Understand Your Rights. Solve Your Legal Problems
If you want to make a difficult time a little easier to cope with, you should considering using a bail bond service. When you do, you can get the following benefits:
If you want to get out of jail quickly, you must look for reputable bail bond companies. Don't hire someone who just offers services without any kind of certification—instead, look for a service that's been licensed by your state. This is important because it means they know how to operate in your state—they know which documents to file, how to fill them out, and the procedures of appropriately filing them.
If they're experienced, they also know who to talk to about your bond. If they have a proven track record, they usually receive leeway when it comes to approval. They'll handle all your paperwork, and you only have to wait for your release papers. A bail bond service can even do this at a much faster pace than you would be able to if you personally handled the bail.
When you're charged with a crime, a bail amount is set by a judge. The amount depends on the nature of your crime and whether you're a flight risk. Bail generally tends to range from $500–$20,000.
If you can't pay your bail, you have to stay in jail until the end of your trial. But with a bail bond agent or the service of bail bond agents, you can get out of jail quickly. It's because they'll pay for your bail in exchange for their guarantee that you appear on your trial dates.
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Of course, you have to pay them, too. However, you won't have to pay them the full amount of the bail. Instead, you'll only pay at least 10% of the full bail and other service charges. Thus, you can save up to 90% of your bail and use it for your court trials instead.
If you choose to pay your bail on your own, you have to pay the full amount. This means liquidating your assets if you don't have enough cash or savings. You can prevent this by hiring bail bond agents.
Not only are you only paying 10% of your bail but, when you hire the services of a bail bond company, you get to choose your payment plan. If you don't have the cash to pay everything off immediately, you can negotiate on your bail bonds with the bail bond company. That way, you can budget your monthly expenses appropriately without going broke. You can pay these services using checks, debit, or credit. Some even offer a secure online payment portal.
Being arrested is stressful, especially if it’s your first time. What’s even more distressing is having to pay a large bail in full. Instead of getting a loan or liquidating your other assets, you can hire a bail bond service to help you pay for your bail. In exchange, you only pay 10% of the full amount of bail. With this, you can get out of jail and pay the charge in installments. This is beneficial because you get to pay only a fraction of your bail while you can get out freely.
Below, Lawyer Monthly hears from Chris Bishop, managing partner of Slater Heelis, on how a political conscience is something firms should encourage rather than fear.
“Avoid ‘virtue signalling’ – retweets, likes or joining online campaigns to indicate a personal view.”
“Do not support campaigns no matter how apparently worthy the cause or how much their message appears to be accepted or uncontroversial.”
So reads the BBC’s much-discussed social media guidelines, issued to its staff back in October. The initiative of newly appointed Director General Tim Davie, the rules are intended to safeguard public trust and maintain a standard of “BBC impartiality”. Disciplinary action, including potential termination of contract, faces those in breach.
We’re all aware, I’m sure, of the age-old separation of political and professional spheres, but since when did canvassing for change become grounds for dismissal? To me the opposite rings true: a social conscience is a compelling reason for employment.
A debate over whether the BBC’s social media policy exceeds mere “professional discipline” is beyond the scope of this article, but it does raise some important and prickly questions: what constitutes the “controversial” and who decides this? Can anything ever truly be impartial? And perhaps more importantly, should it be? Many people, myself included, would argue that being apolitical is in fact a political choice.
The prevailing belief in the legal sector has long been that to kickstart your career you must squash political passion and bow your head. Many risk-averse practitioners would sooner champion the “uncontroversial” before vocalising their opinion because it’s easier that way. More often than not, complacency trumps campaigning in the legal world, and this must change.
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We need “disruptors”, those willing to challenge status quo – people who are willing to actively participate in peaceful protest to further social justice campaigns such as Climate Change and BLM, even though the establishment might try to label such actions unlawful and threaten arrest. An individual with a questioning mindset will provoke reflection across a firm, pressing people to hold themselves to account.
Everything comes full circle too. This kind of energised, provocative thinking won’t only influence a firm’s ethos and culture, but encourage it to critically interrogate almost everything about itself – including its professional practices and processes. It’s not all high-level, abstract change; there are immediate practical applications.
We’re seeing this ourselves at Slater Heelis. Young, more sustainably- and digitally-minded employees are bringing about crucial operational reform – from minimising paper use to improve our environmental impact, to modernising processes from a digital perspective to make the business work more efficiently. As scenes get busier and workloads intensify, this is increasingly important.
