7 Common Immigration Mistakes To Be Avoided

While applying for immigration benefits, there are some common mistakes people make, but can be avoided. These mistakes can sometimes cause serious trouble at the end of the road, like not being able to reunite with their family, loss of both the application filing fee and the immigration fee, being deported and inability to re-enter the US. So, caution must be taken to avoid these simple mistakes listed below.

1. Providing Incorrect information:

When applying for immigration benefits, it is necessary to provide all the right information. This is right from the point where the immigration forms are filed. Fraudulent information or misrepresenting any facts for obtaining the immigration benefits must be avoided.

2. Late Responses to USCIS queries:

If the US Citizenship and Immigration Services needs any additional information for processing any immigration application, it sends a Request for Evidence (RFE) to the applicant. This request has to be replied with sufficient documentation within the stipulated deadline. Ignoring or missing the deadline for the RFE can lead to denial of the application.

3. Immigration Interviews and Court Hearings:

Attending the interviews set up by the USCIS and the court hearings is very important in the process of granting an immigration. Ignoring these interviews and court hearings can also lead to the application being rejected.

4. Filing application without the fee:

USCIS forms usually have a processing fee. Fee waiver is also available for most forms. Those who cannot afford to pay the fees, can send the application along with a request for fee waiver. USCIS does not process any application which does not have the fee or the proper fee waiver request.

5. Send the application to the wrong office:

The instruction form along with the application should be read carefully. The address to which the application form should be sent to is given clearly in the instruction form. The application must be sent to the correct address to avoid delay where the application is either returned to the sender or sometimes forwarded to the right address.

6. Not everyone who applies is successful:

Some of the applicants, even though they do not meet the criteria for immigration benefits, simply apply because their friends or relatives have applied and have obtained the benefits. Every applicant is evaluated and not everyone who applies is eligible for the benefit. Reading the instruction forms thoroughly clarifies the eligibility criteria and provides newer options available.

7. Eligibility:

Applying for an immigration benefit for which they are not eligible is a very common mistake. Reading the Instruction Form before applying and checking for an individual’s eligibility can be done before applying.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution. Mediation is a process of assisted negotiation that aims to help you to reach a mutually agreeable resolution to your dispute. The mediator remains an impartial party whose role is to facilitate productive conversation between the disputing parties. The mediator does not offer legal advice, make decisions or determine who is right or wrong. It is solely the responsibility of the disputing parties to decide on an agreement. It is the role of the mediator to help reduce tension, anger and misunderstandings between the disputing parties so effective negotiation can occur.

Mediation is a voluntary process in which both parties work collaboratively in an effort to settle their dispute in a mutually satisfying agreement. It is a safe, impartial, non-threatening and controlled environment where each party can have an opportunity to have their voice heard both confidently and confidentially. Mediation is an alternative to filing a court claim.

Mediation is best for civil cases that are not associated with criminal activities. The following are examples of the types of cases that can be resolved through mediation. This list is not meant to be all inclusive. Most types of civil disputes can benefit from the mediation process.

o Divorce & Other Family Disputes

Property division, custody arrangements, alimony payments, child support agreements, loans, verbal agreements, etc.

o Landlord/Tenant Disputes

Evictions, property damage, maintenance neglect, lease violations and other rental issues

o Neighbor to Neighbor Disputes

Property line issues, noise and other disturbances, children, pets, etc.

o Personal Injury Disputes

Car accidents, slip/fall, property damage, vandalism, etc.

o Business (Creditor)/Customer Disputes

Refunds, warranties, contract violations, customer service policy, credit collections, childcare/babysitter issues, negligence, etc.

o Employer/Employee Disputes

Benefits compensation, employment contract breach, harassment, workmen compensation, slow pay, etc.

o Intellectual Property Disputes

Copyright violations, plagiarism, contract breach, royalties, etc.

Tips For Filing a Liability Lawsuit

A Los Angeles liability lawyer can assist you with any liability problems that you may have. In most cases whenever people hear the term liability, they often times think of it as referring to car insurance. When in all actuality liability pertains to the state of being legally responsible for a particular event.

