Mirror of Justice

California Laws to Help You Save on Car Insurance

July 19th, 2009 at 07:05pm Under Insurance Law

When it comes to saving money on car insurance, there are some obvious things that will help you out. As I’m sure you heard before, it always makes sense to get more than one quote. That way you can compare the rates from different companies and save. But there is a lot more that will help besides just comparing rates.
Did you know that California has set up laws for auto insurers? These laws are meant to protect drivers from fraud and abuse by insurance companies. The state of California is one of the best states when it comes to protecting its drivers from fraud and abuse from insurance companies.
One recent law to help consumers save is Proposition 103. Proposition 103 was passed in 1988 to change that, but went into affect July 14, 2008. The law states that that auto insurance companies must provide you quotes based on your driving record, not your zip code. Previously, drivers paid their premiums based on their location. So you could have been a better driver (and lower risk) than someone a mile away, but you would have had to pay a higher premium based on your zip code.
Another law meant to protect drivers in the state of California is Assembly Bill 2677. This law was passed in 2005 and says that auto insurance companies in California must provide drivers with the lowest rate available to them. If they do not show you your lowest possible rate, they are violating the law. Be sure to always ask to see the lowest rate available to you.
California has also regulated the rates that insurers can charge to drivers. Recently California mandated that Allstate must lower its insurance rates by 15.9%. Allstate covers roughly 10% of all California drivers, so the mandate was a huge win in helping California drivers save even more on car insurance.
Another benefit to California drivers in need of cheap auto insurance is the California Low Cost Auto insurance program (CLCA). This program is a minimum coverage insurance that helps drivers in dire economic circumstances get affordable car insurance. Through the CLCA drivers can get insurance for as low as $400 a year.
The more you know about auto insurance laws in California, the more educated you will be on your rights as a consumer. Knowing your rights will help you save money. Of course, don’t forget to compare your rates.

Stockton, California Police Officer Arraigned in Drunk Driving Accident Case

July 16th, 2009 at 03:02am Under Drunk Driving Law

As an update to a story we carried last month in our California drunk driving accident lawyers blog, a former Stockton police trainee has been arraigned in an accident case that killed one of his passengers.

According to the Modesto Bee, 27-year-old Ryan Honnette has been arraigned on charges including driving with a blood alcohol percentage of 0.08 percent or more, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. The accident that he has been charged in relation to took place on October 18th. Honnette was driving a Ford Excursion with four passengers inside. As he approached the Highway 132-Lake Junction, Honnette seems to have lost control of the vehicle. He tried to get the vehicle back on track, and over-corrected. The SUV rolled over. 25-year-old Matthew Miller, who was sitting in the back seat, was thrown out of the SUV. He suffered severe injuries, and was taken to the hospital where he died a while later. The other passengers in the car escaped with minor injuries. Honnette walked away without any injuries.

Honnette was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. His blood alcohol level was apparently 0.15 percent. He was just a few months away from finishing his police officer training, and was placed on paid leave as a result of the drunk driving accident. He is currently looking at a sentence of more than 10 years, if convicted.

This is a classic example of a man throwing his life and career away in one instant of lunacy. You would expect Honnette to be more aware of the dangers of drunk driving. As a police officer in training, he likely had access to DUI offenders who were looking at punishments ranging from license suspension to prison time. Yet, he chose to get behind the wheel too drunk to drive anyway. His blood alcohol levels were almost twice the legal limit, which makes you wonder what exactly he took home from his police training program.

This sort of behavior would be intolerable from an average motorist – from a man of the law, it’s completely unacceptable. Honnette deserves the strictest punishment he can get for his negligent behavior.

Labor Law Posters, It’s the Law!

July 15th, 2009 at 05:38pm Under Administrative Law

State and Federal Labor Law Posters are Required for Small Businesses and Other Employers.

Statutes and regulations enforced by agencies within the US Department of Labor require that labor law posters and/or work place notices be posted in the work place.

Job safety and health protection labor law poster; Occupational Safety and Health Administration oversee this labor law poster. Private employers engaged in a business affecting commerce must display this labor law poster.

