Recently in FindLaw.com in the Media Category

Did you know that more than ¾ of U.S consumers with a legal need use the internet to find legal information? With so many choices out there, we at FindLaw work hard to take the guess work out of important legal decisions. We really do provide our users with the information and resources they need.

And sometimes those consumers are reality television stars. 

That's right, in a recent episode of the hit MTV show "Teen Mom 2," one of the stars on the show did a simple Google search for a local divorce attorney. 

What she found was a FindLaw.com lawyer that helped her with her divorce and all the child custody questions she had along the way.

FindLaw is pleased to announce the launch of its new television ad campaign. The 30-second consumer advertisement -- created in collaboration with FindLaw's parent company Thomson Reuters -- is called "Life Gets Legal" and is a humorous look at the kinds of legal issues that crop up in daily life.

The ad is slated to run for the next several weeks. Keep an eye out for it if you are in the Altanta area, or you can watch and share it from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SYRTyZFCFU

US News and World Report published an article last week for brides-to-be called How to Plan your Wedding and Keep Your Job. The article cited FindLaw's recent press release that found 21% of young couples are deferring their wedding until economic times are better.

No matter when you plan to have your big day, there are legal issues to consider as part of the process. Here are some legal matters for you to take care of while planning your wedding:

BusinessWeek cited FindLaw attorney editor Stephanie Rahlfs in its Smart Answers column this week on the topic of LLCs and collection of debt.

If the owners of an LLC close the business, can landlords or other creditors attempt to collect from the individuals who had originally formed the company?

In general, states Rahlfs in the column, a correctly formed Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) should protect the business owners from having to pay for the company's debts with personal assets or wages, unless other agreements or contracts (such as a signed personal guarantee) were created with the creditor that would nullify such protections. This means that a creditor who wished to collect on the debts of the LLC would be required to pursue collection on the assets of the corporation and not an individual's personal possessions. 

But there may be other limits and exceptions to these protections in the eyes of the courts, including the amount of co-mingling that occured between the owner's personal and business assets, according BusinessWeek writer Karen Klein. Klein recommends carefully reviewing the LLC and other signed creditor agreements with a legal professional to make sure that the former business owners are protected.

Related Links:

How to Form an LLC (FindLaw)
Checklist: Starting a Limited Liability Corporation (FindLaw)
Buy Cost-effective legal forms to create an LLC (FindLaw)

A court today awarded Katherine Jackson, the mother of Michael Jackson, and grandmother of his three children, with temporary custody and guardianship of the late pop star's children. Media analysts predict a long and complex legal fight over ultimate custody of the children and the estate.

One of FindLaw's most popular family law sections addresses the rights of grandparents. As boomers age and the divorce rate remains steady, more grandparents are seeking to understand their legal rights and options related to visitation, and in some cases the custody, of their grandchildren. Grandparent laws can vary from state to state, but all 50 states have statutes that allow grandparents to petition the court for the right to visit their grandkids, even at the objection of the parents, according to FindLaw Writ author Joanna Grossman.

In instances where grandparent adoption or custody is being considered or when dealing with intrastate grandparent legal & custody issues, an experienced attorney may be able to help. To learn more about grandparent's rights and related topics check out FindLaw's Family Law section on the topic.

Related Links
What is Guardianship of a Child? The Legal Battle over Michael Jackson's kids. (FindLaw - Law & Daily Life Blog)
Summary of State Law: Grandparents Visitation & Custody (FindLaw) 
Guardianship Basics & Issues (FindLaw)

Wall Street Journal referenced FindLaw's recent survey release that had found that 61% of Americans have either started or considered starting their own businesses. The article provided real-world career advice and typical characteristics successful entrepreneurs possess when they venture out on their own after years in the corporate world.

The key is the right mindset says WSJ contributor Alexandra Levit. "Self-employed professionals", she writes, "are known for being optimistic, competitive, creative and organized. They tend to have a head for business, understand what their customers want and act with integrity. And if they're passionate about their venture, they work as many hours as it takes to get results." Read her entire article for more tips and advice to understand if you are cut out to go it alone.

For more on this topic, check out the previous FindLaw Insider post: Hate Working for the Man? How about Working for Yourself. Or go straight to FindLaw's Small Business Center for information, tips and even low-cost forms to startup your business.

Reuters today announced the launch of Reuters Small Business; an online news resource for entrepreneurs providing the latest knowledge and features to help entrepreneurs "innovate and grow their businesses", according to Reuters Entrepreneurial blog writer Adam Pasick. The section -- which is part of Reuters Business & Finance -- provides news, blogs, video, and column features from Reuters' own world class news team.

Reuters has also partnered with others small business industry experts like Entrepreneur, BNET, Wired and FindLaw.com to provide holistic small business knowledge and resources to its audience. 

This is the first small business syndication partnership for FindLaw.com

The FindLaw Small Business Resources Center for Reuters offers an abundance of useful information on key small business legal topics:

• Starting a Business
• Incorporation & Legal Structures
• Employment Law & HR
• Finance & Taxes
• Insurance & Liability
• Operations
• Small Business Lawyer Directory

To see Reuters Small Business go to: http://www.reuters.com/finance/smallBusiness

Note: FindLaw is a Thomson Reuters business

BusinessWeek quoted FindLaw attorney editor Stephanie Rahlfs in a recent Smart Answers column titled The Stockholder Who Wouldn't Sign. The May 4th segment was a Q&A on the topic of small businesses and stockholder agreements. In the piece, a reader who owns shares in a small business inquires if she is legally required to sign an amended stockholder agreement if presented with one; and the repercussions of refusing to do so. Smart Answers columnist Karen E. Klein replies that the issue depends on the amount of ownership the shareholder has in the company.

Rahlfs points out "If your approval would be required to gain such a majority, and you withhold that approval, then the amendment would simply not go into effect. On the other hand, if the amendment is approved by the majority of shareholders and the original agreement includes a "drag-along" right, you'd likely still be bound to it whether you sign it or not."

Click here to read the full BusinessWeek piece.

Other resources on small business structures and shareholders:
Corporate Shareholders to Directors Structure (FindLaw)
Business Content: The Lowdown on Business Loans (FindLaw)

(ARA) - Heading out to enjoy a day of fun on the water this summer? If it involves boating, jet skiing or water skiing, you may want to think twice about the beverages you bring. More than half of all boating accidents involve alcohol or drugs. And with more than 17 million boats crowding our shorelines and inland lakes and rivers, our nation's waterways are second only to highways as the scene of accidental deaths in our country.
 
Because of the dramatic increase in boating-related accidents involving alcohol and drugs, more states and the federal government are getting tougher on pleasure boaters and fishermen who operate boats under the influence, also cited as a BUI. However, it can be an uphill battle, primarily because of open container laws that allow boaters to publicly display alcoholic beverages while in a boat, creating the perception that drinking while boating is okay.