What is Legalisation by Apostille

What is Legalisation by Apostille?

An Apostille certificate is typically an A5 size piece of paper that is attached to the reverse side of the document it has been issued to. It must follow a strict format and contain specific information such as the country of issue, date of issue and details relating to the person or authority that has signed or sealed the document.

Why are Apostille Certificates required?

The simplest way to describe the need for an Apostille Certificate is this. Most people have a birth certificate and most of us know what one looks like. Now take your birth certificate to a foreign country and show it to an official in that country to identify yourself. It is unlikely your birth certificate is laid out in the same fashion as birth certificates in another country so how does the official know it is a legitimate document. The answer is, have an Apostille Certificate attached to it. The majority of countries accept documents once they have been legalised with an Apostille Certificate and will not require any further evidence as to the authenticity of the document.

How has this process come to exist and be accepted?

The Apostille Certificate was created by the Hague Conference, which is a global organisation bringing countries together to try and simplify legal systems from one country to another. Each country has its own legal system so members of the Hague Conference agree on certain issues to follow specific guidelines. The Apostille Certificate is one such agreement or convention, most member countries agree that a document which has been legalised with an Apostille Certificate in its country of origin will be accepted in any other member country. This removes the need for further evidence to be obtained to prove the documents authenticity.

Over 60 countries have agreed to this specific convention on Apostille Certificates, including the UK, most of Europe and the USA.

When is an Apostille Certificate needed?

Primarily it is required for legal transactions where a document from one country must be presented in another as part of a legal process. Most often this will involve business transactions but is becoming more common for property dealings and to settle the estate of a deceased person with assets overseas. Some of the most common documents requiring legalisation with an Apostille Certificate are Powers of Attorney, Passports, Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates.

How to obtain an Apostille?

Due to the complexity of handling varying documents specialist services exist to arrange the Apostille Certificate of your behalf. It is not just a case of supplying the original document and the Apostille Certificate gets issued. A document is handled dependant on what signatures or seals of authority it contains. Many documents will require additional certification prior to the issue of the Apostille Certificate. An experienced Legalisation
Service will be able to advice on this and in many cases can deal with any additional certification on your behalf. A service such as this has many benefits, one of which should be speed of service; the second is to ensure your document is issued with the Apostille Certificate on the first attempt as they should not get it wrong!

What is Legalisation by Apostille? / Author: Michael Harris

Arizona Lemon Law

Arizona Lemon Law

Arizona Lemon Laws and the federal Lemon Law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) provide for compensation to Arizona consumers of defective automobiles and trucks and other vehicles and products including motorcycles, RV’s, boats, computers and other consumer products.

If you purchase or lease a vehicle in Arizona and then discover that it has defects that substantially affect its safety, use or value, Arizona Lemon Law may help you gain satisfaction from the vehicle's manufacturer. Under the Arizona Lemon Law, new cars, leased cars, pre-owned cars, RV's, motor homes, motorcycles, boats and other consumer vehicles qualify for protection if they were accompanied by a written warranty. While the law cannot help everyone with a "lemon", and some people may have to hire an attorney to get their cases resolved, the law does create important rights for the consumers.

Circumstances in which the consumers seek protection under Arizona Lemon Law:

A. It is presumed that a reasonable number of attempts have been undertaken to conform a motor vehicle to the applicable express warranties if either:
1. The same nonconformity has been subject to repair four or more times by the manufacturer or its agents or authorized dealers during the shorter of the express warranty term or the period of two years or twenty-four thousand miles following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to the consumer, whichever is earlier, but the nonconformity continues to exist.
2. The motor vehicle is out of service by reason of repair for a cumulative total of thirty or more calendar days during the shorter of the express warranty term or the two year period or twenty-four thousand miles, whichever is earlier.
B. The term of an express warranty, the two year period and the thirty day period are extended by any period of time during which repair services are not available to the consumer because of any war, invasion, strike, fire, flood or other natural disaster.
C. The presumption prescribed in this section does not apply against a manufacturer unless the manufacturer has received prior direct written notification from or on behalf of the consumer of the alleged defect and has had an opportunity to cure the alleged defect.

