You're travelling in a foreign country and you get arrested for something that you didn't even know was against the law. The potential fine is huge, more than you earn in 10 years. Would you represent yourself in front of judges who might not even speak your language? Not if you had any sense you wouldn't. You'd probably hire a lawyer.
Let's think about that. Most people are not willing to risk 10 years salary when they're in front of the judge, yet those same people are willing to risk that same amount of money, or more, whenever they buy real estate in a foreign country.
What's the risk? There are plenty.
Not being fully aware of the laws that affect the ownership of real estate for starters. In some cases, you're not only subject to the laws of real estate ownership which affect any property owner in that country, but there may be special laws which affect only foreign owners as well as local laws which differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Perhaps you're not an expert at reading the language that the purchase and sale agreement is written in. Maybe you'll overlook terms or conditions that would be a deal-breaker if you were aware of their presence.
And then there are all of the considerations which affect any buyer whether they are a foreign national or not. Things like zoning or permitted use laws, neighborhood or condo association by-laws, environmental restrictions, tax issues, and all of the other little gremlins that can pop up and turn a great deal into a great deal of misery.
Those are the kinds of things that a Real Estate lawyer is trained to handle. It's not good enough to have your family lawyer or corporate lawyer review the deal. If you want an iron-clad real estate purchase and sales agreement which addresses all of the unique and common issues that you face as a real estate buyer in a foreign country, then you need to hire a real estate lawyer who is licensed to practice in that country. Nothing else is "good enough".
So, if the advantages of hiring a Real Estate lawyer are so obvious, what, if any are the disadvantages of using one for your foreign real estate transactions?
First, a Real Estate lawyer will add cost to the transaction because of his or her fees. While these costs are usually not excessive, they are a consideration.
If you are a seasoned buyer of real estate in a particular country then you may not need a Real Estate lawyer to guide you through the intricacies of property ownership.
Using a Real Estate lawyer may cause the deal to close at a later date due to his or her need to review and revise the purchase and sale agreement.
I'm not really sure, however, if these can be labeled as disadvantages considering the amount of money that you are about to invest in a deal where legal ramifications that pop up later could haunt you for life and drain all of the equity and more out of your foreign property.
If you find this information useful you should visit the site http://www.about-realestate.net where you will find lots of interesting articles related to this topic Feature Articles, all original and wrote by Dascar Daniel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Content writer for more then 3 years !
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Finding the Right Lawyer for Your Insurance Claim
This article will teach you how to spot the right lawyer in case you have an insurance claim to pursue, and to have somebody fight for your compensation for damages incurred from your personal injury.
When you are caught in a legal dilemma regarding your insurance claim, whether for personal injury, worker's compensation or social security, you may want to be sure that you have an advocate that will fully support you and your legal rights. That means you must be sure you're looking for the right lawyer who has the expertise regarding your case. Remember that there are different kinds of lawyers that practices on different areas of insurance.
Say you have an insurance claim, which eventually got denied, and you believe that your claim was denied in bad faith. You need to avail of the services of a bad faith lawyer. For injuries while on the job, you need to hire a worker's compensation lawyer. For social security issues like Medicare and disability benefits, a social security or disability lawyer will be the best fit. There are plenty more other lawyers that fit into different areas, like medical malpractice, slip and fall, premise and product liability and more, and chances are you will be able to look up for a lawyer that specializes on those fields. You can seek for these lawyers thru referrals, yellow pages, websites, or thru your state bar association.
Once you found a lawyer that specializes on your case, find out who he/she primarily represents. In some cases, the lawyer you may get acutally does not represent consumers but instead they do represent employers and insurance companies, which is not a good idea. If your lawyer represents consumers like you, then proceed with making an initial contact with him. You may also try to contact your local bar association to see if that lawyer has a good standing.
Oftentimes lawyers may have websites or ads on yellow pages advertising their legal services. Try to analyze if their ads are compelling or sensible enough. Some lawyers falsely advertise their services so they can get more potential clients, even if they don't have an actual extensive experience with handling special cases, or worse, haven't handled even a single one of those cases. Ask for references too, if possible. Some lawyers may disclose information about their previous clients; others may not due to confidentiality agreements. Either way, try to obtain as much references as you can to check the level of confidence and trust that people may have with the lawyer you're planning to hire. Some law firms' websites have info about their backgrounds and list of accomplishments, and usually they have an FAQs section in there, so it's good to check them out as well.
Bringing a lawsuit against an insurance company is a very difficult task. Insurance companies and employers may usually hire good attorneys as well to fight against your claim. So by selecting a good lawyer to hire, you get a better legal representation and bigger chances of obtaining favorable settlements or verdicts. It all boils down to using your common sense and trusting your instincts, plus assessing your confidence and comfort levels with selecting the lawyer of your choice.
