What A Divorce Lawyer Can Do For You

Divorce is undoubtedly a life-changing decision that brings along huge stress for both spouses. It is essential to contact an experienced divorce lawyer to explore the best options and reach conclusions that are in your best interests. He can help you make informed decisions and resolve other divorce related issues. Here are some ways a divorce lawyer can be helpful.

• Understand the divorce procedure: A divorce lawyer can help you understand every step of the divorce proceedings. He will thoroughly analyze the case as well as the relevant precedents to determine the potential outcomes. He will also let you know about the questions that can be asked by the prosecuting attorney and the right way to answer them.
• Answer your queries: Your divorce lawyer will clear any doubts that you have regarding the case. He will answer all your queries and concerns about divorce, child custody, alimony, child support, property division etc. The lawyer will also help you understand the divorce laws and keep you updated about the case proceedings.
• Handle paperwork: A lawyer will file the divorce petition in the court and dispatch summons to the other party. If your spouse has filed for divorce, your lawyer will be responsible to submit a response. He will also take care of all the paperwork such as motion for custodial support, temporary visitation arrangements, asset disclosure etc.
• Mediation: Another important role played by a divorce lawyer is acting as a mediator. He helps in resolving the disputes between you and your spouse so that a conclusion can be reached with mutual consent.  During mediation, he ensures that both the parties agree upon a fair decision and that your rights are fully protected.
• Protects the interests: A divorce lawyer helps to protect your best interests regarding your assets and spousal alimony. He ensures that the earnings are equitably distributed and you receive a justified amount for alimony as well as child support.
• Settle issues related to child custody: If you have children, then the divorce lawyer helps you settle issues related to child custody. He negotiates the child visitation rights and various reliefs that the law grants. He prepares temporary visitation orders and custody arrangements.
• Attend court hearings: Your lawyer will handle the court trials, maintain files and copies of all the documents that need to be presented to the judge. He will keep you informed about each step and try to expedite the finalization of the case.

By hiring a divorce lawyer, you can eliminate the need to deal with the complexities of the case and make decisions that can have a positive impact on you or your child’s life.

Factors Used To Determine Child Custody

When a divorce takes place, there are a number of important issues that need to be resolved. However, one of the most critical and sensitive matters is to determine the custody of the children. Even in a collaborative divorce, working out which parent will be responsible for the upbringing of the child is quite stressful. Both spouses are always encouraged to mutually agree on the issue of child custody. However, if this is not possible, the court may need to get involved to make a decision.

There are numerous factors that affect the verdict regarding child custody. Generally, the main goal of the decision is to provide a safe and secure environment for the child to live and flourish. Some of these factors are:

• Consistency: While making a decision, the main focus of the court is not to disrupt the child’s life. Thus, it takes into consideration the previous home environment and the primary caregiver. For instance, if the mother has been looking after the child, giving the custody to the father would be upsetting and distressing for the child. Also, if the child will be living in a new home, its location, accessibility to school, parks, healthcare facilities will also be considered.
• Parental Fitness: Although the physical impairment of a parent is not considered by the court, his/her ability to look after the child properly is definitely a determining factor. The judge carefully analyzes the physical, emotional and mental well-being of each parent. If any of the parties has a previous criminal or felony record, getting a verdict in his/her favor is a tough task.
• Maintaining family relationships: The one who is more likely to encourage a healthy and long-term relation with the other parent has more chances to receive the custody. A history of interference in visitation rights can also be detrimental to your custody petition.
• Child’s Preference: Depending upon the age of the child, the court may also ask about his likes and preferences. However, this not the sole evaluator for the decision. The judge may consider the child’s choice in conjunction with other factors.

In addition to the above mentioned, there are various other factors that are used to determine child custody. These may include history of substance abuse or assault, parenting skills, child’s physical and mental vulnerabilities, relationship with either parent, and sexual orientation of parents’ etc.

Benefits Of Hiring A Criminal Lawyer

Being involved in a crime, whether in the capacity of the victim or the supposed culprit is bound to take a huge toll on the day to day activities of one’s life. Apart from being subjected to the possible penalties, it is psychologically taxing too. If you’ve been accused of any kind of a criminal charge, ranging from a DWI to an assault, hiring a criminal lawyer in Killeen is your best bet. There are huge benefits of hiring an experienced professional criminal lawyer and some of them are as follows.

