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About S.M. Oliva

S.M. Oliva is a professional journalist who has written for Super Lawyers, where stories are assigned, edited and fact-checked using the highest journalistic standards—as evidenced by the dozens of awards we’ve won from the Society of Professional Journalists and other industry organizations. Attorneys who are consulted and interviewed for these stories are all from the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. For details on the Super Lawyers selection process, see here.

Articles Written by S.M. Oliva

Penalties for Probation Violation in Tennessee

And what can you argue in your defense if you violate parole?

How Do I Make a Zoning Change or Exception?

A legal overview of re-zoning, variances and conditional use permits in Rhode Island

How to Defend Against Drunk Driving

The penalties you face and arguments for innocence in Oklahoma

What to Do When You’re Arrested for a Crime You Didn’t Commit

The steps to take and places to turn when you’re innocent in Oregon

How to File A Workers' Comp Appeal in Washington

What to do if you disagree with the Department of Labor and Industries

Will I Receive Alimony or Spousal Support After My Divorce?

How support payments and legitimate need are calculated in South Carolina

What Constitutes Police Misconduct?

When can you file suit against law enforcement in North Carolina

What Is a Supplemental Needs Trust?

And how they can help the injured, disabled, and persons with special needs in North Carolina

Can I Sue for Insurance Bad Faith or Breach of Contract?

What the law says for Maryland policyholders who feel wronged

Do I Have to Be Paid for Breaks?

Meal and rest time requirements for Alabama employers

The Penalties of Delaware’s Blue Sky Laws

How securities law violations are enforced on the state level

The Legal Benefits and Pitfalls of a Joint Venture

Advice for establishing a business agreement in Massachusetts

What Benefits Do I Get From Temporary Partial Disability?

How relief is determined for workers’ comp in Massachusetts

The Types of Commercial Leases in Massachusetts

What business owners should know about renting real estate

What is Required of Probation in Massachusetts?

Breaking down the laws, statutes, and ramifications

What If I Disagree With the Insurance Adjuster?

Consider a public adjuster assessment and legal counsel

Can I Sue for a Data Security Breach?

Legal remedies for a New York business victimized by data theft

Recovering Damages Against a Texas Local Government

How “sovereign immunity” can affect your personal injury claim

First Steps in the Texas Adoption Process

Can I adopt even if I am single and don't make a lot of money?

How to Make the Divorce Process Easier in Texas

Splitting up does not mean there needs to be a lengthy court fight

What Trust Should I Choose in Texas?

An overview of the types within which you might place your assets

What Are the Bankruptcy Exemptions in Texas?

Automotive, livestock, unlimited homestead and other debtor options

Seniors Can Stop Paying Property Taxes in Texas

What happens if a 65+ homeowner doesn’t pay them? (Hint: They don’t go away.)

How to Sell a Property and Defer Capital Gain Taxes

The ins and outs of a 1031 tax exchange in Upstate New York

How Are Debts Paid When a Business Closes?

Corporate dissolution tips in Oregon

Filing a Lawsuit for Price Gouging in Oregon

How antitrust laws aim to protect consumers

If You Can?t Find a Job After a Workers? Comp Injury

Oregon’s vocational rehabilitation system prepares you for the next career

How to Report Elder Abuse in Oregon

An overview of the laws meant to protect you, and how a lawyer can help enforce them

Working With the IRS When You Can’t Pay Your Taxes in Full

The collection process, payment options, compromises, and how an attorney can help

The Tax Benefits of Charitable Estate Planning

How to set up a charitable trust in Oregon

Can I Still Get Workers' Comp Benefits When I Go Back to Work?

Yes, if you qualify for temporary partial disability in Florida

What Are the Penalties for Filing Taxes Late?

How the IRS and Washington state sort out tax debts

Can I Sue if My Brand is Used in a Domain Name?

How to resolve trademark disputes in Washington state

Can I Sue When Kickstarter Fails to Deliver?

How the Consumer Protection Act covers crowdfunding in Washington

Where the Money Goes in a Successful Birth Injury Lawsuit

In Washington state, damages are often awarded to the child, sometimes in a trust

Should I Choose a Chapter 11 or 12 Bankruptcy?

An overview of these filings and reorganizations for Florida businesses

The Penalties and Defenses for Insider Trading

Advice from a Florida securities fraud attorney

How Much is My Car Accident Case Worth?

General damages, lost wages, medical bills and more in Washington personal injury cases

Suing an Auto Dealer for Fraud

How Pennsylvania law protects car buyers, and how a lawyer can help

What If My Business or Product Name is Already Being Used?

