Sunday, March 30, 2008

Specialization, a Huge Word in Los Angeles Law Firms

By Claysphere Rivera
As defined, a law firm is a business entity, which was formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. It is an office where all the functions of an advocate are exercised, and where the regular course of business dealings of a lawyer is performed.

Just like any other law firms, Los Angeles Law firms impart legal services. They are the same with respect to the constitution, creation, and its components.

The difference lies mainly in the manner of their specialization. There are plenty of law offices in Los Angeles, as there are lawyers. Each law firm has its own line of expertise, just as a medical practitioner has its own specialization.

In Los Angeles, a great number of schools have sanctioned special programs of study akin to undergraduate majors. General practitioners in the legal profession have become less common, it had lost its trend in the legal career.

Specialization has become the trend of the future. Most schools in Los Angeles have now offered a formal program of specialization in a given area of the law. Some schools, however, keep specialization informal.

In present times, considering that the law is complex and has a variety of areas, it is a common practice nowadays, that a lawyer or law firm for that matter have a field of specialization.

Some Los Angeles law firms cater legal services in the area of torts-under it; we have personal injury, of family laws, of labor laws, mercantile law, banking laws, admiralty, taxation laws and other areas of law. Some firms are more inclined to specialize in criminal law and constitutional law.

The abovementioned areas of law are composed of several parts. Each part can be subject to specialization. As if for instance, in the area of family law, we have specialization in adoption laws - which cover inter-state and inter-country adoption, child custody, divorce, domestic violence and child support.

The evolution of specialization in the law profession brought so much change. General practice of law has lost its demand and utility. Specialization marks the set up of future law firms.

In Los Angeles, big law firms handled specialized cases. It is manifest how successful their venture to a particular special area of law. Some law firms in Los Angeles have become well known and had a full load of clientele. Some even becomes the authority in a particular area of law.

An observation could conclude that the profession has changed its course, so as the movement of law firms.

With this set up, the focus is concentrated on the specialized field. The efforts of a lawyer in attending to a clients cause are maximized. Consequently, the clientele has become limited.

The specialization broadened the knowledge of a lawyer to a particular field of law. The parameters are defined and it is expected that a high-level of practice be observed. The legal practice had become limited but effective.

These had become the prevailing practice in the law profession, especially in Los Angeles. Specialization had become the watchword in the legal profession.

Our Los Angeles law firm specializes in handling cases involving personal injury, employment law, social security and business law. Just link on our website and learn more about our distinguished team of expert lawyers.

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5 Reasons To Hire An Experienced Injury Lawyer

By Paul Steven
The following is a list of 5 key benefits centered around why hiring an experienced injury lawyer is the right choice when seeking compensation for an injury or accident. No matter the type of personal injury claim an experienced injury lawyer / solicitor will guide you smoothly through the proper steps, keeping you informed at every level of the claim process.

Level of Service:

The best injury lawyers all have one thing in common that sets them apart from the rest of the competition - quality of service. It is a feature that brings with it client satisfaction by providing clear advice and making the client totally aware of what is happening thus removing uncertainty and doubt - it builds trust and reputation.

Communication:

Personal Injury Lawyers have an important advantage over any claims management company account advisor - experience and understanding of the law!

That is why injury lawyers have the word 'personal' tagged onto their job description - they understand the emotional issues involved with accidents or injuries experienced by a person. They understand the levels of confusion, fear and anxiety an individual may go through during a claims process.

They understand the need to make things clear and precise to their clients and explain in detail what happens next thus nullifying the negativity a person may experience.

Achieving The Best Deal:

When it comes to getting you the maximum amount expected for your claim then a personal injury lawyer will always be fighting for your corner. Preparation is the key to achieving the maximum for your claim because the insurance companies will undoubtedly pick holes in your evidence attempting to reduce the claim amount or even having the claim quashed.

Being Prepared:

A majority of cases are settled-out-of-court where an agreement has been reached on compensation. But what about those cases that are contested? Where a court date is the only way to settle the claim!

This is what an experienced personal injury lawyer has been in preparation for - going to trial. Do you really want to put your claim in the hands of a lawyer / solicitor who looks no further than settling-out-of-court? This relates back to the level of service that we spoke about earlier, how meticulous in detail an experienced injury lawyer is in preparing your case from the offset.

Being Aware of Costs:

Nowadays, most firms offer "No Win No Fee" claims. In its simplest form it means the "loser pays the winner" - an experienced lawyer will make you aware of this and also if insurance should be taken out to cover any eventuality.

These are just 5 reasons why personal injury lawyers should be at the forefront of your thoughts when thinking about making a claim for compensation, experience counts when it matters.

Experienced Injury lawyers can help you gain maximum compensation for your personal injury claims - The Injury Lawyers.

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New York Divorce Lawyers Recent Decisions

By David Siegel
Where father testified that his wife agreed to the reduction in child support on the condition that he help his son find a place to live and that he support him financially, where father testified further that he paid his son more than $4,000 over a two year period for housing, food and clothing, and where according to father, mother did not at any time during the almost five year period between the first reduced payment and the filing of her petition for arrearages object to the reduction in child support payments, father's payments to his son were made in reliance upon the statements and conduct of mother and, therefore, mother was equitable estoppel.

Child support payments become a vested right as they accrue and cannot be unilaterally terminated by the defendant, and neither can they be modified as to amount or time of payment. In the proper case, however, courts will give effect to an agreement between the parties to waive or reduce payments, or courts will apply the doctrine of equitable estoppel Where the mother, who was the custodial parent under the divorce decree, either consented to or acquiesced in a child living with the father and the father supported the child, the doctrine of equitable estoppel may be applied to allow the father an equitable custody. The test has also been stated more broadly to be whether the conduct of the plaintiff mother, as shown by all the circumstance of the case, was sufficient to justify the conclusion that the enforcement of the decree as to unpaid support would be unjust and inequitable to the defendant father.

