I think the effectiveness of techniques vary by industry, region, and discipline as well as an individual's personality. I am looking forward to getting The Twitter Job Search Guide with one of my tweet recommendations (among many) that includes case studies of recruiting and job searching via Twitter.
This rings to me as a husband because I want my wife prepared for the future and be knowledgeable about our financial situation. She has a relative that just lost her husband and was totally uninvolved in the finances.
I'm an attorney and I read this post with many many large grains of salt...
It raises many good points, such as the one about firms negotiating a lower rate for mailing packages and office supplies. But many clients should be aware that only large firms have this kind of negotiating power, and most individual clients can't go to large firms.
Also, be very, very careful about DIY legal action - I've seen far too many people in a worse position for trying to do things themselves.
Finally, hiring an unemployed attorney with no practical experience is tantamount to doing it yourself. Law school really doesn't train lawyers, that's all done through experience.
BTW, Target is clearing out a lot of bulk buys right now. I bought jumbo packs of Sharpies yesterday for $2.50/each and Soft Scrub 2-packs for $4.50/each... which I was able to use my BOGO coupon on because it was Target & not Sams. They had a lot of other stuff available, too, such as 40-packs of Capri Suns for $4.50 and diapers, ranch dressing, etc, that I didn't price. In my store, it was along the back wall near the seasonal merchandise. Good bargain hunting!
When i did my mortgage, I looked at the fine print and it had "$150 - email packet to assnt" and some other useless crap This was before closing, so i bitched every single day and threatened to get a new mortgage lawyer to do my paperwork if it wasn't pulled... his excuse "it costs money to do mortgages" yea i understand that but it doesnt cost $150 to email something to someone... The biggest nighmare of the mortgage process was the G.D. lawyer...
I write this as a lawyer who, through working extensively with judges and heavy academics, has a good idea what kind of variety is floating around in legal work.
I agree with everything above except advocating a DIY approach, in certain areas.
Areas where you can do it yourself and more people should (in Canada): small claims court, some parts of traffic court, many sentence appeals, human rights violations, minor employment disputes, preparing a simple holograph will (check the library for good books about it, internet forms are slightly less reliable), etc.
Areas where you should not do it yourself: most disputes with an insurer, divorce and parenting agreements, criminal charges, anything where a lot of money is at stake. Reasons:
(1) Insurance disputes typically involve statutes plus contracts and are hard for laypeople to deal with. Plus, lawyers scare insurers into behaving differently and can speed the process.
(2) Divorce is one where people who stand the most to lose may not get what they deserve. While other areas of the law are often intuitive and fair, family law is absolutely not. A bad lawyer is actually worse than none, but a good lawyer will give you the full rundown of what you might be entitled to and will walk you through what you need to do to ensure you keep playing a role in your kid's life, coaching you on what counts and getting you swiftly to a good interspousal. My advice? Talk to a lawyer before you leave, even for an hour, even if you feel like you don't have anything to split up. Then go see a counsellor and get your emotions out of the way because there's no point in paying your lawyer talk about what a jerk the other person is. It works both ways and I've seen mom or dad lose because they didn't get help early. What you save in the short run here will usually cost you in the long run.
(3) Criminal law is difficult, even for non-criminal lawyers, because defenses and strategy are highly technical. Even if you didn't do it and are sure the world will see your innocence, don't say anything and get a lawyer.
A good lawyer, like a good accountant, will save you time and money by providing effective solutions. Who's good? Lawyers don't even necessarily know. Try to find someone you think got a good deal and ask who they worked with and who was on the other side (it often takes two good lawyers to make a good deal). Better, see two lawyers for an initial consultation and compare what they tell you. A good lawyer doesn't just sell you the wins, they caution you on the losses and are realistic. They can usually give you a ballpark about what each step will cost and if a retainer agreement is necessary it will be something you can understand. Don't accept less.
And if your lawyer isn't good? Go directly to the law society and complain. They're insured and if you lost as a result of obviously bad legal work, hold them accountable. I wish more people would.
One thing to remember is that women live longer than men on average, so women need to plan for a longer retirement. Many married women also need to prepare for the case where their husbands die before them.
This post should have been entitled "16 things some lawyers may not tell you." I assume the author at least means to exempt himself, but this hardly applies across the board.
A good lawyer comes with full disclosure and fair billing in all situations. Not one of the above "warnings" applies to my firm.
Also, while I am flattered that you quoted my blog, Lawyerist, in item #5, I cannot find the post you pulled Aaron's quote from. Regardless, I think he would be the first to point out that the "you" he was referring to was an attorney with basic legal training.
While laypersons are capable of doing many legal tasks on their own, it almost always makes sense to hire a lawyer--even if just to proof the documents before they are finalized.
Styrofoam cups should be ban in the US. They did in Quebec, so we have cartoon cup. They get hot but you can use a thick recycle cartoon over the cup. Worst case it gets thrown away, but they will degrade pretty quickly.
When at work, just use a coffee mug. You can buy nice ones with stainsless steel inside.
