Your Little Legal Companion First Edition may 2006 Book Design susan putnEy proofreading joE saDusky Illustrations mIchaEl powEll ([email protected]) printing DElta prIntIng solutIons, Inc. your little legal companion : helpful advice for life’s big events / from the editors of nolo. p. cm. IsBn 1-4133-0542-3 1. law--united states--outlines, syllabi, etc. 2. law--united states--popular works. 3. life skills--united states--outlines, syllabi, etc. 4. life skills--united states--popular works. I. nolo (Firm) kF387.l58 2006 646.7--dc22 2006043785 copyright © 2006 by nolo. all rights reserved. printed in the usa. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher and the authors. reproduction prohibitions do not apply to the forms contained in this product when reproduced for personal use. Quantity sales: For information on bulk purchases or corporate premium sales, please contact the special sales department. For academic sales or textbook adoptions, ask for academic sales, 800-955-4775. nolo, 950 parker st., Berkeley, ca 94710. we believe accurate, plain-English legal information should help you solve many of your own legal problems. But this text is not a substitute for personalized advice from a knowledgeable lawyer. If you want the help of a trained professional—and we’ll always point out situations in which we think that’s a good idea—consult an attorney licensed to practice in your state. nolo would like to thank guide Dogs for the Blind (www.guidedogs.com) for their assistance in finding the ideal dog to grace our covers. Dedication For all the determined do-it-yourselfers who made Nolo’s 35th anniversary possible. Thank you! About the Authors Every Nolo project is collaborative—but this one was truly a group effort. All of Nolo’s legal editors wrote parts of the book, and we had some fun doing it. But greatest credit is due to Tamara Traeder, who came up with many of the ideas for this book, put everything together, gave it just the right tone, and did it cheerfully and well. T hirty-five years ago, a couple of Legal Aid attorneys had a crazy idea (actually, they had several). Instead of just turning away folks who weren’t poor enough to qualify for free Legal Aid help or wealthy enough to afford lawyers, they’d write down what those folks needed to know, and publish it as a book. Being young, energetic types, they did it—only to find that no publisher would touch it, for fear of making lawyers mad. No one wants to make lawyers mad. The early titles, like the Nolo books of today, were much more than just do-it-yourself manuals; they were valuable companions for people going through challenging, stressful times. Still, a vocal minority within the legal profession was dead set against this kind of publishing, something they erroneously saw as a threat to consumers or, even worse, their own livelihoods. Thirty-five years later, much has changed. Today there are lots of books on legal topics like estate planning, divorce, and bankruptcy. But Nolo is still the only publisher in the country with a full-time staff of attorney-editors who do nothing all day but write, edit, and update legal information for people without law degrees. The legal profession has changed, too, by becoming more open and friendly in a variety of ways. Lawyers see that Nolo books complement their services—and haven’t wiped out the legal profession. Nolo itself has grown and changed. We still publish the highest-quality resources for people who are in the midst of a divorce or need to deal with their landlord (or tenant), but we also publish books and software that can help you file a patent, run your business, or get what’s coming to you from the IRS. I’m not a lawyer, but I’m surrounded by them every day. It’s our dedicated Nolo lawyers (and all of the other dedicated folks at Nolo who make the books and get them to you) that make it possible for us to publish these uniquely helpful books, books that provide a level of information and reliability that no other consumer legal publisher can match. Nolo—Your Legal Companion … For over thirty-five years. David Rothenberg President Table of Contents 1 going to college ...................................................................1 2 your First job ..........................................................................5 3 Buying a car ............................................................................9 4 renting an apartment.......................................................13 5 choosing a roommate ......................................................17 6 Bringing that adorable puppy home ..........................21 7 Filing your First Federal tax return ..............................25 8 when you’ve had a car accident ...................................29 9 Quitting your job ...............................................................33 10 getting Fired .........................................................................37 11 starting a Business..............................................................41 12 Investing.................................................................................45 13 hiring an Employee ............................................................49 14 when life Deals you a physical Blow ............................53 15 Borrowing money ...............................................................57 16 trouble with the law .........................................................61 17 changing your name .........................................................65 18 when you start the house search .................................69 19 Being a good neighbor ....................................................73 20 when you Elect to Be a coach .......................................77 21 when your Identity Is stolen ...........................................81 22 getting sued .........................................................................85 23 Becoming a landlord .........................................................89 24 your First “Do-It-yourself” home Improvement project .........................................................93 25 Buying and selling on eBay .............................................97 26 writing a Book ....................................................................101 27 surviving Bankruptcy ......................................................105 28 moving in with your lover .............................................109 29 having a Brilliant Idea ......................................................113 30 starting a Band ..................................................................117 31 when you Become Engaged .........................................121 32 getting married .................................................................125 33 you want to run a marathon ........................................129 34 having a child ....................................................................133 35 adopting a child ...............................................................137 36 when your child starts kindergarten ........................141 37 what you should know about Divorce .....................145 38 going on your Dream trip ..............................................149 39 getting old ..........................................................................153 40 surviving a natural Disaster ..........................................157 41 holding the Best garage sale .......................................161 42 going Back to school .......................................................165 43 Feel good by Doing some good .................................169 44 when you Decide to live in another country ........173 45 traffic tickets ......................................................................177 46 going to small claims court .........................................181 47 planning your retirement ..............................................185 48 retirement plans ...............................................................189 49 Becoming a grandparent ...............................................193 50 planning your Estate ........................................................197