Financial problems are some of the most stressful a person can experience. Knowing when to hire a bankruptcy attorney in Kennebunk and to move forward with filing makes all the difference when it comes to getting financial stress under control.

How do you know the time is right to hire a bankruptcy attorney?

You Hear from Creditors on a Daily Basis
It is no secret that creditors and bill collectors tend to be aggressive when you owe them money. Most people can live with the occasional call or notice from debt collectors, but if those calls are coming in a daily basis, it is time to reach out to a bankruptcy attorney in Kennebunk. This is true, too, if creditors have attempted to contact you by phoning an employer or a family member. Chances are you provided this information when you applied for the loan or credit card and creditors are not afraid to use it to track you down for repayment.

You Have Received Notice You Are Being Sued
Let a debt go unpaid for too long and you will be subject to legal action. When debt collectors feel they have exhausted their other options, they will turn to the court system to get repayment from you. Ignoring this will only cause more problems, even if you are not legally obligated to pay the debt. If you are dealing with legal action taken by creditors and you are concerned about what to do next, it is time to contact a bankruptcy attorney in Kennebunk.

Your Wages are Garnished or Your Accounts Have Been Levied
Should a creditor or debt collector be successful in court after suing you regarding a debt, they could be given the opportunity to garnish your wages or take money directly from your accounts. IRS debt collectors are especially good at using these methods of collection. The problem is once you are not getting the total amount of your income or you siphoned your money from your account, it will be impossible to ever get caught up on debts. It is time to contact a bankruptcy attorney in Kennebunk.

You Are Facing Foreclosure
If you are at risk of losing your home, you need the help of a bankruptcy attorney in Kennebunk and you need it as quickly as possible. Filing for bankruptcy stops all debt collection efforts against you, which includes foreclosure efforts. Even if you ultimately lose your home, you will have time to regroup and take control of your situation.

A bankruptcy attorney will ensure that collection efforts against you stop and help you decide what to do next. In some cases, that will include negotiating a repayment plan and staying in your home. Unfortunately, many people wait too long to reach out to an attorney and their ability to remain in their home is no longer an option, only because they dragged their feet. Do not let this happen to you.

To learn more or to schedule a consultation to discuss whether you need to be working with a bankruptcy attorney, contact Lee Anne Graybeal at 207-985-4644.

Lee Anne Graybeal
https://www.graybeallaw.com/

Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional is negligent in their medical duties and care or fails to reach the standard of practice required by profession and, as a result, causes injury or loss to a person. These cases are challenging to win, and if they go to trial, the verdict usually goes to the defense.

Personal Recommendations
Many practices and law firms are trying to gain business with claims that they can win you thousands by succeeding in winning personal injury or malpractice claims. Some advertise, “No win, no fee” it is important to note these should not be confused with medical malpractice which is more specialized. It pays in medical malpractice cases to hire the right lawyer who will listen and understand your claim.

An excellent place to start in finding a medical malpractice attorney in Anchorage would be to ask around friends and family. If you have a friend who is a lawyer, they may be able to recommend someone to you. There is much networking in law and lawyers have many contacts from years of practice and training, it is likely someone will know a suitable attorney that could help you.

The Local Bar Association
If you are unable to find an excellent medical malpractice attorney via personal recommendation, then the next places to try will be either the state or local bar associations. These associations will have a referral service that helps to connect clients with qualified lawyers. Lawyers who have specialty practices such as in medical malpractice will be required to demonstrate specific experience within the area to be listed within the field. To be referred to a lawyer via this method, all you would need to do is to phone or email the relevant association and request to be put in contact with a qualified lawyer.

Online Research
If you are researching online to find your bar association, then you could research yourself for a lawyer. Many websites now provide features for clients to initiate chats or send requests for callbacks to give an overview of their case. This service could then lead to the client becoming connected with the most appropriately qualified lawyer for their situation.

A Good Fit
Once you have been put in touch with a medical malpractice attorney who could work on your case, it is vital to reassure yourself that they have the right experience and that you would both be able to work together.

Find out from your lawyer or the firm what proportion of medical malpractice cases they take on against other cases. It does not have to be 100% medical malpractice, but it should a more significant part of their workload.

You should enquire about the type of cases your lawyer has taken on in the past, how many years of experience in the field, how many have been won, settled, how big were the settlements, has he/she been to trial, and if so did they win?

It is wise to make sure you and your lawyer will be able to get along. It is best to be honest with yourself and your personality, whether you can allow your lawyer to handle everything or if you would prefer to be more involved with regular updates and input. Will your lawyer respect this is how you want to manage the relationship?

Michael Schneider
https://www.aktriallaw.com/

If you are involved in an auto accident in California, there are several important things that you should know.