• Guidance through legal formalities: Even if you are very well versed with the law and are familiar with the proceedings of litigation, you will need a lawyer to help you work it all out in a proper way. A criminal lawyer is assuring and offers peace of mind by handling all the legal formalities and paperwork.
• Proper investigation: There is a lot that goes into defining a crime scene. Several possible evidences that can support your case. A simple wrong interpretation or lack of evidence can turn a case against you. If you seek professional help the investigation done will be thorough and detailed. Without a criminal lawyer’s intervention, the investigation work carried out by the authorities of law is usually superficial. You should hire a criminal lawyer who has prolific resources at his or her disposal to help you seek justice for you in Killeen.
• In reference to your employment and other aspects of personal life: Being charged with a criminal offence also affects your employment opportunities and consequently your pay scale as well. There are other aspects of your personal life that may be affected by a criminal charge. A criminal lawyer will help prevent and solve out these areas for you.
• You may get a pardon: If there is a genuine explanation behind your actions you may get a pardon. Sometimes a criminal lawyer, with his vast experience, may be able to make your tormented mental state work in your favor by getting a good judgment.
• Reduced punishment: If you are guilty of a crime, a lawyer can help reduce the fine or the sentence or both. You should hire a lawyer who has the resources and the influence to help you through your entire legal process.

What Are The Benefits Of Making A Will

Making a will is a smart decision that ensures that you are in control of who inherits your assets, instead of giving others the right to distribute your possessions. Even though it is natural to have reluctance towards contemplating your own death, but everyone should understand and accept that this is a very realistic possibility, and a will gives you the opportunity to be in charge of your affairs after your demise. Hiring an experienced family lawyer in Killeen can help to guide you through the process of creating a will, and ensure that you make a well-informed decision. Here is a look at the major benefits of choosing to make a will:

• A major benefit of making a will is the peace of mind that it grants you. You can enjoy the simple pleasures of life without having to worry of what will become of your assets after your demise. A will allows you to have everything taken care of, right from guardians for your children, to executors to manage your estate.
•  With all the emotional turmoil that entails the death of a loved one, a will can come as a welcome relief for family members and friends, as they shall know exactly what you expected. This helps to decrease the likelihood of family disputes and disagreements. You can make things even easier for them by including your funeral wishes in your will.
• A will can go a long way in maximizing the value of your savings and property, by protecting them from the effects of inheritance tax or residential care fees.
• Another major benefit of making a will is that it ensures financial security for your loved ones. This is a key decision that you can make to provide financial security for the people you really care for after you have gone. This is especially important in case of unmarried couples, where your partner will not be covered by the law of intestacy following your demise.
• If you have any possessions of sentimental value, such as your car, paintings, jewelry, a family heirloom, family photographs, war medals, etc., you can mention these as gifts in your will, to make sure that they land in the ownership of someone who will value them and preserve them.

There are several lawyers in Killeen who can help you in making creating your will and provide you with the experienced legal counsel you need through the process.

Things To Avoid During Divorce Proceedings

With the intense emotional pressure that surrounds a divorce, it is understandable why people end up making the worst mistakes during the period leading up to the divorce, and often have to live with these decisions for the rest of their lives.

Here is a look at some of the biggest pitfalls made during divorce proceedings:

• Making poorly informed decisions: While you might think that divorces are governed by common sense, and that you are smart enough to know what is right for you, the truth is that a divorce is a purely legal process, which is why it is important to seek legal counsel. Hiring an experienced divorce lawyer in Killeen can help make your job a lot easier, ensuring you understand the legal implications of every decision you make.
• Allowing the attorney to control the entire process: Although it is important to hire an attorney to guide you through the process, this does not mean that you completely hand over the reins of your divorce in his hands. It is important to remain involved throughout the process, and ask as many questions as you need, to ensure that you completely understand what you are signing up for.
• Following an approach of revenge: If you step into the courtroom with revenge against your soon-to-be ex-spouse being your prime motive, be ready for nothing more than an inflated ego. It sure might be satisfying to lash out at them and let the entire courtroom know how they have wronged you, but you need to understand that the court will not punish anyone without proper procedure and decorum followed.
• Settling too low or committing to high: When it comes to the financial aspects of a divorce, it is far too common for one party to be exploited without them even realizing it. Divorce lawyers can play a major role here, helping you to have a realistic view of what to expect in the years to come, and take into account often ignored aspects such as tax implications and inflation. Your goal should be to play it fair with everyone involved, you included.
• Letting emotions come in the way: Another common mistake witnessed is people choose a less-valuable asset like their marital home, over a much more lucrative one, like say, a share of their spouse’s pension. It is important to ensure that you do not let emotions govern the decisions you make during this testing time.

