Monthly Archives: January 2012

When you get married, you agree to share your life with your new spouse, in sickness and health, for richer and poorer— but what about bankruptcy? When one spouse files for bankruptcy, does that mean the whole family gets dragged in?   Debt: Joint or Individual? Bankruptcy is a process that more and more families are facing: Though consumer bankruptcies were actually down 11 percent in 2011 from 2010, after several years of steady rises, experts are forecasting another rise …

The Supreme Court this month affirmed the right of credit card companies to deny you the ability to take them to court, leaving consumers with little recourse to fight back against abusive practices and deceptive contracts. Consumers have few options to avoid binding arbitration clauses Arbitration clauses proliferating for all manner of products Arbitration Fairness Act in Congress could restore people’s right to fairly collect damages   No Day in Court In an eight to one decision in the case …

With Courtney Love’s recent court win in the news, you may think it’s a good idea to withhold your own rent money next time you have a conflict with your landlord. But attorneys familiar with landlord-tenant law say that such a move could get you evicted. Don’t forget: Love paid her back rent before a judge ruled that she could stay in her $26,000-per-month apartment. Whether you’re irked by your neighbor’s loud music or are at your wits’ end because …

In a tragic case in Jacksonville, Fla., a jury awarded $178 million to a man who was permanently physically and mentally disabled when a hospital neglected to follow its most basic safety procedures following gastric bypass surgery. Hospital recognized nationally for strict safety procedures and high quality of care Patient left to linger with serious symptoms for eight days before follow-up surgery occurred Hospital part of healthcare corporation stung for Medicare fraud in 2000    A Serious Complication At 38 …

Several of the largest financial institutions in the country may agree to a settlement that could provide compensation to as many as a million homeowners for improper foreclosure proceedings. The announcement of the potential deal was made earlier this month by U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan. Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup and Ally Financial Inc. have been in talks with federal officials and state attorneys general to distribute as …