| Hiring An Attorney |
|
| If you are stuck with a car that is a lemon or if an electronics store won't repair the big screen television that you bought from it, you may need to hire an attorney to help resolve the dispute. Legal advice is also helpful if you are buying or selling a home or starting a new business. Attorneys can provide valuable advice on estate planning, tax matters, and marital issues. More... |
|
|
| Declaratory Judgments |
|
| Laws have been adopted that give both the state courts and the federal courts the power to declare or define the legal rights, duties, obligations, or status of the parties involved in a dispute. In a declaratory judgment suit, the court does not award any damages and does not order either party to do anything.
More... |
|
|
| Scientific Evidence |
|
| Scientific evidence is demonstrative evidence or evidence that is introduced to prove a fact by some mode other than oral testimony. Scientific evidence is obtained by using the scientific method, a process of scientifically investigating physical evidence. The information obtained is considered valid since it has been tested. Any scientific evidence that is admitted during a trial must be both relevant (tends to prove or disprove the factual matter being considered by the court) and reliable or trustworthy. Handwriting analysis, fingerprint and footprint analysis, DNA analysis, and lie detector test results are all examples of scientific evidence. Generally, an expert witness is called to testify about the reliability of the scientific evidence sought to be introduced at trial. More... |
|
|
| Dismissals and Reinstatements of Civil Lawsuits |
|
| The law allows the plaintiff (the person suing) to dismiss his/her lawsuit after it has been filed. In addition, the court has authority to order dismissal of a lawsuit under certain circumstances. This article discusses voluntary dismissals by the plaintiff, involuntary dismissals by the court, and the circumstances under which a lawsuit can be reinstated. More... |
|
|
| Juvenile Courts |
|
| A juvenile court is a specialized civil court dealing with children who are under the age of 18 who are abused, neglected, dependent, delinquent, and status offenders. Some juvenile courts also have the power to require treatment for mentally ill or developmentally disabled children. The goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate the juvenile. The juvenile court makes use of social service programs. There are important differences between juvenile courts and other civil courts. Juvenile hearings are usually closed to the public so that the juvenile's privacy is protected. A juvenile has no right to request a trial by jury. Juveniles cannot post bail in order to be released from detention. The probation officers involved in the juvenile justice system are court employees. They conduct evaluations and prepare reports to aid the juvenile judges in deciding a case. They also supervise juveniles who are placed on probation and report on the progress of juveniles on probation. More... |
|
|