To keep a business thriving, owners must ensure that they keep themselves at a competitive advantage in their business line. This includes having their employees undergo the necessary training to ensure the quality of products and services. But sometimes, employees part ways with their employers to look for new opportunities. Will this affect one’s business interests? Protecting business interests Under Michigan antitrust laws, employers can enter noncompete agreements to protect their business interests. In the contract, the employer expressly prohibits their employees from working for compet ..read more

You and a couple of classmates have gone out on a weekend getaway after a rigorous school semester. You’ve had a wonderful time. But then, there is a problem. Your date is claiming that you forced yourself onto them. Consequently, they have made a complaint and date rape charges have been filed against you.  Being accused of rape under any given set of circumstances is a big deal. A conviction can lead to years of incarceration. Worse still, you might end up with a criminal record. And this explains why you need to explore your defense options as soon as it comes to your attention that yo ..read more

The probate process involves various procedures in properly distributing the estate to its rightful beneficiaries. The court appoints an estate executor to help move along the process. It is an essential role that helps divide the estate considering the value of the deceased’s belongings, no matter how obscure. Sometimes, the court could appoint an unfit person for the job. When this happens, the family members could challenge the executor so that the court can replace them. However, what happens if the appointed executor fails to fulfill their fiduciary duties to the beneficiaries? If this ha ..read more

You and a couple of classmates have gone out on a weekend getaway after a rigorous school semester. You’ve had a wonderful time. But then, there is a problem. Your date is claiming that you forced yourself onto them. Consequently, they have made a complaint and date rape charges have been filed against you.  Being accused of rape under any given set of circumstances is a big deal. A conviction can lead to years of incarceration. Worse still, you might end up with a criminal record. And this explains why you need to explore your defense options as soon as it comes to your attention that yo ..read more

Even if you plead guilty or get convicted at trial, your defense isn’t over. That’s when it becomes important to look at what can be done to minimize the penalties you may face through mitigation. Mitigating factors in criminal sentencing are circumstances or factors that may reduce the severity of a sentence or punishment for a criminal offense. These factors can be used to provide a more nuanced understanding of the crime committed and the offender’s culpability. What are some examples? Every case is very fact-specific, but you can generally point to the following things as potential mitigat ..read more

The best way to avoid a charge of operating while intoxicated (OWI) is not to drink anything before driving. Yet the law does forbid alcohol altogether, and judging how much you can drink is hard. The internet will tell you all sorts of tricks to avoid an OWI, but none are any good. What’s more, any amount of alcohol will affect your ability to drive safely, so there’s little to gain by trying to beat the system if you end up dead or injured in a crash. Here are some popularly touted myths: You need to get your own breath-testing machine The quality of these can vary drastically, so you should ..read more

Undue influence is one of the reasons a court may invalidate or revoke a will. If you believe your loved one was a victim of undue influence when making their will, you can contest it in probate court. But how exactly do you prove undue influence, given that your loved one is not there to clarify things? To do that, you need clear and convincing evidence. The court will not revoke a will because you were unhappy with its contents or based on hearsay. Crucial evidence when proving undue influence The first thing that must be established is that your loved one was vulnerable. It could be old age ..read more

If you’re arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated (OWI), there are often ways of contesting the charge and avoiding the harsh penalties of a conviction. One of the first things to examine is if the police did anything wrong. Here are some areas to consider. Did they breach your rights during the stop and arrest? Have you ever wondered why the police don’t just sit outside bars to catch people drinking and driving? It’s because they’re generally not allowed to. They can’t just assume that anyone leaving a bar might be over the limit, just as they can’t assume that anyone going int ..read more

If you’re called to provide a deposition or testify in a hearing, before a grand jury or in a trial, you’ll take an oath to swear to tell the truth. Intentionally lying can get you charged with perjury – particularly if the lie is material to the matter about which you’re testifying. Too often, witnesses (especially those who don’t have legal guidance) think they can get around this by saying that they don’t remember something. If you’re testifying in a white-collar case against your former boss, for example, you may not want to be responsible for them going to jail. You might decide to say yo ..read more

There is a big difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance. Tax evasion is when you knowingly don’t pay your taxes, while tax avoidance is when you take legal steps to reduce your tax bill.  While there is nothing wrong with minimizing your taxes, you need to be careful not to cross the line into illegal activity.  The consequences of tax evasion Tax avoidance and tax evasion are two distinct legal concepts with different consequences. Tax avoidance refers to lawful and judicious practices that aim to reduce a person’s tax liabilities through allowed deductions and credits as de ..read more