r/Ask_Lawyers • • Jan 31 '21

Do not solicit legal advice. This is not the right sub for it.

489 Upvotes

Despite what our sub’s called, we cannot offer legal advice here for a number of reasons. Any posts that breaks this rule will be deleted without reason. If you message us on why your post is deleted, it would be ignored just the same way you’ve ignored our sub’s rules. Please see our sidebar for complete rules.

Also, it’s not a good idea to solicit legal advice from random strangers online, despite what you may find elsewhere on Reddit. We do not know all of the facts of your case, and are likely not licensed in the jurisdiction that you’re in. A real attorney worth their salt will not comment on your specific legal predicament on an anonymous forum.

If you need legal advice but cannot afford it, there are legal aid societies that may be willing to assist you. Lots of them are free and/or work on a sliding scale fee. All you need to do is look up “legal aid society [your location]” on Google.

If it’s a criminal case, public defense attorneys are some of the best attorneys out there and they know the criminal system in your city/town better than anyone else. They’re just as good, if not better, than any private criminal defense attorney.

If it’s a tenant rights issue, lots of cities have tenant rights unions. You can look them up the same way as the legal aid society by looking up “tenant rights union [your location]” on Google.

Otherwise, the best way to find an attorney is through word of mouth from friends and family. If that’s not an option, your local bar association will be able to help by looking up “attorney referral [your location] bar association”.

If none of these are relevant to you or you’re unsure of what type of attorney to look for in your situation, you’re more than welcome to post and we’ll help.

Also, any attorneys who wish to participate in discussions are free to do so as long as it doesn’t break our rules (mainly providing legal advice).

If you’re a licensed attorney that isn’t flaired (and therefore verified to post comments), please see our other stickied post on how to become verified here. You can also send a mod mail to become verified. I trust that any attorneys here answering any posts will follow these rules and not offer legal advice and run afoul of our ethical obligations.

Thanks to all for understanding.


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 1h ago

Dam ownership and responsibility

• Upvotes

I live in a community with an established HOA. There is a small pond within the community and the HOA owns the pond. The pond exists behind a small dam, which is within a parcel of land owned by another party (“Mike”), outside of the HOA. Several decades ago, the HOA obtained an easement on the dam to be able to care for the dam, presumably to protect the pond asset.

I’m working on an update to the dam EAP for the state of NC, and that document requires the identification of an owner/operator. Currently, NC DEQ has several owners listed including, Mike, the HOA, and homeowners that own parcels adjacent to the dam parcel.

In an example like this, who legally owns the dam? Who would be responsible if there was a breach?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 7h ago

What do I need to look for on a disability lawyer?

4 Upvotes

I am trying to apply for disability. I have multiple illnesses and autoimmune problems. I have applied and gotten denied already once and I was seeking to hire a lawyer in my area of Oklahoma but I don't know what I need to look for to know that it was somebody that I can trust. What do I need to look for? What kind of questions should I ask?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 9m left

What Legal Options Exist When Epstein Files Appear to Be Missing or Incomplete?

• Upvotes

A CBS News report raises questions about potentially missing documents and references to classified material in the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

What legal mechanisms are available to compel the Department of Justice to account for missing records, explain redactions, or clarify whether documents were withheld because they contain classified information?

Could courts require the DOJ to provide a more complete accounting of the records and the reasons for any omissions?
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epstein-files-classified-material-missing-documents-


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 4m ago

Clauses in WC SETTLEMENTS. What's a reason for a lawyer saying they cant seperate future medical bills, attorney fees ect in the settlement so Ltd company cant claw at it???

• Upvotes

r/Ask_Lawyers • • 17h ago

Cannot find an attorney after being attacked and SA'd while working

16 Upvotes

Location: Oregon

I'm not asking for legal advice, just general information as to finding an appropriate personal injury attorney. My civil case that I am trying to pursue includes premises liability/insurance, sexual assault, employment and other things as well. I have reached out to a handful of attorneys and they all keep referring me to the next who refers me to the next. I have a very hard time believing that it is not a worthy case but I'm just struggling to find an attorney who I guess feels like they are specialized enough or something? I'm not sure, the paralegal or legal secretaries never seem to have insight as to why the firm is not interested.

