By R. Zebulon Law and Matthew G. Stein Brian Walshe made headlines recently after being convicted of murdering his wife, Ana, in part because of the search terms he had entered on Google. The police discovered that his searches included “dismemberment” and “best ways to dispose of a body.” We assume he never Googled “how to erase my search history.” Instead…
By Thomas R. Pedersen, Esq. Valentine’s Day is a reminder to care for the people we love most, and for many families, that includes protecting their financial future. Many couples rely on a simple will that leaves everything to a spouse, and then to children. While this type of plan is easy to understand and…
The Wall Street Journal (Feliz Solomon) 06.02.24, published an article titled “She Hooked Me: How an Online Scam Cost a Senior Citizen His Life’s Savings.” It’s the true story of a man who fell victim to online seduction and paid a significant price. We want to think that such online scams are few and far…
By James C. Man, Esq. In the nuanced and complicated world of corporate and contract law, there are three fundamental properties that all agreements must have: offer, acceptance, and consideration. Generally speaking, once an offer is revoked, it cannot be accepted because there is, in effect, no outstanding offer. Nonetheless, in some jurisdictions (e.g., TX, NY, UT) a…
By Justin J. Lee, Esq. It is common knowledge that California is a community property state. In community property states, spouses jointly own nearly all assets and debts acquired in marriage. Generally speaking, community property encompasses assets earned or acquired by one or both spouses during the marriage while they lived in the community property state, as…
The passing of a family member presents challenges on multiple fronts. In addition to grieving, practical responsibilities need attention. For example, their accounts must be settled, including utilities, insurance, memberships, digital subscriptions, and other recurring payment programs. Resolving these accounts aids in preventing avoidable fees and safeguards against identity theft. Your initial step should be…
Some businesses could not pull through the increased expenses inflation has brought on over the past few years unscathed. Due to this, companies have put employees out of work or laid off employees to reduce costs. If you are dealing with the stress of recent unemployment, remember you are not alone. You can use this…
Undue influence is a legal term used to describe a situation where a person is forced or manipulated into making a decision against their own free will. In California, undue influence can be used to invalidate a contract, will, or other legal documents. It can also be used to establish a claim for financial fraud…