Who else is liable for unpaid wages?

WHAT happens when your employer faces difficulties paying a significant claim for wages? Information regarding the identity of the various “employers” becomes important when employees have serious claims for unpaid wages or wrongful termination. Sometimes a smaller company may not have the financial resources to compensate employees who suffered damages. If more than one company…

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IRS audits schedule C of sole proprietors

IRS loves to audit Schedule C. This form is filed by taxpayers who conduct their businesses as sole proprietors (popularly referred to as “DBA” or doing business as) instead of corporations or LLCs. This includes professionals and independent contractors who receive 1099s as subcontractors (instead of W2s as employees). Sole proprietorships face a risk that’s…

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Do I need a premarital agreement before getting married?

”This becomes a problem if you are the spouse that has the substantially higher income or the one who accumulates the majority of the assets during the marriage.”   IN the absence of a premarital agreement, the general community property presumption under California family code section 760 controls which provides “ ….all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired…

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ICE targeting those with DUI convictions

AS part of its “enforcement priorities,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the recent arrest of over two dozen people with DUI convictions in connection with “Operation Secure Streets.” According to ICE’s press release, 24 of the people apprehended “have been convicted of violations concerning the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence…

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What to do if ICE comes to your home, workplace or public space

ON April 10, 2017, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) released a “Know Your Rights Handouts” available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese to inform the public about the rights of undocumented immigrants who may come into contact with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during home visits, workplace raids and public stops. …

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Realities of aging

Last February 28, 2018, my wife, Farida, and I arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport from Manila, following our two medical missions in the Philippines. While waiting at the lounge for our flight back to Las Vegas, we received a call from our friend, Lynn Santos, a nurse, who relayed to us the sad…

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In pursuit of lasting peace (Part 2)

(Part 2 of 3) (Remarks of Hon. Jose De Venecia, Former Speaker, Philippine House of Representatives; Founding Chairman, International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP); Co-Chairman, International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP); Chairman Emeritus, Universal Peace Federation (UPF); Special Envoy of the President to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and for Intercultural Dialogue at…

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Solar energy credit for residential

A SOLAR electric residential property to be qualified for the credit must meet the following requirements: 1. Costs paid must be for qualified for solar electric property. 2. Qualified solar electric property costs: These costs must be for use of solar energy to generate electricity. You may rely on the manufacturer’s certification in writing that…

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Maximizing recovery in personal injury cases

Under Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions (2011) 52 C.4th 541,  the California Supreme Court ruled that persons who are injured and who are pursuing a personal injury claim cannot recover the full amount of medical bills incurred if an insurer paid a smaller, negotiated amount to the medical provider.  The Court’s ruling further limited…

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Q&A: What to expect during an IRS audit

HOW did I get selected for an audit?  • Random selection and computer screening – how your return compares to norms. • Related party examinations - transactions with partners, investors, or audits of other entities. How will IRS notify me of audit? • IRS will notify you by mail. • They do not start any audit by…

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Bankruptcy: Making the law work to your benefit

When your financial circumstances are forcing you to declare bankruptcy, bankruptcy can be one way of dealing with debts that you can no longer manage on your own.  Of course, the decision should not be taken lightly and it is best to consult with an experienced bankruptcy attorney to see if it is best for…

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On listening in silence to God’s voice

I heard this beautiful story last week from a group of Lebanese Maronite Catholics during my visit to St. Maron’s Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?” The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery….

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April 2018 priority dates

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…

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Aphrodisiac dangers

What are aphrodisiacs? Aphrodisiacs are pro-sexual drugs or substances that will heighten libido (sexual desire), orgasm (ecstasy and pleasure) and performance in males and females, not partner-specific. As society gets more liberal and permissive, these medications and all other so-called sex enhancers become more in demand. Are these substances new? No, the cultural quest for…

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