A Los Angeles liability lawyer will usually handle cases that involve a person who has sustained an injury either through a faulty or mislabeled product or hazardous property.

Product liability is the liability of a product that a manufacturer has to a consumer. To make things a little easier to comprehend, a product liability lawsuit would occur in the case that a product was faulty or malfunctioned. For instance, if you were using a blow dryer and it electrocuted you, this would be means for a product liability lawsuit. The manufacturer, sold a faulty product to you the consumer, and they are liable for any damages that product may have caused.

Premises liability is a little trickier then product liability. Premises liability deals with someone’s dwelling or land that they have sole ownership for. According to the laws pertaining to premise liability, if anyone is injured or something occurs on your land, the person that owns the land is held liable for whatever ailments they may have caused another individual.

It is very easy for a Los Angeles liability case to become complex, particularly when it comes time to gather evidence of the occurrence. Witnesses, security camera recordings, and photographs of the injury and the premises that caused the accident are just a few of the things that could prove useful in supporting your case.

We are all only human, therefore we are generally understanding when an accident occurs, but that doesn’t mean that the victim should be left footing medical bills, lost wages, and future treatment expenses when the fault truly lies with another person or company. If you believe you may have been injured through a faulty product or premises, please speak with a Los Angeles attorney as soon as possible.

PA Lemon Law – Do I Need an Attorney?

The Pennsylvania Lemon Law is a consumer oriented law that protects purchasers of defective motor vehicles. It applies to new model vehicles that are registered for personal use in PA, and can apply to cars, trucks, vans or SUV’s. This law sets forth protections and rights for purchasers of new vehicles which exhibit defects or non-conformity which substantially impair the use, value or safety of the vehicle.

To be honest, the PA Lemon Law does not require you to hire an Attorney. You very well could proceed with a claim on your own, provided that you follow the letter of the law, the contractual obligations and the manufacturer requirements in doing so. The mistake in doing that is three-fold. To begin with the obvious, you do not have a license to practice law and are not overly educated on the subject, at least not to the level of an experienced practitioner.

Second, you do not know the intricacies and nuances of handling such a claim and further do not have the established relationships with the Manufacturers that Attorneys do.

Third, and this is the big one, it is absolutely free to hire a Lemon Law Attorney in PA. Read that again, a Free attorney to handle your very important legal matter. So the question becomes “Why would you proceed without one?”

The reason that you can receive free legal representation on this type of case is that the Lemon Law provides that the manufacturer of your vehicle must pay your attorney fees if the vehicle is found to be a lemon. An experienced Attorney knows that and accordingly will not request an out-of-pocket retainer from you. He/She will take on your matter, provide quality legal representation, and then provide a bill directly to the manufacturer for his fee. Most Lemon Law Attorneys only charge a client when a recovery is made (i.e. a refund, replacement or cash settlement) so there is absolutely no risk on your part in hiring a Lemon Attorney.

I think we all can agree that free legal representation is a good thing, and that a matter involving such an important issue is best left to the professionals.

Product and Premises Liability Claims

Every day, millions of Americans leave their homes and go to work, shopping centers, banks and grocery stores. They do this with the belief that the places they visit will take care of them while they are visiting. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. When you have been harmed due to someone else wrongful negligence, you need the help of a Houston liability lawyer.

This kind of a liability case is called “premises liability.” If you have sustained any type of injury from inadequately maintained premises, you are strongly urged to contact a Houston attorney as soon as possible. Not only is it important that you seek recompense for yourself, but you will be playing a major role in ensuring that the property owner does not inadvertently harm someone else.

If you have recently purchased a product that malfunctioned or was improperly packaged and you were injured, you are protected under product liability law. Manufacturers are responsible for the goods they package and sell to you. When they produce faulty goods or incorrectly package their merchandise, you can sustain life threatening injuries. Don’t let another day pass without contacting a liability lawyer.