Bit of background: I am a process server, I was serving a commercial eviction on a car lot. The landlord/real estate broker was supposed to meet me at the front of the lot to unlock the padlock fence so I could serve the notice. He instead told me that he was there earlier in the day and I can just enter through a hole in the fence. I did so and was attacked by a man claiming to be the owner. I now know that he was not the owner but I believe he was given permission by the owner to sort of live in an RV onsite as maybe a groundskeeper or guard or even mechanic (he is a mechanic). Anyway, once in the lot, it was more like a junkyard than an auto lot. It was a death trap. The man attacked me, dragged me to a more secluded spot, pinned me between cars. I stabbed him twice, we fought for the knife. He eventually took control of the knife, tried to unalive me and after begging for my life, he sexually assaulted me. I escaped as he was pulling up his pants.

I am pursuing a civil case against the landlord/broker who told me to go in through the hole in the fence. If I find out that the car lot owner really did authorize my attacker to be on-site, then that might be something to pursue as well.

As you can see, there are a lot of things going on here. I have sued and won a few civil cases in my life for other types of issues and have never ever had so much trouble getting legal representation. Does anyone have any direction to share with me as to which specialty I might pursue in regards to the type of attorney/firm?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 2h ago

Total loss or any options left?

1 Upvotes

I'm at a loss of how to proceed. Made a claim against someone that owes me an amount too large for small claims court and not quite large enough for a whole litigation. Background - I loaned LARGE sums of money to someone (on a handshake deal- I know - in a state that honors handshake) They have nickel and dimed the repayments for over a decade and finally ghosted me on the remainder. Nearing the statute of limitations I filed a claim. They did not respond until past the deadline. while making default judgement they responded. Started negotiating with bad faith(offering an NDA completely irrelevant to the claim) for half the amount owed (that was also egregiously protective of themselves - no protections for me). At this point I'm out thousands in Attorney costs, on top of what was already owed due to all the procedures done up until now. The cost of continuing litigation would most likely be more than the total owed, meaning at this point I would be litigating in hopes to pay myself back the additionally lost attorney fees. My question - what kind of options could I look at to recover anything at this point? would I have options for follow up if I were to win a judgment? what could I do if I stopped this litigation now and tried to take it to small claims. would there be anything I could follow up with after a win in small claims?

This has a been a total nightmare, and I feel like I keep getting robbed.


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 14h ago

What do lawyers think of lawyers who graduated from non-ABA law schools?

6 Upvotes

For instance, if your fellow lawyer was a graduate from a non-ABA school, what would you think if you worked with them? Do you consider them full lawyers?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 8h ago

Law Firm Employees: Have You Lost Money or Taken on Extra Costs Because of Your Work?

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I'm a BYU student working on an entrepreneurship class project where we're trying to better understand the challenges people face working in the legal field.
I'd really appreciate your help with a quick question!
Over the past three months, how often have you personally lost money or paid unexpected expenses because of your work as a lawyer or legal assistant?
☐ Never
☐ Once
☐ 2-3 times
☐ 4-6 times
☐ 7+ times
Feel free to just comment with your answer, but I'd also love to hear what kinds of costs or lost income cause the most frustration for you (unpaid invoices, unbilled time, software, licensing or CLE fees, etc.).


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 23h ago

What a lawyer prefer in their home ?

19 Upvotes

Hi . I am an architecture student and I haven asked to design a villa for lawyer , I wanted to come here and ask all of you what you might prefer what possible I can take from your work profession that can be used , it can be anything from the way lawyers think to what personal need


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 12h ago

What do these terms mean??

1 Upvotes

This is NOT a request for legal advice. I am simply asking what these words / phrases mean as defined by a lawyer. I have utilized Google but it has become unreliable with the AI overviews. And the majority of actual websites with answers are complex and I do not understand. I know this is a reflection of my low intelligence, but I am at my wits end trying to interpret and comprehend what these things are asking about. I'm hoping for an "explain like I'm 5 years old" type of answer.

From a Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit:

- Gross versus Net monthly income.

- Monthly payment to creditors.

- Capital Gains

- Fringe Benefits.

- Assets in all / partial nonmartial.


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 5h ago

Attorney wants me to pay him for things he never completed

0 Upvotes

I posted the billing below in the comment section. Notice he included no dates, which seems suspicious.

My Aug. 31 discovery/deposition deadline was approaching, but significant discovery remained unanswered. He filed my motion to compel in mid-July, said the judge would decide, but never scheduled a hearing.

