Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Repossession Laws Right And Wrongs

Buying a new car or home can be so much fun You pick out the colours, the style, and all that goes with it. You sign up for a loan and leave feeling accomplished. However, when signing up for a loan or a credit card you may not be aware that if you do not pay, your belongings could be repossessed. It can happen to anyone and it is important that you know what can and can not be taken in the event that you do fall a few payments behind. Understanding the laws can greatly help you avoid repossession and protect you from being taken advantage of throughout the process of the loan.

Not all items can be repossessed. Land, for example, can not be repossessed in most cases. The only way that land can be repossessed is if the contract includes a grace period. This grace period is a time frame in which every payment must be made after a late payment is incurred. If you do not make the payment within this grace period then the land can in fact be taken back by the original owner.

If you are out of work for an extended period of time and are unable to make payments notify your creditor. Sometimes your contract will include Credit Accident and Health Insurance. This insurance will pay the debt that you obtain while you are unable to make payments. Usually this insurance only comes into effect when you have been sick for more than two weeks. It is important that you check whether or not you have this insurance prior to being unable to make payments because if you do not have it, those missed payments could cause that item to be repossessed.

A repossessor can not come into your home without your consent. This means if you see someone trying to break into your home, garage or any place where the item in question is being stored, call the police. Even if someone claims to have legal documentation which states that they can take the item, it is best to contact a lawyer.

If your property is repossessed then you will not be required to pay for it afterwards. The only time you will need to make extra payments is if the property seized was an automobile. Since the creditor will be selling your vehicle for the best price they can get, you will have to pay the difference that is lost in the sale. Any extra money that the creditor earns from completing the sale must be awarded to you. Sometimes the creditor will sell the vehicle for an extremely low amount in order to get money from you. This is illegal and should be reported immediately to your lawyer.

Understanding repossession laws can save you the trouble of trying to regain your property in the unfortunate event of repossession. It is much easier to prevent your property from being repossessed than to try and get it back. Be aware of repossession laws.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Uncontested Divorce Information

According to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri, 50% of all first marriages will end in divorce, 67% of all second marriages will end in divorce, and 74% of all third marriages will end in divorce. Many times people go into marriages for the wrong reasons, and predicting the future many years down the road is quite impossible. Thankfully, in the U.S. it is quite simple to get a divorce, that's if it remains uncontested by the spouse. If the spouse does not agree with all the conditions of the divorce that's when your going to need a lawyer.

When filing for an uncontested divorce it is not required that you have a lawyer. An uncontested divorce is simply a form you file. If both you and your spouse agree that a divorce is the best option, and can agree on the terms of the uncontested divorce, then filing for divorce will be very inexpensive and easy. You can download uncontested divorce kits that help you prepare your own for a mere twenty bucks, or pay a paralegal or attorney to prepare the form for you for about two-hundred bucks. If you both can not agree on how the assets you jointly own can be divided then you will need a lawyer to contest the divorce in court and allow the judge to decide how to split those assets for you. Although, If you both agree on how your jointly owned assets can be divided then you qualify to file for an uncontested divorce, which doesn't require a lawyer.

Understand that once you file and both agree to the uncontested divorce, then the divorce is final. In a contested divorce, which requires a lawyer, the judge will usually do what is called a "trial separation", where couples will separate for awhile to see how life works without each other. Sure if you want to go the expensive route and If the judge put you two on trial separation you could change your mind about divorce before the proceedings are finalized; but this will cost you even more money, plus all the time you wasted just to get to this point.

Now that you have a good idea about the differences between contested divorces and uncontested divorces, let me be clear about uncontested divorces, which is obviously the best route to go. An uncontested divorce means that both parties completely agree that divorce is in their best interest and there is nothing left to argue about, either in terms of the divorce itself or the division of assets. Some couples may have already split their assets and moved out, so filing for divorce for them is almost just a formality.

