Dear Rachel,
Welcome to HALT's eJournal, a bimonthly newsletter featuring updates on our recent activities, nationwide legal news and helpful information for legal consumers.
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New Everyday Law Series: Filing for an Uncontested Divorce
This new guide explains the general process involved in getting a divorce with or without a lawyer's help. Write to us for a free copy or view it online at www.halt.org. | |
Small Claims Court News Roundup 
New Hampshire
Senator Joseph Foster has introduced New Hampshire Senate Bill 32-FN. The bill would increase the state's small claims dollar limit from $5,000 to $10,000. New Hampshire received a "D" grade in HALT's 2004 Small Claims Report Card, mainly due to its low $5,000 limit. HALT is continuing to work with Senator Foster in support of his legislation.
Kentucky
Kentucky House Bill 198 would increase the state's small claims dollar limit from $1,500 to $3,000. Introduced by Representative Tom Burch in January, the bill is still under discussion in the House of Representatives. Kentucky currently has one of the lowest dollar limits in the country and has not increased its dollar limit since 1991.
Michigan
Representative John Pastor reintroduced Michigan House Bill 4160, which would increase the small claims dollar limit from $5,000 to $7,500. HALT continues to work with Representative Pastor's office in support of this bill.
Oregon
Oregon House Bill 2316, which aims to increase the state's small claims dollar limit from $5,000 to $7,500, has passed the House and is now awaiting a reading in the Senate's Judiciary Committee. |
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HALT in the News
Recently, HALT was featured in a Nashville Attorney piece about Tennessee's lawyer-discipline system and the need for improvements as noted by HALT's 2006 Lawyer Discipline Report Card.
SPOTLIGHT: Board of Professional Responsibility
By Milt Capps
Ferber Tracy, who has been with Chattanooga's Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams for 40 years, is the new chairman of Tennessee's Board of Professional Responsibility. Although the BPR has recently made strong gains in national rankings of the states' lawyer-discipline programs, a recent report card inevitably revealed areas needing improvement.
The 2006 rating of lawyer discipline by HALT--Americans for Legal Reform gave Tennessee a "C+," overall; and, an A on Fairness, a D on adequacy of discipline and an F on public participation (non-lawyers are not allowed to participate in hearings in the Volunteer State).
BPR Executive Director Lancy Bracey told NATTY that remedying that F would require legislative changes, to allow greater public participation. The legislative fix has been used before: It was largely because the Tennessee Supreme Court discarded the gag rule three years ago - freeing the public to complain publicly about lawyers - that Tennessee's HALT ranking rose from 30th in 2004, to 4th in the nation in 2006.
To read the rest of the article, visit HALT's "In the News" Section.
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Correction from the February 26, 2007 Ejournal The extended hours in family and divorce courts are in Maricopa County, Arizona, not Michigan. | |
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Planning Your Estate: A Question & Answer Forum
Get much-needed answers to some common estate planning questions. |
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