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What does it mean to be charged with theft of services?
Did you know that Maryland's theft laws make it illegal to receive services from a business or entity without providing compensation? In other words, engaging a company for their services and not paying for what you obtain is a crime.
Theft of services falls under Maryland's general theft laws. The repercussions of a conviction can impact your life significantly.
What are some examples of this offense?
Theft of services occurs when someone obtains valuable services through deception, force, threat or other unlawful means and does not provide compensation. For example, someone might eat at a restaurant and leave without paying for their food.
Other examples include:
- Illegally diverting WiFi or cable services to a residence
- Adjusting an electric or gas meter to decrease the amount owed on utility bills.
- Riding public transportation without buying a ticket or paying the fee
Co-parenting as the school year starts
It is the time of year when kids and teens start returning to the hallways of the nation's elementary, middle and high schools in droves. Whether kids attend school in person or virtually, the start of the school year can be an exciting time, and it can be an anxiety-inducing time for kids and parents alike.
While all parents of school-age children and teens have challenges to navigate at this time of year, co-parents who are no longer romantically involved tend to weather some unique stresses. Most of the time, there is a significant parenting time shift that occurs when school starts. One parent who may have seen a lot of their kids during the summer may be seeing far less of them during the school year and vice versa.
Even when this kind of switch isn't relevant for a dual-household family, getting used to the scheduling realities of the school year is not an insignificant undertaking and can cause a great deal of stress. Knowing how to address potential stressors proactively can help make the transition to the school year easier for everyone.
Getting divorced while owning a medical practice
Owning a medical practice in Maryland comes with plenty of responsibilities, and it can also be a major source of stress if your marriage should come to an end. In this case, you may find yourself worrying over the loss of your practice. To ensure you have the best outcome, you will want to do the following.
You'll have to decide what to split
One of the most agonizing aspects of a divorce will be deciding just how to split up all your various assets. This is particularly true in the case of medical practice.
Your spouse may insist on hiring a forensic accountant to go over the books and take stock of your practice. They will make an exact accounting of items such as your office lease, accounts receivable, furniture, office equipment and other materials used to run the practice. This is a request that may come backed up with a court order.
This accounting will be conducted in order to ensure that your spouse gets their rightful share of the assets. You should also consider any stocks or shares that you own in connection with the practice. If you have partners, they should be informed of any changes that may take place due to your divorce.
How to handle custody disputes with a difficult spouse
Custody of the children is one of the divorce areas most likely to cause heated disputes. It's understandable with so much at stake, yet you need to do your best to avoid them. Not only can they prolong the divorce and worsen relations between you and your soon-to-be ex, but they can do considerable damage to your kids.
But what if your spouse seems intent on turning custody negotiations into a battle?
Do not react in anger
The judge has no interest in listening to you pick holes in each other's past behavior and nor do your children. Just because your ex says something bad about you, or refers to a mistake you once made, does not mean you need to return the favor. You need to take the high road and treat them with respect, even if they are not doing the same for you.
Try to move the conversation forward
Firstly, you need to understand what outcome you want as you can't focus on a goal until you determine that goal. If your spouse attempts to take the conversations in a different, unhelpful direction you need to bring things back to keep you moving toward the goal.
3 best practices for motorists during a DUI traffic stop
It is safe to assume that nearly everyone understands the dangers of driving while drunk. Unfortunately, the efforts of lawmakers to deter drunk driving have made things more difficult for all motorists.
Nowadays, you must be ready if the police pull you over on suspicion of drunk driving. The following DUI traffic stop tips can help you maintain your best behavior whileprotecting your rights.
1. Stay respectful and polite
Once an officer stops your vehicle, it does not matter if you are sober, so making a big fuss about it will not help your case. At that point, you are already involved, and there is an official record of the encounter. However, you can pad the experience in your favor by remaining calm, courteous and respectful. Getting angry or antagonizing the police could worsen your situation.
