SERVING
Auburn, |
Back to Blog
Commercial Real Estate Lawyers1/19/2020
Commercial real estate lawyers deal with construction and development projects, as well as zoning issues. If you don’t own a business, you probably won’t ever have to deal with a commercial real estate lawyer.
How Do I Know If I Need a Real Estate Attorney? If you’re starting a business or expanding your current one, you may want to consult with a commercial real estate lawyer. A commercial real estate lawyer can help make sure you have all the approvals you need to move ahead with your building. If you’re buying a house, a real estate lawyer can help advise on the ins and outs of inspecting and then legally purchasing a house. Real estate attorneys should also be well versed in all landlord/tenant matters, and should be able to advise you in any disputes.
Real estate--whether it's office space, a warehouse, retail stores or other property--is often critical to your business's growth and long-term success. A commercial real estate attorney can help you understand and evaluate your options, while reviewing purchase, sale or lease agreements.
0 Comments
Read More
Back to Blog
Personal Injury Settlements1/19/2020
If you’re considering making a personal injury claim after an accident caused by someone else’s carelessness, you probably want to know how much money you can expect to receive in compensation for your medical bills and other damages. To get an idea of typical settlements or awards in personal injury claims—and what makes a difference in the amounts—we surveyed our readers across the United States to ask about their experiences. Here’s what we learned.
In putting together your personal injury settlement demand letter, you figured out a range of what you believe your claim is worth. Before you speak to an insurance adjuster about your demand, decide on a minimum settlement figure you would accept within that range. This figure is for your own information, not something you would reveal to the adjuster. But before the offers and counter-offers start going back and forth, it helps if you already have your bottom line in mind.
Remember, you don't have to cling to the figure you originally set for yourself. If the adjuster points out facts you had not considered but which clearly make your claim weaker, you may have to lower your minimum figure somewhat. And if the adjuster starts with a low settlement offer or a number at or near your minimum—or if you discover evidence that makes your claim stronger—you may want to revise upward. Learn more about factors that affect personal injury settlement value.
Back to Blog
Motorcycle Accident1/19/2020 Motorcyclists understand the inherent risks that come with sharing the road. Motorcycle accident lawyers understand this because they ride motorcycles. They understand why people ride and we understand how other drivers are the largest danger posed to motorcyclist. A bike offers much less protection than a car which makes any accident a greater threat to the rider. NHTSA’s 2016 statistics report that motorcycle riders are 28 times more likely to die in an accident and 6 times more likely to be injured. Your attorney understands the level of support you need to get well and get your life back in order after surviving a crash. We know the risks that riders take on by choosing to ride a motorcycle, but we also understand why they do it. We understand that getting an adrenaline rush and being safe don’t have to be mutually exclusive ideas.
You were injured in a motorcycle accident and need to calculate injury damages. A motorcycle accident injury lawyer can calculate the value of your claim. The claim review normally takes less than 5 minutes to give you an estimate. An attorney looks at factors including total medical bills, whether or not you missed work, the fault of the injury, and how the injury occurred.
Back to Blog
Do You Have a Medical Malpractice Case?1/19/2020
If you believe you've been injured by your physician or other health care provider, you may be wondering if you can or should sue for medical malpractice. This article discusses the major considerations that go into deciding whether or not to start an injury claim for medical malpractice.
To be considered medical malpractice under the law, the claim must have the following characteristics:
Back to Blog
Getting a Green Card - Immigration Law1/19/2020 When people talk about the easiest way to get a “Green Card,” they are usually referring to the fastest or least demanding way someone can become a lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the United States. In the modern U.S. immigration framework, the wait for many green card applicants can be ten years or more. For a few lucky persons, however, that wait might be a matter of weeks. U.S. Immigration Made Easy Of course, what's "easy" depends in part on what one is eligible for. An existing family relationship with a U.S. citizen or permanent resident can make the work of an immigration lawyer fairly straightforward for some people. A job offer works for others. Then there's the diversity visa lottery, for citizens of eligible countries. Even millionaires wanting to start a business in the U.S. have a possible visa all their own (the EB-5)! You should know, however, that there is no general, catchall category for people wanting U.S. lawful permanent residence. Everyone must fit within one of the categories prescribed by U.S. immigration law. And with annual limits in most categories, the waits can be prohibitively long.
You are not required to have a lawyer when applying for an immigrant visa or green card in the United States or overseas. If you have a straightforward case, are clearly eligible for the benefit you seek, and have no record of crimes or negative run-ins with immigration authorities, you can potentially proceed all the way to a visa or green card without a lawyer.