In late July, he twice promised a draft motion to amend the scheduling order but never sent it. He then ignored my calls and emails for three weeks in August, forcing me to file my own motion. He later copied my motion almost verbatim, deleted my introduction explaining I was appearing pro se for the limited purpose of preventing prejudice, and billed me another 1.5 hours for that motion.

With the deadline looming and no court action, I went to the court on Aug 31. A helpful clerk explained that neither motion had been set for a hearing and helped me get an emergency fiat motion before the judge. She remarked that it looked like my attorney was intentionally letting the deadline pass. At the hearing I appeared by myself and the judge threw out the scheduling order.

My attorney repeatedly told me he had filed the motions and that “we need to wait for the judge to respond.” Meanwhile, even the court clerk knew the motions had to be set for a hearing and brought before the judge, which my attorney never did. Attorney is local, knows the court and has 20+ years experience. Do you think he is incompetent or was this intentional?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 9h ago

Extenuating circumstances for lawyers

1 Upvotes

Hi,

I am a young adult considering law school. There is a lot about the profession that seems very appealing to me, and I think I have the skill set to be a decent lawyer. I have started studying the LSAT and will explore the application process for next year's cycle. As this decision has lived in the back of my mind over the last few months, I keep wondering how lawyers deal with life circumstances that take them off of their game, or other unexpected challenges in life.

For example, I have severe celiac disease. I am very careful with my health, but sometimes things happen by accident or in ways that feel out of may control, and when I get glutened, I experience very intense Brian fog for a few days. When this happened to me recently, I thought "what the hell would I do if this were to happen to me with a trial starting the next day?" There are plenty of other circumstances like that, but you get my point.

Just really curious, what is the culture around that in the law community? Are lawyers wrapping themselves in bubble wrap in the lead up to important dates, or are courts lenient to rescheduling things when the person requesting the accommodation is counsel?

Just really curious about this aspect of the career as I contemplate it. Would love to hear lawyers' thoughts and experiences. Thank you!


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 9h ago

i was assaulted at a mental health inpatient facility, what are my rights and how do i sue them ?

0 Upvotes

i am just 19 years of age and was assaulted by a man in a mixed gender inpatient facility that i stayed at for about a week . i want to sue them because this stay was involuntary-i didn’t consent to go their my family didn’t believe it was necessary either but i was sent there because i had previous history of being inpatient in hospital twice before . although that was two years ago . i left feeling more traumatized and heartbroken by my assault than when i entered .

how can i sue this place and get my dignity and respect back and make sure they’re held accountable ?

for context im in new jersey and this place has extremely low ratings anyways- it wouldn’t be hard to prove they’re negligent towards patients .


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 12h ago

At what point does a Detention turn into an Arrest?

0 Upvotes

Canada. AB

So lets say ive gone through the step by step process of being pulled over. taken out of my truck, detained, put in the back of a police cruiser, and taken to the jail to be booked, processed, and thrown in the cell. EVERYTHING was done legally correct.

At what point did it go from detention to arrest?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 13h ago

Real Estate Lawyer

0 Upvotes

How much do real estate lawyers cost on average?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 13h ago

Objecting to mediators recommendation

1 Upvotes

Hello
I (39f) had mediation today and completed disagree with mediators recommendation. There was a DVRO in 2024 and she completely bypassed family code 3044 and family code 3011. My question is..is there anyone who has gone to court after mediation (we have court next week) and objected to the recommendation and the judge actually listened and helped? How did you do it? I need some hope. My sons physical and emotional safety are at risk and is suffering severe psychological trauma.
We are in California


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 14h ago

Can law enforcement conduct ongoing surveillance if someone you live with consents to it?

0 Upvotes

r/Ask_Lawyers • • 15h ago

Why can’t I find an attorney?

0 Upvotes

My neighbor started a fire in my apartment complex that resulted in me being displaced ,my unit is uninhabitable, the fire department came , no smoke alarms went off and the fire extinguisher did not work. No attorneys seem interested. Yes I have insurance .


