Your Little Legal Companion

Great gift idea!

June 2006, 1st Edition

Not many books can address quitting your job or going to small-claims court -- then recommend watching "Office Space" or cover how cases end up before Judge Judy. Covering everything from birth to death and everything in between, you'll find quick tips on:

starting a business
buying a car
renting an apartment

See below for a full product description.

$9.95 List Price

A compact, fun-filled book that features entertaining facts and insights about life, love and the law!

Not many books can address quitting your job or going to small-claims court -- then recommend watching "Office Space" or cover how cases end up before Judge Judy.

Your Little Legal Companion, our most engaging book yet, does this and much more! Covering everything from birth to death and everything in between in an easy-to-read "Top 10 list" format, you'll find quick tips on:

going to college
buying a car
renting an apartment
dealing with an accident
quitting a job
starting a business
dealing with identity theft
becoming a landlord
buying and selling on eBay
moving in with a significant other (yikes!)
starting a band
taking your dream trip
surviving a natural disaster
holding the best garage sale ever
fighting a traffic ticket
writing a will
and much, much more...

Turn to Your Little Legal Companion for quick, practical and just plain friendly advice from the experts, the editors of Nolo, America's leading do-it-yourself legal publisher. A quick read that's guaranteed to make you laugh, it makes a great gift, airplane book and -- yes, it must be said -- bathroom reader!

ISBN 9781413305425

Pages 200 pp

1. Going to College
2. Your First Job
3. Buying a Car
4. Renting an Apartment
5. Choosing a Roommate
6. Bringing That Adorable Puppy Home
7. Filing Your First Federal Tax Return
8. When You've Had a Car Accident
9. Quitting Your Job
10. Getting Fired
11. Starting a Business
12. Investing
13. Hiring an Employee
14. When Life Deals You a Physical Blow
15. Borrowing Money
16. Trouble With the Law
17. Changing Your Name
18. When You Start the House Search
19. Being a Good Neighbor
20. When You Elect to Be a Coach
21. When Your Identity Is Stolen
22. Getting Sued
23. Becoming a Landlord
24. Your First "Do-It-Yourself" Home Improvement Project
25. Buying and Selling on eBay
26. Writing a Book
27. Surviving Bankruptcy
28. Moving in With Your Lover
29. Having a Brilliant Idea
30. Starting a Band
31. When You Become Engaged
32. Getting Married
33. You Want to Run a Marathon
34. Having a Child
35. Adopting a Child
36. When Your Child Starts Kindergarten
37. What You Should Know About Divorce
38. Going on Your Dream Trip
39. Getting Old
40. Surviving a Natural Disaster
41. Holding the Best Garage Sale
42. Going Back to School
43. Feel Good by Doing Some Good
44. When You Decide to Live in Another Country
45. Traffic Tickets
46. Going to Small Claims Court
47. Planning Your Retirement
48. Retirement Plans
49. Becoming a Grandparent
50. Planning Your Estate

Free Chapters

Chapter 1: Going to College

Going to College

Are you experiencing the joy (and terror) of leaving home and going to school? You won't believe how much you're going to learn, both in class and out. Here are some things to keep in mind as you get started.

Act out. It's tough to leave home, especially if you're leaving a nice one. That's why, during your last year of high school, you need to get really unpleasant -- so everyone (including you) can feel relieved, not sad, when you go.
What if I'm a geek? Your roommate is as worried about meeting you as you are about him. Most of the time, your toys will be as cool and up-to-date as his.
It's never too late to grow up. You'll be amazed at how much your parents have matured in the short time between your leaving for college and Thanksgiving.
No shame in getting help. If you find that college is way harder than high school, chances are your high school didn't prepare you for this level of work. Consider getting some tutoring.
They can't do that -- can they? Unfortunately, the Fourth Amendment, which protects us against most unannounced searches and seizures, hasn't made it into your RA's rule book. An uninvited visit to check for beer in the fridge is probably okay.
You'll find your tribe. Science majors often become clearer thinkers than English majors. However, English majors may catch up when they inevitably enter law school (what else can they do?). Where do you fit?
The credit wave. You'll be bombarded with credit card offers. Don't fall for them -- it's really easy to get out of control. (You may already be out of control in other ways, but we won't address that here.)
You really are a grownup. Most colleges won't discuss your grades or your health with your parents. That could be a blessing, or it could be a problem. Either way, you are en route to being on your own.
Make connections. A personal relationship with a teacher who will write you a thoughtful letter of recommendation is worth at least two-tenths of a grade point.
Now for the important stuff. You can date your roommate's steady, skip every class but the final, and borrow every book -- but never, ever, wash your darks with your lights.

Don't waste time in college taking staid courses like history and math when you have these classes available:

"Philosophy and Star Trek" at Georgetown University.
"The Art of Sin and the Sin of Art" at Rhode Island School of Design (the catalog promises that you'll "lust with the saints and burn with the sinners").
"Daytime Serials: Family and Social Roles" at the University of Wisconsin.
"From Pot to Pills: Exploring the World of Recreational Drugs," offered at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Press Reviews

" In the case of this book, knowing a little bit can go a long way. " -The Washington Post " Wouldn't it be nice to have a simple, trusted guidebook for the many financial dilemmas we often face?... Just something that would offer basic tips to get you started. Well, I've found just such a book. It's Your Little Legal Companion. " -Providence Journal " Your Little Legal Companion is 200 pages, but it's small enough to slip into a handbag. And the advice is affordable at $9.95. " -Michelle Singletary, syndicated personal-finance columnist " A departure from Nolo's typical comprehensively written titles.... Your Little Legal Companion reads more like David Letterman's top 10 list. " -Hartford Courant " The editors, all of whom are attorneys, cover 50 life situations, including starting a new job, buying a car, quitting a job.... Their counsel is humorously written with lots of fun facts. " -Richmond Times-Dispatch " Another handy title is Your Little Legal Companion: Helpful Advice for Life's Big Events... It presents 50 scenarios (renting an apartment, investing money, surviving a natural disaster) and then a list of legal tactics and practical advice on how to deal with the situation. " -Sacramento Bee " Guides you through 50 of life's key events that almost always come with legal implications... " -RealtyTimes.com " To avoid the negative financial consequences of making poor life decisions, read Your Little Legal Companion.... The book offers 10 key pieces of advice for each situation with authority, brevity and humor. " -Black Enterprise Magazine " Your Little Legal Companion is a fine gift book, it's a good book for sharing, it's a cocktail table book for a little cocktail table, it's a book for growing up, and it's a book for getting out. Carry it in your cargo pants' pocket, put it in your gear jacket or pop it in the case with your laptop. Sooner or later one of life's events will send you searching and your answer will be only a page flip away. " -Broderick Perkins real estate columnist