| Volume 75 Number 10 |
Subscribe to the Newsletter
Forward this news alert to your family and friends
Helpful Links
Texas Consumer Complaint Center
Credit Reports and Identity Theft
Your Guide to Small Claims Court
Contact Us
1-713-743-2168
The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
If you can't get a good interest rate, consider increasing the amount of your monthly payment. For a $15,000 loan at 21 percent interest, payable at $405.80 for 60 months, the interest charge you pay over the term of the loan is $9,348.02. Your total repayment amount is $24,348.02. By adding just $50 a month, you shorten your payoff term to 50 months and save $1,814.22 in interest. Click here for more.
SCOTUS Upholds Affordable Care Act
In the last day of session, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. President Obama is praising the decision as a "victory for people all over this country whose lives are more secure because of this law."
What does the ruling mean for you?
Click here for more.
GM Recalls Chevrolet Cruze
GM has recalled the 2011 and 2012 Chevrolet Cruz (nearly half a million vehicles) due to an engine shield fire hazard and missing compartment welds. Do you own a 2011 or 2012 Chevrolet Cruz? Click here for more.
Gas Prices on the Decline
Gas prices have been on a consistent decline for the past several weeks. In the past two weeks alone, gas prices have dropped by $0.15 nationally. At a price of $3.48 per gallon, gas prices the lowest they've been since January. Will prices continue to drop? Click here for more.
Your Money
Planning to buy a new home? Are you familiar with mortgage points? The longer you're in a home, the more it makes sense to pay for points. Find out what they are and how they can help you save. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
Texas Supreme Court discusses calculation under Loadstar Method. Under Texas law, a claim for attorney’s fees under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act is subject to the Lodestar method employed by federal courts. In a recent decision, the Texas Supreme Court reversed the standard of proof to recover such fees, noting, “While Texas courts have not routinely required billing records or other documentary evidence to substantiate a claim for attorney’s fees, the requirement has merit in contested cases under the lodestar approach.” The court continued, “When applying for a fee under the lodestar method, the applicant must provide sufficient details of the work performed before the court can make a meaningful review of the fee request. For the purposes of lodestar calculations, this evidence includes, at a minimum, documentation of the services performed, who performed them and at what hourly rate, when they were performed, and how much time the work required. Click here for more.