You Need to Report the Accident
California law requires you to report any auto accident that causes:
• Death
• Injury
• Property damage greater than $750

Additionally, the accident report will be an important factor in making a claim. The accident report will help establish that the accident happened. Additionally, the law enforcement officer who prepares the accident report may provide important information, such as stating that the other driver was cited for a traffic violation for the accident.

The Accident Scene Will be Quickly Cleaned Up
Law enforcement will work to quickly clean up the scene of the accident so that it does not pose a danger to the public or obstruct traffic. Therefore, you need to be prepared to document the scene of the accident within a few minutes of it occurring. Take pictures of the accident scene from various angles, including pictures of the damage to all vehicles and any property, your injuries, skid marks and nearby traffic signs. Also, ask for contact information for any witnesses who observed the collision.

The Insurance Company Probably Will Not Offer a Fair Settlement
Accident victims should not expect the insurance company to quickly resolve their claim, pay their medical bills and settle the claim for its full value. Insurance companies are for-profit companies. Adjusters are trained to resolve claims for as little money as possible in the interest of increasing the insurance company’s profits. Insurance companies may not provide a fair settlement until you involve the assistance of an experienced personal injury lawyer.

You Can Recover Compensation Even if You Were Partially at Fault
California uses a system of pure comparative negligence, which allows accident victims to recover compensation for their injuries even if their own negligence contributed to the accident. The “pure” aspect of this system means that the accident victim can recover compensation from another negligent person even if he or she was 99% at fault for the accident. However, your damages will be reduced by your own degree of fault. A car accident lawyer can work to diminish your own degree of fault to maximize your award.

You Do Not Have a Lot of Time to File a Claim
In most situations, you only have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. This is the statute of limitations. If you fail to file a lawsuit within this time limit, you can be barred from recovering compensation from the at-fault party – even if liability is crystal clear. You do not want to wait too long, either. Doing so can make the insurance company think you are not serious about the claim. If you hire a lawyer, he or she will need time to investigate the claim, make a demand to the insurance package and prepare legal documents if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, so do not delay.

Because you do not have a lot of time to file a claim, it is important to contact a qualified car accident lawyer. You can learn more about your rights as an accident victim at www.heitingandirwin.com.

James Heiting
https://www.heitingandirwin.com

Motorcycle accidents often result in serious injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries. These injuries may be expensive to treat. When a victim has received pushback from the insurance company regarding his or her alleged damages, mediation can be an effective way to humanize the case.

Before mediation begins, the mediator will explain his or her role, as well as any relevant background on how he or she is familiar with motorcycle accidents. Then, the other parties will introduce themselves so everyone is familiar with everyone else who is present at mediation. Often, the defendant is represented by an attorney or insurance company and may not personally attend, but in some cases, the defendant may attend.

The mediator may ask that all participants sign confidentiality agreements. This ensures that the parties will not be able to discuss what was stated during mediation outside the mediation process. Having confidentiality during the process is vital since the parties do not have to worry about saying something that can later be used against them in court.

The plaintiff or his or her attorney will begin the process by giving an opening statement about why they are at mediation. The defense attorney may then give a statement. Depending on the mediator’s style and the relationship between the parties, the next step will either be a joint or individual session. In joint sessions, all parties participate together. In individual sessions, the mediator talks to one party at a time and then talks to the other party. During these sessions, the mediator shares important information and may communicate offers and counteroffers to the parties.

If the parties reach an agreement, the mediator draws this up and the parties sign, saying that they agree to settle the case on the terms described. If the case was pending in court, the lawyers will draw up the necessary paperwork and the case will be over.

Truck accident claims are often complex and may involve multiple parties and state and federal laws. Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that can help the parties reach a settlement. It offers many advantages over the court system.

Mediation is faster. Even if complex issues are involved, the parties may choose to ignore them for the sake of reaching an amicable resolution of the case. Mediation can be scheduled early on in the process before the parties go through the expensive and time-consuming discovery process. This can save both parties from months or years of litigation.

Additionally, mediation is more affordable. The parties can split the costs of the mediator and avoid hefty litigation expenses. Insurance companies will have less billable hours to pay lawyers and the plaintiff may have a lower contingency fee percentage to pay if the case resolves through mediation early in the process instead of litigation, according to his or her retainer agreement.

Mediation is private. The parties can talk freely about the case without worrying that their confidential medical information will be released to the public or that negative publicity will affect their business. This also makes the process more personal. The insurance company and trucking company can see the impact the accident had on the victim.

Perhaps most importantly, mediation allows the parties to retain control of the case. When a jury is assigned to a case, anything can happen. When the parties agree to mediate their case, they can prevent a jury from denying the claim altogether or awarding frivolous damages to the victim.

