The Benefits Of Hiring A Criminal Defense Lawyer For A Shoplifting Charge

Facing a shoplifting charge can be an overwhelming experience. It's a situation that requires careful navigation and a strong understanding of legal processes. This is where a criminal defense lawyer comes into play, offering invaluable assistance and guidance. Expertise in Legal Processes A criminal defense lawyer brings a wealth of knowledge about the legal system. They understand the intricacies of criminal law and procedure, ensuring that all legal protocols are followed correctly.

Five Things to Do Before Applying for a Divorce

Deciding to get a divorce is a major life decision that should not be taken lightly. Before you take the leap, there are important steps you should take to ensure that you are prepared for the process ahead. Here are five things you should do before applying for a divorce, including the importance of speaking to a divorce lawyer. Reflect on Your Decision Before moving forward with a divorce, it's important to take the time to reflect on your decision.

Understanding the Role of Divorce Lawyers: A Comprehensive Guide

When navigating the complexities of divorce proceedings, professional guidance can be invaluable. This is where divorce lawyers come into the picture. They offer a plethora of benefits, making an otherwise challenging process more manageable. Advocate for Clients' Rights and Interests Divorce lawyers play an integral role in advocating for their client's rights and interests. They possess extensive knowledge of family law and can provide sound advice on matters such as division of assets, child custody, and alimony.

4 Steps To Calculate Lost Income After A Personal Injury

Anyone injured in an accident or through the negligence of someone else must spend time getting treatment and recovering. This usually means that you lose out on some form of income. How is this loss figured into your settlement or damages award in a personal injury case? Here are a few steps to finding the right number for your claim.  1. Verify What You Were Scheduled The easiest way to show lost wages is to start with what you were already scheduled to work in the immediate aftermath of the accident.

Think About Using A Divorce Mediator

When you are getting a divorce, your attorney may recommend that you go through mediation with your former spouse. The judge in charge of your case may order it, or your state may have recommendations about mediation. Whatever the reason, you need to find a mediator to help you. You may live somewhere that doesn't have mediators around, or you may have issues getting to the mediator's office. One option is finding an online mediator to take on your case.

Knowing When To Walk Away — Timing A Personal Injury Case Settlement

A personal injury lawsuit is often a necessary evil when you've been injured due to the negligence of another party. But many cases are not decided by a jury verdict, but rather by a negotiated settlement. If you are willing to come to a settlement agreement, you can save time, money, and stress. But when can you settle? And when should you? Here's what you need to know.  When Can You Settle?

Should You Go Through Online Mediation To Get A Divorce?

When you plan to get a divorce, one of the first things you and your spouse need to decide is how you are going to end your marriage. If you do not want to involve the court system, you might want to think about mediation. Mediation is a good option if you are both on speaking terms and are each willing to work together on your divorce terms. To make mediation easier, you now have the option to utilize online mediation.

Why Seeking Out Estate Planning Services Is So Important

No matter your age, income level, or amount of assets you have or don't have, it is very important to make sure that you are seeking out estate planning services. Of course, if you are not familiar with estate planning services, you might not have a good understanding as to why such help is needed. You do not want to make the mistake that so many people make, which is assuming that everything can be easily handled after you pass away or that your family already knows what you would like to have done with your estate once you pass.

3 Steps And Guidelines To Follow When Filing An Uncontested Divorce

It is possible to separate from your spouse without creating a massive contest out of it or dragging one another through complicated court processes. An uncontested divorce is where you and your partner sit and decide on all the terms and conditions of your separation without involving the divorce court. If you have not heard about the uncontested divorce process, here are some steps and guidelines to help you create the ideal experience.

Child Support: What If You Do Not Agree With The Order?

Divorce is always a difficult time when children are involved. One of the most complex and emotional parts of getting a divorce is making decisions on child custody and child support. As you navigate these decisions, it is crucial that both parents know what their rights are. At some point, one or both of you may not agree with the decisions of the court, particularly when it comes to child support.

5 Things To Do Before You File For Divorce

Are you considering a divorce and haven't formally told your spouse yet? You'll want to do these things before you file the paperwork.  Get Your Own Financial Accounts If you currently have your finances combined with your spouse, you will need to take some steps to separate them. This includes getting your own bank account that is just in your name and switching all of your direct deposits from work over to your account.

