If you’re a law expert, then you probably know the right person off the tip of your tongue, but for the rest of us who don’t know a tort from a class action lawsuit, the process is difficult to understand.

Still, the eenie-meenie-meinie-moe technique isn’t a good idea; this person might be representing you in a lawsuit or negotiating a contract for you, so you need to choose someone competent.

If you have legal problems to solve, getting a good lawyer is imperative in the US justice system.

Follow these steps to select a good lawyer who will serve you well:

1. Get your starting list from the American Bar Association. Their website will allow you to search for lawyers in your area, and you’ll know that everyone on the list is a member in good standing.
2. Consider who you know and what you intend to use the lawyer for. If you own a small business, ask other small business owners who they use. If you’re looking for someone to handle all of your family’s legal needs, ask other families in your social circle. Obviously, you don’t want to pry into their legal affairs; simply ask who they use and if they’re happy with the service.
3. Use the word-of-mouth recommendations to create a short list of two or three lawyers, and call up their offices. Explain that you’re looking for a new law firm and would like to ask some questions. Ask basic questions like how long they’ve been in business, how much fees generally run, and how often their cases are settled out of court. Not only do you want to know this information, but you also want to pay attention to how your questions are received. You want someone who will take the time to answer your questions in an easy-to-understand manner. You don’t want someone who is going to rush you off the phone all the time or overload you with legal jargon that you don’t understand.
4. If you’re in the middle of a lawsuit or other legal action, ask for estimated timelines and how cases like this usually proceed. Remember to couch all of your questions in general terms; you’re not looking for free legal advice, you’re looking to understand how this law firm would approach your problem. And try to keep it brief; you’re not a paying customer just yet. You’ll have plenty of time to ask detailed questions once you’ve selected someone; right now you’re just trying to determine if the lawyer is responsive to your needs.
5. When you’ve found someone that you’re comfortable with, get a copy of their contract and read it over. Don’t sign it if you don’t understand it. Call the office and get an explanation. If you’ve chosen wisely, they should be happy to explain everything to your satisfaction.

You may think that the only way you’re ever going to see a penny is by spending a fortune on a lawyer, and if the amount you’re due isn’t a lot, it isn’t worth the cost.

That doesn’t mean that you should give up all hope of getting your cash.

Consider going to small claims court to clear things up.

You don’t need a lawyer; in fact, most small claims court cases don’t involve lawyers because the process is very simple and the amount of money involved is low.

1. First, you’ll need to determine if your case qualifies. You must be age 18 or older to file a claim. You can only ask for cash; small claims courts can’t make someone give you back your dog or vacate your apartment. And the amount in question has to be less than $10,000. If all of that is true, then keep on reading. If not, you’re probably going to need to talk to a lawyer (or get a parent/guardian to file for you if you’re underage.)
2. Next, you’ll need to determine who should be named in your claim. In some cases, this is easy. John Smith borrowed $500 from you, guaranteed in writing, and now he won’t pay it back. But if your problem is with a company, you’ll need to find out who should be named in your lawsuit:
   • For a sole proprietorship, you need the name of the person who is running the business.
   • For a partnership, list the individual partners by name.
   • For a corporation, list the corporation and serve the papers to the agent for service listed with the Secretary of State’s office.
3. Go to the courthouse to pick up the paperwork. There should be a booklet for litigants who are taking action without a lawyer that will explain the entire process to you. The process listed may differ from the following steps, so make sure to read those documents carefully. If the person or company you’re bringing the lawsuit against lives in a different county or precinct than you, you will probably need to file where they live/operate their business, so pick up the booklet and paperwork from there.
4. Get all of your documents together. You need to have paperwork proving that you are entitled to the money you’re asking for. Generally, you’ll need to bring two copies of all of your documents, but check your booklet just to be sure on the correct number of copies. If there are damages that will need to be repaired, you’ll need to bring written estimates showing how much the work will cost.
5. Determine if you need witnesses. Generally, it’s best to provide paperwork but in some cases that’s just not possible. Remember that your witnesses must have seen the event(s) in person; they can’t testify that they “heard about it.”
6. File your legal documents in person at the courthouse and make sure to write down your case number for further reference. You’ll need to pay the fees at this time as indicated in your booklet. The court may serve the papers and notify the defendant of the trial date or you might need to do it. If you need to deliver anything to the defendant, send it via certified mail so that you can prove that it was received. If the court is serving the documents, follow up with the clerk within two weeks to find out the court date.
7. Show up at the court date on time and with your paperwork in hand. The judge will explain exactly what is going to happen. It’s very important to stay calm and be polite at all times. Your booklet should help to prepare you for what you should say. In general, it’s better to leave complex legal arguments to the lawyers; simply state what you can prove and show your documents or present your witnesses to support what you are saying.
8. If the judgment is against you, you can appeal at the county level within ten days.

