You are probably already familiar with the concept of a will. Also known as a “last will and testament,” it is a legal document which details how you would like your property to be distributed after your passing. The practice of writing wills dates back over 2,500 years, though it has become more refined since the ancient Greeks invented it. Essentially, a testator creates a will and appoints a personal representative who will carry out its instructions. Recipients of the testator’s assets are called beneficiaries. Probate is the judicial process whereby a will’s validity is proven in a court ..read more

How Do I Know If I Have a Valid Personal Injury Case? If you have suffered a personal injury, then you may not necessarily have legal recourse. As an example, consider an act of God: a severe, unanticipated natural event for which no human is responsible. It may be possible to file a successful claim following damages sustained as a partial result of an act of God (e.g. lightning struck your home, which created the circumstances necessary to prove that your lightning rod was incorrectly installed). But when an act of God is the sole cause of your pain and suffering, a judge is highly unlikely ..read more

We’re all throwing the dice, playing the game, moving our pieces around the board, but if there’s a problem, the lawyer is the only person that has read the inside of the top of the box. – Jerry Seinfeld You may know your business inside and out, but your professional experience cannot protect your interests on its own. Whether you haven’t yet founded it – or you have already successfully captained it for a number of years – your small business needs a business lawyer. That’s because attorneys don’t just extinguish expensive (and potentially catastrophic) fires. Their work also helps prevent ..read more

There are many fields of law. Their names are self-descriptive for the most part. Corporate law deals with corporations. Constitutional law deals with the document George Washington once called “the guide which I will never abandon.” Animal law, as you probably correctly assume, has nothing to do with admiralty law. Personal injury law isn’t named quite so straightforwardly. For example, suppose you were attacked by a wild animal, or you were unlucky enough to get struck by a meteorite. Either of these misfortunes could cause grave personal injury – but when they don’t involve the actions or i ..read more

Maybe you’re opening the newest location of a business that has already been market tested and approved. Or maybe you’re a franchise salesman, a business broker, or an entrepreneur with a growing brand. Franchisees and franchisors share something big in common: both want success to unfold around them, because both have much at stake! If you’re franchising or opening a franchised business, here’s a free tip from a franchise lawyer: honor your contracts, and expect the same in return. Gerry Wells, COO of Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard (a franchising company that inherited its previous own ..read more

Maybe you were injured as the result of another party’s negligence: on the road, at the park, in a store, or anywhere else. Maybe another person intentionally meant to harm you and succeeded. Or maybe the other person meant you no harm – but their dog, unfortunately, did. These are all times when you could file a personal injury claim. It’s the legal process for acquiring compensation for all the economic and noneconomic damages you suffered as the result of another party’s actions or negligence. If the defendant’s behavior was especially egregious, you may also be awarded additional punitive ..read more

Real estate. Many work hard to own it. A few acquire it unexpectedly. But no one mistakes its true value. When you own a piece of this very planet, you want to fully protect it. Although a real estate attorney’s job isn’t simple by any means, their goal always stays the same. That is protecting their client’s legal interests and rights while they are buying, selling or leasing real estate. They know the rules surrounding exchanges involving residential and commercial property. Maybe you are purchasing your dream home, selling your land, or renting an apartment. If you’re fortunate – and everyt ..read more

You have spent a lifetime acquiring wealth. You do not want your efforts to get tied up in probate court or cause disputes among your family members. You would like your wealth to transfer seamlessly and uneventfully to your benefactors so it can strengthen the future generations that will have the privilege of calling you their ancestor. Estate planning is not about preparing for your own death. It is about taking care of the people you cherish in life. And to do it correctly, you will likely need to create a few key legal documents. Perhaps you are making certain your property falls in the r ..read more

Wrongful death claims are personal injury cases where civil actions are brought by the surviving family members of a decedent who passed away prematurely because of the negligent actions of another. These careless actions are the underpinnings of the case. Additionally, these actions are meant to compensate the living members of the family, not the decedent. Courts do take into account the pain and suffering of the decedent, but they are part of the overall picture. There are actually two types of cases in this area: wrongful death and survival actions. Wrongful death actions are meant to comp ..read more

Have you suffered harm as the result of an injury or accident? Could another party be legally responsible for the wrongful act that caused your misfortune? Then filing a personal injury claim is your best chance at securing the compensation you are rightly owed. More than 400,000 personal injury claims are filed in the United States each year. These include claims for: Negligence, such as slip and fall accidents, vehicle accidents and medical malpractice Intentional torts, such as battery, assault, conversion, false imprisonment, trespass to land, trespass to chattels, defamation and intentio ..read more