Six Secrets for Surviving Real Estate Disputes

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Real estate disputes can be a real bummer. The cost of real estate lawyers and going to court to settle your real estate dispute makes a huge dip into the profits of selling the property if you are the seller, and it adds that much more to the cost if you’re the buyer. Before taking your real estate dispute through the legal process, try these tactics:


Six Secrets for Settling Real Estate Disputes Without Going to Court

  1. Look at the root of the issue.
    You’ve heard the story of how the fire that burned down the entire city of Chicago in 1871 was started when a cow kicked over a lantern. Sometimes the smallest issues can lead to devastating results in the real estate process. Perhaps a slight deviation in the real estate contracts has caused the dispute. Address the deviation and work on remediation for that issue, rather than burning the entire contract. This is a simple approach, but could save you thousands of dollars, and headaches if it gets your dispute settled without going to court.

  2. Put the issue in perspective.

    Sometimes the emotional aspect of a real estate dispute can cloud your judgement. However, in real estate, the main goal is to make money, or spend as little as you can to acquire the real estate in question. It comes down to numbers, not emotions. Yes, making a concession you hadn’t planned to make might cost you a few thousand dollars, but the cost of going through court, having the whole deal fall through, having to relist and show it again will cost far more than that.

  3. Make compromises.
    Most people have a sense of fairness. If you can’t see eye to eye with the other party, maybe it just takes being willing to give a little to meet in the middle.

  4. Document and then document more.

    Real estate disputes, as with marital disputes, most often stem from a break down in communication. The other party assumed that you agreed to cover this expense, and you assumed they were, neither of you ever got it in writing though.


    For this reason, the more documentation you get ahead of time, the less likely you are to have a dispute at all. If you’re knee-deep in a disagreement, the more documentation you have, the easier it will be straighten it out. This involves making sure your contract is as comprehensive as you can. In the meantime, always communicate via e-mail. E-mails offer you a convenient, searchable record of any information that was passed between you and the other party.

  5. Always be respectful throughout the dispute process.

    It’s completely normal and acceptable to feel a range of emotions about the dispute. Maybe you feel frustrated, impatient, taken advantage of, and tired of dealing with the mess. However, try to compartmentalize the way you feel with how you handle the situation. If you let your emotions take over and treat the other party aggressively, it will not help you all come to a common solution. In fact, the other party is less likely to be willing to compromise and work with you if they feel combative with you. You should advocate for yourself, and remain firm, but do so while being respectful to the opposing party.
  6. Know when to obtain a real estate lawyer.

    Many people assume that you only need a real estate lawyer if your dispute is headed for court. However, you can save yourself the trip to court, or potentially losing the deal altogether, by harnessing yourself with a lawyer from the get-go. Your real estate attorney will make sure that your best interests are supported through the dispute process, and most of all, that the laws that protect you as a real estate buyer or a seller followed. The earlier you have a real estate lawyer involved in the process, the better. Once you have a lawyer, you should not deal with the opposing party directly at all; that’s your lawyer’s job.

Having real estate disputes can be a big bummer, but they are not uncommon. Every property is unique, and so every real estate deal is unique. Knowing how to handle a dispute before it happens will save you a huge amount of money, and a trip to Johnny Law.

Consulting With a Maritime Injury Attorney Following Your Accident

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Working on cruise or streamliner ships can be exciting. You get to travel the world, see a variety of locations and meet a lot of different people. You are always working outdoors and in generally good weather. However, there are some risks involved with this type of work. You are around large bodies of water that can get dangerous in bad weather. You are surrounded by a lot of heavy machines and equipment. You are also visiting a lot of countries and people that you do not know. Most people who choose this type of work are also accepting the risks. In the event of an injury or illness that is the result of the job, the individual should be protected legally.