Update your will periodically to be sure things are in good order .... just in case!

Writing a last will and testament can be very difficult, particularly if you have a lot of property to dispose of.

However, if you plan to bequeath all of your possessions to one person and if you don’t have children to care for, it is possible to write your own will without the assistance of a lawyer. Dying with out a will means you are "intestate" at your death, which can make things complicated for your heirs.

Taking at least a few minutes to write out a will could save your loved ones untold weeks or months of pain and grief should the worst case scenario happen! Simply follow these steps to make sure that your last will and testament is legally binding. You can also purchase last will and testament forms that you simply fill in.

But if you want a free last will and testament, follow these steps.

1. At the top of the will, you’ll need to identify yourself. You want to put enough information so that there’s no question about who you are. List your full name and maiden name, your social security number, birth date, and current address. This way, there can be no question that this is your will and not someone else’s.
2. In the first paragraph, you need to:
   • State that this is your last will and testament.
   • State that you are revoking any other wills or codicils that were previously made. Even if you didn’t make any, make sure to include this statement. Otherwise, there may be delays in processing your will while the lawyers look for an older one.
   • State that you’re of sound mind and under no duress when writing your will.
3. In the second paragraph, list your spouse and children. If your children are under 18 and you have no spouse, you will need to designate someone to take care of them. It’s a good idea to ask your designated person first!
4. In the third paragraph, appoint an Executor for your estate. This person will handle your estate, including paying off your debts and funeral costs and disposing of any property that you don’t otherwise bequeath. The funds will be divided among your beneficiaries. States have varying requirements for who is qualified to be an Executor. In most cases, he or she needs to be a resident of the state and age 18 or older, but it’s a good idea to check your state’s laws to make sure that your choice is legal. You can also designate a payment to be made to the Executor if you wish.
5. List the people you want to give to and the percentage of the money they should receive. Make sure to fully identify the person; there are a lot of Mary Smiths in the world. Make sure that the percentages add up to 100%.
6. Designate a person to receive any other assets remaining in the estate. This way, you insure that everything has a home.
7. The laws on last will and testament signatures vary depending on the state, so check on that too. Generally, you’ll have to sign in the presence of two witnesses and a notary republic. These people can’t be related to you, and they can’t be listed in the will. They should also be at least age 18.
8. Carefully store the will, and give a copy to your Executor to make it as easy as possible for them to do their job.

By following these steps carefully, you should have a valid last will and testament. However, these recommendations are not to be taken as legal advice, and you may want to consult a lawyer if you have special circumstances not covered in the above tips.

A DIY divorce is one which is accomplished without the use of an attorney. In many cases, such as when minor children are part of the discussions and no visitation or custody can be agreed upon then an attorney is your only alternative, however if this is not the case with you, and you have no real qualms about the divorce, nor believe it will be constested, this will be the easier and most inexpensive method to arrange your divorce.

