Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Free Advice Online From a Work Injury Lawyer - Put Those Uncertainties to Bed Today

 

When people are injured at work they don't always think they need to acquire legal help. Most tend to follow normal procedures; telling their employer who then puts through the relevant workers comp paperwork to the Workers Compensation insurer (in Queensland this is WorkCover QLD) and they think 'that's it, that's all I need to do - right?' Wrong.

What many workers fail to realise is that they may have 'other' entitlements that are not available through Workers Compensation and are only obtainable by a lawyer. With this in mind many workers miss out on tens of thousands of dollars in compensation that may help them greatly when adapting to new circumstances following their injury. This is why it is imperative to contact an Australian Injury Infoline such as Work Injury Compensation who can also provide legal help online.

By contacting an injury helpline you can get free legal advice and establish:
  • If there is any negligence at the time of injury
  • All your rights to compensation
  • What compensation you may be entitled to receive
  • What to do next to ensure you don't miss out on what legally and rightfully belongs to you

In the cases of a permanent injury WorkCover will send you for an independent medical assessment and then, you will have the level of permanence measured in the form of a percentage. Following the medical assessment WorkCover will issue you with a Notice of Assessment and this may include a lump sum payment. Some workers may think 'this is good - some compensation for the permanence of my injury - right' - no, not necessarily. If there was any negligence present that caused the injury or procedures in place failed to prevent the injury from occurring, you may have other entitlements under common law. Also another thing to bear in mind is that lump sum payments from WorkCover fail to take into account 'future' expenses and economic losses that you may encounter.

On the Notice of Assessment from WorkCover it suggests seeking advice from a lawyer and yes, this is certainly the right thing to do. It is very important that you SEEK FREE LEGAL ADVICE BEFORE YOU SIGN ANYTHING by calling a legal injury helpline.

Once you have signed, that is the end of your claim and you may miss out on tens of thousands of dollars that legally and rightfully belongs to you for the pain and suffering that you have endured. Work Injury Compensation offer free legal advice and a free case review for injured workers in Queensland.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Business Legal Form - Where To Get The Forms You'll Need

As a business owner, you are going to need to use a business legal form for almost anything you do. It doesn't matter if you just hired someone to mop floors or if you signed a new contract with a competitor to buy him out, a business legal form will be crucial for you, just so long as you want to run a legitimate tax paying business.

Contracts - this is the most common business legal form. There are hundreds of thousands of possibilities of who can sign a contract with and for what. Any time that you do business with anyone, make up a contract that both of you can agree on. There is nothing worse than going into business with someone that ends up not pulling their weight. But now with a contract, if someone is not pulling their weight, the contract can be pulled out and evaluated and maybe files could be charged.

Employment Records - as an entrepreneur, you need a business legal form for every person that has worked for you. Depending on the state that you live in will depend on how long you have to keep these records. The record should include employees name, social security number, wage, employment dates, and any other information that the company keeps on record, such as write ups.

Other Legal Forms - if you are going to bring charges against someone or vice versa, then you will need legal forms lying around the office at all times, since you never know what could happen.

Tax Forms - when it comes to taxes, a business legal form is much different than a regular tax form that most of America does. The business tax form has tons of space for loopholes and deductions, as well as write offs, mergers, and stock status. Every business must file a tax return and it would help if the business legal forms were handy and nearby.

As you can see a business legal form is required of every business. They are just a few important documents that can be lived without.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Creating a Website Development Agreement

Developing even a simple web site can quickly become a complex job, so clarifying expectations at the beginning of the project is always a good idea. That's why an experienced web developer's first move is to get the client's signature on a comprehensive website development contract before starting any project.

A website development agreement governs the relationship between you - the web site developer - and your client. Having this type of agreement in place makes good business sense whenever you're hired to develop, design or implement a web site for one of your clients.

A web development contract protects you against the various liabilities associated with the development of web sites. The idea is to clearly establish the rights and responsibilities of each party over the term of the website development agreement, eliminating the possibility of any misunderstandings that could arise from a lack of communication.