Our Los Angeles Accident Attorneys specialize in all fields of personal injury, business lawFind Article, social security and employment cases. Please visit us at http://www.attorneyservicesetc.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Luke Matthews is a regular contributor of relevant articles about the jurisprudence of personal injury and disability. He is part of the Mesriani Law Group and is currently taking information technology studies as well.
When you are caught in a legal dilemma regarding your insurance claim, whether for personal injury, worker's compensation or social security, you may want to be sure that you have an advocate that will fully support you and your legal rights. That means you must be sure you're looking for the right lawyer who has the expertise regarding your case. Remember that there are different kinds of lawyers that practices on different areas of insurance.
Say you have an insurance claim, which eventually got denied, and you believe that your claim was denied in bad faith. You need to avail of the services of a bad faith lawyer. For injuries while on the job, you need to hire a worker's compensation lawyer. For social security issues like Medicare and disability benefits, a social security or disability lawyer will be the best fit. There are plenty more other lawyers that fit into different areas, like medical malpractice, slip and fall, premise and product liability and more, and chances are you will be able to look up for a lawyer that specializes on those fields. You can seek for these lawyers thru referrals, yellow pages, websites, or thru your state bar association.
Once you found a lawyer that specializes on your case, find out who he/she primarily represents. In some cases, the lawyer you may get acutally does not represent consumers but instead they do represent employers and insurance companies, which is not a good idea. If your lawyer represents consumers like you, then proceed with making an initial contact with him. You may also try to contact your local bar association to see if that lawyer has a good standing.
Oftentimes lawyers may have websites or ads on yellow pages advertising their legal services. Try to analyze if their ads are compelling or sensible enough. Some lawyers falsely advertise their services so they can get more potential clients, even if they don't have an actual extensive experience with handling special cases, or worse, haven't handled even a single one of those cases. Ask for references too, if possible. Some lawyers may disclose information about their previous clients; others may not due to confidentiality agreements. Either way, try to obtain as much references as you can to check the level of confidence and trust that people may have with the lawyer you're planning to hire. Some law firms' websites have info about their backgrounds and list of accomplishments, and usually they have an FAQs section in there, so it's good to check them out as well.
Bringing a lawsuit against an insurance company is a very difficult task. Insurance companies and employers may usually hire good attorneys as well to fight against your claim. So by selecting a good lawyer to hire, you get a better legal representation and bigger chances of obtaining favorable settlements or verdicts. It all boils down to using your common sense and trusting your instincts, plus assessing your confidence and comfort levels with selecting the lawyer of your choice.
Our Los Angeles Accident Attorneys specialize in all fields of personal injury, business lawFind Article, social security and employment cases. Please visit us at http://www.attorneyservicesetc.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Luke Matthews is a regular contributor of relevant articles about the jurisprudence of personal injury and disability. He is part of the Mesriani Law Group and is currently taking information technology studies as well.
Free articles – tips for finding the best ones
Free articles are my bread and butter. I am always looking for knowledge on various subjects – Science articles, health articles, newspaper articles and much more. Ironically, I have decided to share the tips I have gathered over the time on finding the best free articles by writing a free article. Enjoy it.
Here are some tips that will help you locate the most suitable articles for you:
1. Stay focused – Looking for free articles on the web is addictive. You could easily find yourself sitting for hours staring at the computer screen with no real outcome. Remind yourself constantly what you are looking for and ask yourself if you are currently in the way to achieving it. 2. Read the articles’ abstract or summary to eliminate irrelevant articles.
3. Informational not commercial – If you are reading a page with too many pictures, adds or reviews, you are in the wrong place. Look for more objective data on informational pages.
4. Look In the right places – I suggest you consider looking for free articles using one of two methods.
The first, Look for the free article in google or in your favorite search engine by writing in the “Search” field: “The articles’ subject” + “article”. This way you will get textual content and not spam commercial sites.
The second, Look for the articles’ subject in article directories like ezinearticles.
5. Read the comments – You are not first who have read the article. You could save time by reading the articles’ comments before reading all the articles. If all the readers wrote negative comments, do not bother reading the free article. In some article directories you could even see the average grade given by the readers. 6. Time is money – If you are looking for a quality article and nowFree Web Content, my best advice would be: pay for it. A couple of dollars sure worth the hours of looking for the needle in a haystack.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Find more about articles and web content on Web content providers.http://www.tigilet.com – Web content experts.Free articles, web content
Here are some tips that will help you locate the most suitable articles for you:
1. Stay focused – Looking for free articles on the web is addictive. You could easily find yourself sitting for hours staring at the computer screen with no real outcome. Remind yourself constantly what you are looking for and ask yourself if you are currently in the way to achieving it. 2. Read the articles’ abstract or summary to eliminate irrelevant articles.
