JCOHS Lawyers and Attorneys

The Israeli economy is characterized by modern industry, technological and scientific knowledge, intensive activity in foreign trade and a well-developed financial market. Since Israel’s natural resources are poor, priority is given to research and development investments to promote the technological and qualitative edge of Israeli products in international markets. In addition, Israel has a well-developed service sector, which fully supports industry via banking, accounting, legal and technological services.

Israel is acclaimed for its highly skilled labor force, inviting the attention of international technological giants such as IBM, Microsoft, and Intel, which have established and maintain R&D centers. Teva, the largest manufacturer of generic pharmaceutics, is an Israeli enterprise, as are world-leading hi-tech enterprises such as Checkpoint, Alvarion and Aladdin Knowledge Systems. Additionally, the Internet revolution has produced hundreds of Israeli startups, the most renowned being Mirabilis, the manufacturer of ICQ, the famous instant messenger.

Israel’s legal system, particularly comprising Intellectual Property laws, has an excellent reputation. Israel is also a member of most major international conventions of Intellectual Property, such as the Paris Convention and the PCT Convention, implementing into the law most standards outlined in these conventions. A partial list of the conventions and treaties of which Israel is a member is cited at the end of this article.

Filing: A patent application has to be filed at the Israeli Patent Office in Jerusalem. The filing process is quite simple in comparison, for example, to the American practice. The filing fee is "modest", currently averaging about $200.

The specification of an application for patent may be in English, one of Israel’s official languages, in advantageous contrast to other countries, in which the applicant must have the entire specification or at least the granted claims, translated into local language.

Priority: An Israeli application may claim priority from a former application for patent in a “convention state” (generally speaking, a state or territory to which the Paris Convention applies) if the following terms are sustained:

The former application for patent was filed no more than 12 months from the latter;

An application for priority has been filed within two months from the filing date (of the Israeli application for patent);

A certified copy of the former application (specification and drawings) was provided to the Israeli Patent Authority within 12 months from the filing date;

In the case wherein the prior application is not drafted in an Israeli formal language, the Israeli Patent Authority may ask the applicant to provide a translation of the specification into an Israeli formal language (English being among such).

The Israeli Patent Examination: The Israeli Patent Authority performs an examination to determine whether the application complies with the Israeli law and regulations. This examination is usually fair and considerably less formal than, for example, the examinations of USPTO. Emphasis of the examination is on the worldwide common criterions for patentability: novelty, inventiveness, industrial applicability, and usefulness.

Not all inventions are eligible for patent protection in Israel. For example, mathematical formulae and methods for medical treatment of human beings are ineligible for patenting in Israel. It should be noted that methods for doing business are also ineligible for patenting in Israel. Practically, the Israeli Patent Authority has adopted the European attitude to software-related inventions and methods for doing business.

Prosecution: The Israeli Patent Authority starts the examination process about four or five years after the filing date in Israel, depending on the field of the invention. Nevertheless, the examination can be expedited in the event a third party is utilizing the claimed invention. The fee for applying for expediting an examination is about $150.

A response to an Official Action should be filed within four months, although the applicant has the option to delay his response. In this case a fee of about $15 per additional month should be paid. Generally speaking, the Israeli Examiner is not inclined to abandon an application for patent if the applicant thereof has failed to response to an Official Action within the required period. There is no limit on the “rounds” (Official Action and the response thereof) of prosecuting an application, and no fee need be paid upon issuing or responding to an Official Action.

According to Israeli patent practice, an amendment to the specification or claims requires replacing the previous pages with new pages. The new pages have to be marked by notations identifying the version of the page. For example, “123456/2” at the top of a page denotes that the page is the second version of the corresponding page of Israeli Patent Application Number 123456. In addition, the applicant must provide the marked up pages thereof.

Information Disclosure Statement: An applicant of an Israeli Patent Application is required to inform the Israeli Patent Authority about any existing prior art of which he is aware. This demand is continuous, expiring only at the Publication Date. In this regard, Israel has adopted the USPTO attitude.