In an uncontested divorce a divorce lawyer is not necessary. Sometimes people will bring one to the proceeding just in case their spouse begins to argue about the conditions of the divorce. My ideas on bringing a lawyer to the proceeding is that it's not a good idea. They may create argument and you may be in many future trials arguing about the conditions of the divorce for along time to come with your expensive trial lawyer at your side. On the other hand, if your spouse brought a lawyer to the proceeding and is arguing about the conditions of the divorce, then it's probably in your best interest to contact a divorce lawyer immediately.

If you do decide to use a lawyer, research there past trial experience. Did they win, or did they lose most cases? Is your lawyer familiar with the divorce laws in your state?

Going through a divorce can be easy, or it can be pain staking. Find out if your spouse wants a contested divorce or uncontested divorce. Make sure that you are ready to do everything you can to make your divorce go smoothly, and allow yourself to restart your life on the right foot.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Understanding Your Job - Chapter Two

We all occupy roles in our lives. We are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters. We grow up performing these roles. You are born a son, you build relationships with peers, maybe you'll have children to then become a grandfather or grandmother. And so, these roles get hard-wired into our minds. We learn how to behave, what is expected from us and what to expect from others depending on which role we occupy at any given time and it takes no effort to exercise them, we do it on auto-pilot.

Family provides the foundations for our socialization (It's our primary group). It creates the model under which we will base all our future interactions. As we grow older, our universe expands giving place to secondary socialization groups such as friends, educators, acquaintances, mentors and/or supervisors. They all share a basic structure and MO (modus operandi). That structure is based on authority/power and the way we deal with it will be primarily based on our first experiences (within our families); and to a lesser extent (but by no means unimportant) on our interactions with the aforementioned secondary groups of socialization. In other words, since the moment we are born we get conditioned to operate within an authority matrix.

Now let's simplify things a bit. Let's assume that authority is a status (something topic) and power a force (something dynamic). When applied to people we get two possible movements -vertical and horizontal- and three possible configurations - you are either above, below or at the same level than someone. Now, extrapolating theory to practice we should be able to identify these movements and configurations in our workplaces.

Have you ever experienced or heard someone saying "My boss treats me like (or as if I were) her son"? Have you ever found yourself adopting a "sibling stance" towards your boss? Have you ever patronized a subordinate? These are the dynamics we were talking about just a moment ago. We reproduce our past experiences and internalized roles in the relationships we develop while at work. We do it unconsciously and we tend to reproduce this behaviors wherever we go, and unless we become aware of this we'll adopt the same roles over and over again in job after job because it's just the way we were configured (and this is not a passive process, it's interactive) to be.

For the past couple of years I've worked with tens of Residential Counselors (who work with an adolescent population), and you know which ones are the best at what they do? You are right, those who have children. It's easier for them because they've learned how to position themselves when dealing with clients, and they do it effortlessly (most of them without even knowing how they accomplish it). You know which ones struggle the most? You are right again, younger people who don't have kids. Why? Because they are very experienced at being "sons or daughters" but they don't exactly know how to assume an authority role. If you become a manager at a relatively young age you'd better be very well aware of this dynamics because otherwise, making some decisions will be a painful experience (specially when you have to say "no" to older people).

As with most things in life, knowing where you stand gives you one half of the solution. The other half is up to you.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Strange Laws Around the World

There are many strange laws still in operation around the world. Most are no longer enforced, but technically you could be prosecuted if you break the following laws.

IN THE UNITED STATES

In Ohio it is illegal to get a fish drunk.
If you are in a plane over Alaska you can't look at a Moose.
In Tennessee, it is illegal to drive if you are asleep.
In Alabama it is illegal to drive while blindfolded.
In New York, it is illegal to drive a car if you are blind.
In Missouri, a permit is required if a man wants to shave.
In Virginia, chickens must lay their eggs between 8am and 4pm.
In Indiana, it is illegal to dress Barbie in Ken's clothes.
In Kentucky it is illegal to paint your lawn red. Any other colour is fine.
In Florida unmarried women can be jailed if they parachute on a Sunday.
In Miami, it is illegal to imitate an animal.
In Los Angeles, it is illegal to tell a customer you are really an actor.
In Kentucky, you must bath at least once a year.
In North Carolina it is illegal for dogs and cats to fight.
In Philadelphia you can't put pretzels in bags.
Corruption is illegal in Virginia, except for politicians, who are allowed to be as corrupt as they like.
In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to put a dollar on a string and pull it away when someone tries to pick it up.

IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.
A pregnant woman can legally urinate anywhere she wants, including if she requests, in a policeman's hat.
A bed may not be hung out of a window.
It is illegal to eat mince pies on 25th December.
Damaging grass is illegal.
In York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within its ancient city walls but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow.
In Liverpool, it is illegal for saleswomen to be topless, but only in tropical fish stores.
In London, taxis are required to carry a bale of hay and a sack of oats.

IN THE REST OF THE WORLD

In Australia, it is illegal to roam the streets wearing black clothes, felt shoes and black shoe polish on your face as these items are the tools of a cat burglar.
In Toronto in Canada, it is illegal to drive a street car on a Sunday if you have been eating garlic.
In France it is illegal to name a pig Napoleon
In Israel, it is illegal to pick your nose on a Sunday.
In Iceland, it is illegal to blow on lampposts.
In Hong Kong, a woman can kill her husband if he has cheated on her. She must use her bare hand though. This isn't a requirement for the man's lover, who can be killed by any means necessary.
In Samoa, it is illegal to forget your wife's birthday.
In Space, it is illegal to hear someone deliberately.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Do You Automatically Lose Your House by Filing a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?

Since Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Missouri and Illinois includes a repayment plan, it doesn't come with the same fears that are commonly held with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Missouri and Illinois. Many people think, "Will I lose my home? Will I lose my car? "Or will I lose my furniture?"

You will not necessarily lose any of those things. In fact, in my more than 15 years as a Missouri and Illinois bankruptcy lawyer, most of my clients haven't lost anything. Why? Because the number one job of a bankruptcy attorney is to protect the property that is important to you.

Every state has specific laws regarding exemptions that help you protect your property in a bankruptcy filing. They do so by protecting a certain amount of equity in things like your house, your car or truck, household goods, furnishings, IRAs, retirement plans, the cash value in life insurance, wages and workers compensation claims. Of course, each state has slightly different exemptions but both Missouri and Illinois have sizeable exemptions that have prevented most of my more than 30,000 clients from losing anything. In Missouri, bankruptcy filers can even use a "wildcard" exemption to protect any other property.

Remember, keeping property requires that you continue to make payments. There shouldn't be much of a chance of losing your property if you continue to make your payments and the exemptions provided in your state cover above the amount that is still owed. And how much easier would it be to make your house or car payment without a garnishment on your wages, inflated credit card payments, and the constant worry of repossession or foreclosure? That feeling of relief must be why Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings are hitting their highest levels since the laws changed in 2005.

Plus, if Chapter 7 exemptions won't be enough for you, you've still got options. A Missouri or Illinois bankruptcy lawyer can help you file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which allows you to keep more of your property and reorganizes your debt at the same time.

Don't forget, the best St. Louis, Missouri or Fairview Heights, Illinois bankruptcy attorney will know how to help you keep the property that is most important to you. Don't undervalue the work a great Missouri and Illinois bankruptcy attorney can do for you; it could be the difference between keeping your house and losing it in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. How can you tell if the attorney you've selected is the best in your area? The best attorneys in your state or city will offer you tons of free information and even free publications before you even speak with them about filing.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Reverse Email Trace and IP Trace to Stop Internet Harassment

Internet harassment has become an increasingly common problem in recent years, but it can be easily addressed through the use such tools as reverse email trace and IP trace. One who has had an encounter with this kind of harassment should seek the help of a private investigator who is experienced the matter. Most private investigators are able to source the person behind the harassment in a matter of hours from just one email.

