What Is A Court Case

A court case is a dispute that goes to court because it cannot be resolved without the help of a neutral third party. People take their disputes to court to ask the court to decide what the facts are and to determine how the applicable laws apply to the facts. To learn more about what a court case is visit http://www.lawinfo.com/the-courts.html

Finding and Meeting With a Workers' Compensation Attorney

Getting injured on the job can be a traumatic situation. Workplace injuries can cause an injured worker not only to be seriously hurt but also create a financial hardship. Workers' compensation laws vary from state to state. As such, any person that has suffered a workplace injury should consult with a workers' compensation attorney.

Workers' compensation was designed to provide remedies for an employee that has been injured on the job. Injured employees may be entitled to receive medical care, lost time, and even permanent disability benefits. In return for assured benefits employees do not have the legal right to file a lawsuit for an award from the court.

Although injured employees give up their ability to sue their employer they still have the right to obtain workers' compensation. Not all employees injured on the job will be approved for workers' compensation benefits. If an employee is denied or does not receive benefits that are appropriate for their situation they have the right to an appeal. A worker's compensation attorney specializes in workers' compensation laws and they can help an injured worker fight and obtain benefits.

Any attorney can choose to practice in the area of workers' compensation law. However, an employee that has a workplace injury will want to find an attorney that is experienced in this area of law. One way to find a reputable and experienced workers' compensation attorney is through the state bar association. The bar association will can help in locating attorneys in good standing as well as those who specialize in certain areas of law.

You can also find a reputable workers' compensation attorney by checking your local yellow pages. Many attorneys advertise in the yellow pages and this will give you a good starting point in locating a number of candidates. Attorneys that advertise in the yellow pages generally highlight their specific area of law so this is also a good way to narrow your search for an attorney who practices specific aspect of law.

Once you have selected a few candidates you will want to do an evaluation during your initial consultation that will help determine your selection. Your evaluation of the workers' compensation attorney should be based on a few factors. These factors are how well the attorney listens, their understanding of your situation, explanation of law as it applies to your case explained in laymen's terms, and your level of confidence in their representation of you.

You may also want to ask for references so that you can evaluate the workers' compensation attorney's work on previous cases. Former or current clients are good sources of references but attorneys may be reluctant to divulge client information because of its confidential nature. The next best sources of references are other attorneys.

It is extremely important to be prepared for your initial consultation with the workers' compensation attorney. It may be wise to prepare a summary of the facts and events surrounding your injury in chronological order before your consultation. The summary should include important information such as the date of your accident, exact name/address of employer, and details of your injury.

You may also want to bring any medical records, employee handbook, and if possible any witness statements. This will help your meeting go smoothly and also help in selecting a workers' compensation attorney.



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5 Steps To Take Before Filing For Divorce

5 Steps to Take Before Filing for Divorce

Benefits Of Hiring A Divorce Lawyer

The stress a divorce brings on a couple and their family is very immense. Although finding a good divorce lawyer can bring added stress to the situation, in the end this could be one of the most beneficial decisions you make in your divorce process. A professional divorce lawyer can help you in more ways than you probably think because they understand how just difficult this time is for you the best way to navigate through the difficult process.

Here are a few ways that hiring a divorce lawyer can help guide you through this stressful time and save your time and energy:

1.) Help divide your assets: One of the first things that a divorce lawyer will help you with will be to help divide the assets you and your spouse have gathered throughout your marriage. This can be a lot more difficult than one might think. With the time and hard work you have spent together purchasing things, making decisions and growing to love your things. This will include all the assets you own, splitting all of the money you and your spouse have accordingly, pets and everything else that belongs between the two of you.

2.) Help with custody hearings: The next and probably most important thing a divorce lawyer will help you do is help in the child custody and support cases if you and your spouse have children.

If you and your spouse are fighting for everything intensely, these arrangements will become quite intense. It is the job of the divorce attorney to help moderate between each party and represent their clients side to their benefit. Whenever there are children involved the situation becomes even more complicated. During your custody hearings emotions are flying and both sides usually want to have custody of the children. Your professional family law attorney will be able to use their experience and guide you through these situations.

3.) Get you what you deserve: You are going to want a legal professional help you resolve your divorce and make sure your spouse and their lawyer get you what you deserve. In a timely manner they will help you take the steps you need to legally get your "half" of the assets you get.

Regardless of the relationship with your spouse at the time of your separation, it is wise for you to hire a divorce lawyer to help you divide your assets, get through any custody issues and to ensure you get what you deserve.