3. Informational not commercial – If you are reading a page with too many pictures, adds or reviews, you are in the wrong place. Look for more objective data on informational pages.
4. Look In the right places – I suggest you consider looking for free articles using one of two methods.
The first, Look for the free article in google or in your favorite search engine by writing in the “Search” field: “The articles’ subject” + “article”. This way you will get textual content and not spam commercial sites.
The second, Look for the articles’ subject in article directories like ezinearticles.
5. Read the comments – You are not first who have read the article. You could save time by reading the articles’ comments before reading all the articles. If all the readers wrote negative comments, do not bother reading the free article. In some article directories you could even see the average grade given by the readers. 6. Time is money – If you are looking for a quality article and nowFree Web Content, my best advice would be: pay for it. A couple of dollars sure worth the hours of looking for the needle in a haystack.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Find more about articles and web content on Web content providers.http://www.tigilet.com – Web content experts.Free articles, web content
Friday, May 4, 2007
Getting the Right Lawyer for Your Case
Whenever you’re in need of a legal specialist for your lawsuit or even just for advice, acquiring one is never hard especially now that we already have the very useful Internet. With it, you must not worry that you’ll be getting a lousy lawyer because of its lawyer locators. These locators search vast databases of lawyer information that will match your lawyer requirements and qualifications. There are also online referral services that can help you find the best attorney for your case.
This feature of the Internet can certainly help you save time and effort. You must not be discouraged by the myriad law firms and independent attorneys who are present everywhere because the web is a more efficient means to locate them. The web offers fast and accurate way of tracking the best attorney for your case. Another thing is the fact that it only searches through records of competent, carefully-screened lawyers with a winning professional background in his area of law and your geographic region, too.
Professional background or the experience of an attorney in handling cases that are similar to your case is very important. Through this, you can make sure that you’ll put up a good fight and that you can expect for justice to be served on you. The geographic region is also a major consideration when choosing a legal specialist for your lawsuit. As we all know, laws vary from state to state. And your lawyer must be proficient enough in the area where the incident, that has lead to your case, has taken place.
When you use the Internet to locate a lawyer, you have to know that your location is also being considered and weighs tremendously in the search results. But this is only second to the lawyer’s capacity to handle your case successfully based on his previous experiences on the same type of case. Among others, the lawyer’s background is the most important thing to consider in hiring one to ensure that you’ll get the best legal assistance possible.
Finally, a good lawyer is someone who can identify the causes and the level of fault of your case. He is also the one that prepares and organizes the necessary documents that will be used in court trials to establish the truth. An advantage on your part is the fact that you don’t have to pay your personal injury attorney unless you win your settlement. But in other areas of the law, a consultation fee is being asked by some lawyers. With thisFree Reprint Articles, you have to be very keen in choosing the perfect lawyer to fulfill your legal needs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This article by Mesriani Law was created for the sole purpose of propagating information that may be related to PI Los Angeles Attorneys, Lawyers and Law Firms and other industries to which it may be of interest.
This feature of the Internet can certainly help you save time and effort. You must not be discouraged by the myriad law firms and independent attorneys who are present everywhere because the web is a more efficient means to locate them. The web offers fast and accurate way of tracking the best attorney for your case. Another thing is the fact that it only searches through records of competent, carefully-screened lawyers with a winning professional background in his area of law and your geographic region, too.
Professional background or the experience of an attorney in handling cases that are similar to your case is very important. Through this, you can make sure that you’ll put up a good fight and that you can expect for justice to be served on you. The geographic region is also a major consideration when choosing a legal specialist for your lawsuit. As we all know, laws vary from state to state. And your lawyer must be proficient enough in the area where the incident, that has lead to your case, has taken place.
When you use the Internet to locate a lawyer, you have to know that your location is also being considered and weighs tremendously in the search results. But this is only second to the lawyer’s capacity to handle your case successfully based on his previous experiences on the same type of case. Among others, the lawyer’s background is the most important thing to consider in hiring one to ensure that you’ll get the best legal assistance possible.
Finally, a good lawyer is someone who can identify the causes and the level of fault of your case. He is also the one that prepares and organizes the necessary documents that will be used in court trials to establish the truth. An advantage on your part is the fact that you don’t have to pay your personal injury attorney unless you win your settlement. But in other areas of the law, a consultation fee is being asked by some lawyers. With thisFree Reprint Articles, you have to be very keen in choosing the perfect lawyer to fulfill your legal needs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This article by Mesriani Law was created for the sole purpose of propagating information that may be related to PI Los Angeles Attorneys, Lawyers and Law Firms and other industries to which it may be of interest.