If you have been injured either through the fault of a neglectful property owner or a faulty product, you should consider filing a Houston liability case as soon as possible. Many people do not realize that while the law does have provisions for protecting victims of accidental injury, it also sets a specific time frame in which you must claim. If you wait too long, you may not be eligible to file your claim.

Don’t get victimized twice by the same people. Contact your Houston liability lawyer today and win back the respect and award that you justly deserve. Don’t speak to a lawyer or insurance adjuster without your liability lawyer present. Once you make a statement to either one, you can lose your rights to settle. Contact your liability lawyer today and get your life back on track.

Why Should We Hire Family Law Practice

Family law can be defined as a practice that is closely concerned with the legal issues that have to do with family relationships like child custody, divorce and adoption. The lawyers who practice in this area usually deal with divorce, child support and so on. There are those that choose to specialize in emancipation, paternity, and adoption or any matters that relate to divorce. Formal requirements have to be reasonable and that is usually determined by the state. This includes things like legal capacity, age and same sex marriages. The state is also responsible for setting out the procedures and the rules that govern divorce as well as other matters related to family law.

Important terms to family lawyers

Emancipation: this is a process of the court whereby a person or a minor is allowed to be self-supporting. This means that he assumes the responsibilities of an adult for his welfare and won’t be under the parents.

Marital property: this is the kind of property that was acquired by a spouse while they were married and that needs to be divided when they divorce.

Alimony: this is the allowance that is given to a spouse for support when they are legally divorced or separated or when they are awaiting either of the two.

Paternity: the descent or origin from father. Establishing paternity means that you are confirming who the biological father of the child is.

Prenuptial agreement: this is an agreement that is usually made between two parties before they get married. Here, future rights to property are given in case death or divorce occurs.

Why hire a family lawyer?

Many of the family lawyers offer their services during divorce proceedings and other matters that may be related to divorce. Family law is a broad practice however, and it includes areas like reproductive rights and foster care. Some of the reasons as to why you may need a family lawyer include:

Divorce: every partner hires a lawmaker who is responsible for the creation of a settlement plan so as not to go top trail. They are usually people who can be able to divide any marital property, proposing child custody scenarios, and also calculating spousal support.

Child support/ child custody: the court orders and agreements on settlement involve support and custody and can be included in divorce cases that are larger. These can be revisited if any conditions change like the financial standing of a parent.

Paternity: sometimes a mother can file such a case as they try to secure some child support payments from the father. Also, a father can file a paternity case so as to be able to have a kind of relationship with a child. DNA testing is used for the determination.

Adoption: foster care and adoption is both complex. The process can differ and usually factors like where a child is from and state laws can affect the process. A family lawyer can be able to handle all these. A foster parent can sometimes adopt a foster child. The entire foster process sometimes doesn’t require any kind of legal representation.

Lawyer Advice – How To Find And Seek Legal Advice From A Lawyer

With the explosion of the internet, finding the lawyer that you need for your case just seem to be the next natural thing to do since the internet is the leading source of information. Not only that, the Internet also provides the necessary information that you need about the lawyers to engage the right person to take on the case. By doing a search in the search engine, you will get listing of lawyers in which you can narrow down your searches to those in your area.

As the legal system is a complex system, it is better to find a lawyer to represent you even though you can be spending a lot of money to seek legal advice from a lawyer. In fact, it may actually turn up to be a good investment that can save you a lot of time, money and effort.

As every lawyer specializes in different field of the law, it is very important to find the right one who has the expertise and experience to efficiently represent a client in regards to the legal problem. This is especially important when you need good legal advice to protect your financial interests, comply with government rules and regulation for your business or keeping your properties from fraudulent individuals.

Thus, if you really need legal advice from a lawyer, you should approach the lawyer early as they would need time to prepare and analyze your case. You will find that things will be much clearer to you after talking to the lawyer and you will have a better perspective of the situation. You would also have a better idea of the decision that you may undertook and the kind of consequences that came along if you took that course of action.

