Category: Consumer Columnists

WHAT are friends for? Friends, of course, like to help each other. But to what extent and what favors can you ask from a friend? The client’s friend wanted to…

LIKE most people, you’ve worked hard and have done your best to pay all your bills on time. But in life, at one time or another, we all find ourselves…

KAREN Martinez worked as a Case Manager for John Muir Health, a health care service corporation operating primarily in Contra Costa County, CA. Martinez was an hourly non-exempt employee who…

THE client is 67. Her husband passed away five years ago after a long fight with kidney failure. He was on dialysis for eight years waiting for a kidney transplant….

MAYBE you’ve experienced this before. You’re driving down the road one cold, chilly day and before you know it, you find yourself surrounded by a thick white wall of dense…

The right to privacy and intimate association JANELLE Perez was hired as a police officer in the Roseville Police Department. A few months into her probationary term, Janelle and a…

THE client is 71. Her husband died five years ago, so she lives with her unmarried son who does not have full time or steady employment. She has a large…

Bankruptcy is often a last resort for people who are in serious debt trouble. But if you’re one of many millions of people who have suffered a job loss due…

How a sick leave policy fell short of disability discrimination law Mykyn Woods worked as a Senior Community Manager for Greystar Management Services, a property management company with offices all…

THE client is 48. He owns an “S” corporation that has been operating for 15 years. The corporation provides a service to the public in several shopping malls. Business has…

LIKE most people, you’ve worked hard and have done your best to pay all your bills on time. But in life, at one time or another, all of us get…

When reporting for work does not mean showing up ALEXIA Herrera worked as a Sales Associate at Zumiez, Inc., a retail store in Chico, California. Zumiez scheduled Herrera and other…

THE clients are a husband and wife in their mid-60s. I asked them if they have started receiving social security benefits, and sadly they told me that they migrated less…

THE word “bankruptcy” is packed with all sorts of negative emotional triggers. It sounds bad — even dirty. It’s embarrassing. (What if people find out?!) People paint ugly pictures of…

Protecting employees from retaliation for whistleblowing SHUJUN Qiu was hired by Three Rivers Provider Network Inc. as its controller. Throughout her employment, Qui excelled at her job and her employer…

Downloading videos is easy when you see a download button. Unfortunately, most video sharing sites obviously don’t allow downloads, usually to protect copyrights or because there’s not a large demand…

THE first client is in his 40s, married with two children, ages 8 and 9. He doesn’t own a house. The absence of a house makes eligibility analysis easier. If…

People with overwhelming debt problems during this difficult time are asking a lot of questions. Are you scared of being sued and having creditors getting judgments against you and garnishing…

THE middle-aged client owned a retail business for some time. The business was located in a good location so the lease was for $10,000 a month. The company that he…

ELIZABETH Carter worked at Dunn-Edwards, the paint store, when her medical condition prevented her from lifting more than 20 pounds. She could, however, still continue to perform most of her…

Interactive process in the COVID-19 era Q: MY work required me to interact with a lot of people. I became infected with COVID-19. I was hospitalized and went on disability…