http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com Discussing Issues of New Jersey Law Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The Miranda warning has become a familiar concept by anyone who has watched television over the past 40 years.  "You have the right to remain silent . . . "  Once you become a suspect, the police must give you this warning before continuing with questioning.   If you ask for ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/03/08/invocation-miranda-rights-can-expire/ Many people don't realize this when they apply for the account, but credit cards with retail outlets like Best Buy and furniture stores like Raymour and Flanagan grant a lien (just like on a house or a car) to the bank on anything you purchase with it.  This might not ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/03/05/lien-on-couch-or-computer/ Tax time always engenders a blizzard of TV ads about various tax preparation companies offering to do your return and all the different services they offer.  While it is often a good idea to have a professional do it, not all of the services they offer are ones you should ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/03/02/refund-anticipation-loans-always-bad-idea/ One of the requirements put into the bankruptcy code in 2005 was something called "means testing."  It was meant as a way to force upper income debtors into chapter 13 repayment plans.  In a nutshell, it involves taking your total gross income for the six months prior to your bankruptcy ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/02/22/imminent-gotcha-for-bankruptcy-filers/ There is no question that bankruptcy should always be a last resort; you should try everything you can (outside raiding an IRA or pension) before filing.  Many people do a debt consolidation through a home equity loan; others are able to make deals with their creditors for either a payment ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/02/18/avoid-debt-forgiveness-tax-trap/ Tax debt is often a driving force behind the filing of a bankruptcy, either for individuals, or a business.  If it is income tax for individuals, it can be discharged in bankruptcy if it is more than three years old and meets certain requirements under the bankruptcy code.  However, one ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/02/15/trust-fund-tax-debt-means-big-trouble/ As I have posted in the past, refusing to give two breath samples after being arrested for drunk driving can have serious consequences.  Under New Jersey law, more specifically NJSA 39:4-50.2, a driver is deemed to have consented to providing said samples if he or she operates a motor vehicle ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/02/09/where-you-driving-key-in-refusal-cases/ I have been helping people deep in debt to get a fresh start in bankruptcy for over 18 years now, and my clients most often find themselves in financial straits due to out-of-control credit card debt, medical bills (whether they have health insurance or not, which is another story!), job ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/02/08/be-careful-when-you-co-sign/ Many of us, I am sure, have a bad habit of hanging things from our rear view mirrors.  I am not talking about parking garage passes and smaller items; I mean those things that hang down a ways from the mirror itself.  This can be a problem.  New Jersey law, ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/02/05/stuff-hanging-from-rear-view-mirror-can-lead-to-big-trouble/ Under New Jersey law, if a police officer has probable cause to believe that you were operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he has the right to arrest you and require you to submit two breath samples to an Alcotest breathalyzer machine to determine ... http://blogs.richardsonlawoffices.com/2010/02/02/refusals-are-now-dwis-in-new-jersey/