How to Work With Your Lawyer
Candid advice from a lawyer covering topics such as: how to select a lawyer, what to expect from a lawyer, what the lawyer expects of the client, what to bring to the first meeting and what types of fees are available from lawyers.
1.Get organized. Prepare detailed written notes outlining your legal problem or questions. Provide the lawyer all the details, and let he or she decide what is important to your case.
2.Complete and honest disclosure of all facts. It is very important that you provide a complete and honest description of your problem, including information that may be favorable, unfavorable, or embarrassing. Leaving out a minor fact or detail could have a huge negative impact on your case. Only if you fully disclose the facts about your situation can an attorney properly advise you. Remember that there are strict rules that require an attorney to keep your information confidential.
3.Discuss fees. Your attorney will be ready to discuss fees at the first meeting, and you should be ready to do the same. You can and should negotiate fees and discuss payment plans with your attorney. Get your agreement in writing and keep a copy for your file. Most disputes about fees happen because there is no written record of an agreement.
4.Ask a lawyer questions. In order for your attorney to serve you better, you must understand all aspects of your case and the legal process. Understanding the process will help you understand how the lawyer is working and what type of information is needed on your case. But remember, you are paying for your attorney’s time. It is more cost effective to ask several questions at once instead of calling your attorney every time one question comes to mind. You may be charged for each call depending on your fee agreement.
5.Understand what you sign. Before you sign a document, ask your attorney to fully explain to your satisfaction any document. What can be clear and routine to an attorney can be confusing to people without formal legal training.
6.Keep your own records. Ask for copies of all letters and documents prepared on your case. You should also keep the written fee agreement between you and your attorney in the file. You may have to access this information at some point in the future so it is important to maintain records.
7.Legal advice. Give careful and thoughtful consideration to what your attorney advises. The attorney’s judgments are based on legal training and experience. Remember that lawyers cannot work magic. No attorney wins every case, and sometimes the best legal advice may not be what you want to hear. Your attorney will provide advice that has your best legal interests in mind. The central focus of any case is the facts. Each side will have facts that contribute to the outcome of the case. It is the lawyer’s responsibility to make you aware of the potential outcome of your case based on the facts.
HOW DO I PREPARE AND WHAT SHOULD I TAKE TO THE FIRST INTERVIEW?
Plan to go to the first interview with an open mind. You do not have to decide to employ the attorney with whom you are interviewing until you have had time to think about the interview and your experience in communicating with the lawyer.
When you go to your initial consultation, it is important to have with you a written summary, or detailed notes outlining your problem. The notes or summary should include:
1.Names, addresses and phone numbers of all persons or companies involved
2.All documents which are part of your case, including
a.Documents you have received from another attorney
b.Documents you have received from a court
c.Journals
d.Written Correspondence (includes emails)
e.Receipts
f.Contracts
g.Medical bills
h.Repair estimates
i.Checks, etc.
j.Pictures
k.Written notes detailing the history of your situation
The attorney may ask you to deliver written materials in advance of your first interview in order to have adequate time to review them. You may prefer to provide copies rather than originals at the initial interview. Remember that all lawyers are subject to attorney-client privilege and therefore, must maintain any information in strict confidence. Next, prepare a list of questions for the attorney, such as:
1.Are you specialized and/or experienced in my type of problem?
2.Will you or one of your associates be handling my case?
3.Will you regularly contact me about the status of my case?
4.Will I be provided with copies of all important documents, and will there be a charge for those documents?
5.Will I be able to make the final decision on my case?
6.What is your estimate of time needed to complete my case?
7.What is the hourly billable rate?
8.What amount of retainer is required to request your services?
REMEMBER: When you hire an attorney, the attorney will be working for you. He or she should be genuinely interested in your problem and in giving you the best possible advice. The attorney may not be able to accomplish everything you wish because of the facts or the laws that apply in your case. Many times the best advice an attorney can give will be to avoid court action. He or she may suggest other methods to resolve your matter, such as mediation.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT OF MY ATTORNEY?
Here are a few tips about what to expect from your attorney. Your attorney should:
1.Give you candid, honest advice;
2.Tell you the strong and weak points of your case; this includes potential outcomes based on facts and your instructions on how to proceed
3.Keep you informed and follow your instructions, within the bounds of the law;
4.Protect and defend you to the best of his or her ability and to the fullest extent of the law;
5.While representing you, not represent any other client whose interests conflict with yours;
6.Provide you, if you ask, with copies of all letters and documents involved in your case;
7.Provide an itemized bill of all work done for you and all expenses incurred on your behalf.