Visit http://www.lemonlawamerica.com for more information on Arizona lemon law and other state lemon laws.

Differing from some laws in other states, the Arizona Lemon Law allows unsatisfied car buyers to sell the defective vehicle, or to trade it in for a different automobile. To preserve the consumer rights outlined in the Arizona Lemon Law , vehicles with warranty defects offered for sale must be accompanied by a written disclosure that declares the owner is aware of the automobiles defects (a written statement from a professional inspector is better), and the vehicle's manufacturer needs to be notified of the unsatisfied buyer's intention of sale or trade.

About the Author:
Ronaldo Wagh
www.LemonLawAmerica.com – Your source for State Lemon Laws and Free Case Review.

Author: Ronaldo Wagh

Setting up a new business in the U S Choosing between L 1 or E visa

Setting up a new business in the U.S.: Choosing between L-1 or E visa

Setting up a new business can be quite exciting. But there are also many challenges. In-depth market research and planning can minimize the risks. Foreign nationals setting up a business in the US face another challenge – which visa do they use to be able to enter the US to operate the business once it has been established?

Generally L-1 visas are used to set-up a new entity in the U.S. when it is a subsidiary, parent, branch, or affiliate of an overseas company. However, foreign nationals from countries with certain treaty with the U.S. have the choice of using E-1, E-2 or L-1 visa for establishing a new entity in the U.S. Let us first understand the situations under which each of these visa options can be used.

E-1 visa: The E-1 treaty trader visa allows nationals of an E-1 treaty nation to enter the U.S. and carry out substantial trade. Trade means the international exchange of goods, services and technology. The item of trade, and title of that item, must pass from one party to the other in exchange for consideration. The international trade between your home country and the U.S. must be ‘substantial’ in the sense that there is a sizable and continuing volume of trade. More than 50 per cent of the international trade involved must be between the U.S. and your home country.

E-2 visa: The E-2 treaty investor visa allows foreign entrepreneurs from E-2 treaty nations to enter into the U.S. for the purpose of directing and developing the operations of an enterprise they have invested in, or are in the process of investing, a substantial amount of capital. Investment activities include purchase of a new business. The investment must be significantly proportional to the total investment, that is, usually more than half the total value of the enterprise or, if a new business, an amount normally considered necessary to establish the business.

L-1 visa: The L-1 intra company transfer visa allows foreign nationals to enter the U.S. to open a new office in the U.S. of a foreign corporation, provided that premises for the U.S. office have been secured and money has been invested in or set aside for operation of the business. To qualify for an L-1 visa, the applicant must be an executive, a manager or an employee with specialized knowledge of the company’s business and its products and services, and the employee must have worked for the company overseas for one year in the three years before applying for the L-1 visa. Further, a qualifying relationship (such as parent-subsidiary, branch or affiliate) must exist between the foreign and the U.S. business entities.

Factors governing the choice of appropriate visa

Following are the basic issues that determine the choice of the most suitable visa category to set-up a new office in the United States:

1. Country of nationality

E-1 or E-2 visas can be used only if a treaty of commerce and navigation or a bilateral investment treaty exists between the U.S. and the country of nationality of the foreign company or investor. If the foreign national does not belong to a treaty country, the choice is generally limited to L-1 visa.

2. Nature of business

E-1 visa can be used by foreign entities not having a substantial investment in the U.S. but having a substantial trade with the U.S. The substantiality of trade is determined by the volume of trade, number of transactions and the recurrence of these transactions. E-2 visa can be used to set-up an entity in the U.S. if the investment involved is substantial. L-1 visa does not have the requirement of substantial investment in the U.S. It can be used for any venture by international companies to set-up a branch, subsidiary or affiliate company in the U.S.

3. Employment with foreign entity

To qualify for an L-1 visa the applicant must be an executive, manager or a specialized knowledge employee who has been an employee of the foreign company for at least one continuous year within the last three years. There is no such requirement for E-1 or E-2 visas. A treaty national with no foreign employer intending to make an investment or set up a business entity in the U.S. does not have much of a choice other than the E visa, if the rest of the conditions are satisfied.

