Author: Brandon E. Spires

Have you been charged with a crime? Undergoing the criminal justice system may seem difficult and overwhelming, especially if you’ve never navigated it before. If you don’t have legal representation, you need to know all the proper steps and regulations, as well as how to submit evidence and argue on behalf of yourself. Fortunately, you don’t have to do this alone. Hiring a criminal defense attorney places a legal expert by your side and gives you someone who can take the reins on your case. But when is the right time to hire the best criminal defense attorney? Keep reading to find out! You’ve Been Arrested If the police have shown up at your door, lights flaring, and placed you under arrest, you should hire a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Every person in the United States has the right to an attorney of their choosing. This means you have the right to hire any qualified legal professional to represent you, regardless of your guilt or innocence. Even if you think you don’t stand a chance of winning your case and plan to plead guilty, you should hire a criminal defense lawyer. Why? No matter how you wish to plead, your defense attorney provides you with expert advice and helps you negotiate with the other party. If you plead guilty, they’ll help you make sure your sentence...

No one plans to get divorced. But almost 50 percent of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. If you are among these, there are a lot of issues to consider, including how much a divorce lawyer will cost you. There are many factors that impact the cost of divorce proceedings. Fortunately, once you know what these are, you can have an idea of what to expect. The information below will help you understand these variables so that you can plan accordingly. How Attorneys Charge The average cost for a divorce attorney is around $250 an hour, but this reflects a very wide range of rates, from about $100 an hour to more than $400 per hour. The level of legal representation you need will depend on the number of assets you and your spouse are dividing. Note that things like filing fees and other costs will be charged in addition to the hourly rate. Most divorce attorneys charge an hourly rate, but you may find some that charge a flat fee. These are typically for uncontested divorces. And, with flat fees, you may have to pay more if unforeseen circumstances arise. Finally, some attorneys require a retainer to secure their services. This is money paid upfront that is placed in a trust account. It reflects how much the lawyer expects the divorce to cost. Like hourly...

You are one of the 10 million Americans who’re landlords. Thumbs up! Being a landlord packs plenty of powerful benefits. Besides being part of an exclusive group of Americans, investing in rental property is an ideal way to grow your wealth. As long as your property is occupied, you’ll always earn an income without needing to lift two fingers. However, being a landlord isn’t without its challenges. One of the top challenges is bad tenants. There’s a solution, which is eviction. But you can’t just evict a tenant because you don’t like them. You need a legal reason. In this article, we’re sharing a number of legal reasons to kick a tenant out of your rental property. Not Paying Rent Of course, this had to be the first reason! As a landlord, you’ve invested in a rental property. Your return on investment is the rent you collect. So, when someone rents the property, they have an obligation to pay the rent you’ve set. But then, the tenant may stop paying the rent. This usually happens when the tenant runs into financial problems. Perhaps they lose a job or their business collapses. This is a common problem for landlords, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you should start the eviction process as soon as a tenant defaults on their rent. As a matter of courtesy, most landlords will give tenants a...

On the list of things most of us dread in life, these are at the top: financial strain, piles of medical bills, work-related stress, and sustained pain and suffering. When it comes to personal injuries, all of these can surprise us at once—which can be overwhelming and stressful. When you’ve been injured in a serious accident, finding the help you need to get out from under these stressors isn’t easy. That’s where the right personal injury lawyer comes in. An expert can help you get compensation when your injuries are the result of another party’s negligence—but how can you tell when you need one? Here are three signs you should consider getting legal help. Your Injury Is Serious No matter whether you’ve been involved in a car wreck or a workplace accident, a major injury is always your first sign to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer. Serious injuries can keep you from carrying out the actions you need to take care of your work or day-to-day life. Worse, some of the most serious injuries can even have consequences that linger for years into the future. In the early days following an accident, you may not fully understand these consequences, as some types of severe bodily damage can present subtle signs and symptoms. One key example is concussions, which may seem minor but can have profound long-term effects on...