WHAT WILL MY ATTORNEY EXPECT OF ME?
The attorney will expect you to:
1.Be prompt for court dates and appointments;
2.Let him or her know how to keep in touch with you. If you have a change of address or phone number or place of employment, let your attorney know; and
3.Be completely honest -- even if it is embarrassing to tell the truth about your problem. Remember, what you tell an attorney in private will be kept confidential. Even confessions to past crimes or criminal activity are going to be treated as confidential by your attorney. Exceptions to this rule of strict confidentiality are plans for future crimes and continuing criminal activity or if the attorney believes that you have or will cause injury to a child. Attorneys are required by law to report suspected child abuse.
4.Not withhold any important information during the conversation that could be potentially damaging to your situation. A common tactic is for the other party to discredit you. Therefore, it is crucial that you fully disclose anything you can think of that could be used against you later on in the proceedings. Understand that even with the weight of the facts on your side, the situation could change if information comes out later that gives the advantage to the other party, because this information was not disclosed earlier to the lawyer.
HOW MUCH WILL THE ATTORNEY CHARGE ME FOR HIS OR HER SERVICES?
The attorney’s fee depends upon many variables, such as amount of time, the difficulty of the work, the skill required, the customary fee in your area for similar work, the experience, reputation and ability of the attorney, and whether the fee is a set amount or contingent on the outcome of the case. Some examples of fee arrangements include: Flat fee: The attorney may quote you a set amount or standard fee that he or she has arrived at for your type of legal problem. An example of a legal problem that could be covered in a flat-fee matter is an uncontested divorce without children or a simple will. In addition, lawyers usually expect you to pay court costs and to reimburse them for out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel, long distance, postage, courier, or copying expenses. It is important that you find out what any fixed fee covers. Hourly fee: An attorney may prefer to bill you by the hour and collect an initial retainer. Such fees may vary widely depending upon the complexity of the legal work, the skill of the attorney and whether there are time deadlines. If you agree to an hourly arrangement, you and the attorney could include a provision in your contract requiring the attorney not to exceed a specified amount of time or money without obtaining your permission. Insist that you be kept advised every month of the number of hours that the attorney is spending on your problem. You also have the right to ask for a written explanation of what the attorney did during the hours he or she worked on your case. Questions about fees that you may want to ask are:
1.Can you give me an estimate of how much this legal matter will cost?
2.Can we have a written fee agreement that sets forth not only my obligation to pay you, but also exactly what services you will provide?
HOW SHOULD I MAKE MY DECISION TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY?
Based on your first interview, you should consider the following factors before agreeing to hire an attorney:
1.Could you communicate effectively with the attorney?
2.Was the attorney clear and easy to understand?
3.Are fees reasonable in comparison with other lawyers’ charges?
4.Did the attorney give clear explanations of how he or she will let you know about progress in your case?
5.If you are not satisfied with this attorneyHealth Fitness Articles, do not hire him or her. Look elsewhere for legal help.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
1.Get organized. Prepare detailed written notes outlining your legal problem or questions. Provide the lawyer all the details, and let he or she decide what is important to your case.
2.Complete and honest disclosure of all facts. It is very important that you provide a complete and honest description of your problem, including information that may be favorable, unfavorable, or embarrassing. Leaving out a minor fact or detail could have a huge negative impact on your case. Only if you fully disclose the facts about your situation can an attorney properly advise you. Remember that there are strict rules that require an attorney to keep your information confidential.
3.Discuss fees. Your attorney will be ready to discuss fees at the first meeting, and you should be ready to do the same. You can and should negotiate fees and discuss payment plans with your attorney. Get your agreement in writing and keep a copy for your file. Most disputes about fees happen because there is no written record of an agreement.
4.Ask a lawyer questions. In order for your attorney to serve you better, you must understand all aspects of your case and the legal process. Understanding the process will help you understand how the lawyer is working and what type of information is needed on your case. But remember, you are paying for your attorney’s time. It is more cost effective to ask several questions at once instead of calling your attorney every time one question comes to mind. You may be charged for each call depending on your fee agreement.
5.Understand what you sign. Before you sign a document, ask your attorney to fully explain to your satisfaction any document. What can be clear and routine to an attorney can be confusing to people without formal legal training.
6.Keep your own records. Ask for copies of all letters and documents prepared on your case. You should also keep the written fee agreement between you and your attorney in the file. You may have to access this information at some point in the future so it is important to maintain records.