Custody Lawyer In Killeen TX

With all the emotional and mental turmoil involved in going through a divorce, it is usually difficult to remain levelheaded while dealing with a child custody case. Hiring a good custody lawyer can go a long way in helping you to handle the situation objectively, and make the best decision in the interest of your child/ children. The key question that needs to be addressed in a custody case is who the children will be spending maximum time with, out of both the parents.

Here is a look at some of the key benefits of hiring a custody lawyer:

• There are several different types of custodies that the court has to choose from. Hiring an experienced Killeen lawyer with experience in dealing with custody cases will help you better understand your options from a legal standpoint.
• If you think that joint custody could be the best option for your child, you will need to choose from some of the most proficient lawyers, to be able to convince the court of this decision. This is because most courts do not favor this custody settlement, due to the negative psychological outcome it is believed to have on the child.
• The role of the custody lawyer becomes even greater when both the parents involved are not on cordial terms with each other. In these cases, hiring the right custody lawyer could help to ensure that the final decision made by the court is fair, and protects the rights of everyone involved.
• One wrong statement passed in the court at the time of the hearing could work against you, and end up turning the entire ruling in the opponent party’s favor. A custody lawyer can prevent this from happening, by guiding you about the anticipated questions to expect, and the best answers to give to them.
• Custody lawyers have vast experiences in dealing with similar cases, and are well-versed with the laws governing the cases, due to which they might even be able to guide you on how to present an evident shortcoming, such as a history of drug abuse, or unemployment, in the right light. Your lawyer will give you the right advice on how to convince the court that you are capable of being a good parent.

Taking Legal Advice From Experts

Seeking the counsel of a lawyer can help you to effectively represent your interests in a wide variety of scenarios. Some of the most common cases for which people seek legal advice include divorces, child custody cases, writing a will, DUI allegations, personal injury cases, car accident cases, business launches, and facing a lawsuit. Following a well-structured protocol can help you in making the right choice while looking for a lawyer in Killeen TX. With all the lawyers available to choose from, it is imperative to carry out sufficient amount of research to ensure that you make the best possible choice in this regard.

To start with, you need to ensure that the lawyer that you are considering, has relevant experience in the field of law that you are seeking assistance in. For instance, a lawyer with extensive experience in drafting wills might not be the right choice for your child custody case. It is always a good idea to ask friends and family who have had previous experiences with a similar case for recommendations. You might also be able to get good advice on the right lawyer for your case from your state and local bar associations.

It is advisable to arrange consultations with more than one lawyer from shortlisted options, before you make a final decision. Ask relevant questions such as the method of payment, how long the case is expected to run, your chances of success, their modus operandi, etc., so as to be able to compare the different lawyers that you are considering.

Once you have chosen the final lawyer, you shall need to ask a more detailed set of questions, which should include the frequency of updates from the lawyer, the information that you shall be required to provide, the total expected cost, different approaches to your case, etc. You might also want to consider getting a written agreement from the lawyer.

Finally, make sure that you have a very clear understanding of all that you shall be expected to pay, and the payment arrangements that your lawyer shall opt for. Some lawyers might charge you for additional services such as copying documents, courier services, research services, filing fees, etc. The most common payment arrangements include contingency fee, flat fee, hourly charges, pre-paid legal plans, retainer, and low-cost public legal services. It is advisable to have good records of your entire case, by retaining copies of any original documents provided to the lawyer, and carefully reviewing the bill provided by the lawyer.

Killeen Personal Injury Lawyer For Defective Products

If you or any of your loved ones suffer personal injury as a result of a dangerous or damaged product, you can receive compensation in the form of “damages” from the company responsible for manufacturing the product and putting in the market. You need to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer with knowledge of defective products litigation. The damages for such an incident should cover medical expenses, lost wage, as well as compensation for pain and suffering. Most lawyers in Killeen have a no-fee policy, according to which you do not have to pay any fee to the personal injury lawyer until you get results for your case.

Depending on the nature of your case, your attorney may suggest you to pursue a class action, whereby all the members of the public who have been affected by the product will fight the case together. You might want to choose a lawyer specializing in the nature of product that has affected you. For instance, you can get Depo-Provera lawyers, asbestos lawyers, car defect lawyers, and a wide number of other specialization lawyers in Killeen TX.

