The Missouri Bar

Law in Your Life #50: Parenting Coordination

Nasty child custody cases are terrible for child caught in the middle of parental disputes. In California, parenting coordination has been used for several years to help resolve custody issues without negative impacts to children. Families are just starting to use it in Missouri. What is parenting coordination? How does it work? Can it really help families resolve custody issues? This week, host Angela Wilson delves into this topic with attorney Ann Bauer.

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More on the Web:

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

The Cooperative Parenting Institute

American Psychological Association

New BWI Limits Start This Weekend

This Labor Day weekend, Missouri's new legal limit for boating goes into effect. What does that mean to boaters who want to drink a beer while enjoying the lake? Find out in this Law in Your Life podcast with attorney Erik Bergmanis.

Overseas Travel Declines

Fewer Americans are booking vacations overseas as travel costs soar. But there are still those who want to reach the summits of the Swiss Alps, or cross the famous bridges over the Seine - and are willing to pay for the luxury.

Overseas travel is fun, but takes a lot more preparation than a trip inside the U.S. You need to check the safety of the country you want to visit, know what to do if your passport is lost and more. Want the details? Check out this Law in Your Life podcast with attorney Leon Versfeld about what you need to know before traveling outside the U.S.

Register to Vote

Before you know it, the November election will be here. Are you ready to vote? Here are important links from the Missouri Secretary of State's Office to make sure you are prepared.

Absentee Voting
Missourians Living Abroad
   http://www.republicansabroad.com/
   http://www.democratsabroad.org/
Military Votes
Required ID
Registration
Voters Bill of Rights
Where to Vote

Domestic Violence Contributes to Poor Academic Performance

Domestic violence produces an unsafe, unstable home for children. That instability leads children to become troubled, and hurts their academic performance. A new study from the University of California-Davis, also says troubled children can hurt the test scores of other children in their class. (Read more at ScienceDaily.com)

If you or someone you know is involved in a violent relationship, you need to get out, or get them help. This Law in Your Life podcast shares details on what you can do if you are caught in the web of domestic violence.

New IE Protects Consumer Browsing Info

Microsoft says the latest version of Internet Explorer will protect your privacy while browsing online. IE8 should be released next month. The New York Times sums up the new options in the browser:

"InPrivate Browsing" ... will not save browsing and searching history, cookies, form data and passwords; it also will automatically clear the browser cache at the end of the session.

Other new tools will include "InPrivate Blocking" and "InPrivate Subscription," which notifies users of third-party content that can track browsing history and subscribe to lists of sites to block, respectively. Microsoft will also tweak its existing "Delete Browsing History" by adding an option to preserve bookmarked sites' cookies even when all others are erased.

Read the full story

Phishers Target Mac.com Users

When Apple introduced the MobileMe service, phishers were waiting to snag user information from hundreds of Mac.com users. Information stolen included names, Social Security numbers, date of births, credit card information and more.

It was easy to dupe even the most studious online user. The scammers knew that there would be problems transitioning from Mac.com to Me.com, and they were ready to claim their prizes with bogus emails about billing or other issues. Online thieves have so far targeted Windows users for phishing scams, but as Apple continues to net more of the computer market, that will likely change.

Read more

What happens if your login info falls into the hands of hackers? Joy Frazier with the Missouri Attorney General's Office has the details in this Law in Your Life podcast.

Law in Your Life #49: Military Benefits

This week, host Angela Wilson discusses how to collect military benefits with Terry Jarrett, chair of The Missouri Bar's Military Law Committee.

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Bye-bye Recorded Sales Calls

The Federal Trade Commission said this week that prerecorded sales calls will be banned by next year. Until the ban goes into effect, consumers will be able to opt out of calls, so be sure to listen to the entire message to find out how. Next year, though, sales departments must have your written permission to call, so be certain to carefully read any agreements you sign that give companies the option of calling anytime.

Not included in the new rules? Political messages and personal information calls, like reminders for appointments. Read more in the Star-Tribune.

Missourians can opt out of regular sales calls through the Attorney General's Office. Everyone can sign up for federal protection from unwanted calls at the National Do Not Call Registry, which also accepts mobile phone numbers.

Freddie, Frannie Fallout Continues

Officials at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could avoid a federal bailout. It all hinges on the two lenders' payments on more than $220 billion in bonds this quarter. The two companies make up 42 percent of the nation's mortgage market, according to this Bloomberg story. Their losses due to subprime mortgages and bad investments has helped crash the U.S. housing market, and left many in foreclosure.

The Law in Your Life has detailed programs on foreclosure and what Missourians need to know about the process. This podcast with attorney Lee Viorell discusses what you should know if you are in foreclosure, face foreclosure, or buying a foreclosed home. Considering bankruptcy? Find out how this impacts foreclosure with attorney Ed Karfeld.