7.Legal advice. Give careful and thoughtful consideration to what your attorney advises. The attorney’s judgments are based on legal training and experience. Remember that lawyers cannot work magic. No attorney wins every case, and sometimes the best legal advice may not be what you want to hear. Your attorney will provide advice that has your best legal interests in mind. The central focus of any case is the facts. Each side will have facts that contribute to the outcome of the case. It is the lawyer’s responsibility to make you aware of the potential outcome of your case based on the facts.
HOW DO I PREPARE AND WHAT SHOULD I TAKE TO THE FIRST INTERVIEW?
Plan to go to the first interview with an open mind. You do not have to decide to employ the attorney with whom you are interviewing until you have had time to think about the interview and your experience in communicating with the lawyer.
When you go to your initial consultation, it is important to have with you a written summary, or detailed notes outlining your problem. The notes or summary should include:
1.Names, addresses and phone numbers of all persons or companies involved
2.All documents which are part of your case, including
a.Documents you have received from another attorney
b.Documents you have received from a court
c.Journals
d.Written Correspondence (includes emails)
e.Receipts
f.Contracts
g.Medical bills
h.Repair estimates
i.Checks, etc.
j.Pictures
k.Written notes detailing the history of your situation
The attorney may ask you to deliver written materials in advance of your first interview in order to have adequate time to review them. You may prefer to provide copies rather than originals at the initial interview. Remember that all lawyers are subject to attorney-client privilege and therefore, must maintain any information in strict confidence. Next, prepare a list of questions for the attorney, such as:
1.Are you specialized and/or experienced in my type of problem?
2.Will you or one of your associates be handling my case?
3.Will you regularly contact me about the status of my case?
4.Will I be provided with copies of all important documents, and will there be a charge for those documents?
5.Will I be able to make the final decision on my case?
6.What is your estimate of time needed to complete my case?
7.What is the hourly billable rate?
8.What amount of retainer is required to request your services?
REMEMBER: When you hire an attorney, the attorney will be working for you. He or she should be genuinely interested in your problem and in giving you the best possible advice. The attorney may not be able to accomplish everything you wish because of the facts or the laws that apply in your case. Many times the best advice an attorney can give will be to avoid court action. He or she may suggest other methods to resolve your matter, such as mediation.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT OF MY ATTORNEY?
Here are a few tips about what to expect from your attorney. Your attorney should:
1.Give you candid, honest advice;
2.Tell you the strong and weak points of your case; this includes potential outcomes based on facts and your instructions on how to proceed
3.Keep you informed and follow your instructions, within the bounds of the law;
4.Protect and defend you to the best of his or her ability and to the fullest extent of the law;
5.While representing you, not represent any other client whose interests conflict with yours;
6.Provide you, if you ask, with copies of all letters and documents involved in your case;
7.Provide an itemized bill of all work done for you and all expenses incurred on your behalf.
WHAT WILL MY ATTORNEY EXPECT OF ME?
The attorney will expect you to:
1.Be prompt for court dates and appointments;
2.Let him or her know how to keep in touch with you. If you have a change of address or phone number or place of employment, let your attorney know; and
3.Be completely honest -- even if it is embarrassing to tell the truth about your problem. Remember, what you tell an attorney in private will be kept confidential. Even confessions to past crimes or criminal activity are going to be treated as confidential by your attorney. Exceptions to this rule of strict confidentiality are plans for future crimes and continuing criminal activity or if the attorney believes that you have or will cause injury to a child. Attorneys are required by law to report suspected child abuse.
4.Not withhold any important information during the conversation that could be potentially damaging to your situation. A common tactic is for the other party to discredit you. Therefore, it is crucial that you fully disclose anything you can think of that could be used against you later on in the proceedings. Understand that even with the weight of the facts on your side, the situation could change if information comes out later that gives the advantage to the other party, because this information was not disclosed earlier to the lawyer.
HOW MUCH WILL THE ATTORNEY CHARGE ME FOR HIS OR HER SERVICES?
The attorney’s fee depends upon many variables, such as amount of time, the difficulty of the work, the skill required, the customary fee in your area for similar work, the experience, reputation and ability of the attorney, and whether the fee is a set amount or contingent on the outcome of the case. Some examples of fee arrangements include: Flat fee: The attorney may quote you a set amount or standard fee that he or she has arrived at for your type of legal problem. An example of a legal problem that could be covered in a flat-fee matter is an uncontested divorce without children or a simple will. In addition, lawyers usually expect you to pay court costs and to reimburse them for out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel, long distance, postage, courier, or copying expenses. It is important that you find out what any fixed fee covers. Hourly fee: An attorney may prefer to bill you by the hour and collect an initial retainer. Such fees may vary widely depending upon the complexity of the legal work, the skill of the attorney and whether there are time deadlines. If you agree to an hourly arrangement, you and the attorney could include a provision in your contract requiring the attorney not to exceed a specified amount of time or money without obtaining your permission. Insist that you be kept advised every month of the number of hours that the attorney is spending on your problem. You also have the right to ask for a written explanation of what the attorney did during the hours he or she worked on your case. Questions about fees that you may want to ask are:
1.Can you give me an estimate of how much this legal matter will cost?
