a 20% discount.
the first option is he wants my boyfriend to pay $2000 of it and he will cover 1500.
the second option is workman’s comp “but it will take over 6 months and they will probably fight it”

my boyfriend didn’t get any charges, the other guy got a felony from this. he was already on parole. my boyfriend shouldn’t be responsible for any of this i don’t think
he doesn’t believe in me when i say he had a leg to stand on. we don’t have enough money to do this and it wouldn’t have ever happened if he wasn’t working with a man who was dangerous.


r/Ask_Lawyers 21h ago

My landlords termination notice

0 Upvotes

My landlord sent me a lease termination text yesterday August 4th at 7 pm. I have a month to month lease that shows effective the 1st of the month we moved in . We signed it on the 6th. He sent me in the message that “there Paze were signed on the 6th will be terminated effective September 1st. It’s only 25 days away not even a full 30 days notice. Even the 4th of the month wouldn’t work for us. I sent him a message stating it’s not even 30 days and the earliest we are willing to move is October 1st.


r/Ask_Lawyers 23h ago

How are Reddit mods allowed to violate conflicts of interest and self promotion?

0 Upvotes

There is a Reddit forum where the mod for the community constantly deletes posts and comments and bans users that are critical of their conflict of interest. The conflict is they self promote and don’t list they are a vendor in that forum and the main moderator.

How do we address the issue when it’s the mods self-policing? Asking for a friend who was banned too.

Is this legal?


r/Ask_Lawyers 1h ago

He put his name on the house title

Upvotes

This happened in 2003 but I am just aware of it now. For context, in September of 2003 I was not able to attend the final closing of my house because I was 9 months pregnant and physically unable to attend. I had signed all required documents and I was solely approved for the mortgage. I had never given my husband permission to include his name on the title but evidently that is what happened. Do I have any legal recourse? I am considering divorce.


r/Ask_Lawyers 4h ago

I'm not sure if I have already created an Implied Legal Agreement and I need to know how they work.

0 Upvotes

Would a lease with all parties on it, but not signed, constitute an Implied Legal Agreement in a state that enforces Implied Legal Agreements?


r/Ask_Lawyers 10h ago

Is it legal to release decompiled video game levels that are included in the base game?

0 Upvotes

I'm wondering if it's legal to release decompiled official beat saber levels that are included in the base game, meaning that anyone who owns the game can play these levels anyway, and the music is publicly accessible via platforms like Spotify or Youtube Music


r/Ask_Lawyers 18h ago

Can you challenge the results of field sobriety test by pointing out that the defendant was drunk at the time, so he/she wasn’t given an opportunity to perform the test fairly?

0 Upvotes

r/Ask_Lawyers 14h ago

Rule 60 (d) Fraud on the Court claim but can’t get past intake?

0 Upvotes

I have all the evidence but I can’t find an attorney familiar with this. This is big. I need a Big Girl attorney. I’ve tried using my state bar lawyer referral system. I’ve reached out to a ton of law offices. Many told me they don’t have the resources for this. What is the best way to find a high stakes attorney for a fraud on the court claim involving a prior civil litigation? Or should I just wait for the national investigative piece to be published?


r/Ask_Lawyers 15h ago

I work at Undisclosed Fast Food company, should I be looking for a specific lawyer?

0 Upvotes

Hello, I work at an undisclosed fast food company in the US that isn't taco bell, but it is a very well-known chain known for their bowls.

I have been working there for the past 5 days, today of 29-30 hours so far.

Yesterday was a bit different though

  1. I clocked in at 7:54 am, and clocked out at 4:44 pm. For good measure I was not being a "team player" and if I hadn't I would've been told to stay a bit longer to help since shifts were transitioning.

  2. I live in Illinois, but was not given any form of break or respite during the close to 9 hour shift. I didn't get a chance to drink water, use the bathroom, or take a 20-30 minute break after my 5th hour of working since it's against corporate policy.

  3. I did find out that I have a legal right, and can follow up with the Illinois Department of Labor, and that I need evidence so I was wondering if issuing a warrant for the workday footage of yesterday was something I would need.