Reliance on conclusions of examination in other countries: One of the most important points of patent prosecution in Israel is Section 17(c) of the Israeli Patent Law. This section enables the Examiner to adopt results of a parallel application examination in the following states: Austria, Australia, United States, Germany, Denmark, The United Kingdom, The Russian Federation, Japan, The European Patent Office, Norway, Canada and Sweden. In other words, if at the time the Israeli examination takes place, a patent on a parallel application in one of the aforesaid states has been granted, the Israeli Examiner is liable to adopt this result, and grant a patent. This spares the applicant excess prosecution effort.

Notice of Allowance: When the Examiner concludes that the application in its current form complies with the Israeli Law and Regulations, a Notice of Allowance is issued. After paying a fee of $120, the entire application, including the specification, is officially published. For three months following the Publication Date, anyone may file an objection to grant of a patent. Should such an objection be filed, the arguments presented are examined, and if the Examiner rejects the objections, or if no objection has been filed, a patent is granted.

Confidentiality: With the exception of general details such as the applicant name, the invention title, and so on, the specification is not available to the public until the Publication Date.

Maintenance fees: An Israeli patent may be in effect 20 years from its filing date. Nevertheless, this period can be extended up to five years in patents for medicaments.

The maintenance fees are as follows:

Before the end of the 6th year from the filing date: $70;

Before the end of the 10th year from the filing date: $420;

Before the end of the 14th year from the filing date: $870; and

Before the end of the 18th year from the filing date: $1050.

Alternatively, a patentee may pay $2250 in advance, for the entire 20 year period of the patent’s lifespan.

A delay in paying maintenance fees may result in abandoning the patent.

Patent attorneys: According to Israeli Patent Law, patent attorneys (as well as licensed practicing advocates) possess exclusive rights for wage brokering regarding patent prosecution, design and trademark registration, preparation of all documents for intellectual property authorities in Israel and abroad, and representation of applicants before the intellectual property authorities.

Conventions: Israel is a member of most major international treaties on intellectual property rights, including:

Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS)

Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, Stockholm revision (1967).

Bern Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

Rome Convention (1961): International Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations

Patent Cooperation Treaty, (PCT) (Washington 1970)

Madrid Agreement for the Repression of False or Deceptive Indications of Source on Goods (1891); Lisbon revision (1958); Stockholm revision (1967).

Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (1957); Stockholm revision (1967).

Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration (1958); Stockholm revision (1967).

Strasbourg agreement Concerning the International Patent Classification (1971).

Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms (1971).

Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent Procedure (1977).

International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) (1979) (1991 Act).

Universal Copyright Convention (1952).

Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (1967).

Disclaimer: The information on this web site is general and cannot take the place of professional advice given with full knowledge of the specific circumstances of each case following consideration of the relevant facts and laws. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, some details have been omitted or partially specified.

 



By: Reuben Berman

About the Author:

What are these new attorney-client matching services? Who are the players? What do they cost? What is the risk to me? What is the return for me? What is the buzz on them? Are they ethical as marketing for law firms? Will they save me money and are they for me? Will they get me clients I would not have otherwise?

In part one of this article we will look in depth at a relatively new wrinkle in marketing for law firms known as “attorney-client matching services”. Part one focuses on the facts about these firms. Part two gives you my conclusions and recommendations as a result of my research. First a little background is in order. The legal services market segment is expected to reach $82.5 billion in 2008 according to Euromonitor International a market intelligence firm. In recent history consumers have been finding attorneys through word-of mouth or through the yellow pages. Often the word-of mouth advice does not deliver people to the best possible solution for their particular needs and the yellow pages is certainly not a great place to select a lawyer I am sure you would agree. Additionally, according to the Pew Internet & American Life over four million consumers and small businesses currently search for legal services via the Internet every month with these numbers expected to rise to over seven million by 2007. I think you can see this is a huge market getting larger. It is imperative that attorneys understand this marketplace if for no other reason your potential clients and clients are moving to the Internet and yellow page advertising is a dying marketing for law firms vehicle. Understanding attorney-client matching services is one new way to tap into this Internet marketplace.

What I will not be talking about here is attorney-listing services. Please don’t get confused between attorney-listing services and attorney-client matching services. The two majors in the attorney-listing services arena are Lawyers dot com or FindLaw dot com that are used by many in marketing for law firms. With attorney marketing one might want to get a minimal listing on one or both of these two major sites. Both do drive a large amount of traffic to their sites for sure (in the millions of visitors per year). If you do get a listing then track your results carefully and see if being in the middle of a pack of listed attorneys actually does produce clients for you. Please don’t spend more on them than the basic listing that will run about $150 or so per month, at least until you can document results with the basic listing. Also, don’t buy your website through either of them, even if after testing you find good results, for many reasons that can be found under the Internet marketing tab on my website. One last note here, you probably don’t want to test most of the lesser attorney-listing competitors like LawInfo dot com, LawCore dot com or AttorneyFind dot com is my take, however if you do be sure to track your results. The rest of this article is about attorney-client matching services.

