Indiana child support calculator online and easy to use. Pro Bono resource guide and pro se listings for do-it-yourselfers. .
This is a state specific government calculator. Child support and child custody resources. This free child support calculator gives you a general idea of where you
stand with child custody and support rulings.
Posts Tagged ‘idea’
Indiana Child Support Calculator
01
Sep
"Trusted Legal Resources:" A Recognized Brand Will Not Retain Its Strength by Continued Dilution of Editorial Quality
18
Aug
At MIT last year, my favorite global publishing CEO, Tom Glocer, explained to MIT students that a “strong brand” is a signal for quality content (video below). Hardly a new idea. I don’t know any law librarians who don’t check…
How Much is Legal Advice Worth?
25
May
One of the winners of TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon is a new, yet to be launched, legal document web site called, Docracy, The idea is that members will contribute their legal documents to an open source site so that there would be a basis for comparison between "open source" documents and the document that the member needs for their business. The theory is that by comparing documents, with the document that the member has on hand, there would be a basis for comparison, resulting in an informed decision, without the cost or benefit of legal advice.
In this model, legal advice from an attorney is worth zero. The model is designed to eliminate the attorney from the transaction.
The idea was developed by mobile app developers Matt Hall and John Watkinson ,from Larva Labs, who were faced with signing an NDA with a client and were unsure of some of the terms and concluded that the cost of legal advice was either unnecessary or prohibitive.
This is another example of the resentment that the average consumer and small business person has towards the legal profession resulting in the rise of non-lawyer legal form web sites such as LegalZoom.
Another example of an open source legal document repository is Docstoc which we have used as a research source. It is useful for us, because as lawyers we understand what we are reading. I think simply accessing raw documents as a consumer would be a daunting exercise, although I am sure that many consumers and small business use the site.
The problem with any legal document web site as a source for creating binding legal documents is that the use of a particular clause may be rooted in case law in a particular jurisdiction.
Without understanding all of the implications of using particular language in an agreement, the "non-lawyer" moves into a danger zone, because he or she has no idea what they are signing.
A better alternative is a "self-help" book from Nolo that contains both legal forms and explanations of the implications of each clause, but that often involves reading and understanding a 300 page book, which is beyond the attention span of most consumers.
Another solution is an automated document with extensive help screens that explain the implications of choosing one clause over the other.
A third alternative, is to purchase "unbundled and limited legal services" from an on-line law firm for a fixed price with legal advice bundled into the transaction. In that case you get a certain level of accountability and guarantee that the legal advice is correct for the user’s individual situation.
See for example the firms listed at DirectLaw’s legal document portal , where you can access legal forms for free, or forms bundled with legal advice for a fixed fee.
You don’t get legal advice from a legal forms web site or a LegalZoom for that matter, which can be a major limitation depending on the complexity of the document or the transaction. Without annotations that explain the significance of particular language in an agreement, the non-lawyer is stumbling around in the dark.
Nevertheless, I don’t doubt that consumers and small business will find this a popular site, despite its limitations. Caveat emptor!
Trusting Lawyers Loses Lawsuits !
25
May
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If you’re like most people, you don’t trust lawyers … I don’t either!
THE LAW OF THE CASE
23
May
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How safe and secure is your law practice environment?
18
Apr
A new nonprofit organization has emerged to help lawyers assess the safety and security of their law practice environment. The organization is the International Legal Technology Standards Organization and it recently released a set of standards that law firms can used to evaluate:
- the law firm’s internal security standards; and
- help law firm’s make informed decisions about "cloud computing" vendors and other hosting arrangements where confidential data is stored outside of the physical office of the law firm
The Standards are much more detailed and comprehensive than the ABA/LPM’s eLawyering Task Force publication of Cloud Computing Guidelines for Law Firms.
Disclosure: I am on the Advisory Board of ILTSO and provided some guidance to the development of the standards.
The standards are being circulated for comment before final publication.
The standards offer a sensible definition of "reasonable under the circumstances" by recognizing that different types of law firms have different security needs, although all lawyers are bound to prevent the disclosure of client data. Law firms are categorized into three types of situations:
- "Bronze – this standard is appropriate in every law practice, including solo practices."
- "Silver – this standard is typically appropriate for firms of more than one attorney, or where circumstances or resources dictate."
- "Gold – this standard is typically appropriate for larger firms or those with additional IT resources, or where circumstances or resources dictate."
The idea of categorizing law practice environments into these three categories is a new idea, as some of the standards only apply to the Gold and Silver category. The intent is to recognize that law firms have different IT capabilities and the size of the law firm usually determines how the law firm will approach the problem of securing client and other firm data.
At this point of development, the law firm is responsible for undertaking their own self-assessment. Law firms can apply to the standards to their own law practice environment and if in compliance display the ILTSO seal.
