5 Things to Avoid if You Get Pulled Over for DUI Suspicion

Driving Under The Influence (DUI) is a severe problem, endangering public safety. For this reason, this issue is treated very seriously by the police. If they suspect you of driving under the influence, they can pull you over and request a breath analysis test. Let us look at some of the most important things to avoid during a DUI.

1. Do Not Drive Erratically
Once you notice that the officer has turned on his lights, you should be trying to find a place to pull over. When doing this, you must drive safely. Your conduct will end up in the police report. If the officer notes that you park in an unsafe location, it could be used as evidence that you were driving recklessly.

2. Do Not Act in a Threatening Way
While the situation might be inconvenient, you should not take your frustration out on the police officers. They will note this behavior in their report, and it could have an impact on the way the court reacts to your case. You should also be careful to avoid threatening officers with physical violence. They have been trained to protect themselves, and this kind of behavior can cause you to be injured. Also, if you are physically abusive, you may face more severe charges.

3. Do Not Take Roadside Tests
Once you have been pulled over, the officers will want to test you to see whether you have any alcohol in your system. However, these tests are often highly unreliable. You are within your legal rights to refuse them. Instead, request to be tested at the station, which may result in your license being temporarily suspended, but you will get more accurate tests. On the journey, you can contact a criminal justice attorney near me to obtain legal advice about how you should proceed. Once at the station, you should comply with the tests. If you do not, you may be charged with resisting arrest.

4. Don’t Give Incriminating Information
When questioning, you should remember that you are under no obligation to answer any questions that you feel may lead to self-incrimination. During these moments, it is best to assert your fifth amendment rights respectfully.

5. Do not Get Questioned Without a Lawyer
In some cases, you may be questioned by the police. During this time, you have the right to have a lawyer present. You should be sure to take advantage of this, contacting a criminal justice attorney near me. They can inform you of your rights and make sure that you get treated fairly. They will also provide legal representation before a court, helping you get a great outcome.

Getting suspected of a DUI can be a stressful situation as you get pulled over by the police. We discussed some of the most important things you should avoid during this situation to help you get a positive outcome. If you need help with a DUI, be sure to get in contact with an experienced lawyer, like Shane Mattingly, Attorney At Law.

Shane Mattingly
https://www.shanemattinglyattorneyatlaw.com/

What Are the Risks of Working with a Debt Settlement Company?

After acquiring debt, you may feel overwhelmed at the prospect of paying it all off. You may have received advertisements from debt settlement companies that promise to settle your debt for fractions on the dollar. Just thinking about the peace of mind of not having creditors call you on a daily basis may make you reach for the phone. However, before you make that call, it is important that you understand the potential risks of working with a debt settlement company.

Benefits of Working with a Debt Settlement Company
Debt settlement companies can sometimes negotiate your debt down so that debt collection companies accept less than the original amount you owed. Additionally, they can handle communications with debt collectors so that you do not have to deal with the stress and frustration of doing so.

In other situations, a debt settlement company may be able to help you consolidate your debt and make a more manageable monthly payment. It may actually be in your best interest to work with a debt settlement company. However, it is important that you talk through this option with a knowledgeable Peoria bankruptcy lawyer before entering into a contract with the debt settlement company so that you are made aware of the full extent of the services and informed of all charges and risks associated with this arrangement.

Drawbacks of Working with a Debt Settlement Company
There are three primary drawbacks of working with a debt settlement company:

You Will Have to Pay Additional Charges
Debt settlement companies do not work out of the goodness of their hearts; they are in it to make money. In addition to any debt payments you make, you will also need to make a payment to the debt settlement company. Protect your interests by having your Peoria bankruptcy lawyer review any contract before signing it so that you are informed of all associated costs.

Your Credit May Suffer
By not paying off the full amount of your debt or by closing your accounts, you may wind up hurting your credit. While bankruptcy may also impact your credit, whether the effect of the bankruptcy or the debt settlement is greater will depend on your personal situation.

You May Wind Up Paying on Invalid Debts
The debt collection business is often fraught with disorganization and confusion. Debt collection companies may purchase debts with no guarantee that they are valid. They may be so old that the statute of limitations has run on them. Debt collectors may not have a clear chain of ownership of the debt so if they did sue you, a valid defense could prevent collection on the debt. In some situations, the same debt may be sold to multiple companies so paying it off may not necessarily prevent you from later being pursued for payment from another debt collection company.
A knowledgeable Peoria bankruptcy lawyer will have the multifaceted understanding of debt collection practices and the legal defenses that you may be able to raise to minimize the amount of debt you have to pay off.