Attorney Marketing Via Five Attorney-Client Matching Players

In the attorney-client matching field there are five competitors for the attorney marketing dollar offering online attorney-client matching services. The first and originator is LegalMatch dot com and its newer competitor being CasePost dot com as well as a third competitor LegalFish dot com. The two big players that offer almost everything in attorney marketing, Lawyers dot com and FindLaw dot com; have also recently begun to offer a version of attorney-client matching services. Lets begin with LegalMatch that was established in 1999 and is based in San Francisco. LegalMatch uses a double blind matching system. By double blind they mean the consumer does not see identifying information about who the lawyers are and the lawyer does not see identifying information about who the consumers are although all the cards are put on the table for both to see before any contact is made between them. Through an allocation model LegalMatch makes the decision about which lawyers get the consumer’s information. Consumers can opt into “priority service” for a fee to talk with a LegalMatch staff attorney about their case and work with that attorney in selecting the attorney for their case. LegalMatch does have partnerships with the Utah State Bar Association, ATLA and NACDL. Membership fees for this marketing for law firms vehicle run from $2,500 to $25,000 per year (they will finance the membership fee if desired) depending on practice area and geographic location of the attorney. For example, a PI attorney in Los Angeles would likely be charged more than a family law attorney in Los Angeles, while the family lawyer in Peoria is likely to pay less than the family law attorney in Los Angeles. Their guarantee consists of extending your membership at no fee until your revenues have exceeded the fee you paid them. The details of the guarantee are available on their website.

Are There Legal Marketing Ethics Issues with Attorney-Client Matching?

A relevant digression here, since this model is not a lawyer referral program, a pre-paid legal service plan, a joint or cooperative advertising or a directory listing service it is not subject to ethics rules around much of marketing for law firms it has been asserted. Recently the Professional Ethics Committee of the Texas State Bar was looking into these practices and that committee received a seven-page letter (May 26, 2006) from the FTC that was agreed to by a unanimous vote of the FTC commission members that this attorney marketing practice is indeed ethical.

Already the states of North Carolina and South Carolina found the practice ethical. The Rhode Island Supreme Court specifically named in an ethics opinion that online matching services are ethical. Finally, the Utah State Bar (a mandatory bar) has retained LegalMatch as their lawyer referral service clearly indicating their thinking about LegalMatch’s ethical nature it seems to me. Naturally you do need to check with your state bar to be sure this is an ethical practice in your state. Now back to the options in the marketplace.

CasePost, based in Southern California, was established in 2002 is a second player in this area of marketing for law firms. They operate in a similar fashion as LegalMatch in matching clients with lawyers; however, the directory of attorneys is shown to the consumer immediately. The consumer can decide whether they want to remain anonymous or give their contact information to the attorneys. The consumer is limited to four attorney responses. Thus the consumer determines what attorneys will get their information. In May of 2006 CasePost has made a major expansion as a result of their partnership with HandelOnTheLaw dot com that is powered by a successful nationally syndicated radio show on over 120 stations with attorney Bill Handel. This show has been running since 1985. They also have a strategic relationship with LegalZoom dot com that began in 2006 that has increased their reach. Like LegalMatch the membership fees for this attorney marketing vehicle are from $2,500 to $25,000 per year (financing is available if desired) depending on practice area and location. Their guarantee to a member is based on a minimum amount of referrals over the year.

