At Legal Direction, we have our eye on the following legal issues: Independent Contractor vs. Employee: On January 1, 2020, a California law went into effect that makes it harder to classify workers as independent contractors. Because California is such a large economy, the change is garnering national attention. Nine other states (not NC) have introduced similar legislation and several states (not NC) are forming task forces on employee classification. NC does, however, ha

Article orginated by: Laura Solis, Attorney, Federal Trade Commission Certificates of Existence, Status, or Good Standing – sounds like an existential crisis, right? Instead of a philosophical commentary on the meaning of life, the certificates in question refer to business documentation from your state or local government. In a new twist on an old scam, some not-so-honest outfits may try to confuse you into thinking they’re from the government and that you need to pay for ce

The holidays are over, except for the huge pile of recycling that won’t fit in the can. The children are grudgingly back in school. The schedule is back to normal. Finally! I don’t want “normal” to mean “the same as last year.” While I did many things well, and had success in some areas in 2019, I want some things to be different. That means I need to set goals, create measurable steps and build new habits. It will require dedication and consistency. If you are also a small b