Charles Covey
https://peoriabankruptcylaw.com/

Business Mediation; A Better Way to Resolve Partnership Disputes

Mediation is beneficial in a variety of legal disputes, including business. Working with a Dallas mediator can help you resolve a business dispute faster and for less money than taking the matter to court. Unfortunately, not enough people understand the benefits of mediation. The process is growing in popularity, but there are still many businesses that are missing out on the benefits.

What is Business Mediation?
Mediation offers a more efficient and cost-effective method for resolving disputes in business. Working with a Dallas mediator means you will be able to resolve a dispute without investing months in litigation and without draining your budget.

Additionally, you will play an important role in the resolution process and have a say in the outcome. As a matter of fact, mediation is not finalized until all of the parties involved in the dispute are satisfied with the outcome. If the resolutions proposed are not acceptable, anyone involved in free to walk away from the negotiations and pursue a different means of resolving the dispute.

Mediation also offers more flexibility and is a less formal process. It lacks many of the rules and limitations that exist in litigation. This makes it possible to design a custom resolution that is perfectly suited to the situation.

Why is Mediation So Successful for Business Disputes?
Mediation is one of the most effective tools available for resolving a business dispute. There are many reasons for this.

As mentioned above, mediation costs less and takes less time. It drains fewer resources in your business and allows you to move on from the dispute as quickly as possible. This might not seem like a big deal in theory, but putting a business dispute behind you makes it easier to keep morale high and to keep business relationships intact.

Mediation tends to be less polarizing than litigation. There are no winners and losers. Instead, the parties involved in the dispute work together with the help of the Dallas mediator, to design a resolution that is ideal for their situation. In spite of the dispute, parties are working as a team and in many cases; they will be able to maintain a business relationship moving forward once the dispute is resolved.

Mediation is an entirely confidential process. This can be especially important when it comes to business disputes. It means you will not need to be concerned about sensitive business information becoming a matter of public record, as it would in litigation. It also means the process will not attract media attention and the public will not be privy to negotiations or the final outcome if the parties involved choose to keep things private. Business reputations can be protected and confidential information will remain private when businesses use mediation to resolve their disputes.

There are many reasons why businesses choose to mediate their disputes. If you are involved in a dispute, it is important to consider the benefits and determine how they will apply to your situation. For more information or if you would like to speak to someone about settling your business dispute with mediation, contact Michael Metcalf at www.metcalfmediation.com.

Michael Metcalf
www.metcalfmediation.com

When Mediation May Be Used in Auto Accident Cases

Mediation is an option for resolving some personal injury and insurance dispute cases. It allows the parties involved in a lawsuit to work together to reach a compromise regarding a case. This allows the parties to be in greater control of the outcome of the case and to speed up the process.
There are certain times when mediation may be used during an auto accident case. Sometimes it is used before a lawsuit is ever filed. Rather than go through the tedious process of filing a lawsuit, the plaintiff’s attorney may ask the insurance company to engage in mediation. This gives the parties the opportunity to settle. Additionally, it allows the insurance company to see the plaintiff and how he or she will likely present before a jury.

In other cases, a lawsuit may initially be filed. The court may require mediation as part of the process leading up to trial. Typically, this will be required after discovery is completed. This is an important time in a case because both parties will have all of the information that may arise in the case. During mediation, the mediator may discuss how this information might affect the claim.

Another common time for mediation is right before trial. At this pivotal point in the process, the lawyers for each side are familiar with the case and are ready to proceed to trial. However, they may give mediation a try as a way to control the outcome of the case and avoid the expense and time of a trial.
Mediation can technically be used at any point during the litigation process as long as both parties are willing to participate in the process. Sometimes mediation is even used after trial as a way to avoid appeals and difficulty collecting a judgment.

10 Reasons to Use a Real Estate Attorney

Finding an Omaha real estate attorney can be challenging, but it is time well invested. Working with an experienced attorney when you are involved in a real estate transaction can save you frustration, money, and time.