U.S. Immigration Made Easy In fact, if you are overseas, lawyers cannot attend consular interviews with you, though they are allowed to prepare the paperwork and have follow-up communications with the consulates. However, there are numerous types of situation when you’ll need a lawyer’s help—or will save yourself a lot of time and frustration by getting it. Immigration law is notoriously, insanely complicated, and it's run by a bureaucracy that receives less oversight and public scrutiny than you might expect. So, let's look at some of the most likely situations.
Back to Blog
Estate Planning for the Single Person1/19/2020
Estate planning for the single person can be challenging. There are a lot of decisions that must be made and often is the last thing on a single person’s mind. While it may be tempting to ignore it, having a sound estate plan in place reduces stress and anxiety on survivors.
Estate Planning For the Single Person The latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics from 2013 show that there are 105 million single people in this country age 18 and older, 44 percent of the population. Another 24 percent are divorced; 14 percent are widowed. Estate planning for the single person differs from estate planning for married couples. It’s important that singles draw up an estate plan that provides specific instructions on how to manage their affairs.
If a person dies without a will, the laws of intestacy apply. These laws dictate who will receive the decedent’s property upon his or her passing. Single people may not feel as concerned about designating a beneficiary as a person who is looking out for his or her spouse. However, without a will, there can be unintended consequences, such as an estranged parent or other family member being entitled to part or all of a decedent’s estate. Rather than having these unintended consequences, a single person may wish to designate a beneficiary in a will who he or she actually wants to receive the property, such as his or her child, a
beloved family member, a friend or a charity.
Back to Blog
If you are facing harassment or discrimination at work, there are certain steps you should take to protect your rights. These actions might help you put a stop to the mistreatment and improve your work situation. Even if they don't, however, taking these steps will help you prove your case and preserve your right to sue, if you later decide to consult an employment attorney to file a harassment or discrimination case.
Harassment can take many forms, from derogatory jokes based on ethnicity or age to name-calling and slurs to threats and outright physical violence. In sexual harassment cases, the harasser might insist that the victim go on a date or otherwise accept his sexual advances or miss out on work opportunities. For example, a supervisor might condition a raise or promotion on the victim putting up with his advances. These are called "quid pro quo" cases.
The other type of harassment is called "hostile work environment" harassment. In these cases, the harassment doesn't directly result in discipline or lost opportunities, but does make it difficult for the victim to work because of constant ridicule, belittling comments, teasing, sexual come-ons, and so on. This type of harassment may take the form of comments about an employee's protected characteristic or it may be more subtle. For example, a manager may treat workers of a certain ethnicity better than other workers.
Back to Blog
Marijuana Driving Laws1/19/2020
It used to be the stuff of stoner comedies and “Just Say No” campaigns. Today, marijuana is becoming mainstream as voters across the country approve ballot questions for legalization or medical use.
In response, state governments are testing ways to ensure that the integration of this once-illicit substance into everyday life doesn’t create new public health risks. These efforts are sparking a difficult question: At what point does marijuana driving mean someone is too high to get behind the wheel? The answer is complicated. Brain scientists and pharmacologists don’t know how to measure if and to what extent marijuana causes impairment. The reason: Existing blood and urine tests can detect marijuana use, but, because traces of the drug stay in the human body for a long time, those tests can’t specify whether the use occurred earlier that day or that month. They also don’t indicate the level at which a driver would be considered “under the influence.” “It’s a really hard problem,” said Keith Humphreys, a psychiatry professor and drug policy expert at Stanford University in California, the first state to legalize medical marijuana and where recreational pot use among adults became legal in 2016. “We don’t really have good evidence — even if we know someone has been using — [to gauge] what their level of impairment is.” Quick, how much marijuana can you legally smoke before you drive? If you’re like a majority of Californians, odds are you don’t know the answer to that question. Nearly half, 46 percent, who responded to a recent survey from Eaze, an online cannabis marketplace, were unable to answer whether there exists a legal bloodstream concentration limit for THC, as there is for alcohol (there isn’t). The online survey of 527 licensed Californian drivers, who all used cannabis within 30 days of responding, shows that “few know critical details about cannabis consumption and driving,” according to the executive summary. Though a clear majority, 81 percent, were aware that it is illegal to drive under the influence of cannabis, a majority, 62 percent, also were unaware of the legal penalties that come with it. Like a DUI involving alcohol, they can include fines, jail time and license suspensions.
Back to Blog
Business Unite Against #AB51/19/2020 A new law jeopardizes the freedom of hundreds of thousands of Californians to choose to work as independent contractors with app-based rideshare and delivery network platforms, and threatens the availability of these on-demand services that millions of Californians rely on daily. This ballot measure protects worker flexibility, improves the quality of on-demand work by establishing historic new earnings and benefit guarantees and protects public safety and consumer choice. If you are a business that uses Independent Contractors, your business lawyer can help There will be an anti-AB5 rally on the steps of the California Capitol in Sacramento on January 28, 2020 at 10am. |