Intellectual property issues in selecting a name in Pennsylvania

What to Know About Trust Fund Taxes

A legal guide for Pennsylvania business owners

The Penalties and Defenses for Boating Drunk in Pennsylvania

The state has five classifications for BUI

Proving an Injury was Due to a Product Defect

Pennsylvania product liability law and how to recover compensation

How Does the IRS Determine Tax Evasion in Washington DC?

Do I need a tax fraud attorney or was it a simple mistake?

The Penalties for Severe Tax Crimes in Colorado

What happens when they go unpaid, evaded or are fraudulent?

Who Pays the Debts of the Deceased?

Is a surviving spouse or relative legally responsible in Colorado?

What If My Home Insurance Claim is Denied?

The steps to take when fighting back against insurers in Colorado

What the Law Says About Referral Kickbacks in Health Care

An overview of the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law for physicians in Colorado

Can I Get Workers' Comp for Continued Exposure to Noise at Work?

Making a workers’ compensation claim for loss of hearing on the job

How to Comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule

Who needs to do what in New Jersey

Forms Companies Must File with the SEC

An overview of the documents required to avoid charges of fraud

Can Immigrants Be Indefinitely Detained?

What is allowed by law when the U.S. government detains you

Legal Tips If Your Business is in a Buyout

Some things New Jersey entrepreneurs need to know

Soft vs. Hard Insurance Fraud in New Jersey

What a white-collar criminal could face for committing it

What Property Can I Keep in a Bankruptcy?

How exemptions work in a Georgia Chapter 7 filing

Will the IRS Take My House for Owing Back Taxes?

Your options for exemptions in Georgia

The Ways You Can Break the Law by Protesting

The First Amendment isn’t all-encompassing when assembling in Georgia

How to Collect on Debts for Your Business

The legal steps to consider taking in Georgia

You Can?t Sue Your Employer for an Injury in Georgia

No injury suits, no pain and suffering: Workers’ comp is the only remedy

What is Considered Secondary Liability in California?

The policies and punishments of indirect copyright infringement

California's Legal Protections for Sexual Orientation

It’s a protected status, making discrimination illegal for any business

What You Should Do in an OIG Investigation

A lawyer comes in handy when the Inspector General comes knocking

The Ins and Outs of a "Free Fall" Bankruptcy

How an Illinois debtor can use Chapter 11 to restore its business

How a Class Action Judgment is Distributed

The compensation options that Illinois class members stand to receive

Who Isn't Entitled to Overtime Pay?

The compensation exemptions for overtime in Illinois

A Legal Guide to Zoning Changes and Exceptions

How to apply for rezoning, variances and conditional use permits in Illinois

Filing Chapter 7: Good News and Bad News

Weighing the pros and cons of this form of bankruptcy in Illinois

How to Fight Fraud Charges in Maryland

First, know the laws at play. Second, call a Maryland Criminal Fraud Lawyer

How Do I Prove Medical Malpractice in a Birth Injury Lawsuit?

Determining medical negligence and standard of care in Maryland

When an Owner Isn't Liable for a Dog Bite

Maryland’s laws when a pet bites someone

Should My Injury Lawsuit Be a Class Action Lawsuit?

Mass torts vs. civil suit: What you stand to gain in Maryland

How Do I Prove Fault in a Slip-and-Fall Accident?

A Maryland personal injury liability primer

How to Legally Redevelop a Historic Property

Staying within the confines of the federal and state landmark rules in Ohio

The Tax Responsibilities When a Business is Sold or Closed

The legal requirements laid out by the IRS and state of Ohio

Can My Lawsuit Be a Class Action?

What you need in order to certify a class in Ohio

Should a Lawyer File My Workers? Comp Claim?

How to file and what to consider when you’re injured at work in Ohio

Can I Change the Executor to My Estate?

What to do in Ohio if you chose the wrong loved one

Bad Faith Lawsuits When Health Insurance is Denied

Ohioans can appeal, and sue, their insurance when medical treatment is denied

What Happens if You Refuse a Breathalyzer Test?

Missouri’s implied consent laws for DUI or DWI cases

Getting Damages from a Car Accident That Was Not Your Fault

How to establish proportional comparative fault in a Wisconsin

Can I Appeal to Get My License Back After Refusing a Breathalyzer?

How to appeal your suspension at a test refusal hearing in Mississippi

Modifying Child Custody Arrangements in Massachusetts

Why divorce doesn’t always end disagreements over parental rights

We've Agreed to Joint Custody, But Now What?

