How California Lawyers Are Preparing for the Massive PG&E Lawsuit
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American utility-owned utility headquartered in San Francisco. PG&E is under scrutiny for allegedly having caused the October 2017 North Bay Fires and November 2018 Camp Fire.
Lawsuits are now advancing to compensate for the people who suffered injuries, property damage and business losses related to the fire. The lawyers of California are overwhelmed with the amount of legal work going into the wildfire damage and the difficulties found with the process. Wagner and Jones Personal Injury are an example of one of the many lawyers in the California area that are preparing for the PG&E Lawsuit.
What Is the PG&E Lawsuit?
PG&E is alleged to have caused the October 2017 and November 2018 wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses across California, along with several casualties. Evidence suggests the fires were a part of a related system failure caused by PG&E’s improper maintenance of equipment and the vegetation surrounding that equipment.
What is being declared against PG&E is its failure to comply with safety statutes and regulations, which has been presented in the past and present of its negligence. Another allegation stated is being a public and private nuisance in violating its free use of its property and improper inspection.
How and Why People are Suing
The first lawsuit against PG&E was filed over the destruction and casualties caused by the Camp Fire. Most of the citizens of California affected by the destructive fire are suing to close the gap that their insurance money could not resolve. People’s homes are worth more than the money they are receiving from insurance and PG&E are the only answer for them to get closure and financial relief.
The homes that were ruined by the wildfires were not all owned by the wealthy with million-dollar mansions. Many were people who had homes handed down to them and paid only property tax. Another example is an entire trailer park in Agoura Hills had been burned down leaving the residents left with nothing.
The Preparation Process
Many lawyers are competing for the chance to sue the multibillion-dollar company even before the cause of the fire was determined. Many people displaced in shelters or temporary houses in the nearby area were flooded with legal advertising and in need of help.
The competition was so intense that out-of-state legal firms were not even in the playing field for participating in the lawsuit. Many of the homes destroyed by the fire were underinsured or completely lacked coverage, which makes the trial ever more lucrative and vigorous.
Suing PG&E is very expensive, so the out-of-state firms are going to try and being deep pockets to the trial. Most lawyers do not have the commitment to the hard tasks of preparing for a lawsuit against a company that is fighting for everything it has.
How the Lawsuit Is Going
Being faced with almost fatal lawsuits over the California wildfires, PG&E has filed for bankruptcy in January 2019, which could reduce the size of any payoffs to the fire victims.
The bankruptcy had put the lawsuits on hold at the time and lawyers are saying victims of the fire will most likely receive less money as a result. The wildfire victims negotiated a settlement and an agreement with the PG&E, but it refuses to pay because money is too tight now for them to commit to honoring settlements. This puts a strain on the lawyers trying to settle disputes and provide its clients with the money they need and deserve.
Here’s The Top 5 Situations Contractors Should Get A Contract Lawyer For
With the changes that are happening to labor laws all around the country, it’s important for contractors to stay out of trouble and aware of the law. Between chasing down new projects, placing bids, and managing sites, it’s hard for any contractor to know everything. A contract lawyer is a vital element of any contractor’s toolkit for saving on headaches.
Here are five times to reach out to a contract lawyer.
1. When Hiring Employees
When you’re putting together any kind of contract for working with other people, you’re going to want to get a contract lawyer to look over things. Hiring people is easy, but ensuring everyone feels good about the employment situation is much harder.
You need to make sure that everyone feels fairly compensated, first and foremost. You also need to ensure that it’s clear what the role of your employee is and what you expect of them. Employees may only do as much or as little as they’re instructed to, so don’t draw up a contract expecting them to do more than is planned.
You can expand the contract but you’ll need to leave that door open with your contract. A contract lawyer can ensure that you’re able to provide your client with the end result they’re looking for. As a contractor, you rely on the people who you hire to make your client happy.
Make sure you’ve got all the tools to make the most out of your employees written into your contract.
2. When Teaming Up On a Project
If you’re a contractor looking to team up with another contractor on a project, you’ll need a contract to ensure that you’re each paying your fair share. If you’re aiming at sharing profits on the project later on, you’ll want the profits to match the proportion that you invested. A contract lawyer can help ensure that everything seems fair.
