Sandra Day O’Connor, former Supreme Court Justice, released a letter October 23, 2018 revealing that she was diagnosed with early stage dementia (likely Alzheimer’s Disease). O’Connor plans to remain in Phoenix, AZ surrounded by her friends and family. O’Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice of the United States. She served from 1981 until 2006 when she retired to…
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‘I Say a Little Prayer’ that Aretha Franklin’s children have ‘Respect’ and Are Not a ‘Chain of Fools’
American singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin passed away on August 16 at the age of 76 after battling advanced pancreatic cancer. In the days following her passing, her four sons filed documents with the Michigan Probate Court stating that Aretha passed without a will or trust, and claimed to be interested parties in her estate. Aretha’s niece, Sabrina Garrett Owens…
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Jilted North Carolina Spouse wins $8.8 Million over Wife’s Affair
Last week a Superior Court judge in Durham, North Carolina awarded Keith King $8.8 million dollars in damages against Francisco Huizar III, a man who had an affair with King’s wife. This verdict is the result of North Carolina’s alienation of affection and criminal conversion laws. A remnant of English common law, causes of action for alienation of affection…
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Resolving Legal Disputes Through Mediation
In our ongoing series of posts about arbitration, an increasingly popular form of private dispute resolution across the United States. This week, we will discuss another prevalent system for resolving legal disputes outside of the public court system, mediation. Although arbitration and mediation both use independent third-parties to resolve legal disagreements, there are many differences between the two forms of…
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An Interview With Katherine Cassidy
What are your responsibilities at Lindley Law? My primary title is “Paralegal” but it is certainly not the only hat I wear. My day-to-day includes anything from communicating with clients, processing court filing, scheduling consultations, maintaining our calendar, or even giving potential tenants a tour of our new building. As a paralegal I draft court filings, organize client documents, and…
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Holographic Wills and Statutory Requirements to Modify Them
The law distinguishes between typewritten wills, typically prepared by an attorney, and those which are handwritten by oneself. Handwritten wills, known as holographic wills, must meet the statutory requirements set forth by N.C Gen. Stat. S 31-3.4 (2015). These requirements include: (1) the will must be written entirely by hand by the testator; (2) must be subscribed by the testator;…
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A Beginners Guide to Arbitration – Part 2 Pros and Cons of Arbitration
Our June 11th blog post broadly discussed arbitration and the upward trend of including mandatory arbitration clauses in agreements. This week, we analyze the pros and cons of arbitration to elucidate when arbitration clauses are useful and when they are potentially harmful. In arbitration, individuals and entities bring legal claims against one another outside the public court system. Although…
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The Buzz About Aldrin’s Competency
On June 7, 2018, Buzz Aldrin, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and the second man to walk on the moon, filed a lawsuit against two of his children, Andrew and Janice Aldrin, and his former business manager, Christina Korp. The lawsuit responds to a May 2018 Florida Court filing in which Andrew Aldrin, Janice Aldrin, and Christina Korp requested appointment…
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Elder Abuse: When Aging Relatives May Need Their Own Superhero
Elder abuse refers to intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or associate of an elderly individual, which causes harm.[1] Financial elder abuse occurs when a trusted friend or family member obtains access to a senior’s financial accounts and uses the assets therein for personal gain. Unfortunately, this abuse is widespread in the United States and can happen to anyone,…
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A Beginners Guide to Arbitration – Part 1
Chipotle is currently embroiled in a multi-year wage theft lawsuit. In 2014, approximately 10,000 current and former Chipotle employees filed a class action lawsuit alleging the company failed to compensate employees for work they performed “off the clock”. The employees further claim these off the clock hours are required by Chipotle to meet company-wide labor and payroll budgets. Chipotle responded…