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TIP TWO:
When filing for a divorce, the property that each spouse
brought into the marriage (house, car, boat...) is still
considered as his or her property and not subject to the
claims of the other spouse as long as the title is not
transferred to the other spouse when they do marry.
TIP THREE:
Except for some simple legal procedures like a name change
or paying a traffic ticket or a charge that is only court
costs and fine and with no chance of incarceration, never go
to court without your attorney. A penny of prevention is
better than a pound of foolishness.
TIP FOUR:
To avoid a lot of family grief and family squabbles about,
"who gets what and how much" always make out a will and keep
it updated as your wealth changes and let someone know where
the will is located! If you don't, the State of Ohio can
step in and dictate who gets what and how much if the will
can not be located. Consider keeping the will in safekeeping
at the local probate court vault. To do so, you are charged
a very low court cost.
TIP FIVE:
If you are injured in a car accident, do not wait weeks to
seek medical
attention
because the longer you wait and complain, the more it looks
as if your injury is not that bad and that something else
may have intervened since the accident and is the real cause
of your concerns.
TIP SIX: If
you resolve a dispute with a creditor, landlord, or anyone
whom you owe money to or who owes money to you, always,
always, always, get the agreement in writing with a time and
date and place and with both signatures on the spelled out
agreement. Do not rely upon oral promises, even with family
members! Nothing personal...strictly business!
TIP SEVEN:
If you believe that you are experiencing on the job
harassment or discriminatory conduct, start to document the
events, the person(s) who are harassing you and the facts
involved. Make sure you follow company policy as to
reporting any such acts. Do not delay in reporting such
behavior. Do not threaten anyone but simply follow your
union or company procedures so that you can say that you did
what was required of you before you have to involve legal
counsel or seek out the help of the downtown Ohio Civil
Rights Commission (located in the government center bldg).
TIP EIGHT:
If you are stopped by the police in your car or elsewhere,
cooperate by giving them your name, address, date of birth
and SSN. Don't use the event to
yell and
argue and threaten to sue them. Be calm and tell the people
in your car to be calm and cooperate, even to stepping out
of the car.
You do not
have to give them permission to search the car but they can
search you and your occupants for weapons to insure their
own safety. Whatever you do, and especially at night, do not
make any sudden gestures because they can interpret that act
as a move to harm them or you going for a weapon
and....well, you know what can happen next.
TIP NINE:
If things get hot and heavy with you and your "baby's daddy"
or "baby's mama", take the high road and leave the situation
or room or house and call the police. Do not make things
worse by grabbing the child or threatening the baby's mom or
dad.
What
you do not need is a temporary restraining order put against
you or you facing charges of obstruction of official
business, resisting arrest or assault charges.
Be cool.
You will have your say in court. Domestic violence charges
are serious and the judges do not take lightly such charges
if found to be true.
TIP TEN:
Avoid this scenario: Mom or Dad is ill or is getting close
to being "loopy-loopy" as to memory. Immediately seek legal
counsel so he or she can sign a will or a power of attorney
or a durable power of attorney for healthcare. If you do not
and there is no improvement and he or she cannot sign a will
or a power of attorney, you are faced with getting the court
involved with a guardianship.
Be
proactive and intervene with a parent or other family member
and do not wait until it is too late and a parent is in a
nursing home unable to care for herself or think for
herself; and THEN you make the frantic calls to an attorney
for such documents. Too late. She does not have the
requisite mental ability to sign such documents.
TIP ELEVEN:
If you get into a situation with a landlord who owns more
than four rental units and the landlord is not doing his or
her duties to you, especially physical upkeep of the
premises or is denying your basic services such as hot water
and heat, you can put your rental payments into escrow at
the downtown Toledo Municipal Court and force the issue with
the landlord by having a hearing on these issues.
TIP
TWELVE: If you have any car repairman service your car,
always have the signed estimate put in writing and what
services have agreed to be performed. Check with the Better
Business Bureau if you are concerned about their history of
repairs.
If the
repair bill comes back more than the estimate, demand to see
what additionally was done to the car. Always have the
repair person call you first to inform you of what more
needs to be done before you authorize it. Also, ask, if you
wish, to have any parts that are replaced, be given back to
you so that you can see if they really were replaced or not.
Hey now, so
who says that I am not a great guy for giving out these free
tips!
Contact
Lafe Tolliver at tolliver@Juno.com |
