You might be surprised to know that two people can get married without ever walking down an aisle. If those two people express a present tense intent to be married and hold themselves out as spouses, they may be considered legally married despite never having had a wedding or ceremony. There a...
In trial, you should never go it alone if you don't have to. Sometimes the best defense requires the testimony of an expert (or two). What is an “expert witness”? There are two types of witnesses in litigation: a lay witness and an expert witness. A lay witness is someone who testifies from...
Whatever the reasons may be, ending a marriage is often a difficult process, both emotionally and legally. Marriages typically end through a divorce from your spouse, but on occasion, through annulment. While members of the military follow the same procedures for divorces, additional consideratio...
In criminal court cases, both inside the military and in civilian courtrooms, there are certain procedures the prosecution must follow to admit physical evidence in a trial. This means that for every exhibit of physical evidence, the prosecution should have a carefully maintained record of where ...
At Patriots Law Group, we represent clients in every type of business matter, from formation to dissolution, contract disputes to debt collection. We take pride in helping veterans, retirees, and small business owners who serve the military community navigate the legal challenges of business owne...
Editor's Note: This is Part 1 of our series on the Probate Process. To learn more, move on to Part 2: Ways To Contest A Will. Part 1 of this 3-part series on the probate process focuses on the Will and understanding the distribution of an estate. All states consider the decedent's estate — th...
Criminal Military Trials are different from civilian trials in many ways. Known as a court-martial, a military criminal trial follows specific legal procedures outlined in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Major updates were recently made to the UCMJ and, if you are facing a court-mart...
Contracts are entered into for a variety of reasons: starting a new job, leasing a new home, promising the exchange of goods and services, and so on. But what happens when someone is ready to end, or terminate, a contract? Who has legal grounds, and when is a contract considered “officially” term...
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), one in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence from an intimate partner. If you or a loved one have experienced violence, harassment, or threats at the hands of a domestic partner – or i...
In the United States, bad behavior in workplace safety and corporate management have long been themes in movies, books, and cautionary tales. In 1970, Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to help create and enforce labor standards around the country. OSHA's st...
If you run a business, whether you're the sole employee or the leader of a growing corporation, you need to register your business with the government. This ensures that all of your business dealings are legal and properly filed for tax purposes, payroll, insurance, and other legal considerations...
For many service members, finding or returning to civilian employment after military service can be daunting. These difficulties may arise for a number of reasons — like civilians not understanding how military skills or experience translate to civilian jobs, lack of access to jobs at appropriate...
Drug Possession Charges: What's the Difference? Use or possession of illegal drugs, or illegal use of legal drugs, constitutes a serious charge. At Patriots Law Group, we understand that good people can make mistakes and we fight hard to ensure a single mistake doesn't end a person's career an...
The Fourth of July is right around the corner and as we celebrate America's independence, it's important to make sure your festivities don't lead to trouble with the law. While sparklers and poppers are generally legal everywhere, in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, many types of firewor...
For many of our clients who live on base or in privatized military housing, issues with maintenance requests and other tenant-to-landlord concerns have historically caused major headaches. Although there are established rights for both tenants and landlords, such as the rights put in place in Mar...
On April 15, 2019, the United States Army announced its intentions to refresh the centralized promotion board system for the first time in fifty years, shifting from a time-based model to a merit-based model. The ultimate goal of the new system is to increase the number of promotions based on a s...
Military Spouse Appreciation Day, held every year on the Friday before Mother's Day, is a day to honor the contributions and sacrifices made by military spouses. Recognized on May 10th this year, the day honors the silent heroes who act as the backbone of military families while servicemembers ar...
When someone is accused of a crime, they are charged based on the severity of the crime committed. The two most common categories of crimes are felonies and misdemeanors, and they carry different weights in courts of law. For people who are unfamiliar with the criminal justice system in the state...
So you've got a great idea for a small business – now what? Whether you're still in the R&D phase, you're meeting your first clients, or you've been running a successful small business “under the table” for a while now, at some point you're going to need to form a business entity to operate le...
Traffic citations are never fun. Whether you've accidentally run a red light or weren't paying enough attention to your speedometer, a law enforcement officer may give you a ticket that requires you to pay a fine, or write you a citation, requiring a court appearance. Most traffic tickets are the...
If you're applying for a job with the United States government or military, you may be required to apply for security clearance as well. If you already hold security clearance, it must be renewed after a certain amount of time. What is security clearance? Security clearance determines a Uni...
A Last Will and Testament, or will, conveys how a person wants to distribute his or her assets after death. Most military families are familiar with wills because service members often execute a will before they deploy. People who have a lot of assets whether its investments, property, or money i...
Losing a job, or firing an employee, is rarely an easy experience. Often, a terminated employee may feel like they were fired unfairly, or for no reason. However, under certain circumstances, it is illegal to fire someone if the termination was based on protected criteria. This is known as “wrong...
April Fool's Day may be the day for pranks and jokes, but the laws below are actual regulations in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. (Spoiler alert: Virginia REALLY cares about birds!) Washington, D.C. It's illegal to throw a cantaloupe in the Potomac River. Yes, really! Accor...
March weather is said to come in like a lion and out like a lamb, and it can produce some precarious situations to navigate. Even when the weather isn't complicating matters, slip and fall cases in Virginia can be difficult to settle. No matter who is at fault, if you find yourself in the midst o...