In cases allowing an equitable credit against support arrearages, the essential element of detrimental reliance has been present; that is, the court has found that the defendant father relied upon the plaintiff mother's conduct indicating her willingness to give up or modify her right to custody or support.

It is well-established that past-=due installments for child support are the vested rights of the designated recipients and the court lacks the authority to modify those amounts which have already accrued; therefore, any modification in child support payments will only act prospectively.

The required elements for equitable estoppel were not presented where the plaintiff had not by her conduct caused the defendant to suffer any irreparable harm, the failure on the plaintiff's part to make any demand on the defendant until five years after the defendant reduced payment did not create an equitable estoppel, and the record did not reveal that there was an agreement between the parties to reduce the amount due for child support nor did it indicate that the defendant relied upon any conduct by the plaintiff.

Payments

Even though ex-husband was paid bi-monthly, he could be ordered to make weekly payments, and the trial court was within its discretion to order an increase in child support to $90 per week.

Trial court did not err in refusing to abate child support payments for the time during which husband claimed that he did not know the whereabouts of the wife and child and this section precluded any modification of child support payments which had accrued. Trial court did not err in refusing to abate child support payments for the time during which husband claimed that he did not know the whereabouts of the wife and child and this section precluded any modification of child support payments which had accrued.

New York City divorce and family law firm handling divorce and family law cases throughout New York City and the surrounding areas. Results driven law firm with experience and skill to handle the most difficult cases.http://www.divorce-lawyers-newyork.com

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Filing a FELA Lawsuit - Understanding the Statute of Limitations

By: Joe Devine
The Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA) of 1908 expanded the protections railroad workers enjoyed under the law and gave them the right to claim compensation from their employers for any injuries caused by the employer's negligence. Although FELA was undoubtedly beneficial to railroad workers, the protections it guaranteed them were not absolute. For example, a worker filing a FELA lawsuit must be able to prove negligence on the part of his or her employer - a simple task on paper, but far more difficult in a court of law.

Another restriction imposed on FELA lawsuits is the statute of limitations. A statute of limitations is a law which requires any and all legal action stemming from a specific event to be initiated before a certain amount of time has passed. In other words, if a railroad employee slips and falls on the job, the statute of limitations tells him how much time he has to file any legal action. After the time period mandated by the statute of limitations has expired, the employee no longer has the option of taking legal action.

The Time Limit for FELA

For FELA lawsuits, the statute of limitations allows legal actions to be filed for a period of three years following an incident. This poses both simple and complex questions for an injured worker. A simple situation may be something like this: On January 1st, 2008, an employee catches his hand in a faulty mechanism and fractures his finger. Because the statute of limitations for FELA is three years, the employee has until January 1st, 2011, to file his lawsuit.

The issue becomes more complicated when an injury results from factors which cannot be pinned down to once specific moment. For example, if an employee is exposed to harmful substances while working on the railroad, he or she may not feel the effects until years later. If the statute of limitations were calculated the same way as in the previous example, the employee would be out of luck if he or she did not discover symptoms within three years. Fortunately, the statute of limitations makes provisions for situations like these:

1)When the injured worker knows or should have known about his injury, and

2)When the injured worker knows or should have known that his injury was work-related,

Then the statute of limitations begins counting down its three year time limit. In other words, if an employee exposed to harmful substances on the job does not develop symptoms until 10 years later, the statute of limitations allows him 3 years from when he is diagnosed to file any legal action he may decide on.

Joe Devine For more information visit http://www.felalawsuitattorney.com .

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Does the Lemon Law Apply to You?

By: Barry Edzant
Do you believe you were sold a lemon? Well, you know what? More than likely you were, and luckily you have rights to protect you.

Intended to protect California residents, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act was created. This law, which you probably have heard is called the "Lemon Law," affords Californians the ability to take legal action against a manufacturer that has produced a defective vehicle.

The Lemon Law is pretty easy to understand. Simply stated, the manufacturer must either replace the vehicle or reimburse you an amount equal to the purchase price, if repairs are not done in a reasonable period. The definition of "reasonable" with regard to the number of repairs refers to the inability of the carmaker to fix the same defect after four tries.

Under the Lemon Law, if the defect is "life-threatening or likely to cause serious injury," only two repairs are necessary to be considered "reasonable." Also considered "reasonable" are repairs attempted within the manufacturer’s warranty period, if the vehicle is inoperable for a cumulative thirty days.

You may also qualify to be reimbursed for license fees, rental expenses, towing costs, and other expenses you incurred while trying to get your auto fixed. They may also pay your attorney’s fees and some losses.

Naturally, there are some details that need your attention. The malfunctioning parts must affect the use, value, or safety of the lemon, and this only applies to vehicles that are still under the original manufacturer's warranty. A consistently malfunctioning drink holder, for example, would not be eligible under the Lemon Law. The Lemon Law also does not apply to recreational vehicles, those intended for off road use, or motor homes. These vehicles fall under different laws. The manufacturer will deduct the mileage on the vehicle up until the problems started. Other restrictions may also be applicable.

The fact is that you can rid yourself of your lemon, get back most or possibly even all of the money you have put into the vehicle (including any loan or lease payments made post-purchase), and a good portion of your other losses incurred with the help of the Lemon Law. The Lemon Law is the epitome of the consumers' law.

Barry Edzant is a Los Angeles lemon law attorney. With more than 10 years of experience working with the Lemon law attorneys in California, Barry understands the nuances of the system and is prepared to fight for you. He is also a Santa Clarita personal injury attorney and a proficient California dog bite lawyers.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

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