Richmond Legal Blog

Forming a business in our state requires choosing a business entity. Of course, some people will go at it alone as a sole proprietorship. However, when two or more people wish to form a business together, they have a choice as to the type of entity they want to form. Today, we will look at corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and limited partnerships.

A corporation is an entity that for legal purposes is considered an "artificial person." It is operated by a board of directors. In our state, there are stock corporations and nonstock corporations. Stock corporations have shareholders how own shares in the business. Nonstock corporations have members, but the members do not have ownership shares. In general, the officers and shareholders of a corporation are shielded from personal liability for the acts of the corporation.

No one wants to believe their dog is aggressive. Our dogs are our best friends, travel partners and family members. However, our best friends can make a mistake and bite someone. It helps for owners to know their responsibilities in case of a dog bite.

Being accused of a crime can damage anyone's reputation, but this damage is only amplified when the accused is a celebrity. Celebrities live their life in the public eye, so any alleged wrongdoing can quickly be blown out of proportion, even if they are innocent. However, should a celebrity claim they were the victim of police misconduct, this too will likely make the nightly news.

For example, Paul Richardson, who is a wide receiver for the Washington Redskins, was pulled over by the police at a Virginia toll lane, and received a citation for having a temporary registration on his new Mercedes. What makes this situation notable, however, is the questions the officer asked him during the traffic stop. Richardson claims the officer asked him if he was a member of a gang. Richardson also claims that the officer told him he believed Richardson dealt drugs. Finally, Richardson claims the officer asked how much he paid for his vehicle. According to Richardson, he has a maximum of two months under Virginia law to register his vehicle.

Some of the hardest decisions a couple going through a divorce in Virginia will have to make have to do with dividing their property. After all, over the course of their marriage they may have accumulated many highly-valuable assets such as a house, vacation home, artwork, investments, retirement accounts and more. Moreover, there are assets that may not necessarily have a high retail value, but have a high sentimental value. While some couples are able to work out their property division issues on their own, others may need to look to the court to determine how some or all of their property will be divided.

With regards to property division, Virginia courts follow the law of "equitable distribution." What this means is that the court will divide the couple's assets in a manner that is fair, even if that does not mean an exact 50/50 split. Once the decision has been made as to what property is separate and what is marital (a topic that goes beyond the scope of this post), the court will consider a number of factors when making property division decisions.