LEGAL ISSUES IN LONGMONT, CO

Our pledge of allegiance is a promise to ourselves, for we are America. The United States is a geographical land mass, but America is us. "Justice for all" should mean all of us, not just the wealthy or those accused of crimes who can't afford an attorney. It should also mean for all victims of any crime or breach of contract. The sad fact is many Americans can't afford, or at the very least, feel they can't afford an attorney for most instances.

How much more would you use legal services if you were shown a way that made legal assistance more affordable? More about that later.

Ninety percent of all civil cases never see the inside of a courtroom. Someone wisely asked me to prove that statement. If you search the internet you will find many, many sites that tout that statistic. I offer you three of them here along with the actual numbers that they published. www.bisjournals.com (97%), www.statisticsbrain.com (98%), and www.thelawdictionary.org (95%). The amount of civil court cases is absolutely staggering. According to The U.S Courts report at www.uscourts.gov, in 2010 the federal courts alone had 282,895 cases and that's just the federal courts. It's easy to see that when you add in all the state and county courts, the numbers of cases reach into the millions per year.

I'll be the first to admit that I have told my fair share of lawyer jokes. A good attorney friend of mine has a sign in his basement that reads, "The more lawyers I know, the better I like my dog." However, I must also admit the times are literally countless when I wish I could call an attorney to get an opinion or a little help on a minor issue. Like most people, until recently I would not make those calls because it was cost prohibitive. For example, have you ever been promised a rebate or refund and then it didn't materialize? You would like to have help chasing after it, but if it can't be done for less than what is owed to you it's not financially feasible.

When thinking of using a lawyer, most of us are thinking of such things as wills and trusts, or lawsuits, or maybe reviewing contracts or property sales or purchases. In other words, we only think of them for the bigger things because that is where we can begin to justify the price. Of course, this starts to define the other problem, because just one lawyer won't do. Lawyers, like many other professions, specialize in one particular area. You don't go to a dentist for a rash on your arm. You go to a dermatologist. If you want a lawyer to help you with a real estate transaction and you want the best, then you don't go to a lawyer who specializes in family law. This brings to light the importance of having affordable access to a law firm as opposed to just a single attorney.

Staying FINANCIALLY INTACT requires that we not allow people to take advantage of us and that we get what is rightfully ours. It also requires that we utilize certain financial documents to protect ourselves from those who wish to make our money their money.

In the next section we will be talking about identity theft, and it was while we were researching identity theft restoration products that we found a company called LegalShield. Their services cost around $20 per month, and it's amazing what you get for your money. One of the things you get is a professionally prepared will, living will, and medical power of attorney.

Needless to say, it didn't take me long to decide to become a LegalShield member. I would like to relate to you this story. My son-in-law is also a member and he was trying to get a copy of a one-page document from a Florida court (he lives in Colorado). So he called Florida and was told they don't "entertain" requests by phone. (Personally, I would have had a comment or two about that choice of words.) He was told to make his request by email and it would take about 5 days for a response. After 5 days he re-contacted them and asked where the document was, and they told him it could take another 10 days or so. His next step was to call the Colorado LegalShield office. LegalShield called Florida on his behalf, and within a couple hours a lawyer from the Florida office contacted him to make sure they understood the request. Bottom line, 2 days later he had the document in hand. Now, I don't know what it would have cost him on a normal basis, but I do know he would not have considered using a law firm for such a minor issue if he had had to pay for it on an hourly basis.

The bottom line is that in order for us to stay Financially Intact we need access to good legal help. If you would like more information about LegalShield, please follow this link: www.ravejrostek.legalshieldassociate.com. On the righthand side of that page there is a Videos button that allows you to watch 6 short videos that are only 2 to 5 minutes long. If you have further questions, please give us a call. As a full disclosure here I (Ron Vejrostek) am a LegalShield Independent Associate.