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The Social Security Administration has a listing manual, also known as the Blue Book, which details a number of conditions that will automatically qualify you for disability. There are many types of conditions listed, including: Musculoskeletal problems Cardiovascular conditions Senses and speech issues Respiratory illnesses Neurological disorders Mental disorders Immune system disorders Various syndromes Skin disorders Digestive tract problems Kidney…Read More

A few things can happen if you don’t show up for your Family Court case. If you’re the petitioner, your case will probably be dismissed, if you have not notified the court and told them why you are not there. If your case is dismissed, you can usually file it again. If you are lucky, the court may adjourn the…Read More

In New York, there are two main types of proceedings that a landlord can bring against a tenant in Housing Court. The first is a nonpayment proceeding, and the second is a holdover proceeding. In a nonpayment proceeding, the landlord is suing the tenant for back rent. After making a legally sufficient demand for the back rent, the landlord serves…Read More

To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must have worked long enough in jobs covered by Social Security (usually 10 years). Then, you must have a medical condition that meets Social Security’s definition of disability. The Social Security Administration can tell you if you have enough years of work to be eligible for benefits. To be disabled, you have…Read More

The grounds for divorce are different in each state. All states have some kind of no-fault divorce; many states also have fault-based divorce. In New York, you need grounds to get a divorce. The following grounds can be used to obtain a divorce in New York. Cruel and inhuman treatment; Abandonment; Imprisonment of the other spouse; Adultery; Separation under a…Read More

Family Court cases fall into 3 general categories: child protective, juvenile, and general family law cases. Child protective cases include neglect, abuse, and termination of parental rights (tpr). These cases are usually filed by the Administration for Children’s Services against parents or other caretakers of children. The respondents are alleged to have endangered the life, health, or safety of the…Read More

Some thoughts on the recent decision on the NYPD stop and frisk policy: My constitutional law is a little rusty, but I did retain a few things from my second year Con Law class at Columbia. In order for a cop to stop, detain, search, and/or arrest someone, they have to have “probable cause.” This means they have to have…Read More

This is a blog post I didn’t expect to write. I got a call the other day from a woman who said she had something important to discuss with me. I called her back, assuming she was a potential client. Not exactly. She told me a story about a man she met and dated for a while. He wined and…Read More