Divorce And Inheritance: What You Need To Know

If someone leaves you an inheritance, it is considered an asset. When you get divorced, you may wonder what happens to your inheritance when you have to divide your marital assets. An inheritance is treated differently than other assets during a divorce. Here is what you need to know. What Is Considered Marital Property? Marital property is assets you and your spouse acquired while you were married. Your individual names do not necessarily have to be on the ownership documents of the assets in order to be marital property.

4 Questions About Collaborative Divorces

Is a collaborative divorce the best option for you and your spouse? If so, it will help to know more about what exactly having a collaborative divorce means. How Is A Collaborative Divorce Unique?  What makes a collaborative divorce different from other forms of divorce is that both the lawyers and people getting a divorce will enter an agreement where they cannot walk away from negotiations. If the collaborative divorce fails, you will not be able to use your lawyers for litigation.

Being Charged With A Marijuana-Related DUI

The fact that you can be arrested for DUI if you choose to consume alcohol and get behind the wheel of a car is a fact that most everyone is aware of. However, with more and more states choosing to legalize marijuana either for recreational or medicinal use, it is important for individuals to understand that DUI laws do not simply apply to alcohol-related offenses.  Whether or not marijuana is legal or not in your specific state is of no consequence.

How Are Felony Charges Different From Other Criminal Accusations?

Criminal charges fall into one of three categories. These are infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies. You might wonder what distinguishes felonies, charges in the highest tier, from allegations in the two lower tiers. Here are 5 things that distinguish felonies from other accusations. Expected Prison Time if Convicted The U.S. government and 43 states define felonies based largely on the projected period a convicted person will be imprisoned. Broadly speaking, felonies tend to be offenses that entail more than 12 months of prison time.

Hiring the Help of a Divorce Attorney

When you are trying to get through a divorce with your sanity intact and with some direction on where you are going, it's important that you get the legal representation that you need. You can consult with a divorce attorney that will help you whether your divorce is cooperative or if you're going to have to fight for something you're owed. With this in mind, you should consider the tips in this article and get help from a lawyer that can assist you.

Figuring Out Child Support in Probate Court

Child custody arrangements can leave two parents sharing child custody equally, yet one party still pays child support to the other. The goal of child support is to establish an equal living environment for the children as much as possible. When both parties report their income, the income is put into a formula and child support is calculated. If one parent is the primary custodian, they are going to receive child support based on income reports.

3 Things Your Divorce Attorney Can Help You With Prior To Filing

You have decided that divorce is the only solution for your tumultuous marriage, and you are delaying contacting a divorce attorney until you have things in order. It is a must to have an attorney later, but it is also good to bring in their legal counsel before you are ready to file. Take a look at some of the things your divorce attorney can help you out with prior to filing for a divorce.

Mistakes To Avoid When Contemplating Divorce

Divorce is a complicated process that you should not further complicate with avoidable mistakes. Here are some of the mistakes you shouldn't make while preparing for a divorce. Go On a Spending Spree During a divorce, the court will review your assets and divide the marital assets fairly between the two of you. The review will involve not only the assets available at the time of the divorce but also the assets either of you consumed shortly before the divorce.

Hiring A Probate Attorney To Help You Navigate The System

Probate is a little hard to understand for some people. Often people see the probate process as a bad thing, but if you know the process, it can be just the opposite. Getting help navigating the system can make the probate process much easier to get through. What is  Probate? Many people ask this question because probate has a bad rap, but if the process is handled correctly, it is a good thing.

What Should Be Incuded In Your Divorce Order?

You are filing for divorce and want to be as clear as possible in your filing. In many situations, if you don't clearly state what you want to take with you from your marriage — from your children to your pets — you can end up in court fighting for what you feel is rightfully yours in the end. Whether you have children involved in your marriage or not, you want a skilled divorce lawyer by your side.