LegalFish is a third player in this arena. It entered the marketplace in 2003 and is based in Chicago. It is a bit different than the other two in a few ways. Like the other players the consumer can input their information and post their cases to the site as well give their identifying information or not. In a number of cases LegalFish will contact the posting consumer themselves by telephone or email to delve deeper into the needs of the consumer so they are not totally automated. There is an allocation model used by LegalFish in referring the cases to their members. Another difference is LegalFish charges a monthly fee for this marketing for law firms vehicle ranging from $180 to $750 to members that are non-contingency based practices. For contingency based practices the fee ranges from $1600 to $5000+ monthly only if the client retains the attorney. If LegalFish does not deliver a referral to a member that retains that attorney they don’t charge a fee to that attorney for the month (a form of a guarantee). Creating something of a “shared risk” system. Naturally, with this type of shared risk system, long-term success for both parties is based on LegalFish’s ability to generate new client opportunities and create demand for legal services, and their member attorneys’ ability to convert those referrals to paying clients. Both parties have to “pull their weight”. Finally, LegalFish reports they are particularly committed to serving the solo and small firm market with ten employees or less.

The next player in this marketing for law firms arena is Lawyers dot com (mentioned earlier in this article about their directory listing or attorney-listing service) with their new Attorney Match Service. If you go to their homepage what stands out on that homepage is their “Find A Lawyer Quick Search”. This is their free to the consumer attorney-listing service (this is why you might want to test a listing with them and track results). To get to the Attorney Match Service you have to know to click on “Contact Lawyers” navigation tab or notice it up there at the very top of the home page. Clicking on that takes you to a page where you input your zip code and the practice area you are seeking, however, it also tells you how many lawyers there are listed that “are interested in receiving your request”. You are required to fill in the identifying information with other case information. Once you do that you see the attorneys listed and pick the ones you want to send your request to and wait for their replies. The fee for the attorney member is $495 per year, however, you must have a biographical level listing on the site to be on the Attorney Match Service and that is $150 and up per month depending on the size of your firm. There is no guarantee for this service.

The final player in this marketing for law firms arena is Thompson’s Findlaw (mentioned earlier as an attorney-listing service) with their new attorney-matching website http://www.LegalConnection.com. The FindLaw system is similar to the Lawyers dot com system with three steps of #1 Select your legal need; #2 Tell us about your case; and #3 Choose the attorney that’s right for you. It is different from Lawyers dot com’s system since they have broken it out of their attorney-listing services completely with its own dedicated website. Their fees generally run from $500 to $1000 per month depending on your practice area and geographic location. They do not have a guarantee. They do report that they do set targets for each geographic area as well as practice combination and then will manage their marketing to get positive results for attorneys.

Well, now we have all the players in this particular niche of marketing for law firms with a lot of information. I think it would be imperative for me to mention one more item. Both Legal Match and CasePost have negative information on the Internet and it needs to be considered. If you go to Google and search just the term LegalMatch and then do the same with CasePost you will be able to find details about the negative information. One location that covers the negative information on LegalMatch with relevant links is at Wikipedia dot org (go to the site and look up LegalMatch) although that is disputed as not being sufficiently neutral in tone, which is one of Wikipedia’s requirements. If you want to see a string of negative information on CasePost go to: http://counsel.net/chatboards/marketing/topic111/6.23.04.11.34.29.html . I am not sure one needs to be overly concerned about this information since it is mostly in the past and you need to consider it.

See Part II of this article for my conclusions and recommendations as a result of my research. I can tell you now that this approach does have some merit but there are definite cautions as well so do read Part II.



By: Henry Harlow

About the Author:

Each year, as the holiday season rolls around, communities start cracking down on drunk driving. Checkpoints and vigilant law enforcement officers may put you at odds with the law. Even if you only had just a little to drink, you may find your self in an uncomfortable situation. Because of the damage to your reputation, if you find yourself in this situation, you should be asking yourself; why do I need a DUI attorney? Here are some points about drunken driving laws you should keep in mind.

Per Se Drunk Driving Laws

Every state in the Union has per se limits on when you are considered legally drunk, even if there is no perceivable impairment. Your blood alcohol level cannot exceed .08 in breathalyzer or blood alcohol testing. So, even if you are functioning, you may be above the limit.

In many cases, the chemical tests used to determine BAC are performed incorrectly and are inaccurate. If you are arrested after submitting to a chemical BAC test and are over the per se limit, you should retain an experienced DUI attorney to help you defend your case.

Implied Consent Laws

Most states, including Mississippi also have implied consent laws, which you agree to when you obtain a driver’s license in that state. Implied consent means that if you are pulled over and are subject to a chemical BAC test, you have already agreed to submit to the test. Refusing the test at that time usually results in the suspension of your license for at least 90 days.

