Seven things you should not do when served with divorce papers by your spouse
FOR most people, being served with divorce papers by your spouse is probably one of the biggest surprises in your life. The spouse in the receiving end of the divorce…
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Clients with wage garnishment, huge sales tax, freak accident seek bankruptcy relief
FREAK accident liability I want to discuss the client with the freak accident first. The first client is 45. This is really a very unusual case. In fact, I have…
A private “nurse” or home health aid is entitled to overtime pay
Q: I am a registered nurse in the Philippines but I have not yet obtained a license in California. However, I am working as a ‘private nurse’ to a bed-ridden…
Are you an athlete?
Q: I AM a body builder and just won a big amateur contest. Can I come and work in the U.S. on some type of visa? A: Yes, there is…
IRS expands audits to prior year and subsequent years
YOU’LL be happy to note that the IRS also gets audited. It’s audited by the Treasury Department to determine whether tax compliance officers conduct required filing checks in accordance with…
Bankruptcy debt relief: Should you file now or later?
INDIVIDUALS who have accumulated excessive debt are often left to ponder whether they should file bankruptcy in order to get out of debt. Sometimes, these people feel that somehow, they’ve…
Defense officials, Fil-Am US military general respond to Trump’s transgender military ban
SURPRISE! President Donald Trump woke up on the morning of Wednesday, July 26, and announced via Twitter that transgenders (those born with a certain gender but identify self with another…
Bruno Mars to perform in Manila in 2018
GRAMMY Award-winning artist Bruno Mars is bringing his “24K Magic World Tour” concert to Manila on May 3, 2018, at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City. Concert…
Spotlight focus on world-class performers at the 2017 People’s Ball
While all roads will lead to the Hilton Meadowlands Hotel along Meadowlands Plaza in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Friday, August 11, 2017 at 7 PM for the 9th Grand…
RACHELLE ANN GO & CHRISTINE ALLADO All set to play the Schuyler sisters in the West End production of ‘Hamilton’
Filipina thespians Rachelle Ann Go and Christine Allado are both embarking on a major career move as both will star this fall in the West End production of “Hamilton: An…
Spotlight focus on world-class performers at the 2017 People’s Ball
While all roads will lead to the Hilton Meadowlands Hotel along Meadowlands Plaza in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Friday, August 11, 2017 at 7 PM for the 9th Grand…
Margot Bautista Henry, CEO and Founder of Matina
While working in the banking industry for years, Matina CEO and Founder Margot Bautista Henry found herself looking to replenish her wardrobe. She sought to support Filipino-made, or designed clothes…
Senators propose ‘Dream Act of 2017’
ON July 20, 2017 Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bipartisan bill (supported by Democrats and Republicans), called the Dream Act of 2017, which would provide…
Criminal convictions and immigration law
WHAT makes a non-citizen deportable? An alien or non-citizen, including a lawful permanent resident (“green card” holder) is deportable for having a conviction relating to controlled substances. Title 8 U.S.C….
Tanning salons and skin cancer
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning on the use of tanning beds at home and at tanning salons: tanning increases the risk for melanoma, a…
‘La Luna Sangre’ saga soars high on national TV
WE all know that aside from cheesy and a la Cinderella-turned-princess movie plots, Filipinos love horror, fantasy and folklores. It doesn’t come as a surprise then when a TV series…
LA Deputy Mayor for budget and innovation Miguel Sangalang: Helping Los Angeles and the community connect through technology
It’s no secret that Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Filipino populations outside of the Philippines. Filipinos have made their mark in various facets of the city,…
2017 Guide for rental property owners and managers
THE bills described in this Rental Property Owner and Mangers Guide are rental housing related bills that were signed into law in 2016 and become effective January 1, 2017 unless…
The many possibilities in North Korea
Two weeks ago at the first meeting of Asian and European Political Parties in the Asia-Europe Political Forum (AEPF) held in Seoul, July 6-10, 2017, we listed the major conflict…
Trump’s imminent ‘firing’ of Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing in Russia probe is an assault to conservative causes
MY HEART goes out to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. As you are reading this piece, the man President Donald Trump appointed to be his Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary may…
“Filipinos are the ‘real’ judges”
Unfazed by the criticism coming from the government of the United States, Malacañang on Friday, July 21 said the ‘real judge’ of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war is no…
BOC promotes tax-free ‘Balikbayan Box’ program
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) is encouraging Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to use the tax-free “Balikbayan Box” program, saying that no one has availed of it yet as of…
Come fly with me
WHENEVER I see glossy posters of folks waving happily as they hop on a plane, I realize what a lying society we live in today. Nobody is happy, hanging 35,000…
How IRS agents interview you during an audit
WHILE my audit tips usually focus on how you—the taxpayer—should conduct yourself, let’s look at how IRS agents are trained to conduct themselves when they interview you. Let’s change roles…
Store manager needs bankruptcy relief Separated debtor seeks Chapter 7 relief
CLIENT no. 1 is 50 years old and the manager of a big retail store. He’s been working there for 30 years. Spouse got into an accident and is now…
Who pays the cost of work uniforms?
(Why employees are suing Nike) OMRAN Hamid worked at a Nike store in San Clemente for 15 months. He filed a class action case against Nike, claiming, among other things,…
Putative spouse status as a defense to a petition for nullity of marriage
ALL property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in California is community property. Family Code 760. However, there are situations in…
Thinking of bankruptcy but afraid it might be the wrong move?
DO you have debt problems that you don’t know how to handle? Are you considering filing for bankruptcy but are afraid that it will only make your situation worse? Have…
Taxi, Uber or Lyft? What is your choice, kababayans in the US?
IN the Philippines, many Pinoys do not have a car. If they do — it is one car per family. There are jeeps, tricycles, taxis (calesas in the olden days),…
Department of Foreign Affairs to name PH envoy to US soon
President Rodrigo Duterte will soon have his highest-ranking representative in Washington to serve as the Philippine ambassador to the United States, replacing the previous envoy who stepped down from his…