Divorce is a major decision – potentially the most important you will ever make. Unlike deciding to get married, you are breaking up a family and people other than you and your spouse are involved. There are also financial issues to consider. A divorce lawyer in Rochester MI can help you evaluate your situation and ensure that your financial interests are taken into account as you embark on your divorce.

Your divorce could be the largest financial transaction you will ever make and you need to understand what the future holds in terms of your finances during and after your divorce.

No matter your situation, there are certain things you need to consider before filing for divorce. Your relationship might be coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean you need to be careless when it comes to money. Here are the top 5 financial issues to keep in mind as you move forward with your divorce:

1. Divorce is Emotional – Your Financial Issues
Should Not Be

There is no denying you will be upset about your divorce, no matter how long-coming it might have been. But this does not mean that your emotions should bleed over into the issues in dispute. Acknowledge your emotions and then move forward with a sensible approach to finances. Working with a professional can help you avoid crucial mistakes.

2. Do not Assume Support is guaranteed – Get Some Kind of Insurance to Back up the Unexpected

In most divorces, one spouse pays alimony and/or child support and the other receives it. This money will likely be crucial not just for sustaining your standard of living after the divorce but also to surviving. You need insurance to cover whatever you are being paid if something should happen. An insurance policy protects you in the event of a death or other event that puts a strain on your support payments.

3. Get Professional Help When Dividing Your Assets

The division of assets is one of the most contentious issues in a divorce. Having a cost-benefit analysis is crucial to helping you avoid problems in the future. Property divisions often look equal but actually not be at all equitable. You need to consider issues like liquidity and how you will manage in the future. A divorce lawyer in Rochester MI can run projections for the assets in question and take a variety of factors into consideration so you have the clearest understanding of a settlement.

4. Don’t Overlook Tax Issues

Keep in mind the disparities in how the IRS treats real estate versus financial assets. Otherwise, you will find an “equal” split is anything but. Also, take into account things like property taxes. If you are paying an exorbitant amount on an asset you received and your former spouse is not, that’s far from equitable.

5. Your Lifestyle is guaranteed to Change

There are very few instances in which divorce does not alter a person’s lifestyle. It is just a fact of life. A divorce lawyer in Rochester MI can help you minimize the effect as much as possible.

Are you considering divorce? Contact Randall Shepard to discuss your options and address your financial concerns.

Randall Shepard
http://randallshepardlaw.com/

Ending a marriage is a difficult decision and despite many relationships ending in divorce, there are some that go through a difficult phase that ends. These couples put their relationship back together and reconcile after a legal separation. In these instances, a Houston family mediator can help.

Family reconciliation is an option for couples who have separated, possibly with the intention of ending their marriage, but who later decide to rejoin one another in the marriage. It is important to realize during reconciliation that there is more than the emotional reunification at stake.

Though it can be a joyous experience, re-establishing the relationship can be challenging, especially when legal issues are involved. Remember, despite legal separation not being a divorce, there are legal arrangements made to achieve the separation. Many of these issues will need to be addressed during the reconciliation. And in some cases, couples choose to reconcile even after divorcing. This means their marriage was legally ended, but they chose to rejoin and begin again.

What causes couples to reconcile? It varies. Sometimes their time apart helps them explore their true feelings. Others simply needed time alone to mature and have experiences apart from their spouses. Others face a family challenge that brings them back together. No matter the reason for the reconciliation, it is important to have assistance when rebuilding a relationship and re-establishing a marriage.

When should you turn to a family reconciliation mediator to help you with the rebuilding process?

You choose to reconcile during the divorce proceedings after legal proceedings are in action. Once a petition has been filed, you will need to go through a process to stop the divorce proceedings. If you have made a financial investment in the divorce process you will likely lose this money. And should the reconciliation not be successful, you will need to begin the divorce process again from scratch.

You are not sure if reconciliation is the best option. Both people must genuinely want reconciliation for it to work. If someone is agreeing to reconcile because of a fear of what divorce will bring or because he or she has ulterior motives, reconciliation can prove to be a disaster.

You need help communicating. Chances are you have had communication issues with your spouse or former spouse. These issues might even be what led you to consider separation or divorce. A Houston family mediator can help the two of you work through your initial issues and deal with the legal considerations of reconciling.

You need to negotiate an arrangement for your assets. Many people who separated and chose to reconcile consider themselves wiser for the experience. They are not quick to enter into a relationship that can have such severe financial ramifications. A Houston family mediator can help to create an arrangement that protects everyone involved.

Finally, a reconciliation mediator can assist with family issues that are not necessarily related to divorce or that might have arisen as an offshoot of a struggling marriage. Houston family mediators can assist with reconciliations with parents, children, in-laws, and other estranged relatives.

Sharon Bayus
http://innovativealternatives.org/