Getting your license back after this type of suspension is frequently difficult if not impossible. An experienced DUI attorney should be able to help get your license back as quickly as possible.

Traffic Stops without Cause

Law enforcement officers cannot pull you over without justification. There must be a reason to stop you and subject you to a blood alcohol test. Some of the common reasons you may be pulled over include:

Making a turn too wide Straddling the center line Weaving Driving too slowly Speeding Driving with your headlights off

There are many other driving behaviors that might give an officer reasonable suspicion of intoxication, most of them rely on the common sense and experience of the officer. In addition to pulling you over for suspicion of drunk driving, you may also be subject to a BAC test secondary to some other sort of traffic stop.

Failure to yield Not using a turn signal Expired plates

Once the officer suspects you may have been drinking, they can request a test. Regardless of the reasons you were stopped, you should hire a lawyer right away to ensure that your rights were not violated during the stop. A DUI arrest has serious consequences and legal representation is imperative.

Being arrested for DUI in Mississippi affects your ability to get around and may affect your job. When charged with DUI, a knowledgeable DUI attorney should be retained as soon as possible.

Please visit the website of Jackson, Mississippi DUI attorney Mel Coxwell who specializes in this and other areas of law.



By: Erich Shrefler

About the Author:

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney can turn out to be your best friend in the case that you become a victim of a careless doctor.

There are many people who file a malpractice suit every year for something they feel a doctor did that could have been avoided. As children we are all told that we have to go to the doctor to get treated when we are sick, but what happens when your doctor visit becomes a living nightmare?

That is when you call a malpractice attorney. Many doctors do not like to treat patients that have a past medical history for a particular problem because of the fear of a lawsuit. But the point of the matter is that if they were to treat people with pre-existing conditions they could prevent a great deal of lawsuits from being filed against them.

Malpractice can occur in many different ways, such as experimental surgery or a surgery that is not performed to the best of the hospital’s ability (ie: using cheaper, less effective methods to save the hospital money, and in turn, sacrificing a patient’s health). Basically, any situation in which a patient suffers due to the carelessness of a doctor is considered a form of medical malpractice. A Chicago malpractice lawyer can help you seek justice in any such cases.

Chicago medical malpractice attorneys want people to know that they have rights and they should not have to fall subject to any sort of harsh treatment justice shall be done for all. A lawyer will evaluate your case carefully and help assist you in the right legal action that needs to be taken to assure that your human rights are upheld.

If you have any doubts about treatment you have received recently from a doctor, it would be best for you to call or meet with a malpractice attorney as soon as possible to discuss the case. No one should have to suffer in silence, and the chances are that you are not the only patient who has suffered at the hands of your doctor.



By: Chicago Malpractice Attorney

About the Author:

In recent years the American court systems have been reminded of why Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys are sometimes called ambulance chasers. There has been a huge surge in the number Medical Malpractice cases filed (nearly 19,000 in 2002 according to the Annual Report, National Practitioner Data Bank, US DHHS) though the number of cases won by alleged injured plaintiffs has remained low, between 25 and 30 percent.

Approximately 25% of all U.S. doctors are sued annually, giving doctors a one in four chance of being sued for every year in practice, and it is estimated that between 50 and 65% of all doctors in the United States are sued at least once in their career.

Of all the malpractice payment reports made worldwide in 2002, over 80% of those payments were made by United States doctors with the whole rest of the world accounting for just 20% of all payments made for malpractice.

The implications of these numbers can be interpreted differently. On the one hand, American patients seem to be much more willing to fight to protect their rights, largely encouraged by the above mentioned Ambulance Chasers, or Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys. On the other hand, the majority of those cases don’t seem to be particularly substantial as so few are won.

Actual medical malpractice is a serious offense and occurs when a doctor or a member of medical staff fails to use appropriate care, and results in injury to the patient. In must be proven without a reasonable doubt that the injuries were caused by the medical error, or are injuries that would not otherwise have occurred.

Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys require extensive resources to prosecute medical malpractice cases successfully. In a medical malpractice case, the plaintiff (injured party) must prove by irrefutable evidence and through qualified expert testimony that injuries were caused by negligence or incorrect treatment by a medical professional.

