Category: Consumer Columnists

ARE you worried about your future due to having too much debt? You’ve probably heard the saying, “The failure to plan is a plan to fail”.  And yet so many…

Q: I HEAR a lot of talk about “diversity” and “pay equity” in the workplace. I live in California and, yes, I work with a “diverse” group of people in…

THERE are situations in both Divorce and Child Support cases where the Summons and Petition resulted to a default against one party for failing to respond on time.  In certain…

MATTHEW Flanigan worked as the Director of Information Technology (IT) for Rheumatology Diagnostics Laboratory, Inc. (RDL) in Los Angeles, California. He discovered that tens of thousands of patients’ information were…

Establishing parentage rights for Moms is a lot easier than establishing one for unmarried Dads.  Moms can establish this by simply showing proof of her having given birth to the…

OVER the last 35 years, many clients always ask me “Attorney, should I file for bankruptcy?” This question is asked after they have told me what their problem is. The…

FACING difficult financial times can be a frightening thing for a lot of people. When bill collectors are hounding you, at some point, you realize that something must be done…

MANY self-employed individuals have relied on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other federal pandemic loans to rescue their businesses from going under. If you notice, many restaurants that we…

CARLOS Castellon worked as a driver for Penn-Ridge Transportation, Inc., a company that delivers the goods of major retailers (such as Best Buy) to the homes of consumers. The delivery…

Couples get divorced for various reasons.  California is a no fault state.  The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law…

ARE you struggling to pay your debts every month, especially your credit cards? Do you barely have anything left to pay your mortgage, rent, food, and other basic living expenses…

Q: I have a good employment record for this company I have been working with for more than 10 years. My employer recently hired another employee whose conduct made me…

Couples get divorced for various reasons.  California is a no fault state.  The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law…

Client case is unusual. She is young at 28 and owes about $300,000 of credit cards. She used these cards to fund a “gift card” business. What’s a “gift card”…

YOU’VE just been sued for a credit card debt after you’ve had trouble paying what you owe. After several months of getting harassing phone calls that you were ignoring because…

‘Poor performance’ is no excuse for employer WALLEN Lawson worked as a territory manager for two years for PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc. (PPG), a paint manufacturer. Wallen sold and stocked…

ONE of the biggest problem of millenials and Gen Z are educational cost and student loan debt.  This eats up a large part of a households budget even among married…

Debtor also has one collection lawsuit for $10K THE client is 48 and has just been sued for $10,000 by American Express. He recently received the summons and complaint. He…

ARE you having problems paying your debts? Are creditors calling you day and night threatening you with a wage garnishment, repossession, or foreclosure? Are you starting to feel hopeless and…

Arbitration is a procedure to resolve disputes without filing a complaint in court. By signing an employment arbitration agreement, the employee agrees to adjudicate any claim against the employer before…

I’VE recently gotten a couple of clients who have been on debt consolidation and are now ready to jump into Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. First, let’s distinguish debt consolidation…

THE COVID-19 Pandemic is a scary reality which affects everyone globally and has shut down the global economy.  Individuals over 65 are more at risk of having serious complications with…

Q: I WAS fired from work last week and another co-worker also quit at around the same time. Our employer told us both to sign an “exit form” and a…

WHEN debts become unmanageable, bankruptcy can become an invaluable financial recovery in helping regain control over your finances. Without the “fresh start” that bankruptcy provides, it would be impossible for…

THE COVID-19 pandemic is a scary reality which affects everyone globally and has shut down the global economy.  Individuals over 60 years old and individual that are immune compromised are…

FIRST client is 34. She is recently married and now has a one-year old son. She used to be employed making a gross of $50K yearly. At the same time,…

Running a small business can have its perks although it’s often an all-consuming endeavor. The owner often has to wear many hats – from being a marketer, manager, and yes,…

IF you’re traveling east on the 10 freeway from Los Angeles, eventually you will end up somewhere in Florida. It’s a long drive to cover about 2,800 miles, but that’s…