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New year, new you! It’s that time when we start making resolutions for improving our lives in the coming year. I don’t know about you, but I must admit to making my fair share of resolutions that I didn’t keep, but a few of them have paid huge dividends for my life. As I think about which ones have been most successful, I realize that I’m best at keeping those resolutions where I committed to take an actual step — not merely a stated goal, but rather a particular task. It seems true for many people that it’s easier to keep resolutions that are practical and task-focused rather than ones that are abstract and seem distant.
There are a few tasks legal tasks that fall into this category. They are legal actions that everyone realizes are important, but since they never seem urgent, they never get done. For this new year, make it your goal to get the “legal aspects” in order for yourself and your family. For some of these tasks, it will never seem like the “right” time to do it . . . you just have to do it anyway. It only takes a minute to call us an setup an appointment, and once you have the appointment you’re much more likely to follow-through!
Your Family’s Estate Plan
No, estate planning is not just for people who are old or just for people who are extremely wealthy. Estate planning is for any person who has other people that depend on them, or for any person who wants to leave a legacy whenever they die. It does not have to be expensive to start the estate planning process while you’re young, and build on your plan each year as your life’s circumstances change. Too many people put this off saying things like, “we’ll do this after we have another child” or “we’ll get this done when we retire.” But there will always be another excuse for waiting. We have estate planning attorneys who can assist you in creating customized trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and other legal structures that will protect you and your family for decades to come. This new year, commit to getting this done for the benefit of those you love most. You can start by calling our office to make an appointment.
Formalize Your Family Law Needs
Another common area of procrastination is within family law. For divorced or separated couples, they may delay working out their custody arrangements or doing their separation agreement. For some married couples who have been struggling and trying to make things work, now might be the time to recognize that the best choice they can make is to divorce. For couples who have long been separated, now could be the time to get the divorce done even if you have both agreed that it’s the right choice. People tend to let these legal issues linger undone for too long, which can be harmful to their interests and to the well-being of their children. This year can be the year of the fresh start for you or your kids. Whatever the issue is, our family law attorneys stand ready to help you resolve it. The first step is to make an appointment; just give us a call.
Expunge Your Old Arrest or Criminal Charge
It’s surprising how many people have a criminal record but don’t know it. Consider this: If you were ever ticketed or arrested in Virginia, for a misdemeanor like Reckless Driving or Driving Under the Influence, and you either were found not guilty or the charges were dropped or dismissed — did you know that you still do have a criminal arrest record? While the record does not say that you were found Guilty, it nevertheless does exist and is public. This means that potential employers, landlords, and others who do background checks can see that you were charged with those crimes. The answer to this problem is getting an expungement (or permanent erasure, sealing) of your criminal record. Many people have gotten various minor (or sometimes major) criminal charges at some point in their past, but those charges do not reflect how they actually conduct themselves now. If you were found ‘not guilty’ or your charge was dropped or dismissed, you will probably qualify to have that record permanently erased. Our criminal defense attorneys can help you in any Court throughout Hampton Roads. Call us now to discuss your expungement.
Get Your Business Setup or Organized
Small business owners are busy people. It’s easy to forget or delay some important business tasks like holding your corporate meetings, filing for your LLC, or getting those contracts or leases drafted or reviewed. The old saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is perfectly applicable to business law. Getting your business properly setup, having correctly drafted contracts, and having your attorney review leases and agreements before you sign them are all very cheap legal tasks when compared to the extreme business-crushing cost of defending a civil lawsuit. As a busy business owner, it’s so easy to delay these non-urgent tasks and convince yourself that “someday” you’ll get them done. Make this the year you finally follow-through on those things you’ve been meaning to get right. Our business law attorneys are ready to help you with everything you need, just call us today to make the appointment.
Who Knew Your Lawyer Could Be So Helpful?
Far too many people never talk to an attorney until they desperately need one. You might be surprised at how a good lawyer can help you get a lot of the details of life under control, and what a stress relief it is to know you have it done and done right.
