When you work for or own a legal company, you are going to deal with documents every single day which contain private information that actually belongs to your clients. One of the important responsibilities of a legal company is to find ways to protect that information. That is why so many legal firms hire the services of an onsite shredding company. It is not just good practice as a legal company to be sure that you're taking appropriate steps...more
The K-1 Fiancee Visa was promulgated by the US Congress in an effort to provide a legal method whereby alien fiancees could travel to the USA in order to meet their American loved one. The main advantage of this type of family visa is the fast processing time compared to American marriage visas. However, this type of travel document requires the foreign fiancee to adjust status once lawfully present in the USA. The adjustment process usually...more
You know you should have never gotten behind the wheel to begin with, but it happened and there's nothing you can do about it now. It's time to look forward and try to minimize the damage as much as possible. If you are arrested for DUI, then there are three things that you should not do.#1 Don't Admit AnythingNow is not the time to go into detail about how you couldn't have been under the influence because you only had four drinks and everyone knows that you're not drunk on four drinks! (Believe it or not, this happens.) From the time you're pulled over until you are released, you could end up giving the police more evidence against you in court. In many cases, what happens during this time period could end up getting the case thrown out of court. But not if you help the police prove their case! Be polite, but be very careful what you say and do.#2 Don't Miss a Court DateBefore you're released from the custody of the police, you will be given a court date. Do not miss it or any other dates you're given. Not only will it void your bond agreement, you will have a warrant for your arrest. Many times, the fines are considerably higher for those that miss court dates, since...more
It was a poor choice at best and a deadly choice at its worst. The switch the medical community made from prescribing Oxycontin to using methadone only added fuel to the fire of drug addiction.Once it was discovered that Oxycontin had the ability to turn people into drug addicts, doctors started to hunt for something else to hand out instead to act...more
If you don't appoint a guardian when making a will and the Will is called ahead whilst the children are still considered to be "minors" in age i.e under 18 years old then matters can be problematical particularly if there is a big estate to allocate.If you should die without making a will and fail to designate a guardian, the courts will decide who...more
How do you choose the right accident claim solicitorsThe stress and strain of an accident can leave you emotionally (and financially) drained. If an accident wasn't your fault, there are plenty of personal injury solicitors to choose from if you want to pursue a claim. But how do you know which solicitor is right for you?Make sure they're a specialistIt seems obvious, but make sure that your solicitor is experienced in dealing with personal injury claims. A qualified solicitor has had to undergo years of training and will have the appropriate qualifications. There are people who deal with injury claims that are not qualified solicitors and as good as they may be, they do not have the detailed knowledge of the law that a complicated personal injury case may involve. If you know someone who has had a successful claim then a personal recommendation is a good place to start. Alternatively, you can contact an impartial advisory service such as the Citizens Advice Bureau who may be able to give you the name of a reputable solicitor specialising in personal injury claims.CredentialsThe most experienced and expert personal injury solicitors will be members of the Law Society's Personal...more
The financial pressure on hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers, as a result of increased scrutiny of claims and audit activity by third party payors, will not end soon. To the contrary, as part of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of...more
Medicare providers and suppliers targeted for prepayment complex medical review understand the financial burden that review of records prior to payment places on a medical practice.Prior to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and...more
On August 19, 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") published final Stark rules in its 2009 Final Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems rule ("Final Rule"). The Final Rule contains several important revisions to the...more
IntroductionThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule regarding changes to the Medicare appeal procedures on March 5, 2005. This final rule was effective May 1, 2005. Legal counsel for providers and suppliers...more
On November 22, 2006, the Detroit Medical Center ("DMC") and Wayne State University ("WSU") announced a temporizing resolution to a long-standing contractual dispute. This dispute threatened both the future of the DMC/WSU jointly sponsored residency...more
In a time when news flies fast and furious on the Internet, emails clog cyberspace and rumors spread over networking sites at a viral rate, it's easy to see how things can get out of control, truth-wise. It's also easy to see how much damage can be...more