Given the nature of most medical errors, there may be multiple experts involved in a case and it will involve many hours of extensive research, discovery, and court appearances. Because of the recent surge in unfounded medical malpractice cases Tennessee medical malpractice attorneys are particularly careful as they review cases referred to them and are highly selective about the cases they accept and choose to prosecute.

If you honestly believe you, or a member of your family, has been the victim of a medical error that has caused a serious injury, contact a Tennessee medical malpractice attorney for a consultation and consider carefully before choosing to prosecute.



By: Art Gib

About the Author:

Looking for a new career and comfortable working with figures? Then you might consider becoming a tax attorney. It is well worth investigating what the training might involve – people faced with an impending battle with the IRS or confusion over the tax laws, highlight the fact that tax attorneys are in demand.

The rules and regulations that surround things like filing your tax returns and making appropriate documentation often need further clarification. Some people just don’t fully understand what they are doing and as a result could end up with stiff penalties for their ignorance. A tax attorney can help with these problems and make life easier for many people.

In order to be successful as a tax attorney then you need to learn the tax code and laws, inside out. Then, if a person needs assistance with Internal Revenue Service issues you will be able to help. A good tax attorney can help organize and analyze the information that is needed to appease the IRS – if you can do this then your services will be in demand. The complex forms that need filling in can be overwhelming for people without that specialist knowledge.

There are a number of things that could prove a problem with the IRS. If you can’t account for any mistakes you have made then you could be liable for heavy penalties. This could result in your hard earned dollars going to fines and additional penalties. If the IRS takes action against you over your past tax filings, you may need to employ a tax attorney if you want to avoid any prosecution for fraud.

Tax attorneys are called upon to help in a number of different areas. Someone may request help with their Payroll Taxes – or they may be called to speak on behalf of someone facing penalties from the IRS. Tax specialists represent those who have filed late returns for one or more years and can argue for a lenient payment plan for their clients. Tax attorneys choose whether they want to be paid by the hour or whether they will charge on the basis of a given assignment.

What An Attorney Should Be Acquainted With

A tax attorney should be familiar with state and federal codes and how these operate. It is also advisable to develop a working knowledge of various incomes, properties and other personal wealth as these are all liable to taxes. A tax lawyer should be an expert in the ways of state and federal laws. This means all the possible taxes that exist. This may include sales, gift, as well as inheritance taxes. It is also advisable for a tax attorney to be familiar with the laws regarding the estates of the recently deceased.

A regular tax-related attorney should be able to deal with all of this information. A tax fraud attorney on the other hand is employed by those who have made a few mistakes in their tax filings. Some attorneys develop a specialist area and their services therefore are specific to the needs of particular individuals and businesses. The attorney may also specialize in one of two main tax issues: the IRS or another taxing authority. Either way, a tax lawyer is often in demand for protecting parts of people’s incomes and solving complex business issues.

Prerequisites Needed

To become a tax attorney you need training which results in the qualification of Juris Doctor or equivalent degree. Once you have the right educational credentials, then you need to be licensed by a State Board of Law Examiners if you want to practice as an attorney or counselor. If you really are interested in becoming a tax specialist then you may consider applying to a good law school. They will have various entry qualifications that you may need to fulfill first. Do some research on the different institutions and their requirements first.

Summary:

If you want to become a tax attorney you need to find out what they do first. A tax attorney helps people to deal with their taxes in the proper manner. An individual or a business may need the help of a tax attorney for a variety of reasons – including mistakes in their returns or late tax returns. You need quite a high educational level to become a tax lawyer.



By: Brooke Hayles

About the Author:

Two individuals come together in the sacred bond of holy matrimony for better or for worse. However, once the circumstances change after marriage, certain irrevocable differences may crop up, that make it impossible for the married couple to stay together in harmony. As a result, a divorce is the inevitable option. As the world moves onto the fast lane, more and more individuals are opting for a divorce, perhaps because they are running low on patience that is required to make a marriage work. Compromising on certain issues becomes problem when both the husband and the wife are strictly individualistic. Whatever be the reason for which a couple has decided to go their separate ways, once the decision has been made, it is advisable to go in for the advice of the most competent divorce lawyer NYC when the individuals are ready to take this final step.