4. Qualifying relationship

The L-1 visa can be used to transfer an employee of a foreign entity to set-up, manage or work for a related organization in the U.S. The qualifying relationship may be in the form of a parent, subsidiary, branch or an affiliate company. For using E-1 or E-2 visa, the company or the individual engaging in trade or investment in the U.S. must have the same nationality as the treaty country.

5. Processing Authority

E visa applications are generally filed with the embassy or consulate in the home country of the applicant. Once the consulate registers the trading or investing enterprise for E visa purposes, the treaty national may apply for a visa to enter the U.S. On the other hand, L-1 visa is a two-step process. A petition is first filed with the appropriate Service Center of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Once the petition is approved the applicant can apply for a visa at the consulate abroad. An applicant who changes to E status in the U.S. by filing a petition with the USCIS may still have to repeat the entire application process at the consulate the first time he departs the U.S. An applicant changing status to L-1 in the U.S. needs to only obtain an L-1 visa stamp in his passport to reenter after he departs the U.S.

6. Processing Time

Even though E visa petitions are processed directly at the embassy or consulate, the adjudication is complex and time consuming, and may take several weeks depending upon the consulate. Generally it takes two to three months for most of the consulates to adjudicate an E visa application, with practically no provision of expediting the process. An L-1 visa petition generally takes several weeks to process at the USCIS Service Centers; however, the processing time can be reduced to less then two weeks by utilizing the premium processing service.

7. Period of Initial Employment

E-1 or E-2 visa may be granted initially for a period of two years whereas an L-1 for a new company is granted initially for a period of one year. After the expiry of the first year on L-1 status, the applicant has to show that the new U.S. company has been doing business during the past year, and continues to require the services of the applicant as a manager, executive or an employee with specialized knowledge. Companies that anticipate a “slower start” to get established in the U.S. may use E visa option that gives them a two year initial period to set-up their operations.

8. Limit on Employment

An E-1 or E-2 visa can be extended indefinitely for up to two years at a time provided that the stay of the applicant remains temporary. An applicant in L-1 status in the U.S., however, cannot extend his/her L-1 stay beyond a period of 5 years (for specialized knowledge employees) or 7 years (for managers or executives). Once the employee has spent one full year outside the U.S. they can start their time in L-1 status again.

9. Intention of obtaining a Green Card

The L-1 may be the best route in cases where the intention of the applicant is to ultimately apply for a green card during his/her stay in the U.S. An L-1 visa holder may pursue permanent residency and still maintain L-1 status and apply for extension of stay. This may not be possible for E-1/E-2 nonimmigrant. E-1 and E-2 visas, though they can be extended for an indefinite period of time, still require the applicant to maintain nonimmigrant intent. Starting the permanent residency process may affect the applicant’s ability to maintain or extend E-1 or E-2 status; however the USCIS and the consular officers generally will accept the statement of the applicant with respect to his or her nonimmigrant intent.

10. Evidentiary requirements

An E-1 or E-2 visa application entails complex evidentiary requirements as the applicant needs to prove the substantiality of trade between the U.S. and the treaty nation, or the substantiality of investment in the U.S. Further, since E visa applications are generally adjudicated at the consulate, no formal appeal or recourse to administrative or judicial review in the U.S. is available for adverse decisions of the consulate. L-1 visa applications for a start-up enterprise require evidence related to the business and revenues of the foreign entity; the qualifying relationship between the foreign and the U.S. entity; and a detailed business plan explaining the potential of the new entity and its capability to meet business expenses, including the staffing requirements. However, a decision made by a USCIS Service Center can be reconsidered at various stages by the administrative and judicial machinery within the United States.