Investing in young talent is also an education for older generations of lawyers. If a new starter has the confidence to challenge a senior lawyer on a contentious matter, they should be able to provide an answer; if they can’t, it’s probably a good indication that things need to change.
There are few careers in which being argumentative is considered a good thing, but as I see it, in law it’s practically a non-negotiable. Being able to make a case, defend a point of view, and demonstrate a thought process are indispensable qualities to have in this sector. That’s why if you’re 18-25 years old and your qualifications don’t immediately apply to law, it’s no reason to write off a law career. We’re looking for individuals with potential, who can develop these kinds of communication and critical thinking skills – and I think being politically alert and socially engaged plays a part in that.
More often than not, complacency trumps campaigning in the legal world, and this must change.
It’s about time, in both the legal world and more broadly, that we embrace political passion and provocative thought as assets, not threats to a kind of illusory impartiality. To me, it is those young lawyers who are inquisitive, alert and active around the issues that matter who will animate and revolutionise an otherwise slow-moving legal sector.
There’s nothing wrong with being an “activist” or “loud-mouthed” lawyer, as one Government source recently put it – in fact, I’d rather encourage it.
The UK Supreme Court on Friday dismissed ride-hailing giant Uber’s appeal against an earlier ruling that deemed its drivers to be workers rather than self-employed.
The decision means that tens of thousands of Uber drivers in the UK will be entitled to a minimum wage and holiday pay among other bonuses, ending a long-running legal battle.
Friday’s ruling marks Uber’s last appeal in the case. After first appealing against an initial employment tribunal ruling in favour of former Uber drivers James Farrar and Yaseem Aslam in October 2016, the company then took the case to the High Court after the ruling was upheld.
“It’s the end of the road for Uber’s mistreatment of drivers,” wrote trade union GMB in a tweet. “Time for Uber to accept its responsibilities, compensate drivers and discuss a way forward.”
In addition to potentially leaving Uber with a significant compensation bill, the ruling could have wider implications for the gig economy in the UK.
Co-lead claimant James Farrar, general secretary of the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) hailed the decision as a “win-win” for drivers, customers and cities.
“It means Uber now has the correct economic incentives not to oversupply the market with too many vehicles and too many drivers," he said. "The upshot of that oversupply has been poverty, pollution and congestion."
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While it is yet unclear exactly what the wider impact of the case will be on employment in the gig economy, a crucial piece of the ruling specified that Uber must consider its drivers to be “workers” from the time they log on to the company’s app until they log off again. Ube drivers typically log onto the app and wait for people to book rides.
The company previously stated that, if the Court found its drivers to be workers, it would only consider them as such for the time during journeys when a passenger was present in their car.
The UK court’s decision follows only months after California residents approved the Proposition 22 ballot measure, which grants ride-hailing apps exemption to the state’s labour laws distinguishing full employees from independent contractors.
Also referred to as RTAs, road traffic accidents are exactly as the term implies. If you have been involved in a road accident as a result of another person's negligence, you are eligible for filing a claim for car damage on the responsible individual or company's motor insurance policy. The cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle is covered by the responsible party's insurance, but what if you were hurt? What about this cost?
An insurance claim in this situation does not cover any injury costs, lost earnings, or the pain and trauma caused by the accident. If you sustained an injury in an RTA, a lawyer can help you make a personal injury claim. It does not matter whether you were the pedestrian, cyclist, passenger, or driver. If that happens, contact a legal professional for help.
Employers are responsible for the safety of employees at work. They are legally mandated to make the workplace and the work you do as safe as possible. Ideally, they are required to train you properly and provide the necessary personal protective equipment required for the task.
Experiencing an accident while working can be stressful and can leave you feeling anxious about your ability to work as well as your finances. This kind of worry can even interfere with recovery. It is important to keep in mind that health & safety at work legislation and employment law are on your side when it comes to accidents at work. Both protect your rights, particularly if you are scared of filing a personal injury claim against the employer.
A team of experienced personal injury lawyers can help you get the compensation you require to lead a normal life after suffering an accident at work.
Employers are responsible for the safety of employees at work.
It is a general misconception that slips, trips, and falls mean minor injuries like scrapes and cuts. However, they tend to form a substantial part of the personal injury claims that law firms deal with. Slips, trips and falls can cause severe harm such as spinal injuries, broken bones, head or brain trauma.