Teaming up with another contractor or corporation is a necessary part of creating any project. If you handle all of the architectural installations, you’ll need an architectural firm, and even someone to provide the port-a-johns for you. You want to manage your relationship to avoid any kind of abuse or fraud.
There’s no end to the number of people it may require to build a project but if you’ve put together a contract template that works, you could reuse it. Each time that you pair up with a new company, change the important details and send it out knowing that you’ll be protected.
3. Working on a Government Project
Government contracts are a sort of golden calf in the world of contracting but they also come with their share of headaches. Every government project requires a long process of application process and bidding. You’ll need to hammer out every detail of every dollar you plan to spend far in advance.
The major problem that happens to a lot of contractors is that they paint themselves into a corner. They make it too hard to make any money from the contract because margins are too tight or the length of the contract is too long. You need to write in some flexibility so that you don’t go broke if something gets snagged along the way.
Get a lawyer to help you with your contract so you’re not stressed about how to get a home loan later on.
A contract lawyer ensures that you not only adhere to the needs of the government but also labor laws and regulations. It’s important to be above the law now rather than to pay the fines and fees that could come later.
4. Working With a Corporation Larger Than Yours
When you work with any corporation larger than your own, you’re taking a risk. While it’s important to hitch your wagon to a larger project to ensure you get to work on larger projects later, they can “out-lawyer” you any day. Your best bet to protect yourself is to have a lawyer look at your contract before it gets sent out.
A contract lawyer knows the ways that larger companies are going to try to pass off the blame to you. They could leave you holding the bag instead of helping to lift you up when it comes time to settle up at the end of a project.
Larger companies with more resources can give you the opportunity to work on exciting projects you wouldn’t get to otherwise. However, if you don’t protect yourself, you could end up losing more than you gain.
5. Before Labor Disputes Arise
One of the worst things for any contractor to face is a labor dispute. This builds a bad reputation for your company and bad faith with your community. It also creates a stoppage in work that could sideline your project for a while.
If you want to get ahead of any labor issues, you need to hire a contract lawyer. Your contract layer is going to be able to ensure that you don’t end up trapped under a mountain of lawsuits or to be in the middle of a union strike. Once one strike begins, it could set off a chain that makes it hard for your project to go anywhere.
Labor disputes can be prevented with well-written contracts. Contract lawyers can save the day when it comes to staying in the good graces of all of the labor organizations in your region.
A Contract Lawyer Can Spare You Losses
Managing a bid, keeping order at your sites, and working on new projects are all essential elements of being a contractor. Managing the details of your contract is a headache you don’t need. Hiring a contract lawyer can help you spare the stress.
If someone is fatally injured on your site, check out our guide to learn what to expect.
What Is a Chatbot and How Can Law Firms Use It?
Technology has progressed to a point where you can have a robot read you a dinner recipe. You can chat with experts across entire oceans, or use artificial intelligence to make high-level business decisions. And with so many new technologies being developed, it’s understandable to wonder, “what is a chatbot?”
The answer is simple — it’s in the name. A chatbot is simply a robot that chats with potential clients on your website to keep them engaged and interested. It’s a tool to improve your marketing and inform new clients about who you are and what you do.
Using a chatbot can lead to more clients and engagement on your website. Best of all, it means less work for you, so you can focus on what you do best: representing clients.
Keep reading below to learn more about chatbots and how they can help you.
“What Is a Chatbot?” Just a Chatty Assistant
Chatbots use artificial intelligence to communicate with the people who use them. Basically, they learn how to talk to people as they’re developed. By the time they find a home on your website, they know how to assist people with whatever they need help with.
In essence, they’re just virtual assistants. People can ask questions, and the chatbot will answer them to the best of its ability. Best of all, your chatbot can be programmed to lead people to whatever conversion you want.
Chatbots Engage Web Users
Chatbots are also a great way to engage users and introduce them to your firm. Many Internet users are hesitant to talk to actual people about whatever they may be looking for. So much of the Internet is run by robots that it can come as shellshock to speak to an actual person.
With a chatbot, these people can engage your firm without ever having to speak to anyone. It also means you’re leveraging automation, which will not only boost your success but also free up your time to get other work done.
They’re Easy to Set Up on Your Website
The best part about chatbots is that they’re easy to set up on your website. You don’t need to be a tech guru to get in contact with any variety of chatbot services. All you need to do is research the one you want.