Conclusion

Finding your feet in a foreign land can be quite challenging, often difficult. As noted above, nationals or enterprises from treaty countries have an advantage of choosing between E and L visa categories for setting up a new entity in the United States. And when different options are available, it is important to make a strategic, well-reasoned selection. Since your new U.S. entity may be a realization of your dreams, it becomes all the more important to entrust the process to or seek the advice of experienced professionals who can guide you through the entire process.

VisaPro offers multiple services across multiple locations and is able to work with you regardless of your physical location. VisaPro gives the right tools to companies expanding their operations into the United States. Our ability to deliver fast, easy and economical service has helped VisaPro build a well-earned reputation of trust and efficiency within the business immigration community.

Author: VisaPro.com

Where to Search for Criminal Records

Where to Search for Criminal Records

What surprises most people when it comes to doing a criminal records search is that these things are usually done on a state level, and that can make things more complicated. If you are searching for someone within your own state, nothing may come up, but that doesn’t mean nothing is out there. Someone could have a record in another state, and unless you know their history, you wouldn’t know where to look.

Knowing where a person has lived in the past can greatly enhance the speed of a criminal background check. This gives you specific states to search, and that means that nothing will be overlooked. However, someone living near state lines may have records in a neighboring state when they never lived there. The search is even more difficult if you are dealing with someone who has lived in another country.

There are, of course, federal criminal records. However, many are recorded by the state. Starting with the current state of residence is a good idea, but it is only a start. There are reasons why these are not always accurate as well. For one thing, some states do not allow anyone to search statewide records. Even when they do, they can be incomplete for many reasons. Each state decides which information they record and which they do not. Some only record convictions, while others record arrests as well.

Some states have information online, making a criminal background check much easier. Others require extensive paperwork. Both generally require a fee. Some require specific reasons and authorization for such a search, and may require a bit more information like name, date of birth, social security number, and other things used for distinct identification.

So where then, does someone begin? Probably the fastest and easiest way to begin a criminal background search is online. Search for your state and see what they can offer you, how much it might cost you, and what you can expect from the search. Most states have a site online geared towards this subject. These sites often have links to other informational sites where you can run a criminal search as well.

The state of New York, for example, has a website for ‘offender search.’ When you go to this page, you will see a form for information. You can enter the information that you know on the person (name, date of birth, etc.) and see what comes up. To see how it works and what information is offered, you can try entering in your own personal information.

What will come up will be anyone that fits in the specified description. You will see names, sex, birth date, status (released or in custody), where they were or are incarcerated, and their race. This information will help you decide if you have the right person, and/or if more investigation is needed.

If you find a name, you can click on it for even more information. In most cases, you can find the offenses, where they were held, and for how long. In many instances, if you are looking for someone, chances are good they are no longer incarcerated, but they could be on parole or probation. You will also see the nature of their crime, the nature of their conviction, and when it happened.

As with the case of New York, the amount of results will depend on the size of the population, and the common nature of the name. If you are searching for Mary Smith in New York or California, you are going to come up with a lot of results to wade though. If you have an uncommon name in a state with lower population, your results should be much smaller in number.

Other states do not have the same information online. If you live in states that do not have this type of search online, you may find a form there that you can fill out and mail in to the proper place, usually located in the state’s capital city. Many states warn on their websites that incomplete forms and improper forms of payment can greatly delay the response. Double check everything before sending your request.

Remember that what each state gives you will vary. Not all report the same things, and you should be aware that a clean report might not mean there is nothing to find. It just means you don’t have access to it at this time..

While some states, like New York, offer free information online, you may not have the same luck in other states, like South Carolina. According to their web site, they prefer to do a criminal search by way of fingerprint, but they do realize that this is something that is not often possible. Each person has a unique fingerprint, and that means there is very little chance of a mistake being made when searching for criminal records.

What you might find if you are searching for sex offender records is that they are generally free, though there may be a few exceptions. This is because this information is public, and it is something that all people should have access to in order to protect their children and others in their immediate area. While this differs from state to state, in many cases, all you have to do is to provide your own information to gain access to those living near you who have been convicted of a crime against children or a crime that is sexual in nature.