Equal employment opportunity labor law poster; Employment Standards Administration and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs oversee this labor law poster.  Involves Executive Order 11246, as amended; Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 38 U.S.C. 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended, Entities holding federal contracts or subcontracts or federally assisted construction contracts of $10,000 or more; financial institutions which are issuing and paying agents for U.S. savings bonds and savings notes; depositories of federal funds or entities having government bills of lading must display this labor law poster.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) labor law poster; Minimum wage poster, Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division oversee this labor law poster. Every private, federal, state and local government employer employing any employee subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 USC 211, 29 CFR 516.4 posting of notices must display this labor law poster.

Employee Right for Workers with Disabilities/Special Minimum Wage Labor Law Poster; Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division oversee this labor law poster. Every employer having workers employed under special minimum wage certificates authorized by section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act must display this labor law poster.

Your rights under the family and medical leave act labor law poster; Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division oversee this labor law poster. Public agencies (including state, local, and federal employers), public and private elementary and secondary schools, as well as private sector employers who employ 50 or more employees in 20 or more work weeks and who are engaged in commerce or in any industry or activity affecting commerce, including joint employers and successors of covered employers must display this poster.

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (Notice for use by all employers) labor law poster; Veterans’ Employment and Training Service labor law poster. The full text of this labor law poster must be provided by each employer to persons entitled to rights and benefits under USERRA.

Notice to all employees working on Federal or Federally financed construction projects (Davis-Bacon Act) labor law poster; Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division oversee this labor law poster. Any contractor/subcontractor engaged in contracts in excess of $2,000 for the actual construction, alteration/repair of a public building or public work or building or work financed in whole or in part from federal funds, federal guarantee, or federal pledge which is subject to the labor standards provisions of any of the acts listed in 29 CFR 5.1 must display this labor law poster.

Notice to employees working on government contracts (Service Contracts Act) labor law poster; Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division oversee this labor law poster. Every contractor or subcontractor engaged in a contract with the United States or the District of Columbia in excess of $2,500 the principal purpose of which is to furnish services in the U.S. through the use of service employees must display this labor law poster.

Notice: employee polygraph protection act labor law poster; Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division oversee this labor law poster. Any employer engaged in or affecting commerce or in the production of goods for commerce must display this labor law poster. Does not apply to federal, state and local governments, or to circumstances covered by the national defense and security exemption.

Notice migrant and seasonal agricultural worker protection act labor law poster; Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division oversee this labor law poster. Agricultural employers, agricultural associations and farm labor contractors must display this labor law posters.

California Labor Lawyer Discusses the Filing of Harassment, and Discrimination Complaints with the EEOC, DFEH, and DLSE

July 15th, 2009 at 09:02am Under Uncategorized

When it comes time for a California labor attorney to choose which state or federal agency the California labor attorney should file a complaint with for harassment, discrimination, or retaliation on behalf of a client, and a California labor lawyer has a tough choice. Equally tough are the short statutes of limitation a labor lawyer in California has to file age discrimination complaints.

If you’ve been the victim of discrimination, harassment or retaliation in your employment in California, visit our website at http://www.CaliforniaAttorneysLawyers.com and call us at any of the numbers easily found on our website.

Despite the economy and the current economic condition of the State of California, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the EEOC and the Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) division of the Department of Industrial Relations still advise California labor attorneys that they have the resources to investigate complaints.

Employees who have signed arbitration agreements or who have received threats of legal action if they file a claim with any of these agencies should first contact a California labor lawyer but should also note that the State of California and the Federal Government generally will not recognize such restrictions on California and U.S. employees. Indeed, attempts to restrict employees from having government agencies investigate wrongdoing by employers may undergo severe scrutiny.

Generally, valid waivers of rights must specifically refer to the rights or claims that are being waived. They may not generally waive rights or claims that may arise in the future without additional language. And they must advise the individual in writing to consult an attorney before signing the waiver.