One of the most common cases of damage due to defective products include food poisoning cases, which include the sale of contaminated foods like beef, chicken, pork, vegetables, milk products, etc. your lawyer will determine whether it was a case of E.coli poisoning, restaurant food poisoning, or any other case of food poisoning, and pursue the case accordingly. Other more severe cases of defective product injury include injuries incurred at the workplace due to design defects in a machine, defects in children’s toys, design flaws in lawn mowers or other garden equipment, defective drills, flammable clothing, faulty ladders, inadequate safety restraints, etc.

Even if the injury does not appear to be directly caused by a defect in the machinery, you can sue the manufacturing company for not including clear warnings and instructions regarding the use of the machinery. If you suffer injury due to a damaged product, you must click photographs of the site of injury to serve as proof of your claim, take note of any witnesses to the incident, and preserve any medical bills that you pay for treating the injury. Collecting this evidence can help in making your case stronger, hence assisting your personal injury lawyer in winning the compensation that you deserve.

Lawyer For Drug Possession In Killeen, Texas

Being found in the possession of drugs in the state of Texas can have severe consequences, depending on the nature of drugs and their quantity. Texas law divides drugs into four penalty groups, based on the severity of their possession. The drugs that are included in these categories are not limited to marijuana, cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, methamphetamine, PCP, opium, and morphine. The Texas state government incurs a lot of expenditure in the trial of drug offenders, aiming to set an example of them.

No matter how insignificant the amount of drugs you are found in possession of, you could face serious criminal charges, including going behind the bars, huge fines, and even a suspended driver’s license. In case the drug falls under penalty group 1, and you are found with large quantities, you could be at risk of being sentenced to life imprisonment.

Once you are accused of drug possession in Killeen, the first thing you need to do is hire a criminal lawyer to present your case in court. It is advisable to carry out enough research regarding lawyers in your area. When it comes to cases of drug possession, the experience of the lawyer makes a huge difference in determining the fate of case. Feel free to ask for references, and contact them regarding their experience with the lawyer in question.

Having the right lawyer can go a long way in reducing the severity of your conviction, especially in Killeen, TX, where drug possession is considered to be a serious criminal offense.  A well-experienced criminal lawyer will be able to assess the conditions of your arrest, and hence build a strong defense in your favor. For instance, it might be possible to gather evidence to prove that the drugs were planted on your property or on you without your knowledge, or that there wasn’t any proper evidence showing that you were in possession of drugs at the time of your arrest.

A common defense that works in favor of drug offenders is the violation of civil rights. Being well versed with the law, your criminal lawyer can carefully analyze the circumstances of your arrest, and find a way to show that your civil rights were violated at the time of your arrest. This could help to reduce the charges filed against you, or even completely drop them.

Personal Injury Claims: When You Need A Lawyer

Being involved in a case of personal injury can be a traumatic experience, with everything, right from the injury itself, to the medical bills and absence of work affecting your life. Add to this the pressure of dealing with dodgy insurance companies, and you have the perfect recipe for disaster. It is here that the role of a personal injury lawyer comes into play. While this might initially seem to be an unnecessary expense, the effect that it has on making you get what you deserve, and putting you in a strong position in front of the insurance company, makes it worth it.

The following list elaborates some situations in which it is a great idea to hire a personal injury lawyer-

• Long-term deformity- If the personal injury that you are fighting for involves a permanent or long-term deformity or disability, you can be entitled to a lot more than you could expect. Hiring the right lawyer in Killeen TX could help you correctly evaluate and fight for your rights.
• Severe injury- The severity of the injury usually plays a major role in determining how much you get in a case of personal injury. Various factors need to be taken into account in such a case, including the cost and duration of treatment, how the injury affected your normal life etc. Experienced lawyers in Killeen know just how to document such a case in your favor, making the judges see the details that they need to.
• Troublesome insurance companies- If you are lucky enough to have an insurance company that pays you what you deserve, you might be able to do without a personal injury lawyer. However, this is not always the case, and in case of fraudulent insurance companies, your best resort is to hire a lawyer to represent you.
• Medical malpractice cases- If you are embroiled in a case of medical malpractice, it is a good idea to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer, since it is usually difficult to get your way with such a complex case on your own.
• Toxic exposure- Despite the severity of toxic exposure, it can be difficult to gather sufficient scientific evidence in such a case. When you are in a legal battle against huge chemical industries, you need the support of a personal injury lawyer to portray your case strongly in court.