Three Scenarios In Which You Should Ask For A Temporary Support Order

If you're in the early stages of a divorce, you might be experiencing some financial stress. It can take a while for the divorce proceedings to wrap up, and this means that if you expect to be receiving alimony payments once the divorce is finalized, it could be some time before the checks start arriving. A person in your shoes may wish to speak to his or her divorce attorney about a temporary support order.

Chapter 7 Bankuptcy: Vital Steps Before You File

People in serious financial difficulties have various options for relief, one of which is declaring bankruptcy. For most individuals, this involves filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the type of bankruptcy that deals mainly with consumer debt. Filing for Chapter 7 is not something to be taken lightly, however. Here are some key steps to carry out before you file. Do You Need To File? The first step in determining whether filing is actually necessary.

How A Claim Of Domestic Violence Can Change The Trajectory Of A Child Custody Case

Separating or divorcing from a partner that you have children in common with doesn't guarantee there will be a battle over child custody. However, if an accusation of domestic violence has ever been verbalized or implied you have to get the opinion of a domestic violence attorney. Family court systems don't look at domestic violence abusers and survivors as the only participants in their damaging relationships; children are also greatly impacted when they live in households where domestic violence is present.

Potential Benefits Of Filing A Fault Divorce

A no-fault divorce has often been held up as superior to fault divorce, and this is true in some aspects. However, there are also some advantages to filing a fault divorce, and they include the following: No Waiting Period Most jurisdictions require a waiting period for those who want to divorce. The rationale is that the waiting period gives both parties time to reflect on their impending divorce and decide whether they really want it.

3 Reasons Why You Should Hire A Divorce Lawyer

One of the most stressful events in life is going through a divorce. It can take its toll emotionally and financially, leaving you left wondering where to go next. You can get through this process in one piece, though, by hiring a divorce lawyer. This professional can provide the following benefits.  Offer Objective Advice  Once a divorce is laid out on the table, you may want to stop at nothing to hurt your former spouse.

Secure Your Future: Divorce And Retirement Planning

Just like many things in life, divorce often gets hung up on a few, very contentious issues. If it's not the children, it's money. Who gets what property and who has to pay what debt can really bog a divorce procedure down, but there is another financial facet of divorce that often gets overlooked. It could be the last thing on your mind, but one day you will be retiring and depending on a fixed income.

Why Bite Mark Evidence Isn't Always Foolproof

If you have been charged with assault and the prosecutor alleges strong bite mark evidence, don't automatically assume you are doomed. Bite mark evidence isn't foolproof, and the right kind of lawyer can help you disapprove it. Here are some of the reasons bite mark evidence isn't foolproof: Approaches Differ By Experts One problem with bite mark evidence is that there is no universal agreement among scientists on how the tests should be done.

Three Questions That Determine How Gifts Are Divided During Divorce

You have probably heard that gifts are treated as separate properties when it comes to asset division during divorce. This isn't a given; it all depends on the special circumstances of your case. Here are some of the questions whose answers will determine how gifts are divided in your divorce: What Is Your Jurisdiction? Since divorce laws are enacted at the state level, your state's divorce laws are the primary determinants of what happens to your gifts if you divorce.

Will Marriage Equality Be Overturned?

In 2015, the Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples were to be afforded the same rights as opposite-sex couples. In essence, same-sex couples were granted the right to marry in every state. Especially after the recent election, some LGBT couples are concerned that the ruling by the court could be overturned and their marriages impacted. If you are in a same-sex marriage, here is what you need to know.  

Foreign Adoptions: The Red Tape Simplified

Adding a precious bundle of joy to your family? Your suitability as a parent will be carefully evaluated regardless of the location of the child, and every country has its own standards for judging parental fitness. Most adoption agencies, however, share some common requirements; namely, that the parents be prepared to provide the child with a stable, loving, and healthy home. If your new family member hails from outside of the U.

Make A Prenuptial Agreement Part Of Your Wedding Plans

Among the plans and preparations for your big day, meeting with a family law attorney and creating a prenuptial agreement may not be on your to-do list, but it should be. After all, getting married is a legal act, so don't neglect to take the important step to ensure that you have a complete set of legal provisions in place when you wed. A prenuptial agreement can address vital aspects of you and your fiancé's financial life, so read on.

What Are Your Legal Rights During A Divorce?