Whether you are purchasing or selling real estate or dealing with personal or business transactions, an attorney has no personal stake in the transaction and will be working only to ensure that the deal is in your best interest and that your rights are protected. The other people involved in a real estate transaction, as concerned or helpful as they might seem, are all focused on their bottom line. They want what is best for them first and foremost. A real estate attorney works for you and he or she is the only person involved who is truly on your side.

There are many reasons why using a real estate attorney can help you. Here are the 10 most important:

1. Independent Party

An Omaha real estate attorney hired to represent you in a real estate transaction is solely working for you. They are going to offer you advise and ensure that you are taken care of. Everyone else involved in the transaction has a financial interest of their own, but your attorney is there to make sure things are handled in your best interest. He or she is an independent party who is acting on your behalf and has nothing to lose personally in the transaction.

2. Protecting You

Your Omaha real estate attorney will do everything in his or her power to protect your rights. This means they will not withhold information from you because it could affect the deal, nor will they gloss over or make anything look more appealing than it actually is. Your attorney’s only priority is ensuring that things work out for you.

3. Experience and Training

In addition to working for you, your Omaha real estate attorney has the knowledge and experience to make sure real estate transactions are handled properly. They are aware of the laws affecting transactions and they know what can go wrong because they have seen it happen in their experience.

4. Review and Modify Contracts

An Omaha real estate attorney is able to review contracts and modify them as necessary. The average person would not expect there to be problems with standard real estate contracts, but every transaction is different. It is important to have someone on your side who is not only familiar with the real estate process, but who also understands contract law and can make sure everything is airtight and offers you the appropriate protection before you sign it.

5. Explain Contracts and Other Legal Information

In addition to making sure a contract is as it should be, an experience Omaha real estate attorney can also break down the language in the contract and any other documents so you are able to understand what you are reading. It is no secret that business transactions include a great deal of legal “mumbo jumbo.” Legal terminology is needed to make a contract enforceable, but it is not always the easiest to understand when you have not had years of legal training. Your attorney has had this training and he can explain to you everything that is needed to make the best choices in a real estate transaction.

6. Inspection Issues

The inspection is an important part of the real estate transaction, but in most cases, inspections are legally optional. This means some buyers feel pressured into foregoing an inspection, which can be a big mistake. Your Omaha real estate attorney can include inspection contingencies in the deal and help you know exactly what you are getting when making a purchase. If you are the seller, your attorney will make sure the inspection does not delay the transaction and that it is handled by a professional who is identifying real problems, not just trying to save the buyer money.

7. Understanding Your Legal Obligations

There will be certain obligations you have regardless of whether you are the buyer or seller and your attorney can explain these to you. For instance, what happens if you back out of the deal? What happens with the earnest money? Do you owe the other party anything as a result of cancellation? The last thing you want is to face legal action because of something you have done and your Omaha real estate attorney will make sure this is not the case.

8. Mortgage Support

Real estate attorneys work with mortgage lenders, which can save you a great deal of time and hassle. You will know in advance that whatever financing arrangements are in place will be in your best interest. He or she can also act as a liaison between you and other people involved in the transaction. This saves you time and ensures that there is someone there to keep things on schedule and moving forward as efficiently as possible.

9. Title Assistance

One of the most common issues to hold up a real estate transaction is problems with the title. And even if a problem does not affect the initial transaction, a title issue can come back years later to haunt you. Your real estate attorney will make sure the title on the property is free and clear, which will save you money and frustration as the deal moves forward and the property changes hands.

10. Peace of Mind

Perhaps the best thing an Omaha real estate attorney does is give you peace of mind. Chances are a real estate transaction will be one of the biggest purchases of your life. Even if you are frequently buying or selling property, you are still dealing with large value transactions. It is imperative you have protection and someone looking out for you who understands laws and knows what to expect. It is also important to have someone there to answer questions and offer guidance if something out of the ordinary happens. Things go wrong all the time in real estate transactions and you need to make sure you are protected if there are bumps in the road.

For more information or to speak to an experienced Omaha real estate attorney, contact Mark Malousek.

Mark Malousek
https://www.malouseklaw.com

5 Things an Estate Planning Attorney Can Help You With

HIPAA is in place to create Having a plan in place that tells your loved ones how to manage your estate once you are gone is one of the most important things you can do to show you care. A Lapeer County estate planning attorney can help.