Thank you, Amanda. I just added a link to the "no annual fee" offer to my letter of protest I'm mailing to that card-issuer and my congressional delegation and seriously considering posting on a brand-new blog.
But the credit card companies just come up with new and exciting ways to rip you off... one of my cards has just informed me that they will charge a $60 annual fee... I've had this card for 12 years and there was never an annual fee. What's worse is that NEW applicants can apply and it shows NO ANNUAL FEE!!
I was shocked to get to the end of this article and see it was authored by an attorney. Shame on you for doing such a half-baked hack job on our profession. All you've done is add to the culture of distrust and distaste for a profession that is held to more stringent ethical standards than any other.
I imagine that your opinions about your fellow attorneys are based on more facts than you present here. Why not share those instead of reducing it to a handful of snappy one-liners? Even though one of your clever observations is about specialized areas, you've grouped every attorney - from litigators to family law, big firm to solo practice - into one group and made snide remarks about all of them as a whole.
My refund is a bit larger this year thanks to the $1500 Energy credit I received for my new windows. The refund is expected to come through about a week before I must pay off a 6 month no payment/no interest loan I took to pay for those windows.
My insurance considers an urgent care visit as a Dr. office visit with the corresponding lower co-pay than an ER visit. As a former hospital employee, I highly recommend urgent care centers for situations where you are ill and need to see a doctor, but don't have time to wait to get in to see your doctor. However, if you think your life might be on the line, then the ER is best. The last time I went to the urgent care was to get X-rays on my foot and I was in and out within an hour and had my X-ray read before I even left. There is no way that I would have gotten such quick service at an ER.
I'm nearly debt-free - only a small amount of debt at 0% interest. So most of it will go to my emergency fund and some will be used for household work - replacing 1 side of a fence & putting in some patio stones. We'll do the work ourselves & only pay for the materials.
Are we to believe that men are not spending money on their families? Are the men working, putting the money into a savings account, and telling their spouses to pay for food, clothing, and housing? Are the men mooching off their spouses?
Or are we talking about single women, most of whom have no family (kids) to support? Or are we talking about single women with kids who someone can't get child support from the former spouse/lover?
I think the effectiveness of techniques vary by industry, region, and discipline as well as an individual's personality. I am looking forward to getting The Twitter Job Search Guide with one of my tweet recommendations (among many) that includes case studies of recruiting and job searching via Twitter.
This rings to me as a husband because I want my wife prepared for the future and be knowledgeable about our financial situation. She has a relative that just lost her husband and was totally uninvolved in the finances.
I'm an attorney and I read this post with many many large grains of salt...
It raises many good points, such as the one about firms negotiating a lower rate for mailing packages and office supplies. But many clients should be aware that only large firms have this kind of negotiating power, and most individual clients can't go to large firms.
Also, be very, very careful about DIY legal action - I've seen far too many people in a worse position for trying to do things themselves.
Finally, hiring an unemployed attorney with no practical experience is tantamount to doing it yourself. Law school really doesn't train lawyers, that's all done through experience.
BTW, Target is clearing out a lot of bulk buys right now. I bought jumbo packs of Sharpies yesterday for $2.50/each and Soft Scrub 2-packs for $4.50/each... which I was able to use my BOGO coupon on because it was Target & not Sams. They had a lot of other stuff available, too, such as 40-packs of Capri Suns for $4.50 and diapers, ranch dressing, etc, that I didn't price. In my store, it was along the back wall near the seasonal merchandise. Good bargain hunting!
To use Twitter is great fun but its use as a networking tool is seriously overrated and you would be better off with face to face events.
My husband bought a new DSLR and I got a pair of new boots with part of our refund. The rest went to savings.
When i did my mortgage, I looked at the fine print and it had "$150 - email packet to assnt" and some other useless crap This was before closing, so i bitched every single day and threatened to get a new mortgage lawyer to do my paperwork if it wasn't pulled... his excuse "it costs money to do mortgages" yea i understand that but it doesnt cost $150 to email something to someone... The biggest nighmare of the mortgage process was the G.D. lawyer...
We get to pay off debt but this is exciting and may put some into savings to. Just happy to be getting money back.
I write this as a lawyer who, through working extensively with judges and heavy academics, has a good idea what kind of variety is floating around in legal work.
I agree with everything above except advocating a DIY approach, in certain areas.
Areas where you can do it yourself and more people should (in Canada): small claims court, some parts of traffic court, many sentence appeals, human rights violations, minor employment disputes, preparing a simple holograph will (check the library for good books about it, internet forms are slightly less reliable), etc.
Areas where you should not do it yourself: most disputes with an insurer, divorce and parenting agreements, criminal charges, anything where a lot of money is at stake. Reasons:
(1) Insurance disputes typically involve statutes plus contracts and are hard for laypeople to deal with. Plus, lawyers scare insurers into behaving differently and can speed the process.