A divorce lawyer in NYC can be your friend, philosopher and legal guide, when you are going through the emotional and mentally devastating period of a divorce. The divorce lawyer NYC will be experienced in dealing with many divorce cases such as yours and would be well aware of the legal technicalities involved in your case. He can draw reference from past successful cases and implement a strategy that will work in your favor. A divorce entails that a couple settles out many issues before they finally part their ways. A divorce lawyer will be the best person to guide you legally when you are making these crucial decisions which are sure to have a major impact on your future.

One of the crucial issues that would require you to take the guidance of a competent divorce lawyer NYC is the settlement of financial assets with your spouse. In case the couple had not opted for a pre-nuptial agreement, which is the norm these days, it may be a tough issue determining the legal rights of each spouse over the financial assets of the couple. A divorce lawyer will be able to guide you aptly and help you secure your future and that of your children if any. Alimony is a common ground for dispute among the couple undergoing a divorce and in this case you would definitely want the best lawyer on your side to settle out this kind of matter.

A divorce is a trying and painful time for not just the couple but their family and friends as well. If you have children involved, it could be further complicated. A Divorce Lawyer NYC can guide you and fight the case successfully on your behalf even when there is a question of determining the child custody. So, when you are already undergoing the emotional and mental trauma of a divorce, it is best to leave the decision making in the hands of a competent lawyer. Once the lawyer has helped you secure your future and take decisions that are in your best interest, you can look forward to starting life afresh even after the divorce.



By: damey

About the Author:

Are you extremely worried about your tax debt? Do you think the IRS may decide to come after your assets soon enough? This is not a situation to take lightly. You have to be on your game if you are going to get out of tax debt without any bumps in the road. One thing you definitely want to consider is hiring a tax lawyer. When you do this you are getting many benefits including these three:

1. You do not have to communicate with the IRS direct if you hire a tax lawyer. Instead, your lawyer will do all the talking and all you have to do is stay up to date behind the scenes. This does not mean that you are totally off the hook, because you still have to do some work. But at the very least you will not have to communicate directly with the IRS.

2. Everybody in tax debt will have questions, no matter what they may be. If you are tired of getting the run around you can find all the right answers by hiring a tax lawyer. You will be amazed at how much better you feel about your situation when you have a lawyer on your side that can answer questions and show you the way.

3. A tax lawyer is not always as expensive as many believe. Before you hire any tax professional, attorney or not, you need to know how much you are being charged and when you will owe the money. Make sure you are comfortable with what your tax lawyer is going to charge before you sign up for them to work on your case. You have enough money problems. You don’t need a tax lawyer trying to take more money from you.

Now do you see why getting tax debt help through a lawyer is a good idea? You can benefit in the three ways listed above, as well as many others. If you are in need of help to eliminate tax debt the first thing you should do is consider your options, which includes hiring a lawyer.



By: Manuel Davis Jr.

About the Author:

When a defendant or his attorney files a motion to suppress evidence he is asking the judge to rule that evidence is inadmissible because it has been obtained illegally. If evidence is inadmissible then it cannot come in at a Defendant’s trial. If incriminating evidence is kept out of a defendant’s trial, then the prosecution’s case may be seriously weakened or destroyed.

There are a number of reasons why evidence may be illegally obtained and therefore inadmissible. A good DUI lawyer in San Diego will review your case to determine whether the possible reasons for evidence to be inadmissible are present in your case. For example, if a police officer arrests a defendant but does not read the defendant his Miranda rights then any statements made by the defendant after his arrest and before the reading of his Miranda rights may be inadmissible.

In DUI criminal cases in San Diego the most damaging pieces of evidence are usually the results of breath or blood tests as well as a defendant’s performance on field sobriety tests. So, excluding a defendant’s post-arrest statements isn’t usually going to seriously weaken the prosecution’s case.

Another reason why excluding post-arrest statements may not put a big dent in the prosecutions case is that appellate courts have ruled that the initial contact between a police officer and a driver subjected to a DUI stop is not an arrest. Defendants generally make their most damaging statements early on in their contact with the police; for example, telling an officer how much they had to drink.

Because defendant’s generally make the most damaging statements early on, during the ‘investigation’ rather than the ‘arrest’ phase of the DUI stop, and because the most damaging evidence is usually the blood or breath tests, not the defendants’ statements, excluding evidence based on a failure to advise a defendant of his Miranda rights is rarely the key to winning a DUI case in San Diego.