Keep It Clear

These agreements typically include a detailed statement of work, which clearly defines the scope of the services you'll perform on an ongoing basis. This might include key tasks, project milestones and deliverables, time and cost estimates, and project organization and personnel requirements. Additionally, web development agreements usually include price and payment terms that can help you avoid "scope creep," which is a common problem during web development.

Other important components of a website developer's contract may include limitation of remedies and limitation of liabilities clauses. A limitation of remedies clause might state that the client's sole remedy is the correction of material defects or deficiencies brought to your attention within 90 days of completion, while a limitation of liabilities clause might cap your total liability at the amount you are paid for your services.
A sample website development contract might also include provisions for the termination of the agreement, ownership of intellectual property, warranties and disclaimers, confidential information, and employee solicitation and hiring.

Too Much "Legalese"?

If it sounds like your contract needs to contain a lot of legal jargon, don't worry. While you could hire your own lawyer to draw up a web development agreement from scratch, it is likely to be much more affordable to use an existing form or template agreement for website developers.

A template website design and development contract makes the process easy by guiding you through development of your statement of work and other contract components, and helps ensure that you've addressed the key variables you may encounter during the project. Often, web development agreement templates provide examples and sample contract wording, eliminating some of the guesswork for you. It is recommended that you have a lawyer review your completed website development template or form contract for your peace of mind.
Depending on which other web development or design services you provide, you may also need contracts addressing ASP relationships, web content contributors, web site advertising, web site hosting, and web site terms of use. Other helpful contracts may include employment contracts and agreements for subcontractors and independent contractors. And, you may need a template privacy policy for use on your own or your client's site.

Many website developers prefer to purchase a web design and development contract template package that includes all of these documents, allowing unlimited, as-needed use at an affordable package price.

Clear Communication Makes for Happy Clients

Having a legally sound website development agreement, signed by both parties, protects you from financial and material losses, while helping to ensure clear communication with your client. By setting clear expectations at the outset of a web development project, you're much more likely to end up with a satisfied customer, a good reputation and repeat business.

Jim Cochran is the founder of ContractEdge, a website offering legal contract templates online. ContractEdge offers legal contracts for web developers as well as development and website hosting agreements.

Monday, December 20, 2010

How to Reconcile Your VAT in 2 Minutes

Reconciling your VAT is one of the easiest tasks using Sage Software and yet so many small businesses seem to struggle with the task.

It's the end of the VAT quarter and panic sets in because they have to check lots of reports and they aren't entirely sure what they are doing.

When introduced to a new client I have always asked the question "How long does it take to reconcile your VAT return?" The answer's I get back vary from a couple of hours to a couple of days!

The answer I should be hearing is no more than a couple of minutes. When accounts staff are presented with this, and they usually go on the offensive, stating that it takes them ages to go through all the reports and check them. Twaddle!

Their response tells me instantly that they don't fully understand the software they're using. And this doesn't just apply to Sage Software users either.

Every time a transaction is entered into the Accounts it is automatically collected in the VAT Control Accounts, In the case of Sage Software, Vat on purchases is collected in nominal code 2201 and VAT on Sales is collected in nominal code 2200.

So let's take a step back to entering the data on a day to day basis.

With Sales invoices it doesn't really matter if all of your sales are standard rated VAT because the program will add 17.5 % (UK) to the net anyway.

If you have a mixed bag of sales, that is, you sell goods which are standard (17.5%) exempt, zero or reduced rated. Then your products vat code should be set to the rate applicable. If that is the case then there is little need to worry about the Sales VAT at the quarter end.

VAT law states that your invoice must tell the recipient which vat rate you have charged them with
Which brings us to the other side - When you receive a Purchase invoice or make a payment the document tells you whether you have been charged at standard rate, exempt rate, zero rate or the 5% reduced rate.
So when you are entering the invoices in to sage you need to check the correct tax rate code and that the screen vat amount says the same as the invoice, if it doesn't then make the screen say the same. Watch out for those rounding penny differences. On the subject of which, you always round vat down. If we all did then we wouldn't have those penny differences (Mr Brown doesn't need all those extra pennies anyway, but don't quote me on that!)