Then, purchase a license to it. The company behind the bot will likely have a fleet of customer service representatives to help you through the installation process if you need it.
Get More Conversions and Leads with a Chatbot
There are many answers to the question, “what is a chatbot?” Some people will say that it’s an artificially intelligent assistant to improve your customer service. Others may call it an unnecessary gimmick on your website.
The actual answer is that chatbots are valuable tools to improve your connection with your clients. They give people something to talk to when you may not be available. They guide people through your website much in the same way lawyers guide people through complex bureaucratic laws.
And to find the right lawyer for you, just use our tool here. We’ll make sure you find exactly the lawyer you’re looking for so that you’re not alone when you need it most.
Questions to Ask Before You Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer
Accidents are something that nobody ever wants to happen to themselves. However, they do happen, and when they happen to you, you need an excellent personal injury lawyer to handle your case. The problem is, it can be confusing to find the best person to give you a legal representation.
If you’re looking for an attorney, here are a few questions that you need to ask them:
1. Have you had experience in cases like mine?
Each state in the U.S. has bar admissions to allow a lawyer to practice law in that area. For example, if you live in Los Angeles, you’ll need Los Angeles personal injury lawyers to help you with your case. So, if you have a cousin who’s an attorney in New York, they can’t legally represent you unless they have a license to practice law in Los Angeles.
You need to find a lawyer from your local area. Ask them if they’ve handled cases similar to yours and if they won any or all those cases. If they mostly won, then that’s good because you have a high chance of winning the case, too.
2. How long have you been practicing personal injury law?
Each lawyer have their strengths and weaknesses. One can be a great personal injury lawyer, while others aren’t that experienced in other practices such as environmental or real estate law. Ask your potential personal injury attorney about how long they’ve been practicing personal injury law.
It’s essential that they have experience for personal injury law. If they’ve only had experience in business law or entertainment law, they may not have sufficient knowledge needed to win your case. They can probably try to learn what they can, but you’ll be on time constraint.
3. Who will work on my case?
Most lawyers usually work in law firms where they work in teams. A client’s case may be handled by several different people such as the senior lawyer, junior attorney, paralegal, and others. If you’re not comfortable with the various people handling your case, ask your prospective attorney if they will handle the case by themselves or other people will be involved.
While you’re talking with the lawyer, make sure that you understand what they’re telling you. There will be a lot of legal terms that you may not be familiar with, so it’s crucial that they can explain it to you in a way that you can clearly understand. It’s also a good sign that they want you to understand what could happen during the case, so you’re not clueless.
4. How much will I pay?
When you’ve been in an accident, of course, there will be money involved. Medical bills will pile up, and even if you have insurance, there might still be some issues around it, which a personal injury lawyer can help you with. Aside from that, there are also other fees that you might want to prepare your pockets for, such as court filing fees and expert witness fees. Ask your lawyer how much money you have to shell out for the case.
5. Do they work on a contingency basis?
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. The attorney working on your case will only get paid depending on how much money you’ll get when you win or when you get a settlement. It means you won’t need thousands of dollars to file a lawsuit. Ask the lawyer you’re meeting with if they work on a contingency basis. If they are, then that’s good. If not, then try looking for a different one.
6. What’s the estimated length of the case?
Your personal injury lawyer should be straightforward when you ask them about how long the case would take. If they insist that it would be quick and won’t last for months, don’t be too trusting. They have to give you a realistic estimate. If it’s going to be a lengthy case, ask them why it might take that amount of time.
7. Can you provide any references?
Ask the lawyer if they can provide references from their previous clients. You should at least find out how they handled matters of earlier cases. You should know how highly or poorly they handled their previous cases. You can also browse online reviews if there are any. Weigh in the negatives and the positives so you know if you can trust that lawyer for your case.
Final Thoughts
In case you get involved in an accident, which hopefully won’t happen, make sure to hire a good personal injury lawyer. If you got severely injured, and you’re the provider of the family, money will be tight. But, if you have an excellent attorney to represent you in court, at least you won’t get knee deep in debt.
Does My Law Firm Need to Use an Email Signature?
We are surprised to see how often attorneys send an email without email signature block. It’s relatively simple to create and append one to all communications. Even when signatures blocks are available, most firms treat them as a formality rather than an opportunity.
