About Doug Mentes, Esq.
Douglas Mentes is an alum of Drake University with a degree in journalism, who has covered news in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and Salt Lake City. He has a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law and ran his own law firm for more than 10 years in St. Paul, Minnesota, earning designation as a Super Lawyers Rising Star. He practiced in the areas of family law, real estate and probate, handling several successful appeals. He currently covers bankruptcy law for Thomson Reuters.
Articles written by Doug Mentes, Esq.
What Are the Options for DACA Recipients?
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program that began in 2012 under President Obama's administration. Although DACA was never a guaranteed path to U.S. citizenship, it did shield recipients from deportation and made them eligible for work authorization. Dreamers or DACA recipients still face an uncertain future, especially with the Trump administration's constant changes to immigration policies. There are some immigration options for people with DACA status to get a more stable …
Can Georgia 14 Year-Olds Choose Which Parent To Live With?
In all custody cases in which the child has reached the age of 14, Georgia law gives that child the right to select the parent with whom he or she desires to live. The child's preference (or parental election) is presumptive, meaning it’s assumed to be the correct custody arrangement unless it is shown not be in the best interests of the child. If there is a current court order concerning the custody of a child, the election of a child who is 14 or older may qualify as a material change of …
Should I Hire an Attorney for My Child Support Case?
There are reports of not only parents, but attorneys and judges also, having trouble figuring out the calculations and other details of Indiana child support law. Richard Mann has practiced family law in Indiana for 38 years and believes it’s important that parents understand the law so an accurate and fair amount of child support can be determined. But do clients understand the state child support law when they walk in the door? “Absolutely not,” he says. “In fact, there have been …
What Are Georgia's Child Support Laws?
Georgia child support laws include determining the basic support obligation, calculating the combined adjusted income of both parents, determining the custodial and noncustodial parents, and parenting time deviations. Georgia uses the gross income share model with state support guidelines and support worksheets, which the judge can adjust for deviations. The support calculator also accounts for health insurance and childcare costs. Child support services enforcement options include income …
How Do I Determine Child Support in Indiana?
Determine child support in Indiana using the state child support calculation and support guidelines, including imputed income, health insurance premiums, work-related child care, and any deviations. Indiana uses the income shares model to determine the basic support obligation using the obligation worksheet, including both parents' weekly gross income, parenting time credit, and overnight count. Parents can seek a modification of the support order with judge approval for significant changes in …
How Much Child Support Will I Pay in Illinois?
The child support amount you pay in Illinois is based on many factors, including the number of children, imputed income, childcare expenses, and deviation factors. Illinois uses the income shares model to determine basic support obligations, using the parents' combined net income and shared parenting adjustment. Support guidelines account for the parents' gross-to-net conversion, health insurance premiums, support schedules, and parenting time where the child spends 146 overnights or more. …
Four Ways To Protect Your Credit History from Errors and Misuse
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) meet certain legal obligations to consumers. Failure to meet these requirements could be a violation of the FCRA. If that violation injures a consumer, the CRA (such as major credit bureaus Equifax, Transunion, or Experian) may be liable to the consumer for damages. Here are four common reasons why a CRA may be in violation of the FCRA and the steps you can take to address them. For specialized legal …
Can I Deduct Alimony Payments From My Taxes?
Since 1942, individuals who pay alimony have been able to deduct their payments from their federal tax return, resulting in some tax savings to the alimony payor. But those tax deductions are now gone. This staple of divorce law was eliminated in a recent federal tax overhaul. The new law will affect alimony awards executed through a divorce agreement or court order on January 1, 2019, and after. Under the new rules, alimony payments will no longer be deductible and will not count as taxable …
Can Tennessee Taxpayers Deduct Alimony Payments from Income?
Since 1942, divorced spouses that pay alimony to their ex-spouses have benefited from the ability to deduct alimony payments from their tax return. This staple of divorce law has been eliminated with the recent federal tax overhaul. For divorces executed in 2019 and after, the paying spouse will no longer be able to deduct alimony payments from their taxable income. Reach out to a local family law attorney for legal advice. Why the Change in the Law? Those who wrote the tax law, claim the …
Can I Transfer Assets Prior to Bankruptcy?
You can transfer some assets before filing for bankruptcy, but you must disclose all transfers in a financial disclosure to avoid discharge denial and legal penalties. The bankruptcy judge has court oversight to review asset liquidation and property transfers made over the fraudulent transfer look-back period to identify insider transfers, concealed assets, or preference payments. The bankruptcy trustee can claw back assets not sold for a fair market value. Creditors can dispute asset …
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