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Legal Industry Challenges: Marketing

legalinternshipThere are many challenges currently facing the legal industry, but marketing is most definitely at the top of the list. For much of history, traditional methods of marketing have been used successfully by attorneys to help attract clients. With so many lawyers on the market (and more graduating and passing the bar every year), those traditional methods just don’t work like they used to.

Part of this is also due to the fact that the proliferation of the Internet has changed the game. Putting an ad in the Yellow Pages, for example, just doesn’t have the reach that it might have had ten years ago. More people than ever are starting their search for products and services on the Internet, and this is true of finding legal professionals, too. Now more than ever, an online reputation as well as an online method of marketing must be implemented by attorneys who wish to continue reaping the benefits of success.

Of course, it makes sense that social media should be a component of every attorney’s marketing plan. A real effort, however, must go beyond this. If your website doesn’t have detailed information about your services, as well as a properly updated blog, you run the risk of being passed over for someone else. These days, attorneys are using online content marketing in conjunction with traditional methods and social media to set themselves apart from the competition. It’s vital that the legal community make the most of this trend towards online research. This involves not only being present in the online community by posting regularly and contributing material, but ensuring that your website and blog reflect relevant information that proves your competency.

Learning about what individuals are searching for, as well as the qualities they seek in hiring an attorney for their specific legal needs, can go a long way as well. This can be completed by legal staff or other professionals to whom the job is outsourced, but understanding how people arrive at a final decision is extremely helpful for gearing legal marketing. Another way to explore this avenue is to ask current clients what led them to their existing attorney and to have them provide testimonials. Networking and identifying the right clients as well as other valuable industry professionals, can help to build your brand. In a world where reviews play an increasingly important role in assisting consumers make final decisions, the words of others can be extremely beneficial for an attorney who has developed positive relationships with current and former clients. Implement a marketing plan today that reflects your image.

Tips When Making A Compensation Claim

Accidents can happen anywhere and anytime, from your work area, malls and even inside your homes; which can surely affect your well-being, finances and your performance. With this in mind, some individuals now opt for insurance plans to help them have sufficient finances and benefits in case accidents strike.

personalinjury-start-your-claimAs for workers, they have better benefits during an accident since they can get compensation claims from the company to help them with their financial and medical needs. However, it is very essential for workers to know the compensation plans to help them determine how to make use of it in case of unexpected accidents. In addition, if you are making a compensation claim, you need to consider these tips in order to make your claims better and more efficient.

Determine the amount of your claim – Workers must be sure about the amount of their claim since they need to settle medical costs such as hospitalization, medicines and other expenses with regard to their injuries.

 

Limits To Automatic Stay As Per The New Bankruptcy Laws

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As per the new bankruptcy laws, the automatic stay has now been defined in a different way for separate situations. However, before we look into those specific circumstances, it is important for you to understand what this legal stay means and what are its applications, per article of Bankslaw.org.

Automatic Stay And Its Applications

If you owe certain debts to a creditor and do not repay the same in a timely manner, the creditor may try to harass you for the repayment. The collection call agencies are usually very good in this regard. Creditors want their money back, generally at any cost. When they find that you have stopped making the repayment, they hire these agencies. The collection agencies will harass you through mail or over the phone. However, filing bankruptcy brings an automatic legal stay that instantly stops all collection proceedings against you. As soon as you file your application, the creditors are legally restricted to stop even the foreclosure proceedings. What is more, this legal stay also stops the lenders from going ahead with any pending lawsuits against you. They are also lawfully forced to stop garnishing your wages. However, as per the new bankruptcy laws, the level of protection varies depending upon the specific cases. Let me give you a brief insight into the same.

Statement Of Intent

In case of a secured debt, the court requires you to submit a statement of intent within 30 days of filing your case. In this statement, you have to explain your plans to deal with such debts. If you fail to submit this statement to the bankruptcy court within thirty days, the automatic stay will be taken away, but only with regard to the secured creditors. However, as per the new bankruptcy laws, the trustee still has the right to ask the courts to extend the automatic stay if they think it proper.

Second Time Filing

If it is the second time you are filing under chapter 7 or 13 within a year, the court will not consider your second attempt in good faith. It will provide you limited automatic stay that is usually not more than 30 days. However, as per the new bankruptcy laws, if within this period, you prove that your filing is genuine, the court may rethink about extending the stay.

Third Time Filing

However, if it is third or fourth time that you are filing your petition, the court will not allow you an automatic stay at all. At the first look, the frequent filing of bankruptcy cases does not look genuine. Therefore, if you are filing for the third or fourth time in a row, you will have to prove to the court that the reason you are filing for chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy is genuine and in good faith.

However, as per the new bankruptcy laws, such proceedings usually takes time as you would have to convince the court about that the validity of your repeated filings and you may not be able to enjoy the best advantages of the automatic stay.

The introduction of the new bankruptcy laws has brought about several changes. The bankruptcy court imposes an automatic legal stay when you file your petition. However, in some cases, this stay is not imposed.