General Practice Legal Questions

Lawyers are encouraged to do pro bono work and some of Michigan's larger law firms actually require their lawyers to do pro bono work. For civil matters with potential damages, lawyers are almost always willing to work on contingency fees, they only get paid on success. For criminal matters, some lawyers do pro bono work but most are court appointed and paid by the state to defend people. I hope this helps, your comment did not make clear what your specific issue is.  ... Read More

Anyone can be sued, so technically the answer to your question is yes, your parents can be sued if you get in an accident.  However, unless there is some basis for holding your parents liable beyond the fact that you are living iwth them (for example, if they served you alcohol which impaired your driving ability), the suit would likely be dismissed.... Read More

With a few of exceptions (knowing you intend to commit a crime, cause harm to yourself or others, or court order), from the moment a lawyer is hired until they die, we are to keep our clients' confidential information in confidence. Failure to do so the most serious breach of professional ethics and is grounds for the lawyer to lose their license.  Since lawyers like to keep our licenses, we take this responsibility with the utmost sense of duty to clients. I hope this helps.... Read More

You need to get a personal protective order against this person. Your ex has no say in this. You should also advise your ex in writing that your child does not have your permission to leave the state and to visit that person under ANY circumstances. If your ex allows the child to leave the state to visit, alert the police. If you are able to get a PPO, then the matter is considered extremely urgent by law enforcement. It is unclear what your Divorce Settlement Agreement states but you might consider consulting your divorce attorney to possibly make a motion modifying the custody order or bringing the matter up yourself before the county friend of the court regarding custody. I hope this helps. best of luck to you. ... Read More

Without more information, specifically a copy of a Deed or some trust document creating the life estate, it is hard to know exactly what your rights are. Some estates can be revokable, others not. Moving out, in some circumstances can trigger changes in the life estate. The taxation and SSI reporting are separate issues and, if your mom is allowed to sell the property, it might be you have nothing to report. The main issue you have is to learn the terms of your life estate; I would urge you to find legal counsel. I recommend using a lawyer not tied to your family as that lawyer might be working with your mom.   ... Read More

As a US citizen, you can sponsor mom for her adjustment of status case. There are several issues that you need to explore with an immigration attorney. What was mom's intention when she entered the USA. If it was just to visit, when did her intention change to wanting to be a permanant resident and why did it change. Third, how long has mom been here. Does mom have any grounds of inadmissibility that may affect her case. These and other issues should be explored in a private phone consultation with an attorney. ... Read More

There is no law prohibiting friendship.  If you have other concerns or legal restrictions due to prior criminal offenses, this may change.  Ultimately, you may want to sit down with an attorney for a definitive answer if your situation requires any additional analysis.   Best of luck.... Read More

So anybody who wants to visit the United States has to apply for a tourist visa at the US consulate in their home country. There is no requirement that their host "sponsor" them. In order to qualify for a tourist visa, the foreign national would need to provide the consulate officer her tax returns showing a stable income, and A deed to property ownership, showing both an appraised value and how much equity is in the home. These documents are necessary because they will convince the US consulate that the Foreign national will be motivated to return to China upon the completion of their visit.... Read More

You may request that the prosecutor bring charges based upon your testimony and supporting evidence.  You should gather your evidence and supporting witness evidence or other evidence before speaking with the prosecutor. We can guide you through the process beforehand in order that your presentation be well prepared. Ed Dimon ... Read More

Some states in the USA allow cousin marriages, and if you make plans to live in those states, The US government may allow you to immigrate based on your filing of a waiver application. More facts would be needed to know before an opinion can be made. Discuss with counsel here in the USA. ... Read More

To a certain extent, it depends what the check was for.  If it is a check which was properly payable to your father only, then it is the property of his estate.  That means you need to open up a probate with the court to determine how those funds will be allocated.  I recommend sitting down with an attorney to go over the specifics and advise you. Best of luck.... Read More