(2) Divorce is one where people who stand the most to lose may not get what they deserve. While other areas of the law are often intuitive and fair, family law is absolutely not. A bad lawyer is actually worse than none, but a good lawyer will give you the full rundown of what you might be entitled to and will walk you through what you need to do to ensure you keep playing a role in your kid's life, coaching you on what counts and getting you swiftly to a good interspousal. My advice? Talk to a lawyer before you leave, even for an hour, even if you feel like you don't have anything to split up. Then go see a counsellor and get your emotions out of the way because there's no point in paying your lawyer talk about what a jerk the other person is. It works both ways and I've seen mom or dad lose because they didn't get help early. What you save in the short run here will usually cost you in the long run.
(3) Criminal law is difficult, even for non-criminal lawyers, because defenses and strategy are highly technical. Even if you didn't do it and are sure the world will see your innocence, don't say anything and get a lawyer.
A good lawyer, like a good accountant, will save you time and money by providing effective solutions. Who's good? Lawyers don't even necessarily know. Try to find someone you think got a good deal and ask who they worked with and who was on the other side (it often takes two good lawyers to make a good deal). Better, see two lawyers for an initial consultation and compare what they tell you. A good lawyer doesn't just sell you the wins, they caution you on the losses and are realistic. They can usually give you a ballpark about what each step will cost and if a retainer agreement is necessary it will be something you can understand. Don't accept less.
And if your lawyer isn't good? Go directly to the law society and complain. They're insured and if you lost as a result of obviously bad legal work, hold them accountable. I wish more people would.
One thing to remember is that women live longer than men on average, so women need to plan for a longer retirement. Many married women also need to prepare for the case where their husbands die before them.
Previous comment, I meant Cardboard cups, not cartoon cup :p
My first language is french and cardboard is carton in french
Previous comment, I meant Cardboard cups, not cartoon cup :p
My first language is french and cardboard is carton in french
This post should have been entitled "16 things some lawyers may not tell you." I assume the author at least means to exempt himself, but this hardly applies across the board.
A good lawyer comes with full disclosure and fair billing in all situations. Not one of the above "warnings" applies to my firm.
Also, while I am flattered that you quoted my blog, Lawyerist, in item #5, I cannot find the post you pulled Aaron's quote from. Regardless, I think he would be the first to point out that the "you" he was referring to was an attorney with basic legal training.
While laypersons are capable of doing many legal tasks on their own, it almost always makes sense to hire a lawyer--even if just to proof the documents before they are finalized.
Finally, Mr. Chen, since you hold yourself out as a consumer rights lawyer, you might want to join the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Styrofoam cups should be ban in the US. They did in Quebec, so we have cartoon cup. They get hot but you can use a thick recycle cartoon over the cup. Worst case it gets thrown away, but they will degrade pretty quickly.
When at work, just use a coffee mug. You can buy nice ones with stainsless steel inside.
Thank you, Amanda. I just added a link to the "no annual fee" offer to my letter of protest I'm mailing to that card-issuer and my congressional delegation and seriously considering posting on a brand-new blog.
(Cardholder since 1991)
thank you for this insightful - and empowering - article!
But the credit card companies just come up with new and exciting ways to rip you off... one of my cards has just informed me that they will charge a $60 annual fee... I've had this card for 12 years and there was never an annual fee. What's worse is that NEW applicants can apply and it shows NO ANNUAL FEE!!
Most of ours will go into the savings account, but first we have a car with brake issues that need fixed...
I was shocked to get to the end of this article and see it was authored by an attorney. Shame on you for doing such a half-baked hack job on our profession. All you've done is add to the culture of distrust and distaste for a profession that is held to more stringent ethical standards than any other.
I imagine that your opinions about your fellow attorneys are based on more facts than you present here. Why not share those instead of reducing it to a handful of snappy one-liners? Even though one of your clever observations is about specialized areas, you've grouped every attorney - from litigators to family law, big firm to solo practice - into one group and made snide remarks about all of them as a whole.
My refund is a bit larger this year thanks to the $1500 Energy credit I received for my new windows. The refund is expected to come through about a week before I must pay off a 6 month no payment/no interest loan I took to pay for those windows.
My insurance considers an urgent care visit as a Dr. office visit with the corresponding lower co-pay than an ER visit. As a former hospital employee, I highly recommend urgent care centers for situations where you are ill and need to see a doctor, but don't have time to wait to get in to see your doctor. However, if you think your life might be on the line, then the ER is best. The last time I went to the urgent care was to get X-rays on my foot and I was in and out within an hour and had my X-ray read before I even left. There is no way that I would have gotten such quick service at an ER.
All but a hundred of it went directly into the wedding fund with that hundred going towards a new membership for the fiancé and I at the local Y.
I'm nearly debt-free - only a small amount of debt at 0% interest. So most of it will go to my emergency fund and some will be used for household work - replacing 1 side of a fence & putting in some patio stones. We'll do the work ourselves & only pay for the materials.
I'll be spending it on paying off my student loans.
Are we to believe that men are not spending money on their families? Are the men working, putting the money into a savings account, and telling their spouses to pay for food, clothing, and housing? Are the men mooching off their spouses?
Or are we talking about single women, most of whom have no family (kids) to support? Or are we talking about single women with kids who someone can't get child support from the former spouse/lover?