Expert lawyers and attorneys in Springfield. Local law firms and legal advice near me.

• Helpful Apps for Law Students
  
Created by the American Bar Association, this application allows students to stay current with regards to the latest news from the major publication, the ABA. In addition to news, this app provides users access to both law articles and some of the most popular legal blogs on the net. With this installed on their mobile device, law students will be able to stay on top of the latest legal news and articles.
• What Risk Does an Inventor Assume When Filing for a Patent for an Invention?
  
The United States changed its patent system in April 2013 with the introduction of the America Invents Act. This act made a number of changes to the patent system, including patents being awarded on a first-to-file basis rather than first-to-invent.
• Liability Issues Complicate Commercial Car Accidents
  
A locally-based, personal injury attorney who is experienced in dealing with commercial liability issues has the knowledge to deftly assess such situations and move forward in the right direction in seeking damages for you
• California DUI Laws
  
• How to Hire the Right Divorce Lawyer
  
Choose a lawyer who discusses your case in a way that is reasonable and objective, and who gives the impression of genuinely wanting to help you get divorced in as quick and clean a manner as possible. Be wary of divorce lawyers who try to get you riled up and interested in vengeance. If you make the divorce proceedings all about getting revenge on your spouse, this will cost you time and money (which might be in the divorce interest, but is certainly not in your own interest).
• Are You At Risk of a Lawsuit Over Unpaid Credit Card Debt?
  
• Complications in Personal Injury Lawsuits
  
If you have been involved in an accident, or been injured by someone else's negligence, and have received payments from what you suspect might be a "collateral source," it is advisable to contact an attorney knowledgeable about the most recent legislation and court decisions on the subject. The rules now vary from state to state, and often from federal court to federal court, and will depend on the type of "collateral source" payment you have received.
• Defend Yourself From a Debt Collection Lawsuit
  
While a debt collector cannot legally sue you after the statute of limitations in your state expires, not all collection agencies adhere to laws intended to protect consumers from abusive debt collection practices. If the statute of limitations on a debt has already expired, you can use it as an affirmative defense against the collector in court.
• The Credit Card Act of 2009
  
The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 officially went into effect on April 22, 2010. The Credit CARD Act was authorized by President Barack Obama in an effort to establish an increase in consumer acknowledgement and prevent several extreme practices within the credit card industry. While the majority of the laws went into effect in April, a handful of these legislations will not go into action until August. This bill carries with it a number of benefits to consumers.
• The Disadvantages of Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
  
Unlike Chapter 7 bankruptcy, Chapter 13 bankruptcy does not offer debtors the ability to escape their debts altogether. Together with your attorney, you will be expected to propose a repayment plan to the court. Your repayment plan must span a three to five year period and allocate the majority of your disposable income toward your debts.
• The Disadvantages of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
  
Perhaps the most obvious negative consequence of filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy is the effect it has on your credit. The bankruptcy will appear on your credit report as soon as you file and will not be removed for ten years. Even if you change your mind and successfully have the bankruptcy dismissed, it will not be removed from your credit report until the reporting period expires.
• How to Fight a Wage Garnishment?
  
Wage garnishment occurs most often over unsecured debts. When you owe an unsecured debt to a creditor, it does not have the option of repossessing any property that you own. You are expected to pay on good faith. When you do not, the creditor will likely send the debt to a collection agency.
• How to Obtain a US Birth Certificate?
  
• Is Copyright Law too limiting?
  