Transporting and recreational boating accidents do happen. It could be an accident from the equipment, poor weather or from a collision between other boats. The total property damage caused by recreational accidents in the U.S. in 2014 amounted to $38.87 million. When a boating collision occurs, there are a lot of damages. The boats, especially large support vessels that contain a lot of equipment or machinery must be replaced. This can get very expensive. Also, when there is a boat collision, there are generally two damaged or ruined boats.

Accidents can and do occur from poor weather, as well. The weather is not always predictable. The weather can call for warm and sunny skies, and a bad storm can quickly roll in. The inability to always accurately predict the weather can leave large streamlines and support vessels in dangerous water conditions in bad weather. This can result in both boat and machinery damage, as well as personal injury. When personal injury is involved, it is important to consult with a maritime injury lawyer. A maritime injury lawyer is someone who is specialized in working with those who were injured from a boating or cruise accident.

Someone who is injured in a boating or cruise accident is likely to have some type of workman?s compensation protection. However, in situations where this is not present, or when there is disagreement as to who is at fault, personal injury lawyers may be necessary. There may also be question around the validity and the extent of the personal injury. A maritime injury lawyer or litigation attorneys are great resources for this type of a legal case. A business attorney may also be necessary when there are damages to the items that the ship was carrying. There may be legal battle around who is responsible for the damage of these items. It generally depends on the contracts and the liability waivers that were previously set up. However, sometimes these liability waivers do not exist or are questionable, requiring an injury attorney.

Another common legal battle surrounding boating accidents is surrounding the captain of the ship. The captain of the ship is responsible for everything and everyone on board. They are also expected to be professional and qualified for the position. Operator inexperience was a contributing factor in 391 boating accidents in 2014. If the blame of the accident is due to operator inexperience, a maritime injury lawyer may be needed. Often, these types of cases involve a lot of money and settlements. The total payroll wages of U.S. securities brokerages in 2015 amounted to $63 billion. It is always a good idea to consult with a maritime injury lawyer, as soon as possible after the boating accident occurs.

Working on a cruise ship or a support vessel can be both exciting and risky. Most people who choose to work in this type of setting also accept the risks. However, when a boating accident does occur, it is important to understand and seek out your rights. A maritime injury lawyer can be a great resource for those who were injured in a boating accident.

How to Find a Good Lawyer

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If you have encountered a legal problem that is fairly complicated or involves quite a bit of money then you probably don’t want to try and handle the situation without a lawyer. If you’re trying to choose a criminal lawyer or find a family law attorney there are a few things that you should keep in mind. Your local attorneys will do more than just give out advice like letting you know DUI consequences. They also know the system and have contacts that will help to expedite your case with more favor in front of a judge if it goes to trial. You want a good lawyer whether it’s a family law attorney or a personal injury lawyer. Here are some tips to help you find an attorney.

Word of Mouth
The best way to find any kind of good professional is to find someone that has been in a similar situation before and find out who they used. For example, if you have a domestic dispute find somebody who has used a family law attorney before and see what they liked and disliked about the attorney. This will also give you a better idea of how much you’re going to end up spending. However, you shouldn’t make a decision about a family law attorney or any other kind of lawyer only based on the word of someone else. Different people have different experiences and appreciate different personalities. Having said that, if someone had a good experience, chances are you will too.

Online
There are many sites that offer ways to find local lawyers. They will do searches by your ZIP Code or location as well as the type of case do you have. Most sites will ask you several questions about the case and possibly your contact information so that the lawyer can contact you. Other sites will offer a directory so that you can contact the lawyer yourself. Make sure that you use a reputable site that can confirm that every attorney on the list has a valid and current license and has a good reputation with the Bar Association. Searching for a lawyer this way can be a little overwhelming because you have no idea which one to pick but in these cases, you can contact several and hold interviews to find out which lawyer is going to be right for you.

Business referrals
If you have a workers comp case or something involving a company whether for or against you, they will likely have a lawyer on retainer. If you’re going against the company, you will not be able to use their lawyer as this would be a conflict of interest but if the business is on your side they may be willing to refer their lawyer to you. Alternatively, you may be able to simply speak with any business person such as a banker or an accountant who regularly comes into contact with lawyers and then they can refer you on.

