Blog

Wisconsin passed a law that prohibits texting while driving. The law prohibits sending or composing text messages while driving, but not reading them. The law imposes as modest fine for a violation of the law. The fine may be as low as $20.00. One would think the legislature could do better than that for an activity that is more […]

As the saying goes, a dog is man’s best friend. Most of the time, a dog is a wonderful companion that enriches the life of its owner.  Unfortunately, there are times when man’s best friend will bite a person because of provocation, fear or instinct. In fact, there are millions of dog bites per year in […]

Who Should Have A Will? Anyone of sound mind and at least 18 years of age can create a will. A will is particularly important for single or married individuals who wish to exercise control over the distribution of their property. If you die without a will you are said to die intestate. This means that your property […]

1300 Wisconsin consumers who entered into loan contracts with Arrowhead Investments, Inc. from December 21, 2001 through December 21, 2007 stand to receive relief in the form of loan forgiveness in a settlement agreement approved in Dane County Circuit Court on Wednesday, July 29, 2009. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, Arrowhead Investments, Inc. has also agreed […]

In this video, I talk about the most common issue I hear from people after interacting with a police officer, which is “the police did not read me my rights.” I explain what your rights are and why we call them Miranda rights. I also explain how the police try to avoid having to advise […]

I have written several times about the dangers of texting and driving. The studies clearly demonstrate that a person is more distracted when they text and drive. They have more difficulty staying in their lane of travel. They are more likely to rear-end a car slowing in traffic, and are less likely to see children entering the road. […]

Car owners in Wisconsin have rights even after they have defaulted on their car loans. Lenders who repossess your car in violation of those rights may have to give the car back and may face even greater penalties, including (under some circumstances) having to repay you all the money you’ve ever paid them. But those […]

Attorney Briane Pagel blogs about how you can reduce and protect yourself from student loan debt. Student loan problems often seem insurmountable, but in reality borrowers have numerous options for reducing or eliminating loan payments, curing defaults and avoiding garnishments, all without having to resort to bankruptcy. Eliminate student loans. Under some circumstances, it is […]

With the rise of websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, we are documenting and sharing more aspects of our lives than ever before. Litigators have quickly realized that an opposing party’s social media pages can contain valuable and easy-to-access evidence.  For example, in a personal injury case, defendants often search plaintiffs’ Facebook and Twitter accounts […]

Almost everyone in our country has some familiarity with the Miranda warnings if for no other reason than they are repeated in almost every crime movie or criminal justice based television show. We all seem to intrinsically know that we have a right to remain silent and to consult with an attorney prior to speaking […]