Maybe you've had the unfortunate experience of dealing with internet harassment, or perhaps you were unaware that it had even occurred. If you have received annoying or insulting emails from someone on numerous occasions, that is considered internet harassment. On a worse scale, if you've ever been threatened in a single email, that as well is internet harassment. It may have been the result of some brief interaction you had with someone over the internet, or possibly from someone with whom you have regular dealings. Either way, it's still considered all the same, some incidents just being worse than others.

You probably just deleted the emails, and ignored the person who sent them to you. And that's a common reaction for a lot of people who deal with internet harassment. It's a quick fix, and initially it may seem to be all that's needed. What about the person who won't stop sending those emails? And if you don't know who it is, then what do you do?

Well, you definitely want to consider employing the services of a private investigator. You'll need to have one or more of the harassing emails available for them to examine, usually one per offending email address. They will be able to perform a complete email trace from each of the emails and hopefully identify the sender. Additionally, you may want them to go a step further and conduct an IP trace as well, which will determine their exact location, or at least where they sent the emails from. This could come in hand if things get hectic and you have to involve law enforcement.

Each of these services combined are quite powerful, and will allow you to find out who you need to contact to report the abuse. The full email trace report will give you the real name of the sender of the emails, not just what they used to create the email accounts. You'll be given their address, a contact phone number, and if it's there to be found, the private investigator can even find out their place of employment. This is far more information than you'll ever get from the free email lookups that are floating around the internet. Most of the results from those aren't even real, they're just a mashup of information taken from other sites public databases. With a highly trained expert private investigator on your side, you can be confident that you'll be able to get right to the root of your internet harassment problems.

You don't have to put up with it, there is help available. Even if you're only dealing with pesky annoying emails, you might want to put an end to it before it gets worse. You need to find a reliable private investigator to take your case, and one who is an expert in the area of email tracing.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Can I Refuse to Take a Breathalyzer Test?

When you are pulled over on suspicion of DUI, you may be asked to submit to a Breathalyzer test. The alcohol Breathalyzer test will measure the amount of alcohol in your blood stream. Most people have heard of the Breathalyzer, but there is a lot of confusion about what it does exactly and whether or not you should agree to take one.

In fact, you may not even know that you are allowed to refuse the Breathalyzer test. While you do not have to take the alcohol Breathalyzer, you may suffer some negative consequences by refusing the Breathalyzer.

Before you are asked to give a Breathalyzer test, you will usually be asked to perform several field sobriety tests. You can and should refuse to submit to any field sobriety tests.

For some states, refusing a Breathalyzer test means that you go to jail, period. It can actually be considered a crime to refuse a Breathalyzer in some states. That means that refusing a Breathalyzer may cause you to serve more jail time than of you were only convicted for DUI. In addition, in some states when you refuse a Breathalyzer it is considered evidence that you think you are guilty. As you can see, there are some negative consequences of refusing a Breathalyzer.

While many people believe that Breathalyzer tests are highly scientific and irrefutable, in reality they are not 100% accurate. In fact, there have been arguments that the Breathalyzer, while very sensitive, yields results that are not specific enough. That means that while they will test positive for the alcohol in your blood, other chemicals may also cause positive results. If this happens your Breathalyzer results will be falsely elevated.

Breathalyzers can yield false positives from several medical conditions including diabetes, smoking and alcoholism. Inhaling other chemicals such as paint fumes can also lead to positive Breathalyzer results. As a result, your alcohol Breathalyzer test result may not be completely accurate.

Often a positive Breathalyzer result will lead to another test. Alcohol levels can also be determined from testing your urine or blood, not just from a Breathalyzer. These tests are more specific and are preferred as evidence in court over the Breathalyzer test results. These tests are used to confirm what was found in the alcohol Breathalyzer before proceeding with a conviction.

When you are asked to take a Breathalyzer test, you do have the right to refuse. However, you should think about the consequences of refusing. If you are in doubt about whether to take a Breathalyzer, you can always ask to speak with your attorney. At that point the police will end all testing, including the Breathalyzer. However, you will still be booked for the DUI. If you are confident that you are below the legal limit. You can take the Breathalyzer test and then you will be free to go on your way if you are below the legal limit.