LegalShield Product Overview

Do Your Homework on Child Identity Theft

With summer winding down, it’s time to get the kids ready to go back to school. While parents are shopping for supplies and kids are hoping to be in class with their best friends, school administrators are doing their best to ensure schools provide a safe learning environment for students. But what is being done to protect your child’s personal information?

Schools and school systems have a lot of personal information about your children – full legal name, birth date, home address, medical records, even Social Security numbers. This makes them susceptible to data breaches; the Identity Theft Resource Center reported 98 breaches in the educational sector in 2016, exposing more than one million records. As of this July, 90 educational sector breaches have been reported this year. Not all breaches expose student records; however, these incidents do point to the vulnerabilities in schools’ cyber infrastructures.

It’s not that schools and school systems mean to be negligent in protecting student records; most simply have a number of priorities that need to be addressed with a limited budget. Spending money to better secure the personal information of students and employees likely means a reduction in spending elsewhere. And while improved security measures can reduce a number of vulnerabilities, breaches often happen as a result of human actions, such as clicking on a link in an email, leaving laptops and hard drives unsecured, or accidentally sending files to the wrong person. No organization is immune to human error.

Parents, 

Take Notes Children’s personal information, especially Social Security numbers (SSN), is considered valuable to hackers because their identities offer a clean slate. Children do not have credit reports, so someone can use their identity for years without being detected. That’s why it’s important that parents do their due diligence by limiting who has access to their child’s personal information.

Think about all the places besides schools that ask for your school-age child’s information, including an SSN: summer camp, the pediatrician’s office, after-school and sports programs, scholarship providers, etc. The important thing for parents to know is that just because an organization asks for your child’s information, you are under no obligation to provide it. The only organization that really needs your child’s SSN is the government, for tax filing purposes and to receive any government benefits. If someone insists on having the information, ask them specifically why it is needed, how it will be protected, and what happens to it when they no longer need it. Educational breaches can expose student records that have been on file for years.

As your child gets older and starts looking for a summer job, advise him or her not to provide their SSN until they have been hired, or an employer needs to run a background check. They do not need to include it on online or paper applications. If they attend college, they will need to provide their SSN, and perhaps the parents’ as well, as they apply for financial aid. In addition to organizations, parents should be very careful about limiting the number of individuals who have access to their child’s personal information. Kroll Investigators have worked a number of child identity theft cases that involve a family member using the child’s information to obtain credit or secure employment.

A service of the Investigators of Kroll. These materials are derived from the research and discovery activities of Kroll Fraud Specialists and Licensed Investigators, and have been gathered from personal, historical, and aggregated experience performing specialized restoration services on behalf of Identity Theft victims. While believed to be accurate, these materials do not constitute legal advice, and are not guaranteed to be correct, complete or up-to-date. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into a language or computer language, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the express written consent of Kroll. These materials are provided for informational purposes only.

Why Courtroom Etiquette Matters

Going to court can be an intimidating experience. It is important to follow the appropriate standards for how to speak, dress and conduct yourself in court. Failing to follow proper courtroom etiquette could potentially have a negative affect on the outcome of your case. If you need legal assistance call your LegalShield provider law firm.

• Listen to your lawyer. Your attorney may have first hand experience working with the court staff and the judge who will hear your case. Some judges may have unwritten rules or preferences about behavior in their court. Follow the advice your attorney gives you regarding courtroom appearance and behavior.
  
  
• Wear business attire. Dressing well shows you have respect for the court and the judge. For men, a tucked in shirt, tie and pants are appropriate. Woman may consider wearing a dress or a blouse with a skirt or pants. Your attire should be business conservative; you are not dressing up for a party. Avoid showing skin or wearing flashy clothing. Some courts even have dress codes and won’t allow you to enter the courtroom if you do not follow the dress code. Failing to meet dress code requirements could make you late or even cause you to miss court. Ask your attorney or call the court clerk’s office to find out if there is a dress code.
  
  
• Do not bring your phone to the courthouse. Most courts do not allow anyone other than attorneys, law enforcement or court personnel to bring cell phones or other electronic devices into the courthouse. Even if phones are allowed, there are few more inappropriate times for a phone to ring than during a court hearing. Also, do not text or play games while you wait for your case to be called.
  
  
• Arrive to court early. Arriving late or failing to appear for court could have serious legal ramifications. If for any reason you are late to court you should be apologetic and present a valid and preferably verifiable excuse. Your best bet is to give yourself plenty of time and to arrive early.

• Wait patiently for your case to be heard. If there are a lot of cases on the court’s docket, you may have to wait for some time for the judge to call you before the court. Do not talk to those around you, appear impatient, sleep or cause any type of disturbance in the court. You may not be interested in the other cases before the court, but it does not hurt to pretend otherwise.
  
  
• Be friendly and cooperative with all of the court staff. The clerks, bailiffs and other court administrators know and work closely with the judges. Being impolite to them will not help your case.
  
  
• Only speak to the judge when directly addressed. Address the judge as ‘Your Honor’ and speak in a polite and deliberate manner. Speaking out of turn or interrupting the judge, attorneys or other witnesses, even when you strongly disagree with what they have to say, will do nothing to help your case. While judges should rule solely on merits of a case, behavior and demeanor may still influence an outcome.
  
  
• Keep your emotions in check. Smile and wait patiently while others speak. Let your attorney argue the case. Do not roll your eyes, make exasperated noises, speak in a sarcastic, aggressive or threatening tone. If the court does not rule in your favor remain calm. Talk to your attorney after court to find out if you have any other legal options.

The content of this information is intended for general information purposes only.

ID Shield

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ADVICE EVERY PET OWNER SHOULD FOLLOW

Along with the joy and fun pets bring to our lives, they also bring the occasional headache. These tips may help you avoid common legal disputes involving your family pets. Call your LegalShield provider law firm if you need assistance.

• Keep your pet under control at all times. You may be legally responsible for damages caused by your pet, especially if your pet has a history of biting humans, attacking other pets or showing a vicious character.
• Follow your state and local laws regarding pet ownership.
  • Does your locality have a leash law? If so, what does it require? Does your locality require a pet tag or license and various inoculations? Complying with pet laws will help you avoid citations and court appearances.
  • Does your locality enforce pet “nuisance laws”? These may include ordinances prohibiting excessive barking and require cleaning up after your pets. Complying with these rules will also help you avoid fines and potential problems with neighbors.
  • Do you intend to breed your pet? Laws governing breeding vary greatly between localities and states. If you plan to breed your pet make sure you understand the laws or rules in your locality.
• If you rent a home or apartment review the terms of your lease in regards to pets.Do you have to pay an additional security deposit? Is there a limit on the number or weight of pets you can have on the property? Understand the terms before you sign a lease or acquire a pet. If you live in a neighborhood governed by a homeowners association (HOA) it is important to review the bylaws for pet restrictions or regulations.
• Read all pet insurance terms and conditions before you sign up to determine if the policy covers events that concern you most. Review the cost of the policy and talk to your vet about the typical treatments associated with the care of your animal. If you need assistance reviewing the terms of a pet insurance policy contact your LegalShield provider law firm.
• Stay calm and rational when involved in a disagreement over a pet. Whether you are the pet owner or have been injured by someone else’s pet, it is important to handle the situation in a civil manner. Pet disputes can escalate quickly and lead to prolonged and unnecessary legal actions.
• Generally speaking, it is not recommended to put instructions for the care of a family pet in your will. If you are concerned about planning for your pet’s care after your death, call your LegalShield provider law firm to discuss your options with an attorney who understands the laws in your state or province.