The position of the EEOC, for instance, is that even a valid waiver of rights by an employee does not affect the EEOC’s rights and responsibilities to enforce the law. While a valid arbitration agreement may require arbitration between an employee and an employer, it does not bar the EEOC from seeking judicial relief on behalf of an employee.

Indeed, retaliation against an employee after she reports harassment or discrimination by terminating the employee, and then a company’s further retaliation either by threatening legal action or by termination may constitutes a separate claim on top of the original claim for harassment or discrimination. Unfortunately, employees without the benefit of counsel from a California labor lawyer may be taken in by such threats.

Both the DFEH, the EEOC may handle a discrimination, harassment and retaliation claim and the DLSE/DIR’s Sacramento office which enforces retaliation laws, may act simultaneously, so long as the matters are timely filed with each agency within the appropriate statutes of limitations.

With the DFEH, once the employee or ex-employee makes an appointment to start the process, the wheels will begin turning but the statute of limitations is not tolled until a complaint is filed by the employee. With the EEOC, once the employee files an intake questionnaire and an affidavit describing the discrimination, the filing requirement will be met with the EEOC, after which the EEOC will notify the employer of the filed charge. After the EEOC receives the charge, they are obligated to conduct an investigation and they have the power to issue subpoenas in connection with their investigation. If the EEOC finds unlawful discrimination, they have the power to eliminate such unlawful practices. Even an enforceable agreement binding an employee to arbitrate disputes with the employer does not affect the EEOC’s power to sue the employer to enjoin further violations. Nor does it bar the EEOC from seeking victim-specific relief, including money damages.

If the EEOC is unable to secure a conciliation agreement with an employer within 30 days after a charge is filed, the EEOC may file a civil action against the employer and may seek temporary or permanent relief.

If the DFEH decides to pursue a matter themselves, they may issue an accusation and prosecute the claim before the Fair Employment and Housing Commission (FEHC). Like the EEOC, the DFEH has the power to issue subpoenas, take depositions and serve written interrogatories. If they find a violation, they will seek to eliminate it.

The DFEH has the authority to issue cease-and-desist orders, and to award reinstatement, backpay, front pay, emotional damages, and an administrative fine. The amount of that fine is determined by factors which include willful, intentional or purposeful conduct, refusal to prevent or eliminate discrimination, conscious disregard for the rights of employees, commission of unlawful conduct, intimidation or harassment, conduct without just cause or excuse and multiple violations of the FEHA.

While the amount awarded for emotional distress may not exceed $150,000 for each person, an additional amount of $150,000 may be awarded for intimidation. The FEHC may also award reasonable attorney fees, including expert witness fees to the prevailing party. However, the award to the prevailing party is discretionary and the courts generally do not require a losing plaintiff to pay the employer’s California labor attorney’s fees and costs.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of race and color, as well as national origin, sex and religion. It applies to employers with 15 or more individuals. It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against any individual, even if that discrimination is prompted by the racially motivated actions of other employees.

Title VII prohibits offensive conduct that is unwelcome and offensive, and that is severe or pervasive. Employers are required to take appropriate steps to prevent and correct unlawful harassment. Employers may not fire or otherwise retaliate against or take an adverse action against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination.

Adverse actions include an action taken to try to keep someone from opposing a discriminatory practice, or from participating in an employment discrimination proceeding. Prohibited acts of retaliation can occur after termination and receive the same scrutiny by the DFEH whether they occur before or after termination.

Protected activities of employees include complaining to anyone about alleged discrimination against oneself or others, taking part in employment discrimination proceedings, and filing a charge of employment discrimination.

While the amount of damages that can be awarded for compensatory and punitive damages recoverable under Title VII go up to only $300,000 against companies with 501 or more employees, there are no such limits under the FEHA. Even under Title VII, damages for emotional distress may be awarded. Title VII specifically authorizes compensatory damages for emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and other nonpecuniary losses.

Before the Civil Rights Act of 1991, neither compensatory nor punitive damages were recoverable under Title VII. By contrast, both types of damages were and are available under the FEHA. Punitive damages are also now available against nongovernmental entities under Title VII for cases of intentional employment discrimination, including cases proved by disparate treatment where the respondent engaged in a discriminatory practice with malice or reckless indifference to the federally protected rights of an aggrieved individual. The standard is similar with the FEHA.