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Quick Tips For Finding A Lawyer

Almost everything we do is affected by laws. There are so many laws that it would take a person with an average reading skill over a thousand years just to read the law book. As if we have nothing else to do with our lives but read laws. So what do we do when a legal situation arises? Do we handle it ourselves or do we call a lawyer who's been trained in the legal field? For many people, the thought of calling a lawyer may be frightening. Sometimes they might not even know if they need a lawyer or how to even choose one, so they might avoid contacting a lawyer even when it is in their best interests to do so. However, do your homework before you hire a lawyer for yourself and/or your business. At the time when you are faced with serious legal or medical problems, you still need to make a good, informed decision about who will represent you. And it doesn't have to be as hard or as costly as you may think to find a good lawyer. Provided below are some quick tips that can take the stress out of finding a lawyer.

Can I represent myself?

You have the right to represent yourself. However, the law is extremely complex and changes frequently. Unless you dedicate 100% of your time into educating yourself with all of the laws and legal procedures relevant to your case, you stand a good chance of losing. You may very easily overlook a legal aspect affecting your case that may sometimes bring unanticipated legal consequences that can be difficult and expensive to undo. So, you need to weigh the risks and benefits of representing yourself vs. hiring a lawyer to represent your case.

When do I contact a lawyer?

When faced with a problem that you think it needs legal attention, you may wish to consult with a lawyer about your legal rights and responsibilities as soon as possible. Many states have deadlines for filing lawsuits especially for personal injuries. These so called "statute of limitations" laws are designed to encourage people to promptly come forward and present their case. But this doesn't mean that you have to simply pick the first lawyer you bump into because you're in a hurry, as you will learn from these tips.

How do I choose the "right" lawyer for me?

From a personal aspect, selecting a lawyer is always a personal matter. But, as with any service providers, the lawyer is just providing his/her service to his/her client. So, the lawyer-client relationship needs be based on trust and open and honest communication so the lawyer could provide the best of his/her service. It requires a mutual commitment from both the client and the lawyer. If the client is not cooperating fully, the lawyer could not provide the best of his/her service. At the same time, if the lawyer is not easily accessible and prompt in responding to your phone calls, emails, and requests, you're going to get nothing but frustration. Hence, when choosing the "right" lawyer for your case you need to feel 100% comfortable when talking to that lawyer and feel confident in his or her abilities. If there's even a single doubt, you need to keep looking. Your case is too important to entrust to someone who does not inspire your confidence.

From a professional aspect, people often believe that simply any lawyer could handle any case. This misleading confidence frequently works to the client's disadvantage. No lawyer is skilled in every area of the law. So, to find the "right" lawyer for your case you need not to be shy about asking your prospective lawyer questions until you gain full confidence in his or her ability. Only then would you select that lawyer. Actually, while asking the questions, you'll be able to observe the lawyer's responsiveness and readiness to cooperate with you. Some of the most important questions you need to ask your prospective lawyer when going through the selection process are:

- What amount of experience do you have in this area of the law (the area of your legal need)?

- Will you or one of your associates handle my case? - if an associate handles your case, that's the person you need to interview.

- How many cases like mine have you handled? - ask for specifics for each of the cases.

- Could you provide me with references from some or each of the cases? - make sure you call each of the clients to learn about their experience.

A responsible and a caring lawyer would have no problems providing you with answers. If the lawyer is giving you runarounds for each of the questions and not providing you with specific answers, you need to keep looking. Also, always check with your State Bar Association if that lawyer has been the subject of an ethical complaint or inquiry.

Where do I find a lawyer?

No matter where you look for a lawyer, always keep in mind the above tip for choosing the right lawyer for you. Nevertheless, here are a few places to look for a lawyer:

- Yellow Pages and Advertisements - When you open your local yellow pages doesn't it seem like the doctors and the lawyers cover the half of the book with advertisements? It almost looks as if they're the only ones having the money for full blown ad pages. Speaking of ads, unless you have a marketing/sales knowledge and experience, you would never know how advertisements work. The advertisements are developed to psychologically trigger your emotional senses and make you respond to the call of action of the ad. It's a science of its own. So, you as an average consumer would have no idea which advertisement is telling the truth and which has the truth blown out of proportion. But, this is a very good place to at least get some names and phone numbers from local lawyers and start your selection process.

- Your Society Circle - Your family, friends, people you work with, people you talk to, people you know of ... start asking around. This is one of your most reliable sources. You will have a chance to get the first hand experience. Someone who has been in a same or a similar situation could tell you about their experience (good or bad) with their lawyer. If their experience has been nothing but good, you have a half of your work done. And even if no one in your society circle could refer you to a lawyer, they might know of someone else from their society circle who might have been in a similar situation. Some of the most reliable referrals come from people you trust - fellow business owners, friends and family - who have used lawyers recently. Word of mouth from a satisfied customer generally is very reliable.

