Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-08

Posted by Gabriel on Nov 8th, 2009 | no comments

• I love the Microsoft OS but I keep becoming less and less dependant on desktop software. Maybe it is time for a change to something light. #
• This article makes me love the Yankees that much more. New York Yankees manager wins good Samaritan title – http://bit.ly/1fls2R #cnn #
• Just finished an extended lunch with Annie Alvarez, who is a great Miami Lakes lawyer and a brilliant legal marketer. I'm very happy #

Popularity: 14% [?]

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-01

Posted by Gabriel on Nov 1st, 2009 | no comments

• Thanks Mo. @veganmo: @GabrielBodner Check your mail, brother. #
• Thinking about using Avvo advertising but frustrated w a rating that does not reflect my lawyering skills. Need to discuss w others lawyers #
• Google is making me think twice about my iPhone with the new GPS app and more for the Android phones. #
• Short of a referral, how can I find a good divorce attorney? – Divorce / Separation – Avvo.com: http://bit.ly/12V5r0 via @addthis #
• Funny bc of the snake-oil sold online RT @mattcutts "Would You Like to Make 5 Million Dollars A Week Posting On Google?"http://bit.ly/3p964e #
• After Twitter lists roll out you should check out listorious.com at http://bit.ly/p9f0C as a directory of the best lists #
• Give me your opinion for my poll "Would you advise your friends and relatives to get a pre-nuptial agreement? " Vote: http://bit.ly/3Qo43B #
• This is an impressive halloween costume. Thanks for sharing Mo RT @veganmo Great home made Iron Man costume http://bit.ly/4tH8F7 #

Popularity: 18% [?]

How useful is Google Wave? That depends.

Posted by admin on Oct 31st, 2009 | no comments

I received my invite for Google Wave from a friend on Twitter and I thought it was Christmas.  Google Wave is really an advanced instant messaging platform that allows collaboration.  I like to think of it as a free replacement for offices that can’t afford nor want to pay for Lotus.  Already I can see how it can be very useful.  It’s just a matter of time before it can replace Webex and conferencing software. 

I understand that Google Wave is great for tech companies and large corporations but I wonder how it can help me interact with my client’s in a legal setting.  For now the verdict is still out on that question but I believe that Google Wave is a revolutionary product from Google that has the power to go manistream just as Gmail did.

Popularity: 43% [?]

Dealing with the Children of the Marriage

Posted by Gabriel on Oct 29th, 2009 | no comments

Unless a divorce attorney keeps up with the changes in the law and the reasons for those changes, he cannot properly serve his client’s interests.  An example is the laws relating to the children of the marriage in the event of a divorce. For years, the courts approached the problem under the concepts of “custody and visitation.”   No more.  The sense was that “custody” was too one-sided a phrase that seemed to negate the role of the other parent and thus was to the detriment of the children. Similarly, the phrase “visitation” was too casual and almost demeaning of the role of the non-custodial parent.

So the law replaced those terms with what is referred to as “timesharing”.  Both parents are to have a significant role and significant responsibility in the minor children of the marriage. 

But this is not the only change.  Now the parents, after they resolve their timesharing roles, are obliged to submit to the court what is referred to as a “parenting plan.”

That means telling the court how they intend to share responsibilities under the timesharing plan and how they intend to deal with the many issues relating to their minor child.  In many ways, it’s a new world that everybody involved need to keep up with.

Popularity: 55% [?]

Hourly Legal Billing is Dying Fast

Posted by admin on Oct 28th, 2009 | no comments

There is no question that large law firms have taken a substantial hit. My friends at the white shoe law firms can testify to the fact that even corporate clients are looking at their bills in shock and are now refusing to pay these inflated rates. The biggest issue is that lawyers generally are more concerned with billing hours then fixing their client’s problems. I decided that my business would be different. That it made good business sense to bill fairly and be concerned about resolving the clients issues as efficiently as possible. In fact, whenever possible, I try and bill a flat rate for my services. Taking this approach, you can handle more client’s, increase client satisfaction and get more referrals from your now very satisfied clients. This approach aligns my goals with my client’s goals.

Too many lawyers have failed to balance the goals of the client with the expense. I have heard too many stories about legal battles costing thousands of dollars to the client who end up fighting over merely a few hundred dollars in a bank account. The client does this because of the lack of guidance from the attorney. They are not educated on the high cost of litigation and they are scared to talk to their lawyers about the costs of the process. When the billable hour dies so do these practices.

Popularity: 44% [?]

The Basic Issues of a Divorce and the Different Means of Resolution

Posted by Gabriel on Oct 8th, 2009 | no comments

Every divorce starts out with the need to resolve certain basic issues.

1. What will be included in what is termed “marital property” and how will it be divided?
2. Will there be alimony for one spouse and if so how much and for how long?
3. If there are children of the marriage under the age of 18, how will custody and visitation (now known as time sharing) rights be resolved?
4. In that same circumstance, will there be a provision for child support and if so, how much?

Obviously, these issues and some related ones can be resolved by the courts generally after protracted litigation. Unfortunately, in some instances such resolution in what is called contested litigation is simply unavoidable. However, even in contested litigation, there are means of lessening the cost and time frame of litigation. Thus, non-binding mediation or even binding arbitration may  provide resolution of all or at least key issues so that a settlement can be reached by the parties and presented to the court.

Optimally, the parties can attempt to resolve al issues without litigation in what is referred to as an uncontested divorce.  The terms agreed upon are then presented to the court which will invariably endorse those terms in granting a formal divorce.

Popularity: 68% [?]

A Better Way to Divorce

Posted by Gabriel on Sep 3rd, 2009 | no comments

Here is the simple truth. No one cares more about you then you! It really is that simple and yet I have seen so many people just hand over a large percentage of what they have worked hard for to their divorce lawyers. Now there are plenty of people who just cannot come to any agreement with their spouse and those people probably do need a lawyer to help them fight for their rights, but most people just end up disappointed no matter what. I am proud that I work for a company that is a great solution for those that are a little smarter and can come to a fair agreement with their spouse. MyDivorceLawyer.com offers a great service to help you through the process of a divorce where the parties have agreed to the terms of their divorce and need a lawyer to help them with the court paperwork, with the marital settlement agreement and to act in a consultative manner. When you use the service you have access to a lawyer to guide you efficiently through the process and to go to court with you for the Final Hearing. Could you do everything yourself without a lawyer, of course, but the time and energy you save by having a professional do it is well worth the small fee.

Popularity: 68% [?]

Picked your lawyer using Google. You are not alone.

Posted by Gabriel on Jun 11th, 2009 | no comments

Fact is that 75% of people begin their search for a lawyer using a search engine. After recently seeing that statistic in a legal magazine published in Florida, it confirmed my belief that even lawyers are evolving to make their presence known on the web. Many people have found me through the internet (if you are reading this then you probably did too) but where a lot of lawyers have failed is they leave nothing more than a sparse website with a contact number and some very very basic information about their practice. A website is not the only thing people should use to judge a lawyer, in fact I always believed that superior service and expertise is what gets you referrals and I always try to provide my clients that but it makes sense that people need to start their search somewhere, so why not a search engine.

When I search for a service online, I analyze the website to see if this person took the time to provide me some basic information about the services they offer and to see if they are price competitive. As internet marketing for attorneys evolves, I hope that attorneys will become more forthcoming about the cost of their services and what they can actually do for you but we are not there yet. After all, when was the last time you were happy when you bought something without knowing what it was going to cost you up front. That’s probably why I decided that open disclosure on the web is good for my clients and good for me.

Popularity: 48% [?]