If you aren’t sure where to start with any of this, you can start by searching for criminal searches and the name of your state. You can also call your state government for more information. They can tell you how you can get the information you desire, and what it will cost you (if anything). You may also be told how long it might take, and what you can expect to find and not find.

If you aren’t sure which number to call, look in your local yellow pages for government numbers. Find the government agency or representative that seems to be the most promising and give them a call. If they can’t help, they can probably tell you who can.

If you are not satisfied by what you are getting on a state level, you can always search by county as well. As with states, some will give this information for free, or for a fee that is very reasonable. If you are sure of county of origin and current residence, you may not have to call the state. This will depend on the county of course, but it can also be a good starting point, especially if you live in a state with a high population and you know the person in question has always lived within the same county.

Robert N. Lewis is an informational writer on various forms of background checks. Find more information on Criminal Record searches by visiting http://www.criminalcheckreviews.com/

By Robert N Lewis

Legal Translations Don t Be Laughed Out Of Court

Legal Translations - Don't Be Laughed Out Of Court

When faced with sending the odd email or letter abroad in a foreign language, we can generally handle the translation well enough (or one of our colleagues can).

When faced, however, with any form of legal correspondence, without doubt, a top notch professional translation will be required or you run the risk of your credibility sinking faster than the Titanic.

The difficulty in translating a legal document is that it is couched in its own terminology that is very often undecipherable even in English. An even greater hurdle to translation lies in the history and development of our law, which is developed from a system of judicial precedent rather than from an origin in Roman law, common throughout most of Europe.

Judicial precedent is where judges make a certain decision in a case and should a similar case be brought forward, and the facts of the case are materially the same, then the ruling of the previous decision will be followed.

Some of these judge-made legal precedents are binding, others are merely persuasive…ratio decidendi and obiter dicta.

Ratio decidendi means literally: the reason for coming to the decision. It forms the statement of law upon which the judge based his final decision…this part of the judgement could form a binding precedent.

Obiter dictum means: other things which were said. They are other statements of law that were mentioned, but did not actually form part of the final decision. Obiter dicta are not binding, but may provide assistance to future judges if they are relevant…they are a persuasive authority.

Our system of Common Law and Equity developed from these judge-made precedents. Over time, these accumulated judgements were codified into Acts of Parliament and the role of judges was to interpret these acts if they were not clear or did not specifically cover the material facts of the case in hand.

You will already have been more than aware that the law is very complex and perhaps with this brief explanation of the underlying principles, you can see that our law is based not only on codified acts, but that one must be aware of the spirit of the law to fathom or convey its true nature.

Clearly then, when faced with having to convert an English legal document for use abroad, or when having to decipher a foreign legal missive, what is needed is a professional translation that will not only convey the meaning but also the true spirit of your document.

This kind of expertise is not at all common, requiring not only superb linguistic ability but also a keen knowledge of the principles of English and International law. To trust your legal transcripts then, to any translation company just on the basis that they can perform a linguistic conversion, is tantamount to letting a child read a Dostoyevsky novel and expecting a lucid summary of the underlying message.

There is an old saying, used when the law leads to a ridiculous decision; “The law is an ass” If you don’t get yourself the right professional translation company there’s every chance that you could be left looking like one too!

Sue Copas is the Account Manager of Lingo24 translation agency London, a leading provider of translation services .

By Sue Copas

Hiring A Personal Injury Lawyer

Hiring A Personal Injury Lawyer

Hiring a personal injury lawyer requires the fulfillment of certain factors. This is necessary to ensure the outcomes of the case.

What Is Personal Injury?

In a neglect case battle, personal injury is a term that is used to define any harm that is caused to an individual. This can include broken bones, cuts, contusion or basically any bodily damage. It is also used to define any incursion of a personal right, inclusive of mental anguish and counterfeit incarceration. There is a high chance that in the case of an injury, the attorney would be able to secure far more damages than an individual on his own. On the other hand, the field itself is of a specialization and only certain attorneys are capable of managing these cases. For instance, a corporate attorney whose specialization is corporate law might not be able to handle a case of personal injury.