The best method to begin will be the purchase of a book which offers state specific divorce laws that will be pertinent to your state and situation.

The fee will usually be about 25 dollars but knowing the laws of your area and being able to adhere to them when filing your divorce will make it well worth your while.

A checklist of issues that might make an attorney necessary would look like the one below.

If you are not in agreement on all issues pertaining to your divorce, you will need an attorney.

If you believe that some assets of the marriage have not been disclosed, then an attorney will benefit both of you.

If your assets are not simple and straightforward and you cannot agree on a way to divide them, you would need an attorney.

Additionally, assets in excess of 200,000 dollars really do require an attorney to fairly divide them.

Do you both agree on custody and visitation of the children involved? If not, you will absolutely need an attorney to discuss your case with.

Do you believe that your divorce agreement is unfair to you in any way? If so then contacting an attorney will assure that both of you are fairly treated in the settlement.

If there are any points on which you can’t agree, you both should consider using an attorney and filing in this fashion , otherwise, a DIY divorce will serve your purposes well.

To begin the DIY divorce process you will want to file an original petition for divorce, which needs to be filed with the local clerk of courts and will legally begin your petition for divorce.
Generally the courts will want the filer to specify the cause for the divorce, which in many cases will be irreconcilable differencts, the normal filing reason used in most no fault divorce cases.

Divorce, even an amiable one, is not an easy prospect and the financial and emotional ramifications will create a great deal of stress, so that filing it correctly, and being knowledgable about the laws in your area will help you to remain as unstressed as you possibly can be.

Web sites such as Legal Zoom, a DIY legal site can help you to provide yourself with the legal, and financial knowledge that you will need to make your way through the convolutions that divorce will offer, and will in fact provide you the documents that you require to file.

In many cases your local courthouse can also provide those documents that need to be filed free of charge..

The key to surviving the emotional, financial and legal turmoils that divorce can cause is to make sure that everyone involved has the best possible information they can have, and proceeds in a way that will make your divorce as easy as such a traumatic event can be.

I remember, and frankly although I don’t’ like living in the past, I certainly miss the days when quality entertainment didn’t involve spending a hundred dollars to take your family to the show.

There are alternatives now which are nice to see appearing.

Free movie sites are beginning to dot the web with ways to get a quality older movie for the price of a few mouse clicks to find it.

Yes we all know about wares and piracy and all those things which are somewhat less than wholesome, but getting something for nothing on the Internet now days doesn’t mean taking it illegally.

Free movie sites are far more available than you might thing. Granted you won’t find grade A state of the art, just released movies without paying for them, but you will find a lot of old favorites, some classic movies which are now public domain, and a few that will surprise you.

Where do you look?

How do you know if its legal or illegal and how do you avoid getting something that you shouldn’t have? Chances are, common sense will help you there. If what you just downloaded hasn’t’ been released to video yet from the movies, then run a mile, its not something that you are meant to be watching.

The following are just a few of the available sites where you can download a free movie or two. Completely legitimate. Legal AND free. Whats not to love about that?

Here are a few sites where you can download free movies; they are all free, all legal, and feature hundreds of high-quality movie clips and full-length movies.

Desert Island Films: features a whole batch of cartoons, moves and more from the public domain . Many of them are free, while others may take a nominal payment.

http://www.desertislandfilms.com

Free Movies and Documentaries:

features older cartoons, documentaries and docudramas

http://www.moviesfoundonline.com

Free Documentaries.

The number one source for documentaries of all genre, and whats more, they are free

http://www.freedocumentaries.org

Free Movie Downloads features, again, older, public domain categories of movies that are now free and legal to download

http://emol.org/movies

Many of these sites add movies continuously and daily there are new additions to what you can view. Many of them will offer you an e-list so that you can be made aware of new additions to their site and go to find them. Many also offer videos, and older cartoons to amuse your children.

The good old days of older movies and cartoons, fortunately, isn’t entirely past.