Even if you have an average amount of assets and there is nothing complex about your life, estate planning can still be challenging. There are laws that govern how your estate will be handled after your death and failing to put a plan in place can make things even more difficult for your family. A Lapeer County estate planning attorney can answer your questions and ensure that things go as smoothly as possible for your loved ones when the time comes to settle your estate.

An estate planning attorney can help you:

1. Help You Create a Will that is Custom-designed to Suit Your Needs
It is possible to create a will on your own and people do it all the time. But the only way you can be sure the document is full-proof and will stand up to legal scrutiny once you are gone is to have a lawyer assist you with the process.

A Lapeer County estate planning attorney will guide your decisions and make sure that your unique circumstances are addressed. They can also make changes as changes occur over the course of your life.

2. Offer Suggestions for Avoiding Probate
Probate is a complicated process that can extend the length of time it takes for your family to settle your estate. Luckily, there are things you can do in advance to avoid probate entirely or at least make sure it is as smooth as possible. For instance, an estate planning attorney will help you determine if joint property ownership, gifts, death beneficiaries, or trust will be the right tools to ease the probate process.

3. Help You Determine Which Estate Planning Tools Will Be Most Beneficial
Speaking of trusts and the other tools designed to help you with estate planning; a Lapeer County estate planning attorney will help you determine which tools are most suitable for your situation. Additionally, an attorney can help you set up a living will or durable power of attorney and can help you create a plan for your children should something happen to you before they are old enough to care for themselves.

4. Assist You with Updates to Your Estate Plan
It is never too early to have an estate plan in place, but that does not mean that what you plan now will be sufficient in a decade or two. A Lapeer County estate planning attorney will alert you to when it is time to make updates to your plans and help you with those updates.

5. Make Sure Your Estate Plan Remains Solid
Changes occur to estate laws and you need to be sure that your plans will hold up if any changes occur. Only an estate planning lawyer will be up-to-date and understand how the latest laws affect you.

For more information or to learn how a real estate planning attorney can help you with your transaction, contact Robert Thomas at 810-664-7555.

Robert Thomas

5 Ways a Real Estate Attorney Helps You with the Sale or Purchase of a Home

Finding a real estate attorney in Caldwell Ohio can be a challenge, but you will be happy you invested the effort. An experienced real estate attorney is able to save you time, money, and in some cases, frustration.

Whether you are purchasing or selling real estate, you need someone on your side who is looking out for you. An attorney has no personal stake in your transaction and only wants to make sure the deal is in your best interest and your rights are protected.

There are many reasons you should work with a real estate attorney in Caldwell, Ohio, including:

1. Protecting You

A real estate attorney in Caldwell, Ohio is there to protect your rights. Their only goal is to help you through the process and make sure things work out in your favor. Whether that is negotiating aspects of the deal, ensuring the proper inspections are handled, or helping you with financing, your real estate attorney is on your side.

2. Experience and Training

In addition to working for you, a real estate attorney in Caldwell, Ohio has the knowledge and experience needed to make sure the transaction is handled properly. They know the laws that play a role in the sale or purchase of property and they can anticipate anything that will go wrong from previous experience.

3. Contracts

Attorneys tend to be contract experts, especially when contracts are important in their field. This is the case with real estate attorneys.

A real estate attorney in Caldwell, Ohio is able to draft, review, and modify contracts as needed. He or she understands contract law and can make sure everything is airtight and protects you in a sufficient manner before you sign it.

Additionally, an experienced real estate attorney in Caldwell, Ohio is skilled in communicating legal language to someone who has no formal legal training. This makes it easier to understand your situation and make the best decisions based on the facts.

4. Help with Title Issues

One of the most common delays in a real estate transaction is a title problem. It is also possible that a title problem that is not immediately obvious can come back to hurt you in the long-run. An attorney can review the title on the property you are purchasing and make sure there will be no problems. And if you are a seller, your attorney can check the title to make sure nothing about it will hold up the sale.

5. Peace of Mind

Working with a real estate attorney can take an otherwise stressful situation and make it easier on you. Working with a real estate attorney in Caldwell, Ohio will reduce the problems that arise and even if something does go wrong, you will have someone there to fix it and make sure it does not harm you. Having this peace of mind is something you cannot put a price tag on when you are making such a large financial investment.

For more information or to learn how a real estate attorney can help you, contact Clifford Sickler at 740-732-1495.

Clifford Sickler
https://www.sicklerlawoffice.com/