Courts

How do I petition the courts for money they are holding in an accident case that was resolved. My lawyer died right when case was settled.

I'm an apprentice tattoo artist. I practice on pig skin or prosthetic skin at home. A lady on the Home Owners Associatio board is convinced that I am running a tattoo 'business' because she claims to have seen me tattoo on someone and because my friends which I have over from time to time are outside smoking. She thinks they're lining up for a tattoo. They're just smoking outside. I don't allow smoking in the house and as I'll explain later, nobody wants to use the patio. As for having 'seen' me tattoo, she probably saw me tattoo on fake skin while someone was wearing the skin. This is done to more accurately simulate the contours of the body. Now I have to go to the Home Owners Association board and convince them that I am not using my condo for 'commercial use'. It would be invaluable to have the California legal definition of 'Commercial use' to bring in and show them. There are 5 people on the board. 2 are against me and 1 is on my side. I need to convince the other two that there is no evidence.

My attorney has withdrawn from a divorce trial, citing an ongoing health issue to which I was never apprised. She had not yet questioned the defendant to disprove his claims - I'm the plaintiff. I have met with several attorneys with really egregious retainer fee quotes to continue, and it is as if I'm retaining someone for the first time. I'd like to request a conference with the judge and/or a pro se appearance when the settlement hearing reconvenes in March, 2009. I have all the documents intended for submission to the court as EXHIBITS re disproving the defendant's counterclaims, etc. and arriving at a small settlement.

I have always wondered. If you go to an attorney for consultation is anything you say to him during this consultation be used later in a court of law against you even if you did not pick him to be your attorney.

I have applied for guardianship of my mother who has moderate dementia. She has been classified as legally incompetent and legally recognized as so. When I filed the guardianship papers, her brothers and sisters retained an attorney on her behalf, but they are paying his fees with her money from her account. Can they do this or are they not responsible for the fees since they retained him and mom is unable to consent because of her mental incapacity?