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 15h ago

Postage stamps

1 Upvotes

I am in the process of making my first stickers and sticker sheets for my small business, I own a stickerbook that has a page full of postage stamps in it, I love it and wanted to make something similar from my small stamp collection. Then I started to wonder about copyright laws and I can't figure out if I would be allowed to scan the stamps and turn them into stickers to sell or if I need to search out specific ones that are public domain. I know it's probably the latter, but I'm fairly certain some of the stamps in the book I own are copyrighted.


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 17h ago

Neighbor dinging door in my car for past 9 months and using child on spectrum as shield

0 Upvotes

I own a condo unit in Ontario and I’m looking for advice on a parking dispute that has dragged on for months.

The situation: My car (a 2026 vehicle) is parked in my assigned spot. The spot next to mine is assigned to another unit under the condo declaration, but it’s being used by a resident (tenant) from a different unit. That resident keeps hitting their door against my car, leaving several dents on both passenger-side panels. I paid to repair the damage, and there is now new damage on the same side.

I've tried the following so far:

Feb 2026: Spoke to the resident directly and was met with hostility. Her child basically attacked me.

Went to the previous superintendent, who couldn’t help.

Contacted the new property manager, who kept saying he was “working with the Board” but nothing happened.

July 2026: Raised it at the AGM. The Board’s lawyer said the resident would be moved since it isn’t their assigned spot. That never happened.

After months of follow-ups, a Board member (who owns the unit the spot is assigned to) told me the Board had decided to swap the resident into the spot he currently uses, and he’d return to his own. Weeks later, nothing changed. He then told me the resident refused to move for "personal family reasons".

Other context: Another neighbour told me they’ve dealt with the same problem for years, and the previous owners of my unit say their car was damaged by the same resident.

My questions:

Can the Board or management enforce use of assigned spots, and what leverage do I have if they won’t?

Would the Condominium Authority Tribunal (CAT) be a realistic route, or is this more of a Small Claims or Superior Court matter?

Can I recover repair costs, and from whom: the resident, the corporation, or both?

Does the resident’s stated personal reason change the Board’s obligations (the resident's child is on the autism spectrum), and how would that interact with my rights as an owner?

Does the history of similar complaints from other residents strengthen my case?

I have photos, repair receipts, and a paper trail of emails. Thanks in advance!


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 17h ago

Work Issues

1 Upvotes

So i work at a company and its been hell so starting off i came in and my manager seemed to really hit it off always checked on me and seemed genuinely nice. working down the lines maybe months i had a friend (im a guy hes a guy both heterosexual) genuinely my buddy. we did hang out alot and was sort of close friends at work. my manager proceeds to put out a rumor that me and him were dating and when we found out it was devastating. My buddy was furious l was as well but mostly embarrassed we were still cool but you can tell that the rumor made him feel different or embarrassed to continue to be my friend or just hang out also it affected how others felt about me at work. i have messages and and countless proof of my manager name calling me also her assistant verbally told me things like gay jokes that other people were around could hear. i told my manager before im heterosexual and i dont like the comments especially infront of ppl. i know i should report it to hr but im embarrassed i really do hate coming to work but bills and economy needs me to. is this a lawsuit?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 18h ago

Question

1 Upvotes

someone pleas guilty under the first offenders act (in GA) to felony aggravated stalking and was sentenced to 10 years probation. A year later he was arrested for 6 counts of entering automobile, convicted of 2, which are felonies, sentenced to 5 years probation for each charge so 10 all together, was transferred to first felony county due to VOP under first offenders act, what are the chances this person gets to roam free again?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 1d ago

Birth injury settlements

3 Upvotes

I have what I hope is a broad enough question. My son was injured during a routine c-section with vacuum extraction. The obstetrician was the doctor on duty, who I won’t be seeing again. My son has brain damage and possible blindness, and right now it appears that the aggressive vacuum extraction was the cause. Either way he will likely require additional support for the rest of his life. While I’m unclear whether there was a dereliction of duty of care, I’m considering pursuing a birth injury case.

Although I’m of course heartbroken that my son will have a different life than was expected, we have a great medical support team in the hospital system where he was born. It’s the only Childrens hospital in the state. If we choose to take action, would we still be able to see providers in this hospital system? I don’t want to be shut out or be retaliated against. Will the providers know that we are suing?


r/Ask_Lawyers • • 1d ago

What is the difference between having the “best” lawyer and a really good one?

59 Upvotes

In what ways may one of the best lawyers provide better representation to clients than someone who is just decently known as a very good lawyer?