What do we mean by an ‘opportunity’? A single template signature block is sufficient for providing contact information. However, as attorneys, you know that its purpose isn’t so black-and-white.
Law Firm Email Signatures Create Opportunities
Consider this: Many messages you are sending to people are either in the interest of legal advocacy, internal firm communications, or attorney advertising. Each scenario requires you to include how to contact you as the sender. However, what if you could tailor your signature for each recipient that met all compliance standards while maximizing opportunities and zero extra effort?
It’s not too good to be true. Today’s technology allows you to share the right information at the right time with the intended audience.
The short answer is “Yes!” Your law firm needs an email signature block on every email. How effective you want to make it is up to you.
Pre-Cloud Technology Limited Your Law Firm’s Possibilities
In law firm’s past, the IT department has been responsible for managing the process of assigning email signatures through internal services. Partners and associates treated the signature block as an ad hoc function at best. The majority of IT staffers enacted a single template for everyone on the system while leaving the individual to create individual customizations from the email client. Let’s say that pre-cloud technology left us all feeling a little uninspired.
Follow Trends Not Fads: The Best Approach for Firm Email Signature Blocks
Today’s integration with virtual servers and cloud-based technology is sweeping rainmakers and grinders alike off of their feet through email signature generation applications. Imagine being able to present a customized closing message on every email with one click. Here are a few ways in which we can accomplish this goal:
1. Disclaimers vary by year, practice area, and department.
The fine print of your email signature usually addresses what to do if your email was erroneously received. As you know, that evolves regularly depending upon many factors. Not to mention, networking emails also count as attorney advertising and the language used must be different. Instead of changing these at the local level, IT can now make a firm-wide update from a centralized location.
2. Emails as Evidence: Ensure You Are Clear with Your Intent
Some larger firms also have wealth management, real estate, and CPA arms that may include attorneys who still practice law. An email signature generator can help your attorneys and staff make it uniformly clear as to where the communication came from and its intent.
3. Update Information Quickly Across Every Team Member
IT staff members can use email signature generator applications to uniformly update contact information, links, disclaimers, photos, and logos from a single location. The ease of use can minimize real and opportunity costs for a fraction of what updates use to demand.
Look at that email signature that your law firm might be using.
Signature Software as a Solution (Saas) Is Key
By now, you have a solid understanding as to why enforcing email signatures for an entire law firm requires a dedicated email signature SaaS. The software allows you to implement multiple variations based on the context, sender, and purpose. Standard email tools are not robust enough to achieve IT’s signature compliance guidelines. Find out why more law firms are choosing Bybrand to elevate their practice through an overlooked strategy.
About the Bybrand
Bybrand is an email signature generator made for IT managers and marketing professionals. The idea is to save you time in managing your team’s email signatures while providing a solid marketing channel.
3 Things to Ask Your Lawyer About Prelitigation
Are you wondering if there are more assets like homes, businesses and rental properties that you are not aware of? This is an issue that could be running through your mind if you are a creditor and have filed a legal claim against a borrower who has defaulted on his or her payments. Your lawyer is likely wondering about the same thing and may hire the services of a private investigator to conduct a Prelitigation Asset Search. This process is a standard part of prelitigation proceedings, and it can either help you settle your claims out of court or boost your chances of winning the lawsuit.
In most cases, however, it will be more favorable for you and the other party to settle your dispute during the prelitigation process. Doing so can spare you from the tedious and drawn-out process of the actual litigation. If you are not familiar with prelitigation, below are three questions that you should ask your lawyer about the process.
1. Should I Settle?
Prelitigation refers to any activity that takes place regarding a legal claim before you formally file a lawsuit. Once you have filed a claim, you have essentially started the prelitigation process. It is during this stage where your lawyer may hire an investigator to gather more facts and documents to boost your case.
You should ask your lawyer if it is better to negotiate for a settlement than go through with the lawsuit. In most cases, it is more beneficial to settle the claim fairly without having to file the case. Your lawyer will present you with the facts of your case and point you toward the best direction. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide whether to settle or go through with the lawsuit.
2. What Are the Benefits of Negotiating?
Negotiations to settle a legal claim during prelitigation is usually informal, with lawyers representing both parties present. Discussions ideally should focus on the facts of the claim with both parties trying to come up with resolutions and arrangements to settle the claim. Prelitigation negotiations offer a faster and cheaper alternative to solve the dispute.