How Rhode Island family courts decide placement, visitation and support

Connecticut's Right to Paid Sick Leave

State laws also dictate the right to unpaid leave

What Is Considered Reasonable Accommodation in Massachusetts?

Federal and state employment rights for individuals with disabilities

Can I Get My Record Expunged in Massachusetts?

The process to request erasing your criminal past

Steps to Take if You're Being Wrongfully Evicted in Texas

A landlord cannot just change the locks without warning

How Do I Set Up a Nonprofit in Texas?

Rules and laws for forming up a 501(c)(3) business

Personal Injury Damages and Proportionate Responsibility

Texas limits recovery to plaintiffs who are 50 percent or less responsible

Can I Sue My Employer for a Work Injury?

Texas does not mandate workers' compensation coverage

Child Custody Considerations Under Texas Law

Joint custody is the default, but it all depends on the circumstances

Is a Prenup a Good Idea in Texas?

A prenuptial agreement is a legal contract and should be treated as such

How to Modify or End Spousal Support

What are the time and payment limits on alimony in Texas?

Should I Stop Making Mortgage Payments?

Considering strategic default in a Texas bankruptcy

Considerations When Looking for a Personal Injury Attorney

Hiring a lawyer is a major decision that requires careful thought

What to Know When Injured in a Texas Car Accident

How you conduct yourself may affect your right to compensation

Do I Need an Attorney to Apply for a Trademark?

Potential legal hurdles in the trademark application process

Lawsuit Compensation When Another Driver Caused an Accident

When motorcycles, cars, and the law collide in South Dakota, here's what happens

Overtime Rules in Washington State

Can an employer mandate overtime hours?

The Legal Traps of Filing a Citizenship Application in Washington

An immigration attorney can help; just make sure they're legitimate

LP, LLP or LLC?

The legal implications of different business structures in Washington

What Happens to My Property After Declaring Bankruptcy?

The items considered exemptions in a Washington bankruptcy claim

Suing Your Employer for Injuries at Work

What happens when you sue in a Pennsylvania workers’ compensation claim

The Legal Restrictions on Abortion

Pennsylvania’s list of laws and penalties

Hell on 18 Wheels: Crashes Involving Semi-Trucks

How to build a case if you were in an accident with a commercial vehicle in West Virginia

Will I Go to Jail for a Drug Possession Charge in West Virginia?

The state and federal criminal charges you could face in a West Virginia drug possession case

hat Are the Deadlines to Make a Workers? Comp Claim?

Thes state deadlines and details of work injuries in New Mexico

The Laws and Penalties of Drugged Driving in Colorado

Driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal

Recovering Damages for an Injury Where I'm Partly at Fault

The basics of New Jersey's “modified comparative negligence” rule

My Intellectual Property Was Stolen

Steps to take after copyright, trademark or patent infringement in New Jersey

How Does Informed Consent Work?

When and what a physician is legally required to tell you in Georgia

How to Obtain a Work Visa in California

What does it take for a foreign worker to be admitted to the United States?

Establishing Fault in a Car Accident Lawsuit

Who is liable and considered negligent in a San Diego auto accident?

How Civil Asset Forfeiture Works in Illinois

How you can lose your private property even without a conviction

What Do I Do When My Tax Return Is Audited?

Consider representation when the IRS comes calling

What Does Workers' Compensation Insurance Pay For?

The types of coverage for injured employees in Illinois

Louisiana's Standards of Proof for Workers' Comp Claims

How to make a clear and convincing argument for disability claims

What Happens If I've Received a DWI in Other States?

The harsh penalties you may face in Louisiana

DUI v. DWI: What is the Difference?

The charges and penalties are separate, albeit similar, in Maryland

Can I Get Maintenance From My Spouse in Kentucky?

How the Kentucky courts decide spousal support in a divorce

Leave, Lose, and Law

Your rights when you quit or are fired from work in Ohio

Does Bankruptcy Wipe Out All of My Debts?

How filing for bankruptcy works in Ohio

Tax Liabilities for My Home-Based Business

The hidden costs (and benefits) of working for yourself

How Prenuptial Agreements Work in Minnesota

Is there a difference between prenuptial and postnuptial agreements?

Washington State's Strict Liability for Dog Bites

Are owners responsible even if their dog has never bitten anyone?

How Businesses Protect Trade Secrets in Pennsylvania

What qualifies as a trade secret, and what damages can you seek for unauthorized disclosure?

Bankruptcy Considerations for Small Businesses in Pennsylvania

Your business structure can limit your options, so plan ahead

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