At some point, I can see where ILTSO might undertake an independent assessment of a law firm’s security arrangements and if it compliance with the standards, award a certificate like the Truste certification which assesses an organization’s privacy policies. A small fee could be charged for this assessment and it would vary depending on whether the type of law firm practice environment is Bronze, Silver, or Gold. This would give assurance to clients that all reasonable efforts have been taken to secure the confidentiality of their data.
It will be interesting to see how the organized bar responds to these standards, as their are entities both at the state level, and the American Bar Association that are analyzing these same subjects.
The ABA Ethics 20/20 Commission, for example, has been holding hearings on cloud computing and security of data and has released a working paper on this subject.
Just last week, the Commission released its recommendations on outsourcing, which is a process that has an impact on the confidentiality of client data. The recommendations have not yet been posted on the Commission’s web site, but the ABA Journal reports that:
"The commission proposes revisions to the Model Rules recognizing that electronically stored information, including metadata, is material subject to confidentiality rules. It also proposed revisions directing lawyers to make reasonable efforts to prevent inadvertent disclosure of information relating to representation of a client."
ILTSO’s new standards would give concrete meaning to the definition of "reasonable efforts" and provide a detailed framework that could guide attorney assessment of particular outsourcing and cloud computing arrangements.
A positive impact of having this evaluation framework in place might be the accelerated adoption of technologies, such as cloud computing. Compliance with the guidelines would support a law firm’s assertion that the firm has taken all reasonable steps to secure client data to reduce its liability in case of a security breach over which the firm had no control.
An unanticipated consequence might be a slow down in adoption, as the lack of clarity in this area might give many lawyers a reason not to become "early adopters." Many lawyers might choose to wait until standards like ILTSO’s are accepted by a broad base of legal organizations and law firms.
Of course, by then, the "real" early adopters will have acquired a first mover advantage over law firms that are still thinking about the subject, to the those firms competitive disadvantage.
Arizona Child Support Calculator
06
Apr
Arizona child support calculator Here’s essential information to estimate child support in Arizona. How much is owed?
How do you get back child support in Arizona? This free support estimator gives you a general idea of where you
stand with child custody and support rulings in the state of AZ
Getting a Patent For Your Idea or Invention
03
Jan
A client came to me today wanting to know if I could represent him to obtain a patent for an idea he had. He said that he contacted a patent attorney, the only one in the phone book, and he wanted $9,000.00 for representation. I had to tell him that I could not represent him in the matter. Patent law is considered a very specialized practice in the legal profession. Most patent lawyers have a scientific and/or engineering background and even passed a special bar exam in addition to the one all other attorneys passed. Their specialized skills and expertise command high fees.
Consistent with the recuring theme of this site, you can file for a patent without an attorney. You will have to spend a lot of time doing the research and drafting the necessary documents, but it can be done.
Before embarking on the acquisition of a patent, make sure your idea or invention is one that is patentable. You must have a unique idea that is not yet for sale or known about. This means you have to research the idea to insure it is original.
Furthermore, you must be able to describe all aspects of your invention. A simple idea is not patentable. For example, I think we should all have affordable flying cars and robot maids. However, I don’t have any knowledge of how to put these ideas into place, so I could not obtain a patent. You should have well crafted designs and ideally, you should make prototypes showing that your idea actually works.
Consider the economic viability of your invention. Weigh the likely market for your product, the cost of production, and determine if it is likely to be profitable. If not, it is not worth the costs of obtaining a patent.
Once you’ve determined that a patent is right for you, you can obtain a provisional patent for a fraction of the cost and effort that the regular patent will cost. This will allow you patent pending status for one year. During this time, you can start marketing your product to test the waters. You may then file for a regular patent.
This article was based on a real question somebody had. If you have a question about a legal matter that you’d like answered, please do not hesitate to contact FreeForLaw.com. Also, if you’d like to purchase a product, such as a book from Nolo, and you find the information on FreeForLaw.com helpful, please link from this site to help pay to keep this site up and running. Here are some publications you might find helpful:
What Happens If You Die Without a Will?
06
Oct
In truth, you have a will whether you know it or not. Note, the government does not take your property, this is a common misconception. However, if you never made a formal will, your state government made one for you. It is located in statutes commonly referred to as the laws of intestate succession. In Ohio, it is located in Title XXI of the Revised Code, Chapter 2105. You can see exactly what it says here. In a nutshell, your estate would be distibuted to your next of kin as defined in the code. To get a good idea of how your property would be distributed, here is a valuable resource to calculate that for you.
This only applies to probate assets. What probate assets are and how to avoid probate will be the subjects of future articles.
If you do not like that distribution, you will have to prepare a will to ensure your estate is distributed the way you want it. Even if intestate succession does distribute your property to your liking, there are other reasons to have a will. Often there is question as to whether you had a will, which can lead to arguments and complex litigation among family members. This is especially true if one or more family members were under the impression that you were leaving them something (or lie and say you did). Your will would clarify that. Also, you can put other dieing wishes in your will such as who you want to raise your children and your burial wishes. While these clauses may not be enforcible, at least your wishes will be known (again subjects for future articles).