Lawyer fees for prelitigation proceedings are far less expensive than having him or her file the lawsuit. Costs of a lawsuit include the expenses for preparing and filing your case, depositions, motions and the billable hours that the lawyer spends to prepare for your trial.
If you ask your lawyer the benefits of negotiating, he’ll likely give you the facts of your case and the best possible result that you can expect from negotiating. This should further influence your decision whether or not to push through with the lawsuit.
3. Will the Settlement Be Fair?
Asking your lawyer this question will put him or her on the spot, but it is a fair question to ask nonetheless. To answer your question, the lawyer has to assess or even hire an investigator to make sure that the debtor is being honest. Your lawyer will then present you with the figures and leave it up to you to conclude whether or not it is fair.
There are other issues that you need to consider when deciding whether or not to proceed with the lawsuit. Do you want to keep the costs down, maintain a good relationship with the other party or keep the negotiation and resolution confidential? Your answers to these questions will help your decision-making during the prelitigation process.
Slip and Fall Cases: Everything You Need to Know to Win
When was the last time you slipped on a wet surface and fell? According to the National Floor Saftey Institute, slip and falls cases account for 1 million hospital visits. These slip and fall cases happen all the time.
Sometimes they can result in a minor graze but other times they can cause serious damage and lead to you being off work for weeks or even months at a time. So if you’re sure it wasn’t your fault, how do you go about taking legal action against the culpable party. More importantly, how do you make sure you win?
A Dangerous Condition
The easiest way to find someone legally culpable for a slip and fall injury is to prove that they were negligible somehow in an uneven surface that caused you to fall.
To begin your investigation into whether there is a case that someone has to answer, you are best to hire a personal injury attorney who will be able to give you a realistic view on how successful you are likely to be.
Have a Google and see who is operating in your local area but also feel free to ring them up to ask them for a quote or a brief discussion of your course. They’re going to be more than willing to help if there is money to be made.
Hiring an attorney who specializes in personal injury can help take the stress out of the whole process of trying to claim money back for a slip and fall as they can manage the whole process and ensure you don’t get ripped off.
There are a number of scenarios where a party may have placed you in danger through a dangerous condition.
This could be a local state or county government leaving an uneven road surface or pothole in the road without fixing it or signposting it.
A person with a private property such as a neighbor may have left a rubbish bag or other obstructing item on a pathway and this may have caused you to trip.
Or maybe, as has been the case in Wisconsin recently, icy roads, may lead to unexpected falls.
Alternatively, a cleaner may have recently cleaned a bathroom either at your place of work or at a public place and not left a sign outside reminding you to be careful that the floor is slippy leading to you falling the ground.
The NFSI has a number of tests and standards to help determine whether the company is at fault. These include a test to determine the wet static coefficient of friction (SCOF) of hard surfaces like laminate, vinyl, and tiles in the case of a wet floor. There’s also a walkway surface auditing procedure for the slip resistance of walkways.
Acting Reasonably
In order to prove that this is the case, the person or company has got to prove in court that they did not provide a reasonable level of care and they could have foreseen the accident. In other words, you need to be able to prove that the other party acted incompetently.
There are various ways of doing this. One way of determining this, if you are suing a private company, is to determine whether there is a regular pattern of failing to properly follow health and Saftey guidelines.
This could involve requesting the company to provide documents such as a reliable log of potential hazards? If it was a slip and fall, then was there a cleaning rota and was it noted that the bathroom would be cleaned at the time of your fall?
If the company cannot provide these documents then that in itself may significantly work in your favor. If the hazard was recorded in the log then who knew about the hazard and which specific employees failed to act?
Length of Time
Such documents can also help you determine how long the obstacle – the wet floor or uneven surface – had existed. If there was only a two-minute interval between you slipping or falling and a cleaner or caretaker was in the process of going to get a sign when you fell then this may be harder to prove.
If, however, the obstacle had been clearly known about for days and weeks and nothing had been done then the company clearly is at fall.
Were You Acting Responsibly?
This is a hard question to answer and only you know the answer to this. However, be prepared for your own conduct to be questioned if you do end up pursuing a lawsuit.
If you were running down a corridor and slipped and fell or you had your earphones in and were dancing, not paying attention to the road when you fell over an uneven slab this could very well count against you.