If you fall in public, there is no need to feel embarrassed as accidents happen all the time. The owner of the property you fell in has an obligation to ensure the premises are safe for everyone. If they have failed, then your slip and fall was due to their negligence and could have been avoided.
We know how overwhelming and sad it can be to lose a loved one or see them badly injured. In such hard times, a team of experienced personal injury lawyers can provide advice and suggest the way forward.
Any compensation you get from the party responsible can help provide the much-needed support. For instance, it can help cover ongoing medical treatment or home adaptations.
You should also contact a personal injury lawyer if you have experienced any kind of medical negligence. There are different kinds of negligence, including ophthalmological (eye) treatment, dental, or incorrect medical treatment.
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You can be eligible for a medical negligence claim if you or a loved one has experienced any of the following:
-Misdiagnosis, delay in diagnosis, or failure to diagnose that harms or worsens an existing condition.
-A mistake during a surgical procedure that injures you or worsens an existing condition.
-Medication mis-prescription or any other kind of incorrect treatment that results in harm.
Also, you can make a personal injury claim for negligence in medical treatment that left you or a loved one in pain for longer than it should be.
These are the common forms of personal injuries that you are eligible to file for if you were not responsible. As mentioned earlier, do not hesitate to reach out to a lawyer who specialises in personal injury if you feel one of the above cases applies to you.
Alistair Vigier, CEO of ClearWay Law, examines the video turned social media phenomenon and what it has to say about the struggles encountered by many lawyers today.
For those of you that haven’t seen it, I’ve included a link to the cat attorney video below. Chances are you’ve already watched it many times. The video is hilarious and cute. However, it shows a deep problem going on in society that no one talks about.
That issue is that people are struggling to get the court orders they need because of how “old school” many lawyers are. Lawyers in their 70s and 80s have been forced to adjust to many decades of technology, and it hasn’t been going smoothly.
The other issue is that people don’t seem to appreciate how stressful it is to go to court. People love making fun of attorneys, but when people get in trouble and go through a divorce or lawsuit, it’s the attorney that’s there to help them. Attorneys deserve the same respect as doctors or nurses.
In this Insider article, it notes the attorney's past history. Was that really necessary? Is everything an opportunity to throw a lawyer under the bus? Lawyers are not politicians (yet.) They are not in the public light.
Everyone has had to adjust to video meetings due to COVID-19. There are videos on the internet of people using the toilet while on video with their co-workers, and an attorney having sex during a court hearing. This last week, an attorney had to explain to a judge that they are not a cat. Without a doubt, that will go down as one of the best court transcriptions of all time.
In the video, even with the cat filter on, it’s clear how stressed out the lawyer is. You can see it in the cat’s eyes. While the video is funny, I know how stressful it is when something goes wrong in court.
Some people have started sharing memes saying, “If your attorney looks like this, you are going to jail.” That’s harsh. I think the attorney handled the situation with grace. The lawyer said, “If I can make the country chuckle for a moment in these difficult times they’re going through, I’m happy to let them do that at my expense.” That’s classy and I respect that.
In the video, the “cat lawyer” was there representing Texas. So no, no one was going to jail because their attorney looked like a cat.
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What I found ironic was that the court had a notice on the screen saying that if someone records the hearing, they could be fined or go to jail. Because the situation was funny, the judge posted the video to YouTube, I assume without the attorney permission. While the court might have the right to do this, is it appropriate?
For the first time, the public has had a peek into how poorly attorneys and many courts have dealt with COVID-19. Lawyers had to adjust to fifty years of technology in a matter of days. Everyone did their best given the situation, but the legal industry shouldn’t have been so old school in the first place. This created too steep of a learning curve.
Prior to COVID-19, lawyers struggled with scanning documents, and many did not have websites. Law school teaches how the law was created in England centuries ago, instead of teaching law students how to use technology to improve their law practices.
I’ve had my own struggles. When there was an issue with noise at my home, I had to rush to the middle of a park to do a hearing.
I suggest law schools start adjusting for the present, and maybe the courts and lawyers will follow suit. These past eleven months have been brutal, and I can’t wait to get back into court in person.
Always remember, attorney cats are still attorneys, and they deserve your respect.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev will testify before Congress on Thursday, explaining his platform’s decision to abruptly suspend trading in GameStop and other volatile stocks during a retail investment rush in January.