One of the recurring themes employers use to justify the termination of an employee they have harassed or discriminated against to California labor lawyers, is that the termination was part of a planned reduction in employees. However, under the law, even if good cause exists for a reduction in force, an employer’s decision to lay off certain employees while retaining others may be challenged by a California labor attorney under applicable anti-discrimination laws. A case involving just this situation receiving a great deal of national publicity involves the lay offs of a disproportionate number of women from Wall Street institutions.

Employers are bound by state laws that provide greater protection for employment than comparable federal laws, which is the reason most employment claims are filed with the FEHA.

When it comes to harassment and retaliation, the California constitution prohibits harassment based upon factors which include race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin. Discrimination based on physical or mental disability, marital status, a medical condition (including pregnancy and child birth) and sexual orientation is also prohibited. The FEHA also requires employers to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent discrimination and harassment from occurring.

With the DFEH, the interviewing consultant drafts a formal complaint. If the complaint is accepted for investigation, the complaint is also filed with the EEOC. After the DFEH issues an accusation, the DFEH may litigate the case in a public hearing before the Fair Employment and Housing Commission. If emotional distress damages or administrative fines are sought, the employee can have the case moved to a civil court. If the case is moved to court, the DFEH prosecutes, but the complainant is the real party in interest.

Government codes section 12965(b) requires that individuals must exhaust their administrative remedies with the DFEH by filing a complaint and obtaining a “right-to-sue notice” from the Department before filing a lawsuit. The DFEH, however, will accept requests for an immediate “right-to-sue-notice” from persons and from their California labor lawyers for clients who have decided to proceed in court. A DFEH complaint must be filed within one year from the last act of discrimination or you may lose your right to file a lawsuit.

Once a “right-to-sue-notice” is received from the DFEH, the employee has one year to file a civil lawsuit. Failure to do so may again cause you to lose your right to sue.

Common mistakes by harassment victims are not telling the person doing the harassment to stop, not documenting the harassment by that person, not reporting the harassment to your superiors, not making sure the employer is taking action to end the harassment, not obtaining medical or psychological help when needed, not realizing that retaliation is illegal, accepting the word of your employer that you do not have a case for harassment or discrimination, not filing a DFEH, EEOC or DLSE/DIR complaint within the time allowed, not having an attorney assess whether any arbitration agreement is binding, and not consulting with an attorney.

A complaint to the EEOC under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 must be made within 180 days from the date of the incident. This period, however, is extended to 300 days if the employee also files a complaint with the DFEH. Complaints of discrimination commonly include discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, sexual orientation and retaliation or reprisal. That time period, however, can be reduced to as little as 30 days after a complainant receives notice that a state agency such as the DFEH has terminated its processing of a charge. It is thus best to contact the EEOC immediately whenever discrimination is suspected because of its short statutes of limitations.

In addition, many governmental agencies require that for an employee or applicant for employment to preserve their rights under EEO laws, they must contact an EEO Counselor within 45 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action. There are exceptions and grounds for extending this period, but neither a complainant nor his or her California labor attorney does not want to be in a position to be having to argue those grounds as the complaint may be deemed too late to be accepted.

Once a complaint is filed with the EEOC, if the EEOC finds substantial evidence of discrimination, it will file a lawsuit. If the EEOC does not find sufficient facts to support the complaint, it dismisses the complaint and issues a “right to sue” letter to the complaining party. A lawsuit must then be brought by the complaining party within 90 days of receiving the Right to Sue letter from the EEOC.

A much less publicized and less known agency, even among California labor attorneys in the State of California at which complaints for retaliation and discrimination can be filed is with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). An employee or job applicant alleging violation of any law under the jurisdiction of the Labor Commissioner must file a complaint with the DLSE within six months of the adverse action. Adverse actions include unlawful discharge, demotion, suspension, reduction in pay or hours, refusal to hire or promote and other actions. There are, however, some exceptions to the 6-month deadline, but again, it is best to file a complaint as soon as possible to ensure that it is timely.