2.Can we have a written fee agreement that sets forth not only my obligation to pay you, but also exactly what services you will provide?
HOW SHOULD I MAKE MY DECISION TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY?
Based on your first interview, you should consider the following factors before agreeing to hire an attorney:
1.Could you communicate effectively with the attorney?
2.Was the attorney clear and easy to understand?
3.Are fees reasonable in comparison with other lawyers’ charges?
4.Did the attorney give clear explanations of how he or she will let you know about progress in your case?
5.If you are not satisfied with this attorneyHealth Fitness Articles, do not hire him or her. Look elsewhere for legal help.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thursday, May 3, 2007
The Privacy Lawyer: Unscrupulous Marketing Practices Of Online Porn Purveyors
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Think Before You Pay-Per-Click
Jacob Rooksby, a summer associate in the firm's Winston-Salem office, wrote this article with supervision provided by Mr. Springer, a member of the firm's Intellectual Property Practice Group.
You may want to think twice before your company spends thousands on Internet advertising for ads on Google or other popular search engines. The search engine business model of charging for click-through advertisements is threatened by widespread fraud and by litigation aimed to address the fraud. Search engines may not be properly reflecting the value – hence the cost – of these click-through advertisements.
With Google’s “AdWords” keyword advertising program, companies can compete to have their Web link appear in the margin of Google search results when certain keywords—that the company chooses—are entered by Web searchers. Companies make bids for keywords that will trigger their advertisements. The highest bidder for a word or phrase generally finds its ad on top of the list off to the right of normal search results. Companies then pay fees to Google whenever a user clicks on an AdWords link that has appeared because of the user’s search term.
Advertising companies pay Google an amount based on the perceived value of a potential customer seeing their advertisement, and more money for the value of the potential customer clicking on the advertisement to visit the advertiser’s web pages. Although the price-per-click can run anywhere from $0.50 (the average) to upwards of $100, depending on how coveted the search term is, these clicks can quickly add up, especially when rival companies employ people or machines to click on these ad links, having no intention of buying or learning about a site’s products or services. This practice, known as “click fraud,” can be devastating to your company’s Internet marketing plan—and budget. Some analysts believe that as many as 20% of search engine advertising clicks are fraudulent. Even Google’s CFO, George Reyes, has called click fraud “the biggest threat to the Internet economy.”
There are, however, ways to combat this problem. Click Defense Inc., a privately held company founded in 2002 and based in Fort Collins, CO, states its mission as providing “cutting-edge technology to meet an identified need for professional Web analytics.” Click Defense specializes in providing a program that lets customers track, report, and enhance their online advertising campaigns by proactively monitoring instances of click fraud. To do this, the Click Defense program analyzes the source of clicks on its customers’ ads to find patterns that might indicate fraud. The company’s clients range from small, entrepreneurial, one-man operations, to multi-million dollar corporations whose Web sites receive millions of hits per month.
While search engines like Google do attempt to identify click fraud, in many cases they are unable to stop sophisticated spammers (and the search engines make more money due to undiscovered click fraud). The end result is that advertisers can lose lots of money each month due to this practice. So where does that leave those defrauded companies who have helped Google—which receives 99% of its total revenue through pay-per-click profits—earn $1.256 billion in revenue in the first quarter as a publicly-traded company?
Enter Click Defense once again, this time on the offensive. On June 24th, Click Defense filed a class-action suit against Google in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, hoping to gain more than $10 million in damages on behalf of all the companies that have used Google’s AdWords program in the last five years. The lawsuit alleges that Google has been negligent in monitoring fraudulent clicks, at a loss to its advertisers and a gain to its own bottom line, and also makes claims for breach of contract, unfair enrichment, and unfair business practices. Click Defense states in its complaint, “Google has failed to take any significant measures to track or prevent click fraud, and fails to adequately warn its existing and potential customers about the existence of click fraud.” In addition to money damages, the suit asks that Google be required to disclose “the true extent of click fraud” and to return any money to advertisers that resulted from the practice. Click Defense also claims that “It is likely that the very computer programs that Google uses to track clicks for purposes of charging their advertisers fees could also be used to screen for fraudulent clicks.” This federal class-action suit is similar to one filed in Arkansas state court in February against Yahoo, Time Warner (AOL), Ask Jeeves, Lycos, LookSmart, and FindWhat search engines, in addition to Google.
