As a consumer you hold businesses to high standards and expect to receive honest and reliable goods or services. Not every company follows these same values, and you may someday find yourself needing legal help.

Consumer rights laws are in place to protect you as the buyer from false advertising, fraud, online scams, home foreclosures and more. Learn how more about consumer rights and how a consumer litigation legal team can help you protect your own.

The Federal Trade Commission’s Role In Protecting Your Rights

You’ve probably heard of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), but did you know the commission works for your rights as a consumer? The Federal Trade Commission Act (FTCA) dates back to 1914 and is responsible for creating the FTC. The FTC works to protect consumers from unfair and fraudulent business practices. They enforce antitrust statutes and take in complaints from consumers about any violations or questionable practices. The FTC then investigates those complaints, files lawsuits, and creates rules designed to maintain the fairness of the marketplace.

In an economy as strong as that of the United States, it isn’t uncommon to encounter fraudulent and deceptive business practices, products, and services. Some examples of this activity include telemarketing scams, faulty products, unfair advertising, and unsubstantiated claims. There are businesses that are built around scamming and deceiving customers, and the FTC works to put a stop to their practices.

How a Consumer Litigation Legal Team Can Help

However, there may come a time when you unfortunately encounter one of these deceptive businesses. You may hire a contractor who skips town before completing a project in your home in its entirety. Or perhaps you purchase an appliance advertised as new only to discover it’s faulty and use when you bring it home. No matter the scenario you’ve fallen prey to, a consumer litigation team will work to protect your rights.

Consumer litigation legal teams represent consumers who have been affected by unfair, deceptive, and/or fraudulent business practices. They investigate the matter for clients and pursue litigation to achieve the most favorable outcome for clients. Having a good consumer litigation team on your side can mean the difference between resolving a case fairly and writing it off as a loss.

Akman & Associates, LLC provides effective consumer litigation representation and affordable legal services in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. If you’ve been wronged by harmful business practices, don’t go it alone. Connect with Akman & Associates, LLC today to discuss your options.

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Peace Orders are a form of legal protection, designed to protect individuals from unwanted contact from others. The person that requested the peace order may be a neighbor, co-worker, acquaintance, or someone else. The order will usually require the person to stay away and refrain from any form of contact. However, there are some distinctions regarding peace orders to be aware of, which we’ll review carefully in this article.

What is a Peace Order?

Peace orders provide relief to people who are having issues with a neighbor, a coworker, or a stranger. A judge orders the offending individual to refrain from threatening, bothering, and contacting the person who the peace order is granted to. They will be required to stay away from their home, job, and/or school as well.

To receive a peace order, you must prove that one of the following occurred in the last 30 days and is likely to occur again:

• Stalking
• Harassment
• False imprisonment
• Rape or sexual offense
• Trespassing
• Act that causes serious bodily harm
• Act that causes someone to be fear imminent bodily harm
• Assault
• Malicious destruction of property

A final peace order stays in effect for at least 6 months, and may be extended for up to 6 months after its expiration. The district court in your county of residence has jurisdiction over peace orders.

What is a Protective Order?

In some cases, you may need to file a protective order, rather than a peace order. You should file a protective order if:

• The individual you are seeking protection from is a current or former spouse
• The individual you are seeking protection from is related to you by blood or adoption
• You have children with the individual in question
• You have lived with the individual in question in an intimate relationship for at least 90 days of the past year
• You are a vulnerable adult
• You have a sexual relationship with the individual in question without one year before filing the petition.

The district and circuit courts in your county of residence have jurisdiction over protective orders.

No one should have to live in fear. If you’re considering filing for a peace or a protective order, talk to Akman & Associates, LLC, about the best way to proceed.

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Grandparents have the right under Maryland law to ask the court for visitation rights. In the case of custody, courts look at several factors when determining the custodial agreements for “non-parents and deciding to remove children from their parents.” In this article, we’ll tell just what you must know about your rights as a grandparent to child custody and visitation.

Court-Ordered Visitation Rights for Grandparents

Grandparents can request court-ordered visitation with their grandchildren at any time in the state of Maryland. To do so, they must show sufficient evidence that the visitation is the in the child’s best interests. Parents receive preference and greater weight regarding who spends time with their children. This is something grandparents will need to overcome if the parents object to the grandparent’s requests for visitations. You must show that the child will suffer harm such as abuse, neglect, or emotional damage if they are unable to see you or you must prove that the parent is not able to make sound, healthy decisions as a parent.

Custody Rights for Grandparents

The same legal assumption applies to custody. The courts will give greater weight and preference to the child’s parents in regards to custody. However, grandparents can request custody and must provide sufficient evidence that having the child remain with his or her parents would be harmful to their health. Evidence may include proof of emotional or physical harm, neglect, issues with safety and stability, as well as the grandparent’s role as a primary caregiver. The court will also consider how close to the child is to the grandparents and the relationship they have.

Do you have questions about your visitation rights as a grandparent? Find out how to protect your rights by contacting Akman & Associates, LLC.

The post What You May Not Know About Child Custody and Visitation appeared first on Akman Legal News.

Looking for a legal team you can trust? How about a law firm with over 30 years of experience? Find out why over 35,000 members have selected Akman & Associates, LLC, for legal representation and learn some interesting facts about the top law firm.

We Specialize in Prepaid Legal Plans

Employers need to offer competitive benefits to attract and retain the best talent in their industries. Many employers offer group legal plans to their employees, paid for through payroll deductions at no direct cost to the employer. These plans help make sure employees have quality legal representation when they need it and help to reduce absenteeism due to personal matters. Akman & Associates specializes in the delivery of these legal plans.

If you’re an employer looking to enhance your benefits package, you’ll find that our law firm provides both the experience and variety of plans you need to succeed employee expectations.

Our Law Firm Has Extensive Practice Areas

At Akman & Associates, we provide legal counsel and representation in a number of practice areas including:

• Personal injury and insurance law
• Estate planning and administration
• Family Law
• Criminal, DUI, and traffic law
• Mediation
• Juvenile law
• Collaborative law

This range of practice areas allows us to provide members of legal plans with legal help for a variety of personal matters. Akman & Associates is made up of 20 licensed attorneys with deep experience in these practice areas.

We Fight for Your Best Interests

Having represented over 35,000 members, our law firm is proud to help our clients protect their rights. Our attorneys are motivated by a strong desire to safeguard your best interests and reach the most favorable outcome for you and your family. With countless hours of legal experience under our belts, we’re ready to work tirelessly on your behalf and assist you in any way possible.

To discuss your case and how to move forward, reach out to Akman & Associates, LLC, today.

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