Two federal statutes govern the dischargability of alimony, support obligations, or property division. 11 USC 523(a)(5) creates an exemption to discharge in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases for “Domestic Support Obligations”. 11 USC 101(14A) defines a domestic support obligation as debts that are “in the nature of alimony, maintenance, or support”. 11 USC 523(a)(15) creates an exemption to…
North Korea vs. United States
In the past few weeks there has been a lot of talk regarding North Korea and nuclear war. This current situation has given rise to the question, “Could the United States legally strike first?” On one side of the fence, it is argued that the United States may act pre-emptively in anticipatory self-defense if the United States determines North Korea…
“Churn that bill, baby!” – Billable Hours Controversy
There has been a lot of controversy over the hours some law firms charge their clients. Recently, an email has surfaced in a bankruptcy fee dispute with law firm DLA Piper that made clear the firm was intentionally running up their client’s bill. One email noted that the lawyer had “random people” doing research on a bankruptcy matter “in standard ‘churn that…