Your Legal News Update February 2008
Your Legal News Update
From Sam Hasler, Attorney at Law
February 2008
Office News: We Now Accept Credit Cards. I know how hard it is for some of you to pay your legal fees only in cash. To make payment more convenient for you, we started accepting credit cards on January 28, 2008.
More Office News: Referrals I want to show my appreciation for those of you who tell your friends and relatives to use me as their lawyer. What I have not been able to do is find a way to show my appreciation other than to say "Thank you." Then I got the idea that I could do something useful for those who help me. For the remainder of the year, I will provide a power of attorney and a health care power of attorney for anyone referring someone to me. They do not need hire me but they do need to make and keep their appointment and tell me who referred them
The time is coming for home repairs, do not fall victim to home improvement fraud. Most home improvement contracts fail to meet the requirements of Indiana's Home Improvement Fraud Statute. The most common requirements omitted are:
The telephone numbers and names of any person for handling consumer problems.
Any time limitation on the consumer's acceptance of the home improvement contract.
A reasonably detailed description of the proposed home improvements.
The approximate starting and ending dates.
A statement of any contingencies that would materially change the approximate completion date
Not in a form that each consumer who is a party to it can reasonably read and understand.
If you want me to review a home improvement contract before you sign off on it, please give me a call.
"Home improvement" means any alteration, repair, or other modification of residential property.
If you have a family member, or friend planning any home improvements, you might want to pass along this newsletter and refer them to me. You can do the same if they have had any problems with a home improvement.
For those living together and wanting a cohabitation agreement: I have a cohabitation questionnaire online: http://haslerlaw2.blogspot.com/2008/01/indiana-cohabitation-litigation.html. In the last newsletter I wrote about when people should get a cohabitation agreement. Bottom line: if you intend a long term relationship without marriage, you should look at getting a cohabitation agreement. At this time, I am proceeding forward with a lawsuit where the parties had no cohabitation agreement and I wish they had had one. An agreement would have simplified the case - and maybe avoided court altogether.
Employment Law: Indiana's Age Discrimination in Employment Act. I do not know about you but I have trouble realizing that I am getting older. Unfortunately, some employers realize just how old we are. Indiana has an Age Discrimination in Employment Act that covers employers not covered by the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Indiana's law applies to businesses with less than fifteen (15) employees and protects employees between the age of forty (40) years and under the age of seventy (70) years. If you think you or someone you know has a case under this statute you need to contact Indiana's Department of Labor (317-232-2655).
Family Law: Parents Moving. The Indiana Supreme Court issued an opinion last week on Indiana's new relocation statute. The Indiana Supreme Court decided that when the custodial parent moves any great distance (in the particular case, the custodial parent wanted to move to Minnesota) these are grounds for a modification of custody and the trial courts need to look at the impact of the move on the child. I have a more detailed analysis of the case on Indiana Divorce & Family Law under the title Child Custody and Relocation: Follow up to "New Indiana Supreme Court Case". You can find the article online at http://haslerlaw2.blogspot.com/2008/01/child-custody-and-relocation-follow-up.html.
If you are moving, or thinking of moving, you need to sit down with me and have a chat about how the relocation statute will affect you.
If you know someone else moving or just thinking of moving, please feel free to refer them to me.
Do you not want to receive this newsletter? Please give the office a call (765-641-7906) and let me know that you want removed from the mailing list.
Remember to check out my web pages. For family law news: http://haslerlaw2.blogspot.com/. For civil and probate news: http://haslerlaw.blogspot.com/. You can subscribe for e-mail updates from the web page. Since they get updated almost daily, the news is much more timely than with this newsletter.