2. Watch what you say
Did you know you are not legally required to answer every question the police ask during a traffic stop? You shouldn't lie, but you can politely inform them that you cannot answer questions without legal representation. Police officers look for probable cause of drunk driving throughout these encounters. What you say can be used against you.
What does zero tolerance mean for underage drivers?
Like many other states, Virginia uses zero-tolerance laws when it comes to underage drivers. These are any drivers who are 21 years old or younger, meaning there is generally a gap of about five years in which a driver could fit into this age group.
When looking at zero-tolerance laws, they referred to this driver's blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Most drivers are held to a standard of 0.08%. But zero tolerance means that a positive test could lead to a drunk driving arrest, even if that driver is well below the 0.08% limit.
Why is this done?
The general reason for this is that those who are under 21 are not allowed to drink in the first place. They shouldn't even be able to buy alcohol, and they certainly cannot possess it illegally. If it is found in their system, since they've already broken this law, then it exposes them to the potential for drunk driving allegations.
Could this be problematic?
There are some potential problems with zero-tolerance laws. For one thing, the driver may not actually feel that impairment at all.
2 mistakes that can hurt your child custody case
Divorce, in and of itself, is often a difficult process. The process becomes more challenging when kids are involved and the parents cannot seem to agree on the child's post-divorce living arrangements.
It is not uncommon for each parent to do everything in their power to get a custody order that favors them. In the process, they might end up making costly mistakes that could significantly derail their custody case. Here are some of these mistakes:
Taking your fights online
Social media can be a great platform for interacting with family and friends and sharing your mind with the world. However, when you have any legal matter on your hands, it is important that you are mindful of your social media activity.
Taking to social media to express your dissatisfaction with your spouse can only hurt your custody case. Do not disparage, mock or threaten your spouse. In fact, you are better off avoiding social media altogether during your divorce process.
Tips to keep your divorce from becoming a drama
If you watch American soaps or Latin American novelas, you will have seen many divorces become long, drawn-out dramas. While they make for great television, they are best avoided in real life because they're stressful, damaging and expensive.
The best kind of divorce is actually rather boring. They involve two people sitting down and discussing things in a civil manner, without dragging up the past or flinging mud at each other in court.
Focus on the solution rather than the problem
You cannot change the past. If your marriage has reached a point where it is no longer working then ending it is typically best for both people and any children involved. It can sometimes be hard for both parties to see this right now of course.
There are various issues you need to resolve to end your marriage:
- If you have children you need to think about where they will live, how much time they will spend with each parent and how you will split paying to raise them.
Reasons to mediate your divorce
Divorce is difficult no matter what the circumstances. It can be especially difficult if children are involved. Going through a divorce via the court system can be a lengthy, adversarial process that often leaves the parties exhausted and resentful of the other.
However, going through the court system is not the only option for going through a divorce. Mediation, a form of alternative dispute resolution, is an alternative that works for many people, is cost-effective and efficient, and you can still bring your attorneys with you.
What is mediation?
Mediation is a process that brings together the divorcing parties, their attorneys (if they choose to), and a trained mediator who is a neutral third-party tasked with facilitating a structured conversation between the parties.
Mediations can take place with everyone in the same room or in separate rooms, in-person or virtually, and the mediator will help the parties come up with solutions that work for both of them.
Vital tips to help you manage stress during your divorce
Going through a divorce will automatically increase your stress level because it's such a major life change. It's up to you to find ways that you can bring it back down some.
Every situation is different, so one of the first things you need to do is to determine where your stress is coming from. Once you do that, you can take proactive steps to reduce stress.
Acknowledge your emotions
Accept that it's normal to feel a wide range of emotions during a divorce and give yourself permission to experience them without judgment. Share your feelings with friends, family or a support group, and let them help you through this challenging time. Ensure that you are getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising regularly to maintain your physical and mental health.
Set realistic expectations
Understand that divorce is a process, and it will take time to adjust to your new reality. Instead of dwelling on the things you can't change, concentrate on the aspects you can influence, such as your own reactions and decisions. Take the time to set a budget so you know what you can realistically handle financially.
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