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Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) is a significant piece of legislation passed in California that focuses on enhancing workplace violence prevention measures across a wide range of industries. Signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2023, SB 553 mandates new requirements for employers to pro...

For the past ten years our office, which maintains a presence in the Palm Springs area has been successfully representing arrestees from all over the globe manage their Coachella Music Festival case whatever the charge may be. If you have been arrested or cited for an offense at the 2024 Coachell...

Cancel Modify or Terminate a Restraining Order early in california

In California, a court can find a person in civil contempt if they violate a Domestic Violence Restraining Order (DVRO). If a person violates a DVRO, the protected party can file a motion for an order to show cause for contempt. The court will then schedule a hearing where the person who alleged...

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, commonly known as Coachella, is an annual music and arts festival held in the Colorado Desert in Southern California. The festival was first held in 1999 and has since become one of the largest and most popular music festivals in the world, attracting...

DO I NEED A LAWYER IN A RESTRAINING ORDER CASE?  It is not required to hire a lawyer to defend yourself in a restraining order case in California. In reality it's not required to have a lawyer in any kind of legal matter but you are required to act with the same knowledge and skill as an attorne...

In Los Angeles not all courthouses hear Restraining Order cases. Most cases are heard in the downtown Stanley Mosk Courthouse but not all. Restraining order cases in Los Angeles County are heard in the Civil Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court. There are many courthouses throughout the co...

Judicial diversion in California is a program that allows certain defendants to avoid a criminal conviction by completing a treatment program or community service. The program is available for some low-level drug offenses, as well as certain other offenses. Under judicial diversion, a defendant ...

Temporary and Permanent Restraining Orders in California

In San Francisco, you can file for a restraining order at the San Francisco Superior Court. The courthouse is located at 400 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. If you live outside of San Francisco, you can also file for a restraining order at the Superior Court in the county...

In California, a gun violence restraining order (GVRO) is a court order that prohibits a person from possessing firearms and ammunition for a limited period of time if they are deemed to pose a significant danger to themselves or others due to their access to firearms. A GVRO can be o...

Emergency Protective orders

We are invariably asked if, after the hearing, whether we can recover your attorneys fees. The law says yes, but only if you win. Yes, it is possible to be awarded attorney's fees and costs after winning a California civil harassment restraining order. Under California law, a prevailing party in...

Domestic violence can occur in any relationship, regardless of the personalities involved. However, research has identified certain personality traits that may be more commonly associated with domestic violence. One personality trait that is often associated with domestic violence is narcissism....

You may, if you are or have already been through the court process involving an abuser may have heard of the phrase the cycle of violence. Its an important concept to understand.  The Domestic Violence Cycle of Violence is a pattern of behavior that often occurs in abusive relationsh...

Opinion on Depp v Heard Verdict.

The impact of toxic women on the courts in the context of the Johnny Depp Amber Heard trial.

The Law Office of Brian Michaels would like to thank local law enforcement for again assuming the leadership role here in Southern California in refusing to enforce the latest Los Angeles County Health Department's illogical and damaging recent mask mandate. With the country remaining at a 50 per...

Over the course of the last few months I have been trying to find time, now that my law firm has re-opened to address the vast amounts of research I have conducted over the last year and a half and have asked, encouraged and plead with people in my profession to begin to take a hard look at the e...

This is the product of a full year of research between Attorney Brian Michaels and a small working group of professionals committed to truth. The article is part fact and part theory with a bit of opinion. We will be writing and adding chapters every few days. Feel free to follow along. Or not. B...

Today, we all witnessed one of the most disturbing days in the history of our Democracy. Incited and directed by the sitting President of the United States, the loser in the Federal Election for his re-election Donald Trump, directed, incited, participated in and created nothing more nor less tha...

As the various Covid 19 vaccines begin to roll out of warehouses and onto aircraft for immediate distribution, now is as good a time as any to look forward and see how the implementation of a vaccine might look and the various legal issues surrounding inoculation. Certainly if you have one or mor...

Announcement from the Law Office of Brian Michaels re: Corona Virus  and the courts. As everyone knows the State of California is now on an almost virtual lockdown as a result of the COVID 19 Coronavirus epidemic. Several counties have closed their courthouses completely such as San Diego and San...

What to do if pulled over for a DUI Over my 24 year legal career, first as a Prosecutor and now as a full time DUI and Criminal Defense Attorney I have probably been involved in now thousands of DUI cases including close to 50 jury trials. While many lawyers tend to overcomplicate and oversell th...

Today, in a landmark vote, California became the first state to eliminate completely a cash based bail system. No doubt this is a blow to bail bondsmen throughout the State, many of whom are friends, who have provided freedom for thousands who could not normally afford the cost of bail. My though...