Reddit CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman, Citadel CEO Kenneth Griffin, Melvin Capital CEO Gabriel Plotkin and influential online trader Keith Gill are also set to testify before the US House Financial Services Committee.
The purpose of the Thursday hearing is to give the committee a better sense of what occurred during the week of frenzied trading. Speaking with CNBC, MP Securities analyst Devin Ryan predicted that the hearing “will focus on understanding exactly what occurred during the week of service disruptions, making sure that all activity was appropriate and also determining how to avoid a similar event in the future.”
In the three weeks that have passed since Robinhood restricted trading in several equities at the centre of the buying frenzy sparked by investment forum r/WallStreetBets, Robinhood has been sued more than 90 times by investors claiming that the platform’s actions were unlawful.
However, it is unlikely that many of the aggrieved investors will receive a day in court, as a clause in Robinhood’s user agreement requires disputes brought by users to be settled in arbitration rather than the civil court system. There is potential for a class action lawsuit to move forward in spite of this, due to US regulations.
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During an interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Vlad Tenev described Robinhood’s decision as necessary to meet clearinghouse deposit requirements, and not an attempt to manipulate the market in favour of Wall Street short-sellers who were being squeezed.
Tenev dismissed claims that Robinhood’s hand was forced by partner Citadel Securities as “getting into conspiracy theories”.
Global payments giant Mastercard has come under investigation by Switzerland’s competition authority as part of a probe into whether the company broke national rules governing transactions using other banks’ cash machines.
Switzerland’s National Cash Scheme (NCS) is a new set of rules that allows bank cards to be used at any ATM operated by Swiss banks instead of being limited to those run by their issuing bank.
The initiative was created by SIX, a company which operates various facets of Switzerland’s financial infrastructure, including the national stock exchange. SIX complained last year that Mastercard was refusing to link its cards to the new system, potentially obstructing the rollout of NCS.
The Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) is now investigating these allegations.
“The obstruction occurs because Mastercard refuses to co-badge the NCS on the new debit Mastercard,” a spokesperson for the watchdog said in a statement on Tuesday, referring to the practice of adding a second payment application or brand onto a debit card.
The spokesperson added: “COMCO is now investigating whether Mastercard has abused its position as a dominant company. Precautionary measures were taken for the duration of the investigation.”
COMCO did not give any guidance as to the timing of the investigation, which may last for years.
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A spokesperson for Mastercard said that the firm is aware of COMCO’s investigation, but noted that it is “an interim procedural step and does not imply any breach of Swiss Competition law by Mastercard or any other player.”
“Mastercard is of the opinion that the Commission’s decision to impose interim measures is not justified and intends to appeal these measures,” the spokesperson concluded.
If your child is injured at school, it’s important to keep a clear head and work out what to do next. Read on for some advice, so you are prepared if the worst does happen.
Before worrying about what happened and who is at fault, deal with your child first. They will likely be upset and want you there with them. They may even be in the hospital and you will have to deal with that before talking to the school.
If there has been an accident involving your child, the school will most likely call you. Depending on the severity of the incident, collect your child and take them for a check-up or a trip to the ER. If the accident is really bad, your child might already have been transported to hospital.
Once you are happy your child is going to be OK, it’s time to speak to the school to find out what happened.
Before you start blaming anyone and everyone, get the facts of what happened straight in your mind. Speak to your child’s teacher or principal. Try to stay calm and definitely don’t lose your temper, even if you feel the school is at fault in some way.
It’s very important to get the facts of the case. The school may not be at fault if your child was misbehaving in some way or in an area they were not supposed to access. The injury could also have been caused by another child as part of a playground fight.
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It’s a good idea to record any conversations you have with the school. There are lots of apps that can do this for you. If there were any witnesses, such as other children, speak to them. If you plan on filing a lawsuit against the school for negligence, the evidence is important, so collect as much as possible in the preliminary stages while everyone is off-guard.
Once you know the facts, you can decide what to do next. If you decide to take legal action, consult a reputable attorney with experience of personal injury claims. They will be able to advise you on whether you have a legitimate claim and any hope of compensation for your child.