Once you have started your search and narrowed your choices down to a few lawyers, then you can start your interviews. Here are some things to keep in mind once you get to that point.

Make sure that the lawyers you were choosing specialize in your type of case.
There are general lawyers but they may not know a lot about your particular area. Your best bet is to find a lawyer who already knows the field.

Ask questions pertaining to your case such as how many cases have they had that are similar to yours and how many have they won.
This will help you determine whether or not you have a good chance of winning with this lawyer. You can also ask in general how many cases have they won and this will show you how committed they are to their clients.

Ask all the same questions to each lawyer so that you can compare their answers.
This will help you determine differences between lawyers that you interview. If you ask all different questions then you won’t be able to look at them side by side.

Look for key characteristics in the lawyers such as listening skills, confidence and knowledge.
All of these things are important as well as other characteristics that you think the lawyer should have.

Five Things That Matter if You are Trying to Patent Your Million Dollar Idea

Patent attorney

Are you looking for design patent law firms in Minneapolis? Getting a design patent in Minneapolis (or anywhere) can be a daunting task but incredibly important to protect your intellectual property. While looking for design patent law firms in Minneapolis, check out our list of things to know to make your process smooth:


Five Things to Know Before Looking Into Design Patent Law Firms in Minneapolis (Or Anywhere Else)

  1. When you have a million dollar idea, speed matters. Let’s say you think of a new process or technology that will revolutionize the way all humans will brush their teeth one day. It doesn’t matter whether or not it was your idea. What matters is that you applied for a patent before anyone else. Like the rest of the world, that time stamp is the singular reason that your golden idea belongs to you and not someone else. What we’re saying is the best time to get patent lawyers on your team is the moment the light bulb illuminates above your head in the comic book version of your life.
  2. Patents are awarded to people, not businesses. Trademarks are often used interchangeably with patents, but there is one big difference: trademarks are awarded to businesses, patents go to the person or people who created the concept or technology. This means if your business’s success relies on a patent that will be in someone’s name other than your own, you will need to get a written assignment of rights to protect yourself. On the flip side, if you hold a patent that a business wants to use, you have the ability to sell it to them. But the business itself cannot hold a patent.

    This is incredibly important when you are gathering investors. The first thing a venture capitalist will look into before investing in your company is whether or not you properly hold the rights to the product or service you offer. If you do not, or there is nothing proprietary about your business, it will be difficult to gather investors.

  3. When you have a patent, you corner the market.

    Technically, there is no reason for you to be design patent law firms in Minneapolis. You can run a business without going through the rigmarole of a patent. However, if you have a killer idea, without a patent, a hundred other people can copy it and give you stiff competition. Worst case, someone else could take your brilliant idea to a patent attorney and gain ownership of it.


    On the flip side, when you go through the trouble of getting a design patent on your fantastic idea, you have a temporary monopoly on it. No one else can use your idea to make money or give competition, until the patent expires. Design patents expire in 14 years, and utility and plant patents last 20 years.
  4. Get yourself a provisional patent, pronto.

    Having a provisional patent last 12 months and protects your intellectual property while you battle your way through the patent process. Basically, if you refer back to the first point, getting a patent on a brilliant idea is a race. The first one across the finish line takes all; number two gets nothing for their effort. While you get your ducks in a row to get a patent on your brilliant idea, having a provisional patent ensures that someone else can’t swoop in and slap their own patent on the idea first.

  5. What is a patent really worth to your business?

    Having a patent on a good idea really adds value to a business. But the key word in the previous sentence is “good.” If the idea you patent is something that doesn’t generate interest in the marketplace, having a patent on it will not improve its value.


    If you want to invent something that will make you a young millionaire, consider a product that is useful across multiple industries. Niche products are neat, but very seldom make patent holders wealthy.

Do you hold a patent in your name? What advice do would you pass along to someone else just beginning the process? Please share your input in the comment section below. Read more like this.