Remember if the company or person you are pursuing has lots of money and resources they may well be able to track down members of the public who happened to be passing by and saw what was happing to act as witnesses.
Acting responsibly also means following procedures and reporting your injury to the relevant authority and filing the appropriate reports. Those who suffer from a slip and fall and do nothing at the time but decide to pursue it through the legal system months or even years down the line are often viewed with skepticism by the courts who see a claimant, not really affected by the case at the time, but simply trying to cash in.
What Can You Claim?
The court can award you a settlement that is comprised of a number of different factors. These include.
- Pain and suffering. This is to compensate up for the distress that the incident caused you and the pain you may have had to endure.
- Medical expenses. Everyone knows how expensive healthcare is in the U.S, even if you had a good insurance plan so these are a necessity.
- Lost wages. If you work in a traditional 9-5 then most of the time you’ll be covered by sick pay but if you’re self-employed or you have a more liberal contract with your employer you may lose out on some serious money even if you don’t have to go to the hospital. Make sure you keep a record of exactly how much money you lose.
- Other expenses. Any other bills you have to pay as a result of the injury might also be covered. Did you have to take a taxi or an Uber from the place the slip and fall accident took place to the hospital? Make sure you kept the receipt.
Slip and Fall Cases Can be Costly
Slip and fall cases can cost you lots of time off work. They can also be very painful if you fall in an awkward position and need treatment at a hospital.
Finding a lawyer who can help you determine how to proceed,however, is now easier than ever as lawyers have really put lots of effort into marketing their services online to make it easier for you to find the right lawyer for you and your case.
Grow Your Law Firm With The National Legal Staffing Support
If you own a law firm, you desire growth. You might want to expand into new markets. You may desire to start offering new legal services. Growth means more profit. As a lawyer, you not only want to serve society. You also want to maximize your profits.
The National Legal Staffing Support (NLSS) is your partner of growth. With an extensive network of lawyers, NLSS is the ultimate Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) service provider. NLSS will provide you with all the talent that you need for business growth.
You will not be able to expand if you lack the talent. The difference between a top firm and a mediocre one is the talent. Fine legal talent will make you to win cases.
Small and medium-sized law firms find it hard to attract talent. All the top lawyers want to work for the large firms because of the benefits that such firms offer. Retaining talent is not easy even for the top tier firms.
Human resource issues are a big hassle. Human resource management will consume a lot of time, effort, and resources. NLSS will deal with most of your human resource issues. NLSS will provide you with all the talent that you need so that to grow your firm.
To grow in any market, you need to be competitive. You need to gain a competitive edge over your competitors. NLSS services will make you competitive. Thousands of law firms are already using NLSS services. If your firm is not yet doing so, you are missing a big opportunity to grow your business.
You might want to expand your practice areas. NLSS will provide you with a world-class legal and paralegal team that will make it easy to venture into new practice areas. You will be able to tap into expertise that is not available in-house.
An in-house strategy alone will not help your firm to grow. Even the top firms have already realized that. You also require a legal outsourcing strategy. This will expose your firm to a global pool of talent.
With the National Legal Staffing Support, your firm will remain abreast with the latest changes in the industry such as emerging laws and regulations. That will make it easy for your firm to adapt to new developments, facilitating legal compliance.
Growth should come with flexibility. You should be able to upscale or downscale your operations when you need to do so. That is exactly what NLSS will do for you. With NLSS, no permanent employment contracts bind you. During high season, NLSS will upscale your operations. When there is no business, you will be able to downgrade your operations so that to save money.
Growing your firm does not have to be a financial burden. NLSS will increase your capacity to serve clients without increasing your firm’s overhead costs. You will not need to hire more lawyers and paralegal staff.
Don’t Go It Alone! 5 Dangerous Pitfalls of Filing Bankruptcy Without a Lawyer
Are you considering filing bankruptcy?
If so, you’re not alone. Over 700,000 people file bankruptcy a year in the United States.
If you’re having serious financial issues, don’t file your own bankruptcy. Check out five of the most dangerous pitfalls of filing bankruptcy without a lawyer.
1. Understanding the Paperwork
When you’re filing bankruptcy on your own, you may struggle to properly understand and complete all the necessary paperwork. The paperwork is quite lengthy and you want to ensure that it’s all done correctly.