- Bar Associations - This is another reliable source. Your local attorney bar association may maintain an attorney referral service, which is a list of their members by specialty who will consult with you for free or at a special rate set by the bar association for the first conference. The Bar Association could also tell you if a lawyer has been a subject of an ethical complaint or inquiry from past clients.

- The Internet - Indeed the Internet. But, this is your least reliable source because everything could be put on the 'net. However, just like with advertisements, you could use the Internet to at least get you a list of local lawyers practicing in your problem area so you could start the selection process.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/313825

Are Family Lawyers And Divorce Lawyers The Same?

Family Lawyers are often referred to as Divorce Lawyers. Divorce Law has become a specialized field of law. Historically, there were fewer divorces and Family lawyers handled the cases. With the increase in divorces over the past century, divorce law has become a specialized branch of family law. Although, many Family Lawyers still handle divorce cases.

Divorce Law covers all the areas that need to be discussed when a couple files for divorce. These areas include:

Child Support: Child support is the amount paid by the non-custodial parent for the needs of the child or children involved in the marriage. This can be used to cover the cost of shelter, clothing, or education. It is meant to provide the necessities the children need not as a means of supporting the custodial parent.

Child Custody: In most cases one or the other parent will be awarded physical custody of the child or children involved. While there have been cases where the physical custody was awarded jointly, this is not often the case. There have also been cases where the children were split between the two parents, but again this is not often done. The court system tries to keep children together when at all possible.

Alimony or Spousal Support: Spousal support is awarded based on many different variables. For example, if one spouse has worked at a low-income job to support the other spouse while they attended post-graduate school. This would be seen as a reason to award spousal support to them while they also attended school or training. Spousal support can be temporary or permanent depending on the ruling of the court.

Division of Assets: Division of assets can be difficult. Generally, this applies to the assets such as a house, property, or investment plans that were started or acquired after the couple was married. Property owned by either spouse before the marriage would normally not be included in the assets of the marriage.

Visitation: Visitation is the time allowed for the non-custodial parent to spend with their children. This varies widely, depending on the particular divorce case and the desires of the parents and children, if they are old enough to have their desires considered by the court.

Relocation: Because of the economy today, relocation has become a more common problem. Many divorced couples are finding that in order to find work or remain employed they have to relocate to another area. This can cause problems with child visitation rights of the other parent. It may be necessary for the custodial parent to gain a court order allowing them to move before they can take the children to a different town.
Each divorce case is unique in some ways. The growing number of divorce cases is the main reason why people have come to associate Divorce Lawyers as separate from Family Lawyers; although, both can handle divorce cases.



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Verdict

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Four Times You Are Going To Need A Family Law Attorney

Families are beautiful and wonderful things. They can bring great joy and happiness, but they can also cause stress and anxiety. When legal problems arise in the family structure, it is often necessary to consult with somebody who has experience in the field of family law. They can guide you through the issues that arise and help you avoid any others that might come up. Here are four instances where you should consult with an experienced attorney.

Adoption

For those couples, or individuals, who want to have children but cannot for whatever reason, adoption is a possible solution. However, the process is very long, difficult, and fraught with obstacles. Recent data suggests that there are roughly 125,000 adoptions in the U.S. every year. While that may seem like a lot, in a country of over 300 million, it is a small number. A lawyer with a strong background in adoption law can both speed up and ease the adoption process in many cases. They may also help potential parents avoid any pitfalls during the application process, as well as handle any unexpected obstacles that arise.

Divorce

The divorce rate throughout the U.S. is estimated to be anywhere from 33% to 50%, depending on the source. As of 2014, there are nearly 60 million married couples in America. That means that between 40 to 60 million people who are married right now will be involved in a divorce at some point in their lifetime. A good lawyer can help your divorce go smoothly with as few legal issues as possible.

Child Custody

With so many divorces occurring, there are bound to be battles over the custody of children. In cases where one partner is abusive or has substance abuse issues, the safety of the child or children can be at stake. In these cases especially, the law is very complex and difficult to navigate. An attorney who has practiced in this field before can help you understand all of the issues and decide the best path to follow.

Spousal and Child Support

Divorce is never easy. Not for the couples, and not for the children, if there are any. In many cases, one spouse or parent is left at a financial disadvantage for a variety of reasons. They may have been the homemaker or watched the children while the other spouse worked. When they separate, most people have no idea how much money they are entitled to, for how often, and for how long. A family law attorney can help figure this out. They can also go after a spouse or parent who owes support and force them to make good on their obligation. A lawyer will know the fastest and most effective way to ensure payments are made.

In conclusion, when legal issues arise between spouses, siblings, or other family relations, it is often necessary to consult with an attorney who has experience in family law. They can help you navigate many different situations while trying to save you time and grief along the way.

To learn more about their options for family law, Massachusetts residents should visit http://mrichardslaw.com/index.html.

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