Our Legal Team Fights for Models
This website and the content herein is owned by Kane Law Firm and is an attorney advertisement. Kane Law Firm helps models, actors, and artists get paid for work they are rightfully owed. Any model(s) depicted are professional, paid actors and not a member of Kane Law Firm. Videos are a dramatization of fictitious events. Any mention of past results does not guarantee that similar results can be obtained for others. This site does not constitute legal advice and it does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Kane Law Firm.
Our Legal Team Fights for Models
This website and the content herein is owned by Kane Law Firm and is an attorney advertisement. Kane Law Firm helps models, actors, and artists get paid for work they are rightfully owed. Any model(s) depicted are professional, paid actors and not a member of Kane Law Firm. Videos are a dramatization of fictitious events. Any mention of past results does not guarantee that similar results can be obtained for others. This site does not constitute legal advice and it does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Kane Law Firm.
Where is my check?
This story is too common.
It is a story of being lied to. Being told you have to wait 90 days for a paycheck. Or being told nothing. Just silence. It is a story where you are left waiting, wondering if you choose the right career path, and maxing out your credit card.
This story of mistreatment and lies isn’t just too common it is also illegal. We decided that there is a better ending. Unpaid Models is giving models the voice to stand up for their rights without fear of retaliation. We are providing legal help with 0 cost to models.
A free conversation with a lawyer can go a long way. You can discover that the $5,000.00 shoot you are still awaiting payment on is now $155,000.00
Got Questions? We have answers.
Check out the video responses below. And if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
The fear of speaking out and making waves is real. Modeling is a competitive and difficult industry. No one gets in it half heartedly. We understand that your dreams don’t have a price tag, but asking to get paid on time is a fundamental right. No one should withhold that from you.
Any kind of threat to your future career is called retaliation and it is illegal! The only way we can stop their behavior is to first call attention to it, if they didn't pay us, then they probably didn’t pay other models. Let's get them to stop this right now. If there's retaliation, they will pay dearly.
California law protects its workers by ensuring YOU ARE PAID ON TIME. Models are entitled to your original payment PLUS 1 day’s pay for each day you were not paid, up to a maximum of 30 days. These are called “waiting time” penalties.
For example, if a Client agreed to pay the Model $5,000 for a shoot, and the Client is more than 30 days late paying, then the Model may be entitled to the original $5,000.00 PLUS an additional $5,000.00 per day for 30 days. This totals $155,000 in “waiting time” penalties that the model may be entitled to.
See What this Means For you
California law protects models by setting clear and strict time frames on when models need to get paid. Too many models do not know this.
If you finish a shoot or work between the 1st and 15th day of the month, you must be paid by the 26th day of the month. If you finished a shoot or worked between the 16th and last day of the month, you must be paid by the 10th day of the following month.
Models are “employees”, not independent contractors. Zaremba v. Miller, 113 Cal.App.3d Supp. 1, 5-6 (1980); Smith v. Superior Court (“L’Oreal”), 39 Cal.4th 77, 85 (2006). This is true, even if your contract or agent says otherwise.
This is important because as employees, you are entitled to “waiting time penalties”, which means that a Client may be required to pay the model the contract amount EACH DAY that they are late in paying you, up to 30 days maximum.
A licensed talent agent must pay the model within 30 days of receiving the funds from the client. If there’s a delay, your agent should provide documents explaining the delay, including a copy of the check and a record of the deposit. You may also be entitled to a refund of any agency charges for “advances” during the agent’s own delay. Labor Code § 1700.25
We represent models, artists, influencers, and employees consumers in actions against corporate defendants.
Were you told you’re an Independent Contractor?
Whether someone is an employee or an independent contractor is determined by California law, not by an agreement. CA law assumes that you’re an employee.
Is the company or agency delaying your payments?
If the client or your agency threatens you because you speak out, then they will face even harsher fines. Kane Law Firm will help you recover what’s rightfully owed to you.
Are you owed for more than 2 hours of work?
California law protects its workers by insuring YOU ARE PAID ON TIME. These employers have to pay the daily rate for each day a payment is late for up to 30 days.
All we need is your story. We do the rest.
Brad Kane, Esq. has been helping people for over 29 years. Over 5,000 Questions Answered for Real People. Brad knows models. He has been and continues to be general counsel for the Talent Managers Association.
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