Choosing A Personal Injury Lawyer

Here it is necessary to note that certain circumstances need to be taken into consideration when choosing a personal injury lawyer. Even though the fact remains that all attorneys attend law schools and have to pass the bar exam, but this in no way qualifies them to fight a case of personal injury.

The factors that should be taken into consideration are:

- The time period of the attorneys practice
- Whether he or she has experience in a similar case
- His previous record
- Whether he or she is ready to take a case on contingency basis as well as the resources he/she has

Victims of personal injury who have a strong case at not have to pay any out of pocket expenses. Any legal representative would be ready to deal with such a case on a contingency basis. By contingency basis it is meant that all expenses that occur during the trial are the responsibility of the attorney and he or she would take his fee as a fixed percentage from the recovery that he attains. Usually, the percentage lies between 1/3 to ½ of the damages that had been caused.

Hence, personal injury lawyers should be hired on the basis of the aforementioned factors. They deal with personal injury cases on the bases of contingency.

Ann Hughes writes for Personal Injury Lawyers - A comprehensive directory of over 15,000 lawyers and attorneys specialized in personal injury cases across the country.
Ann Hughes writes for Personal Injury Lawyers - A comprehensive directory of over 15,000 lawyers and attorneys specialized in personal injury cases across the country.

Author: Ann Hughes

How Do You Choose An Attorney

How Do You Choose An Attorney?

Confused by scores of yellowpage ads for attorneys? Turned off by lawyer TV ads? Don't know how to find the right attorney for your accident case? Here are some guidelines, which if followed, should make your search easier and also relieve some anxiety.

*Choose an attorney who specializes in personal injury. There are many attorneys who represent personal injury clients in addition to other practice areas, such as divorce, criminal defense or real estate. You should pick an attorney whose practice is devoted 100% to personal injury law. The field of personal injury is too complicated for a "generalist" or "part-time" lawyer to master. If you needed surgery on your shoulder, would you rather see a "general" surgeon who performs surgery on many different areas of the body, or a surgeon who only does "shoulder surgery?" Most people would choose the specialist. Don't take chances with your personal injury claim by hiring a "generalist."

*Choose an attorney who demonstrates expertise in the field of personal injury law. There are too many different types of the law for any one attorney to claim specialty in multiple areas. No one can do everything well. Most people want to see a specialist. The same is true for lawyers. The field of personal injury law is complex with subtle nuances that could mean the difference between recovering a few hundred dollars versus several thousands of dollars. The attorney you choose should limit his or her practice exclusively to personal injury law. Does the attorney write about personal injury? Is the attorney frequently asked to lecture and/or teach on personal injury topics? If yes, these are good signs that the lawyer is a personal injury specialist.

*Choose an attorney who understands the medicine involved in your case. This is a no-brainer, right? But you would be very surprised at how many attorneys who claim specialty in personal injury have little understanding of the medicine and treatment involved with the client's injury. For example, take a case involving neck and back injuries. These types of injuries can be difficult to prove in court because spine medicine is extremely complex and the diagnostic imaging may show very little or nothing at all.

Yet, this area of medicine has also undergone enormous strides and advances just in the last ten years. There are now new diagnoses in the area of spine medicine that literally did not exist a few years ago, not to mention new treatments and minimally invasive procedures that have been created due to advancements in technology. If you have a neck or back injury claim, you obviously want an attorney who understands spine medicine so proper treatment and diagnoses can easily be pursued or presented to the insurance company in negotiations, or made part of a persuasive presentation to a jury on your behalf. You would be surprised at how few personal injury attorneys really understand this area of medicine yet neck and back injury claims make up the bulk of accident cases that exist in Washington.