Although Google has provided a small number of rebates to companies who have complained of being victims of click fraud, Google is not conceding anything. In response to the most recent suit by Click Defense, Google spokesman Mike Mayzel said, “We believe this suit is without merit, and we will defend ourselves against it vigorously.” Before your company begins a marketing campaign with Google (or another search engine) using pay-per-click advertising, you might want to wait to see what light these lawsuits shed on the pervasiveness of click fraud.
http://www.wcsr.com/default.asp?id=118&objId=102
You may want to think twice before your company spends thousands on Internet advertising for ads on Google or other popular search engines. The search engine business model of charging for click-through advertisements is threatened by widespread fraud and by litigation aimed to address the fraud. Search engines may not be properly reflecting the value – hence the cost – of these click-through advertisements.
With Google’s “AdWords” keyword advertising program, companies can compete to have their Web link appear in the margin of Google search results when certain keywords—that the company chooses—are entered by Web searchers. Companies make bids for keywords that will trigger their advertisements. The highest bidder for a word or phrase generally finds its ad on top of the list off to the right of normal search results. Companies then pay fees to Google whenever a user clicks on an AdWords link that has appeared because of the user’s search term.
Advertising companies pay Google an amount based on the perceived value of a potential customer seeing their advertisement, and more money for the value of the potential customer clicking on the advertisement to visit the advertiser’s web pages. Although the price-per-click can run anywhere from $0.50 (the average) to upwards of $100, depending on how coveted the search term is, these clicks can quickly add up, especially when rival companies employ people or machines to click on these ad links, having no intention of buying or learning about a site’s products or services. This practice, known as “click fraud,” can be devastating to your company’s Internet marketing plan—and budget. Some analysts believe that as many as 20% of search engine advertising clicks are fraudulent. Even Google’s CFO, George Reyes, has called click fraud “the biggest threat to the Internet economy.”
There are, however, ways to combat this problem. Click Defense Inc., a privately held company founded in 2002 and based in Fort Collins, CO, states its mission as providing “cutting-edge technology to meet an identified need for professional Web analytics.” Click Defense specializes in providing a program that lets customers track, report, and enhance their online advertising campaigns by proactively monitoring instances of click fraud. To do this, the Click Defense program analyzes the source of clicks on its customers’ ads to find patterns that might indicate fraud. The company’s clients range from small, entrepreneurial, one-man operations, to multi-million dollar corporations whose Web sites receive millions of hits per month.
While search engines like Google do attempt to identify click fraud, in many cases they are unable to stop sophisticated spammers (and the search engines make more money due to undiscovered click fraud). The end result is that advertisers can lose lots of money each month due to this practice. So where does that leave those defrauded companies who have helped Google—which receives 99% of its total revenue through pay-per-click profits—earn $1.256 billion in revenue in the first quarter as a publicly-traded company?
Enter Click Defense once again, this time on the offensive. On June 24th, Click Defense filed a class-action suit against Google in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, hoping to gain more than $10 million in damages on behalf of all the companies that have used Google’s AdWords program in the last five years. The lawsuit alleges that Google has been negligent in monitoring fraudulent clicks, at a loss to its advertisers and a gain to its own bottom line, and also makes claims for breach of contract, unfair enrichment, and unfair business practices. Click Defense states in its complaint, “Google has failed to take any significant measures to track or prevent click fraud, and fails to adequately warn its existing and potential customers about the existence of click fraud.” In addition to money damages, the suit asks that Google be required to disclose “the true extent of click fraud” and to return any money to advertisers that resulted from the practice. Click Defense also claims that “It is likely that the very computer programs that Google uses to track clicks for purposes of charging their advertisers fees could also be used to screen for fraudulent clicks.” This federal class-action suit is similar to one filed in Arkansas state court in February against Yahoo, Time Warner (AOL), Ask Jeeves, Lycos, LookSmart, and FindWhat search engines, in addition to Google.
Although Google has provided a small number of rebates to companies who have complained of being victims of click fraud, Google is not conceding anything. In response to the most recent suit by Click Defense, Google spokesman Mike Mayzel said, “We believe this suit is without merit, and we will defend ourselves against it vigorously.” Before your company begins a marketing campaign with Google (or another search engine) using pay-per-click advertising, you might want to wait to see what light these lawsuits shed on the pervasiveness of click fraud.
http://www.wcsr.com/default.asp?id=118&objId=102
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