Schools are obliged to do everything in their power to provide a safe environment for children. This means the fixtures and fittings should be well maintained and safe, and students should be properly supervised at all times. The school’s duty of care extends to school transport if it is provided by the school, so if your child has an accident on a school bus, the school is at fault. Schools are also supposed to prevent bullying by other pupils or abuse by teachers and other adults in positions of authority.
If you have any reason to believe that your child’s school could and should have prevented your child from being injured in any way, always consult a lawyer for advice.
Global law firm Jones Day confirmed on Tuesday that a file transfer platform it used was recently compromised, affecting data held by the firm.
California-based cloud computing company Accelion “was recently compromised and information taken,” according to a statement on Sunday from Dave Petrou, Jones Day’s senior manager of global public relations.
"Jones Day's network has not been breached. Nor has Jones Day been the subject of a ransomware attack," Petrou specified. He added that the firm will continue to address the incident “with affected clients and appropriate authorities.”
Jones Day’s confirmation comes as hackers going by the name Clop claimed to have stolen documents from the firm, posting screenshots allegedly taken from their files on DataBreaches.net over the weekend.
The screenshots appeared to be of both a “confidential mediation brief” addressed to a judge and a cover letter for some “confidential documents” addressed to counsel on all sides of an ongoing case. Both documents were written on Jones Day letterhead.
The news follows two weeks after internal communications at Goodwin Procter revealed that some of its clients’ data may have been exposed during a breach affecting a third-party vendor. Goodwin Procter did not name Accelion in its correspondence.
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Jones Day is a US firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. It holds a staff of over 2,500 attorneys worldwide, with prominent clients including Fortune 500 companies and a gross annual revenue of over $2 billion per year. It has recently faced criticism for representing the Republican Party in post-election litigation in Pennsylvania.
The law protects and allows victims to recover from damages and injuries that are caused by another. Presenting your case to court allows you to receive the compensation that you need to pay medical fees and other expenses. It also allows you to receive justice after going through a traumatic event.
Despite that, some victims still feel hesitant to seek legal assistance. Fear, doubts, and lack of information about the proper procedures contribute to that hesitation. But for incidents like this, it is best to reach out to a personal injury lawyer who can advise you of the proper action to take so that your rights and interests will be fully protected.
Below, we will discuss when you should make a personal injury claim.
Many cases would usually involve multiple parties such as rear-end car accidents. In these instances, each party is financially accountable for damages and injuries that were caused to the other.
Oftentimes, the driver who caused the crash bears most of the fault. However, the penalty could be reduced if it is found that there was contributory negligence on your part or from the other parties. Rear-end crashes are often complicated, and it is sometimes hard to determine who is actually at fault.
If you were injured in a car accident and multiple drivers could be blamed, you might want to hire and consult a competent lawyer at an auto accident law firm. A legal representative can send demand letters on your behalf, and even help you initiate court proceedings to compel the other parties to settle any damages caused to your car. Through your lawyer, you can also demand reimbursement for the medical bills you incurred due to the accident.
If you were injured in a car accident and multiple drivers could be blamed, you might want to hire and consult a competent lawyer at an auto accident law firm.
You acquired an insurance policy for a reason—and that is to be protected. Unfortunately, some insurance companies take advantage of policyholders who have no idea of the processes involved in making a personal injury claim.
These companies may immediately offer settlement fees that are less than a fraction of what you should have received. Some may even attempt to circumvent the policy and claim that the incident is not covered.
A lawyer, however, can help demand insurance claims on your behalf. A lawyer would know how to interpret the insurance contract with your best interests in mind. You can be assured that your lawyer can argue the terms and conditions of the policy in your favor.
Failure to file a lawsuit within a specific period may permanently bar your claim. This is what the statute of limitations means. However, the period may vary depending on your state. In some states, personal injury claims based on negligence should be filed or raised within just a year from the accident. Some states, however, allow a six-year limitation for such claims.
Moreover, keep in mind that a single lawsuit can have multiple claims that might be subject to varying limitations. With this, it would be better to reach out to a lawyer right after the accident so you can file your case on time and increase your chances of receiving the compensation you truly deserve.
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The process of making a personal injury claim may seem overwhelming or stressful. However, it is crucial to remember that a competent attorney will be with you in every single undertaking. Likewise, there are personal injury law firms that offer free consultations, so you don’t have to be afraid about initial costs. Aside from that, you don’t have to settle every claim in court. Your lawyer may instead facilitate a settlement that will be fair to you and all the other parties involved.