The creation of Creative Commons was sparked by the conflict between various individuals interested in making works that had gone out of copyright publically available and the federal government, which in 1998 passed the Sonny Bono Copyright Act, extending the period in which a work is protected by copyright. Two lawyers, Lawrence Lessig and Jonathan Zittrain, decided to challenge the law, believing that keeping lesser-known works in the public domain is necessary in order to preserve those works. They represented a plaintiff, Eric Eldred, who had created an online library of then-public domain books, in a case before the Supreme Court. They lost, 7:2. However, this loss did not prevent Lessig and company from looking into other ways to make work available, expanding their focus from public domain books to all sorts of content.
• Personal Injury Lawyers and Accident Lawyers
  
An injury lawyer is always ready to advocate on behalf of their client. They have the education, the research and courtroom experience needed to provide the best possible defense that the law allows. If you or a loved one finds themselves involved in a vehicular accident, involved in bad faith insurance, a medical mishap or wrongful death, the best and only alternative for legal security is the advocacy of a personal injury attorney. Utilize one to ensure that funds lost and damage inflicted due to the negligence of a third party is handled professionally and responsibly.
• Statutory Exceptions behind Wrongful Termination
  
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 has been designed to protect employees or potential employees against discrimination when looking for employment. It specifically protects individuals who are at least 40 years of age during hiring procedures, firing processes, lay offs, and with regard to their wages and benefits including retirement practices. Modifications have been made to this act by the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1991.
• The Pension Protection Act
  
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 includes a provision that allows employers to set their employees up for immediate enrollment in the retirement plan that is being offered by the employer. The intention is to encourage workers to begin saving for their retirement early on so that they are financially capable of retiring.
• What is a Promissory Note?
  
The Promissory Note is a legal document recording the details of a transaction and the lender / seller payment terms, thus creating a written commitment by the borrower to repay the loan or pay for an exchange of personal property. The transaction may be related to finances or personal property, such as a vehicle, art, furniture or any other personal item of monetary value. More specifically, the Promissory Note documents the money owed to the lender by the borrower in exchange of a financial loan or personal property. Since the Promissory Note is most often used for unsecured loans, it also may aid in the collection of money owed to the lender should the borrower default on their financial payment obligation.
• 4 Reasons Why You Need a Last Will and Testament Immediately
  
While some states allow people under the age of 18 to create a will, all states requires that you must be of sound mind when you create one. Being of sound mind means that you are legally capable of making your own decisions. If you later become mentally incapacitated or suffer an illness, such as Alzheimer's disease, that causes you to lose your ability to make knowing choices, you can no longer create a will. Once you lose this ability, you may never get it back. If you're healthy and capable of making your own decisions right now, take advantage of your health my making a will and giving yourself some security.
• Preparing for the Law School Admission Test
  
The Law School Admission Test, or LSAT as it is commonly known by most students, is the standardized test required by all ABA (American Bar Association) schools. The test is composed of four sections, three of which are scored. The three differing sections that are scored comprise of logic games, reading comprehension, and logical reasoning. Reading comprehension and the logical reasoning sections are somewhat similar to what most students experience on the ACT or SAT prior to their undergraduate studies. However, the logical reading games are usually a completely new ordeal for students, the likes of which are typically only found in philosophical logic courses or in math courses above Calculus. The final section of the LSAT, is the writing sample. Although it is the only section not scored on the LSAT, most law schools use it as an example of what the student is capable of writing in a time constraint; as opposed to the personal statement that is written in advance for a law school application.
• Green Card Through Marriage: Why You Need a Lawyer
The documents that need to be filed are primarily dependent on the circumstances surrounding the marriage, such as where the wedding took place (in the U.S. or overseas) and where the foreign-born spouse is located at the time the petition for residency is processed. If the spouse seeking the permanent resident status is already in the U.S., the manner by which he or she entered the country must also be taken into account. Did he or she enter the country legally? Has he or she overstayed a visa? Dealing with these kinds of questions and concerns is something that you can do a lot easily if you have an experienced Green Card through marriage attorney working for you.
• About the Juvenile Justice System
  
The juvenile justice system is a section of the judicial branch of government that deals only with juvenile criminals and their victims. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) defines a juvenile as any youth who is at or below the upper age of jurisdiction in a state. Based on state laws, this translates to those who are under the age of 18. Judges, police, lawyers/child advocates, social workers, detention officers, and community program leaders and volunteers all are part of this system.