Filing a complaint with the Labor Commissioner does not prevent a person or their California labor lawyer from filing a private lawsuit.

Visit our website at http://www.CaliforniaAttorneysLawyers.com and call us if you have been the victim of harassment, discrimination or retaliation in your employment in California.

Finally, an employee or job applicant who alleges retaliation for having complained about a workplace health or safety issue has the right to file a concurrent complaint with the federal OSHA within 30 days of the occurrence of the adverse action.

What Do We Do When a Group of People Have Their Rights Taken Away??

July 15th, 2009 at 08:54am Under Civil Rights Law

Family Law Attorney: Helping You Through a Child Custody Hearing

July 15th, 2009 at 04:38am Under Family Law

Being a parent can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. The unconditional love between you and your child is probably one of the most unique and amazing things you have ever known. When conflicts arise between you and the other parent of the child however, the situation may escalate to such a level that you may end up in a court hearing for any number of reasons, including a child custody hearing or a child support hearing.

If you and the other parent of your child will be going through a court hearing regarding your child, you might want to consider hiring a family law attorney. These legal professionals can help you navigate the type of court hearing you are going through and can help make sure that you are properly portrayed during the hearing.

If you are going through a child custody hearing, it will probably be one of the most stressful and difficult times of your life. It will be difficult and stressful because both you and the other parent of your child will likely both be fighting for custody of the child. Just the fear of losing custody of your child may be enough to raise your stress to an unhealthy level, and if you do not know what to expect during the hearing, it may put your emotions over the top. A family law attorney will be able to inform you of what to expect during the hearing and can help make sure that you are properly portrayed during the hearing, which can be the difference between being awarded custody and losing custody of your child.

The court will likely consider many factors during your custody hearing before determining how custody will be split and to whom it will be awarded. One of the main factors that the court will probably consider during the hearing is your parenting ability. With this in mind, it can be extremely beneficial to have a family law attorney on your side that will be able to portray your parenting abilities in the best light. Keep in mind, the other parent of the child will probably also be trying as hard as they can to gain custody, so having a legal professional on your side that has experience in these types of cases can be crucial.

Once you have made it through the custody hearing, you may also have to endure a support hearing. The support hearing will probably be held to determine how much money the non-custodial parent will be required to pay each month in child support. Whether you are the parent making the payments, or the parent receiving the payments, a family law attorney can be a great help in making it through this hearing as well.

Fighting with the other parent of your child regarding child custody, or any other matter, can be very stressful to endure. When the conflicts end up in court, you may want to hire a legal professional to help you through the hearing. There are many benefits to hiring a lawyer to help you through the hearing, with the most important being coming out ahead at the end of the process.

Family Law Attorney: Helping You Through a Child Custody Hearing

July 15th, 2009 at 04:38am Under Family Law

Being a parent can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. The unconditional love between you and your child is probably one of the most unique and amazing things you have ever known. When conflicts arise between you and the other parent of the child however, the situation may escalate to such a level that you may end up in a court hearing for any number of reasons, including a child custody hearing or a child support hearing.

If you and the other parent of your child will be going through a court hearing regarding your child, you might want to consider hiring a family law attorney. These legal professionals can help you navigate the type of court hearing you are going through and can help make sure that you are properly portrayed during the hearing.

If you are going through a child custody hearing, it will probably be one of the most stressful and difficult times of your life. It will be difficult and stressful because both you and the other parent of your child will likely both be fighting for custody of the child. Just the fear of losing custody of your child may be enough to raise your stress to an unhealthy level, and if you do not know what to expect during the hearing, it may put your emotions over the top. A family law attorney will be able to inform you of what to expect during the hearing and can help make sure that you are properly portrayed during the hearing, which can be the difference between being awarded custody and losing custody of your child.

The court will likely consider many factors during your custody hearing before determining how custody will be split and to whom it will be awarded. One of the main factors that the court will probably consider during the hearing is your parenting ability. With this in mind, it can be extremely beneficial to have a family law attorney on your side that will be able to portray your parenting abilities in the best light. Keep in mind, the other parent of the child will probably also be trying as hard as they can to gain custody, so having a legal professional on your side that has experience in these types of cases can be crucial.