But there is still good reason to file a motion to suppress in the right case; a motion to suppress in a DUI case can be a useful tool when a defendant argues that he was stopped or arrested illegally, as opposed to arguing that he made post-arrest statements without a Miranda warning. For example, if a police officer observes that an eventual defendant’s car wheels touch a lane line and observes no other irregularities in the defendant’s driving, then the police officer might not have a legal basis to stop the defendant. If the officer nonetheless stops the defendant, and the officer’s investigation leads the officer to suspect that the defendant is driving under the influence, then the defendant may argue to the judge that the initial stop was illegal.

If the defendant or his attorney can persuade the judge that the initial stop was illegal, then the judge might rule that all evidence obtained after the illegal stop – i.e., the result of a Blood Test, Breath Test or a Field Sobriety Test – is inadmissible in trial.

A motion to suppress can also be valuable because it offers an opportunity to a DUI lawyer to cross-examine a police officer in court in order to find out what the officer’s testimony will be at trial.

Another motion that may be filed is called a Pitchess motion. If a defendant wins a Pitchess motion then the judge will order the Police Department to give the defendant or his lawyer the contact information for other citizens who have filed complaints against the defendant’s arresting officers for dishonesty or use of excessive force. As discussed above, the case may arise where an officer writes in his police report that a defendant swerved across a lane line, and the defendant knows that his wheels just touched the lane line. In that kind of case it might be useful for a defendant to file a Pitchess motion in order to locate witnesses who might call the police officer’s credibility into question by testifying that the police officer has been dishonest in other cases.

To cause the court to hear a motion to suppress, a DUI attorney prepares a legal document that includes argument to persuade the judge to decide the motion in the defendant’s favor, and makes four copies of the document. The attorney goes to the San Diego courthouse to provide the documents to a court clerk, and asks the clerk to set a date when the motion may be heard in court, in front of a judge. The clerk keeps two copies for the court, and returns two copies to the attorney with the court’s official stamp. The attorney then takes the two stamped copies to the office of the prosecutor (the San Diego City Attorney or the San Diego District Attorney). The prosecutor’s office keeps one copy, and provides the attorney with a stamped copy. The attorney then has a copy of the motion with confirmation from the court that the motion has been filed and a date has been set, as well as confirmation from the prosecutor’s office that he has provided the prosecutor with a copy of the motion.



By: tim

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During this economic climate no one has the time, money, or effort to spend on a personal injury case. The exception to this statement is of course a personal injury lawyer in New York. They have the experience, knowledge, skills, needed to successfully and cost effectively stand up for you in a court of law and obtain the settlement needed to get you life back on track. A personal injury incident can be a very trying time in ones life and should be addressed fully and completely. If you have experienced an incident leaving you with significant injuries caused by another’s negligence it is in your best interest to file a personal injury lawsuit. When first speaking with a personal injury lawyer in New York, you should give them the best-detailed recount of what happened. After that the Personal injury lawyer will determine the proper steps needed to take you case to the next level. Whether it includes obtaining expert witnesses, getting together testimonials, or going through deposition, your personal injury lawyer will be able to take of you and get the funds you need to maintain you life. Going through a personal injury can be a very trying time in one’s life especially when you have to worry about the financial side of things. Being out of work and injured in today’s economy would have anyone worried, but feel rest assured that a personal injury lawyer New York will help you to get what is needed and deserved.

Some helpful tips provided by a personal injury lawyer in New York can help you to get the most out of your lawsuit with the least amount of hassle and effort. In order to obtain a good settlement there are things, you the plaintiff, can do to get the most out of your lawsuit. First of all, be honest. If you misrepresent any facts they can come back later in the suit to haunt you. If you are caught with statements at different times that state refuting evidence your credibility will be questioned and your reputation in the case will be tainted. One of the most important things to do when going through a personal injury case is to not get too emotional. I know that this may be a very ..hard thing to do, however it is imperative to your case. In doing this your personal injury lawyer in New York will be able to make decisions regarding to your case to put you in the best position possible, not just trying to get around your emotions. If you or a loved one has experienced a personal injury, contact a personal injury lawyer in New York as soon as possible. A personal injury New York lawyer will be able to assess your case and take the proper steps needed to get you a settlement that you deserve, not what is offered. Don’t waste anymore time trying to figure out how to maintain your finances while being injured that was caused by another’s negligence.



By: Paul Justice

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