When you are getting a divorce, you have certain rights. Do not let your spouse or their attorney bully you into losing assets or assuming that the divorce proceedings are completely out of your control. Regardless of the circumstances, you still have certain rights. You Have a Right to See Your Children While you may be living in a different home than your children when you are separated and go through the divorce process, this does not mean you should be kept from visiting with them.

When You Get A Child Support Modification Notice In The Mail

One of the most unwelcome things that you can receive in the mail, whether you are paying child support or receiving it, is a notice from the court that there's been a request to modify the order. If you're receiving it, you can bet that the person paying it is asking to decrease the payments. If you're paying it, you can bet that the recipient wants more. In order to understand the best way to deal with this, you need to understand what can cause changes in support.

Heading For Divorce: 3 Ways To Ensure Your Finances Are Protected

If you're considering a divorce, you're going to need to make sure that your finances are protected. This is particularly true if your spouse was responsible for the finances during your marriage. You might not have your own copies of the financial documents. That can be a problem during the settlement negotiations when assets and debts are being divided. Before you sit down with your divorce attorney, you need to have copies of the following financial records.

Everything You Need To Know About Filing A Lawsuit Against Your Spouse

When you fall in love and get married, you and your spouse are not just committing to spend the rest of your natural lives together. The two of you are also entering a legally binding contract between two consenting adults. If you and your spouse are now deciding to go your separate ways, it can be for many reasons. The three biggest issues that lead to divorce are finances, the inability to connect as a couple, and infidelity.

FAQs Of Temporary Orders

Depending on the circumstances of your divorce, it could take months or longer for your divorce to be final. In the meanwhile, issues, such as spousal or child support, might require immediate attention. If you and your spouse have issues that need to be addressed by the family court now, here is what you need to know.  What Can You Do? In the event that you have an issue that has to be resolved now, you can request a temporary order from the family court.

Understanding The Mediation Process When Deciding On Custody Arrangements

If you are in the process of getting divorced and you have a child, you will want to do what is best for them regarding custody and visitation while waiting for a court-ordered custody hearing. If you and your spouse have disagreements about who will retain custody or the duration of visitation rights of the other party, you may find going to a mediation session can be a huge help in coming to a concrete agreement. Here is a summary of what happens when you have a mediation session to help prepare you for the process.

3 Tips For A Marital Separation Agreement

When you and your spouse agree to separate, it is important that you create and sign a separation agreement. The agreement can not only help to avoid conflicts while you are separated, but it could potentially serve as the foundation for your final divorce decree. Here are some tips for preparing an agreement.  Decide on Family Home and Expenses A big part of the separation agreement will focus on who will take possession of the family home until the divorce is final and who is responsible for paying which bills.

Living In An Unhappy Marriage? 5 Signs It Might Be Time For Divorce

Divorce is never an easy decision to reach. If you and your spouse have tried everything to make your marriage work, it might be time to sit down with a divorce attorney. Here are five questions that will help you understand if divorce is right for you. How Do You Feel When You Think About Your Marriage? Close your eyes and think about your marriage. How does it make you feel?

Don't Forget About Your Financial Health When Divorcing

If you are currently separated or are planning on filing for a divorce from your spouse soon, you need to make sure that you take care of your financial health and well being. Make an appointment with your divorce attorney to specifically discuss how you can protect your financial interests during your divorce. Here are a few things you can do: Gather Up Important Financial Documents Before You File If you are planning on getting a divorce, you need to start gathering up all your financial statements.

Tips For Protecting Your Credit Over Joint Debts In A Divorce

If you are getting divorced and have debts in both of your names, you may need to talk to your lawyer about this to ensure the debts are paid and split properly. While you may both end up responsible for paying half the debts, keeping them in joint accounts is not a wise option. This could end up ruining your credit, if your ex-spouse does not keep up with his or her end of the bargain.

3 Things To Remember When Going Through A Military Divorce

If you are in the armed services, you may not be aware that going through a divorce won't be the same as if you were a civilian. There are certain things to keep in mind to make sure that your interests are protected and that you comply with laws in place for military members. Here are some things to remember if you are going through a military divorce. Get a Lawyer Before Addressing a Divorce Petition