Once you have made it through the custody hearing, you may also have to endure a support hearing. The support hearing will probably be held to determine how much money the non-custodial parent will be required to pay each month in child support. Whether you are the parent making the payments, or the parent receiving the payments, a family law attorney can be a great help in making it through this hearing as well.

Fighting with the other parent of your child regarding child custody, or any other matter, can be very stressful to endure. When the conflicts end up in court, you may want to hire a legal professional to help you through the hearing. There are many benefits to hiring a lawyer to help you through the hearing, with the most important being coming out ahead at the end of the process.

Family Law Attorney: Going Through a Support Hearing

July 14th, 2009 at 10:38pm Under Family Law

Raising children can be both rewarding and challenging. It can be very rewarding to watch your children grow and develop throughout their lifetimes. It can be very challenging, however, to see them through this development.

Raising children can be very expensive, and if you are going through a support hearing, you may want to hire a family law attorney to make sure that the outcome is as good as possible for you and your children. Support hearings are usually held to determine how much a non custodial parent will be required to pay each month in support to sustain the well being of their children.

If you are the parent that is receiving the support payments, you will probably want to make sure that the final decision of the court on how much the non custodial parent is required to pay will be enough to cover the costs you have in raising the children. A family law attorney can help a great deal in this situation, because they can help make sure that all of the costs of raising the children are covered during the hearing and also that the final decision of the court is in the best interests of you and your children.

If you are the parent that is required to make the support payments, a family law attorney can also be a great help to you during the hearing. Although you probably want to provide as much money as possible to sustain the well being of your children, you probably do not want the amount you are required to pay each month to be too high. A legal professional can help properly portray your ability to make the payments and also how much you can realistically pay each month.

Whether you are the parent making the payments, or the parent receiving the payments, after the original court ruling is finalized, you may have the option of requesting a modification to the original support orders if your circumstances have changed. For example, if you are the parent making the payments and you have recently lost a job, or have suffered a pay cut, you might want to request a modification to the original court ruling to lower the amount of money you are required to pay. If you are the parent receiving the payments, you might request a modification if your child has developed special needs since the time of the original court hearing. Such special needs could range from medical attention to tutoring. A family law attorney can be a great benefit to you, whether you are making the payments or receiving the payments, because they can help determine whether you should request the modification and when you should request the change.

There are many situations where a legal professional can be of great help to you. If you are going through a court hearing regarding your children, it may be a good idea to look into the option of hiring a lawyer because they can help ensure that the outcome of the hearing will be in the best interests of you and your children.

San Diego & Orange County California Environmental Attorney Asks Why Isn’t More Action Isn’t Taking Place to Reduce Global Warming

July 14th, 2009 at 04:37pm Under Environmental Law

If you care about the environment, no matter if you live in Corona del Mar, La Jolla, Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos, Vista and Escondido, San Diego, Huntington Beach, Westminster, Buena Park, San Luis Obispo, Cambria, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, or Laguna Hills or work in San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Yorba Linda, Fullerton, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, San Bernardino, Temecula, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Victorville, Yucca Valley or Twentynine Palms, everyone has an opinion about global warming.

 

As an environmental attorney, and with all the recent footage coming in from around the world, it is clear not only that global warming is a problem, it is getting worse, and action is needed immediately.

 

What’s stopping action from taking place? Oil companies and energy companies of all kinds, some of whom reportedly spend more to confuse people and the issue than they do on alternative energy research.

 

Who else is at fault? Sadly, the Republican party, the executive actions of George Bush and what he has forced government agencies to do, and other groups, who because of their Republican support, were slow getting on the bandwagon.

 

The issue has also brought us some surprising heroes. Governor Schwarzenegger of California. Ex-President and Nobel Prize Winner, Al Gore. And scientists around the world.

