Undocumented Immigrants Registering for Selective Service
With very few exceptions, all males between ages 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service System (SSS) within 30 days of arriving in the United States. This includes undocumented immigrants. For many undocumented immigrants, submitting their personal information to a government agency brings on fears of being reported to immigration authorities which may lead to deportation. However, the Selective Service System states that it has not now, or ever in the past, colle
Does an expired green card mean I lost my legal status in the U.S.?
A conditional permanent resident receives a green card valid for two years. In order to remain a permanent resident, a conditional permanent resident must file a petition to remove the condition during the 90 days before the card expires. The conditions must be removed or you will lose your permanent resident status. https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/conditional-permanent-residence However, if you have already removed the condition and have a card that
Does a U.S. citizen need to notify immigration of address change?
Many U.S. citizens do not realize that if they have “sponsored” a non-citizen to become a permanent resident of the United States (i.e. submitted a Form I-864 Affidavit of Support), then the U.S. citizen must notify USCIS of their new address each time they move. If the adjustment of status case is still pending, the U.S. citizen can make a change of address on pending cases via the USCIS Online Change of Address page or by calling 1-800-375-5283. https://egov.uscis.gov/coa/
What is the Legal Effect of Signing an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864)?
The Form I-864 Affidavit of Support is a legally enforceable contract between you and the U.S. Government with the intending immigrant as a third-party beneficiary. That means that when a sponsor signs Form I-864, and the intending immigrant becomes a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., either the government or the sponsored immigrant can take the sponsor to court to enforce the Affidavit of Support. When the government sues the sponsor, it can ask to be reimbursed for the
Confusing Google Searches with a Law Degree
Using the internet as a self-help guide to your legal problem is as dangerous as performing surgery on yourself using a YouTube video. The last couple of generations have gotten used to and quite naturally turn to the internet to find answers to their most pressing questions or problems of all kinds. Do-it-yourself has become very easy with online tutorials and instant access to knowledge at our fingertips. Unfortunately, legal problems, just like medical problems, are best r
A La Carte Legal Services!
LIMITED SCOPE REPRESENTATION: Legal Services “a la carte” Did you ever want to hire an attorney but couldn’t afford their full services? Starting January 1, 2018, pursuant to new rules adopted by the Michigan Supreme Court, attorneys practicing private civil law (not criminal or commercial matters) are allowed to “unbundle” their services to provide discrete legal services of limited scope rather than traditional full representation. These services are referred to as Limited
Family Law Institute, 16th Annual
Family Law Institute Luncheon, 2017! This event brings together more than 600 judges, lawyers, referees, psychologists, CPAs, and more. (Lea Ann Sterling, far left) #familylaw #legalhelp #divorce #childcustody #childsupport
Why is it important to have your case reviewed by the appellate court?
Most obviously because it may result in a different outcome than what was ordered by the trial court. Trial judges and attorneys are not infallible and do make mistakes that can completely change or affect the outcome of your case. An appellate court reviews the trial court’s decision and if the appellate court finds an error that contributed to the trial court's decision, the appeals court will reverse that decision. But an often unrecognized benefit of appealing your case
Limited Scope Representation
To limit costs for legal services, consumers are turning to limited scope representation. LSR, also known as “unbundling” is the practice of breaking legal representation into distinct tasks as opposed to representing a client from beginning to end of a case. It’s an a la carte approach of buying only the services from a professional that the lay person cannot handle with a do-it-yourself approach. Certain limited scope services are currently permitted and Sterling Law offers
Service of Process Via Facebook
Fairness requires providing the opposition with copies of court papers, called 'service'. Recently, Judge Power gave one of our clients permission to serve her husband divorce papers via Facebook. This is one way the courts are adapting to the use of modern technology. These days many businesses only exist in the cloud or people do not have permanent or known addresses and therefore alternative service is necessary. Normal service in Michigan is by certified mail with retu