*Choose an attorney who actually goes to trial. I know, I know. If you're like most people who have a claim for injuries, you'd rather not have to go to trial. So why pick an attorney who actually does regularly try injury cases? To understand why this is such an extremely important factor when choosing an attorney you have to understand the business of insurance and why claims are settled. Essentially, the insurance company is in the business of "risk." That is, it accepts your money with the promise that it will pay you money if you encounter certain risks of harm or damage. The risks are usually low, which is why the insurance company can earn enormous profits. When it comes to paying a claim, the company only pays a "settlement" if there is a "risk" that the company may have to pay more if the person files a lawsuit and goes to trial. Attorneys who regularly win at trial increase the insurance company's "risk" that it might have to pay much more money if the jury awards more than the last settlement offer.

Insurance companies regularly keep lists of the personal injury attorneys who do go to trial. These are the attorneys who can command premium settlement offers compared to attorneys who do not go to trial. Simply put, the insurance company will pay more money to settle a case if there's a greater chance that the attorney will try the case in court. That is why you can actually avoid going to trial if your attorney has a reputation for winning.

*Choose an attorney who wins at trial. This goes without saying. An attorney who gets results at trial is the insurance company's worst nightmare. The insurance company will pay much more money to settle a case if the injured person's attorney has a winning record than if the attorney does not. Choose an attorney that wins.

*Beware of attorneys who actively solicit you. You should be cautious of attorneys who contact you in writing just after you or a loved one has been injured, maimed or killed in an accident. Most state bar associations have rules against attorney solicitation, or at least have very stringent limitations on this sort of activity. I have no respect for attorneys who feel the need to cross the line by actively soliciting clients right after the accident. If an attorney engages in this sort of unethical behavior it may give some indication how that attorney might perform in your case.

*Be cautious of attorneys who advertise on T.V. or take out big flashy ads in yellow pages or other publications. Did you know that many of the T.V. and yellow page ads for lawyers are paid for by attorneys who have never actually tried a personal injury case in court? In fact, some of these advertisements are created by law firms that have a "policy" of always settling their cases without ever filing a lawsuit! If you were an insurance adjustor who knew that a particular attorney or law firm always settled short of trial, would you ever increase your offer for fear that a jury might award more?

*Understand how the bar association referral lists work. Many local bar associations operate a "referral list" where consumers can get the name of an attorney. Just understand that the lawyer has signed up and paid a fee to be included on the referral list. Some but not all of these referral lists don't bother to check or verify the attorney's experience with the type of case that is being referred.

*The likeable lawyer is not enough. There are many people who choose to hire an attorney based solely on whether the attorney is likeable. I know of some very personable and likeable lawyers who claim to do personal injury law, but whom I would never recommend based on their limited experience and expertise. Would you let a likeable surgeon operate on your body if you knew the doctor rarely made it to the operating room? It is important that you like your attorney, or at least respect him or her, but it should not provide the only basis for your hiring decision.

*Choose an attorney who you feel comfortable with. You should feel comfortable with the lawyer and his or her ability to communicate with you. Does the attorney seem credible and trustworthy? Does the attorney explain everything to your satisfaction, or does he explain why an answer to a particular question can't be given at that time? You should feel comfortable with the lawyer. You should also understand how the two of you will be working together on your case.

Learn more about Davis Law Group at www.InjuryTrialLawyer.com. Get a copy of Mr. Davis' book at www.WashingtonAccidentBook.com

Author: Christopher M Davis, Attorney At Law

Occupation: Attorney, Lawyer

Washington attorney Christopher Michael Davis has been representing individuals in accident cases and against insurance companies since 1994. In 2006, he was named a Rising Star Attorney by Washington Law & Politics magazine (this recognition is given only to the top 2.5% of lawyers age 40 and under in Washington State). In 2007, Washington Law & Politics named Mr. Davis a Super Lawyer (the top 5% of lawyers in Washington). Mr. Davis speaks at Continuing Legal Education seminars on topics related to personal injury. He teaches and instructs other lawyers in Washington State on topics such as jury selection, proving damages and developing winning trial techniques. Mr. Davis has been licensed to practice law in Washington State since 1993. He has obtained millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients. Mr. Davis is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, and the North American Brain Injury Society. Learn more about Mr. Davis by visiting www.injurytriallawyer.com

http://www.injurytriallawyer.com