 

One only need turn on the television to see the melting arctic ice, or to hear that polar bears are being forced to become cannibals to be concerned at how little is being done and how much is being done to confuse and fight those who are concerned about the environment. Even Senator McCain stands against his own running mate, Sarah Palin on environmental issues.

 

School children know more about the issue than adults because they study the science and refuse to believe the lies and false websites put out by the energy companies.

 

And yet, except for America, and China, the world seems to be as one, united in the fight against global warming. While more is being done around the world despite the obstinance of the U.S. and China, so much more could be accomplished if we had elected a leader in this area instead of one who led us into a costly and unnecessary war.

 

One can only applaud companies who are involved in renewable energy sources such as solar, and wind power, the building of energy free homes, environmental groups and the efforts of Governor Schwartzenegger to make California a leader in the world in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gasses.

 

It will take all of us to make the changes we need to save our planet, our environment and the animal species that are so much at risk. Only this week, in the news for October 2008, it was widely reported that one in four mammals face extinction. Yet, amazingly, there are still people who will either not believe that man is either the cause of global warming or who feel that it would be too costly to the economy to take actions to help the environment such as reducing greenhouse gasses.

 

It is hoped that with greater public awareness, and better education to our school children of the environmental problems we face, that when this new generation grows up demanding change and they ask the current generation how we could have let this problem get so bad without doing more to prevent it, it will not be too late to reverse the effects of mankind’s damage. 

 

 If you have an environmental legal matter in Orange County, San Diego, in Riverside, Palm Springs or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your California Environmental Lawyers, and Orange County and San Diego Environment Attorneys. For this reason, be sure to hire a California law firm with environmental lawyers who can represent you from Palm Desert to Big Bear, Santa Ana, Chula Vista, Julian, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Carlsbad, Ventura and Malibu.

 

If you have an environmental matter and need to know your rights, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com  and learn about your rights and options and how we can assist you. You can also call us to speak directly to Sebastian Gibson on the phone about your legal matter.

A Family Law Attorney Can Smooth Things Over

July 14th, 2009 at 10:38am Under Family Law

Smoothing things over becomes an unpleasant task for many amateurs in divorce cases, a task that these people are not usually prepared to face. Bitter words and harsh times can create even more uncomfortable, awkward and very tense situations or environments for the parties involved and even for those around them. Having a professional who can help to fix these situations and draft and create fair, just settlements for divorced couples can be invaluable to these couples as they go through the divorce process.

Strangely, when one thinks of a family law attorney, they often think of those lawyers we have seen on television that have sinister ideas and intricate plots to destroy the lives of their opponents. What one will discover if they spend any time at all with any attorney is that this is simply not the case. The vast majority of attorneys are committed to discovering what is fair and implementing a settlement that reflects this. A family law attorney is not interested in taking a bad situation and making it worse. This does not benefit them at all and goes against the sense of fairness and equality that they fight to protect. A family should never go through a divorce alone, without the counsel of a professional to guide them through what can become ugly situations and hard times.

Especially if there are children involved in the divorce, these situations can become bitter messes from the very beginning. Former couples sometimes spend countless dollars and a great deal of time trying to decide who is going to have custody of their children after their divorce. What is often forgotten in situations such as these is: what is best for the children? A family law attorney will bring their expertise in these situations and past experiences in similar cases in helping the family decide what is best for the children. Many families face the unpleasant requirement of putting their children through a messy divorce when the parents cannot get along or stay married to each other any longer. When divorce seems inevitable, the parents will usually fight often, be miserable and create tense situations inside the home, which their children often pick up on. So, getting divorced may be the best thing for the children in some cases, as nobody wants their children to grow up in these circumstances. A messy divorce, however, will often create the very thing the parents were trying to avoid, a tense and uncomfortable situation for their children. Having a family law attorney to help the parents through these troubled times will help to smooth the situation and create a fair and calm environment for the children.

As everybody knows, divorce is not a fun experience for any party involved, and that includes the children. A family law attorney can help the situation by bringing information, experience and fairness to the situation. This will help the ex-husband and ex-wife sort out their divorce and make the decisions that are best for everybody involved.