Without an attorney, you will be left to figure it all out on your own. Having someone who understands these proceedings like a lawyer will make sure that you file the proper paperwork right away. If you don’t file all the paperwork correctly, you risk your case being dismissed.
2. You’ll Receive More Oversight From the Courts
When you don’t have a lawyer while going through bankruptcy proceedings, you can expect extra attention from the courts. The trustee and others associated with your case will want to make sure that you have correctly presented everything.
With that being said, you can expect the process to take longer when you file pro se.
3. Knowing How to Handle Contested Disputes
When filing bankruptcy without an attorney, you may not understand how to correctly handle contested disputes.
You want and need an attorney like https://rodneyokano.com/bankruptcy-lawyer-las-vegas/ that you can trust to handle these disputes. You will not receive special treatment just because you are representing yourself, therefore you should have proper representation.
If you experience these disputes, you need an experienced lawyer who can defend you through the proceedings.
4. Using Bankruptcy Exemptions Incorrectly
Bankruptcy exemptions are items that a debtor can usually keep. Items such as household items, reasonable clothing items, and pensions. It’s important to know what exemptions you can and cannot claim.
This is not a time to play guessing games. Proper research must be done to make sure that you fully understand bankruptcy exemptions. Having a bankruptcy attorney can help you with this process.
5. Not Following the Rules After You File
Filing for bankruptcy involves more than just filling out the paperwork. There are certain things to do after you file bankruptcy. You will be required to attend a 341 meeting. During this meeting, you meet with the trustee and potentially your creditors to discuss the debts owed.
It’s important to know and understand that you may be required to attend credit counseling or another type of debt education course in order to receive your bankruptcy discharge.
Filing Bankruptcy without a Lawyer Isn’t Ideal
Facing your financial difficulties is not something that you should have to do on your own. Instead of filing bankruptcy without a lawyer, team up with an experienced attorney to ease your mind and ensure everything is handled properly.
Instead of wondering how to file bankruptcy yourself, hire an experienced attorney. Browse our legal category page to find the right lawyer near you.
3 Shocking Factors That Will Guide You To The Best Law Firm
Law has grown to be one major fields that offer a lot of employment opportunities to people, this is according to careerprofiles.info. Law as a career is very wide and has a lot of fields an individual can specialise in. However, you are always advised to pick a field or a section in law that you are able to handle. Some have gone ahead to choose family law and they are now handling divorce cases and child custody cases. Other specialised lawyers include corporate lawyers, property lawyers and criminal defence attorneys. Sometimes, lawyers can put their eggs in one basket and form a law firm. This is a way of making their services readily accessible by clients. You will enjoy it when you get several lawyers serving under one firm, unlike when you have to walk from place to place just to get yourself several lawyers. If you plan to hire a lawyer from a law firm, then you will need to evaluate a lot of things in that law firm. Some of these things include;
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Ability and services
If you have done shopping in supermarkets, then you will understand the concept of the same businesses offering different products. Basically, law firms might seem similar because they are all offering legal representation. However, what differentiates them is the ability of what they do and the services they can offer. Some law firms can’t handle a certain type of case yet some can. Some law firms can represent you in foreign countries and other law firms are unable to do that maybe because they are short of resources. That is why you need to be sure of the law firm you intend to hire. The other thing you need to evaluate is whether they offer specific services. You need to understand that just because they are law firms, it doesn’t mean they offer everything. Some law firms might not offer a certain type of lawyer that you need. So, it is up to you to decide on what you want. For instance, of you want a law firm that can help you handle medical negligence during birth then you can hire Ray Gupta & Associates law firm.
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Experience
The reason why you might hire a particular law firm and ignore the other is because of experience. Its very simple, some cases require the lawyer to understand the law to a certain depth. This is something that you might not get from someone who just gotten his or her license. Just look deeper amongst the law firms around your area and you will get the one law firm that has been around for a while. In addition, experienced law firms have made friends over the years. Thus, they can help speed up your case.
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Your needs
Why would you walk to a shop and buy something that you don’t need? You need to be sure of what you want when it comes to getting a law firm. There is nothing as terrible as hiring a law firm only to realise that they can’t help you in particular fields. To save yourself from such disappointment, just have a list of what you want and then evaluate each law firm in relation to what you want.