When engaging a lawyer, do also consider the various factors that determine your lawyer’s fee as you wouldn’t want to have a leave a ‘dent’ in your bank account. Some of the common factors that affect lawyer’s fees would include advice, outcome, overhead, experience, time and effort, difficulty of case, prominence of lawyer, geographical location.

Communicate with the lawyer and agree upon the type of payment that suits your paying capabilities before you commence with any legal proceedings. By doing so, will ensure that you will have a smooth relationship with your lawyer towards the success of your case.

10 Criminal Law Tips Everyone Needs to Know

Whether you are a past offender, currently facing criminal charges, or have a clean record, these criminal law tips are facts that everyone needs to know. Not only can having this knowledge protect you and your loved ones in various situations, it can help you navigate current and future legal issues that are in the works. Continue reading to learn 10 criminal law facts and advice, and be sure to pass this information onto your friends, co-workers, and loved ones.

Important Criminal Defense Tips

1. If you are pulled over and an officer suspects you have been drinking, you have the right to refuse a sobriety test. But there is a serious catch. Keep in mind that this also means law enforcement will arrest you on the spot, and your drivers’ license will be automatically suspended for 12 months. This is because most states, such as Indiana, are “implied consent” states. This means if you have a drivers’ license, then you automatically consent to BAC testing anytime.

2. If law enforcement shows up at your house or office requesting to conduct a search of the premises, you have the right to refuse. If they have a search warrant, you do not have this right and you must cooperate with them completely. If they do not have a search warrant, close the door and immediately contact a criminal defense lawyer.

3. If you are confronted by law enforcement, always be courteous and cooperative. Having an attitude, being disrespectful, and refusing to cooperate will only get you in more trouble. If you want the best experience possible with police, whether you end up getting arrested or not, be sure you are polite, well-spoken, and cooperative. They have all the power at the moment, and you must remember that you do not have control over the situation, so it is best to just give in and relinquish all the control. This will make your time with police and jail (if it gets to that) a lot easier for you.

4. If you are already on probation or parole for a previous offense, and you commit another crime, you will face additional legal sentences and penalties on top of the one you are currently serving. Many people are unaware how serious of an offense it is to violate probation or parole, especially by committing another crime. You can most certainly expect to be sentenced to jail time.

5. A minor is a person over the age of 10 and under the age of 18. However, minors can be charged as an adult in certain cases. This usually happens if the crime is very serious or if the minor is close to turning 18 years old. Being tried as an adult means that a minor faces adult penalties.

6. If you are a past offender, and it has been many years since your last offense, you may qualify to have your criminal record sealed from public access. This means that employers, banks, landlords, and the general public cannot look up a particular criminal charge or arrest. You must have a criminal defense lawyer help you file for record sealing, as the process is highly complex and demanding.

7. To get a complete copy of your criminal record, you must compile all records in every county and state they exist. That is because local, state, and federal records are all different. You will have to contact the clerk’s office or local authorities to get the records you need. You can also have your criminal defense lawyer help you with this.

8. Never waive your right to an attorney. Furthermore, never attempt to represent yourself in court. If you want to avoid the maximum penalties for your criminal charges, you need to have an experienced lawyer working on your defense. They are the only ones who have the knowledge and resources to protect your rights and preserve your freedoms.

9. You have to be very careful what you post to your social media accounts. You must understand that your social media activity can be used against you in a court of law, even traffic court, divorce court, and other civil courts. Law enforcement and government organizations have technology that allows them to identify IP addresses, locations, coordinates, times, dates, and more. If you post from a coffee shop on the corner of 9th and Main, they can find out. Nothing is private on your social media, and all activity is permanently logged forever.

10. The best way to avoid getting in trouble with the law is to surround yourself with positive and healthy people, and to partake in healthy activities. Furthermore, educating yourself on certain particulars of the law can help you understand your rights and obligations as a U.S. citizen. If you ever have questions about the law, contact a trusted criminal defense lawyer for professional advice and answers.