Now if you know on a day to day basis that every Sales invoice has the correct vat and every purchase invoice was checked as it was entered. Why spend hours and days at the VAT quarter end checking through those same figures?

When all you need to do is as follows

1. Have you entered all the transaction over the VAT quarter? 2. Have you reconciled your bank accounts to the last day of the VAT quarter?

If yes Check that the balance in nominal codes 2200 Sales Vat is the same as box 1 on the vat return over the same date range.

Check that the amount in 2201 purchase VAT is the same as box 4 on the vat return again over the same date range.

Do they match? They should do!

Time taken to check - less than a minute - though you now have to archive, print your reports in case vat person pays a visit and empty out the control accounts using a journal to start a fresh for the new quarter.
Total time a couple of minutes

VAT is not something that turns up at the end of three months, if you let the software manage it on a daily basis you can sleep easy.

You Can read more Detail Reconile an Invice and here : Legal Web Review .

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Setting Up a Private Foundation - A Legal Book Review

A good many folks would like to leave money to the common good when they retire or after they have completed their life experience. Some folks would like to set up private foundations because they would like to give back to the world that has given them so much. This is quite a noble thing, and it is extremely popular in the United States. Today, there are nearly 76,000 private foundations in the US and that number grows each and every year.

If you are a financial investment advisor for the wealthy, or if you'd like to set up your own private foundation, there is a very good book that I think you should read. It is quite comprehensive, and one that I think might very much help you accomplish this goal. The name of the book is;

"Private Foundations: Tax Law and Compliance, Third Edition" by Bruce R. Hopkins and Jodie Blazek, published by John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York, New York, 2008, (768 pp).

Private foundations do not just give away money, but they give away well-placed money, and they are able to influence our society by a large degree, so whereas, some people think it's all about money and gifting, it's more than that. And the authors go out of their way to explain this in the first two chapters. Hopkins and Blazek also explain the soul searching that must be done prior to a family making the decision to set up a foundation.

The authors explain that nearly $37 billion will be given away in 2007 and this will account for nearly 13% of all the charitable giving throughout the United States. So this is a huge amount of funds that go back to help the common good. But even if you have a small foundation for just your family, you will not be alone, each year there are more and more of these types of foundation are being formed, and the amount of spending they do is also increasing.

The authors admit that during recessionary periods, the number fluctuates, but the reality is that foundations are part of the foundation of our nation. Indeed, I think you should pick up a copy of this book, read it, and think about it. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in giving back.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Medical Power of Attorney Information

A medical power of attorney in Florida is called a "Designation of Health Care Surrogate." In a Designation of Health Care Surrogate form, the person who is authorizing someone else to be able to make medical decisions in their behalf is called the principal. The person who the principal is authorizing to make medical decisions in their behalf is called the surrogate. Surrogate is defined as "someone who takes the place of another". A Designation of Health Care Surrogate form may also name a backup surrogate in case the first named surrogate is unable or unwilling to act in behalf of the principal. The surrogate cannot make medical decisions or consent to medical treatments on behalf of the principal until the principal is no longer able to make their own health care decisions and consent to medical treatments. The principal's inability to provide informed consent is determined by the principal's attending physician after assessing the principal's condition. The surrogate's authority ends when the principal regains the ability to make their own medical decisions and consent to medical treatments.

When a surrogate is notified by the health care facility that they are now authorized to act on behalf of the principal due to the principal's present condition and the surrogate is not the husband or wife of the principal, the surrogate must notify the principal's spouse or adult children of the principal's designation of health care surrogate. The surrogate may also begin to make health care decisions on behalf of the principal now. If the principal had previously informed the surrogate as to what types of treatments he or she would or would not consent to under particular circumstances, the surrogate should make their decisions based on the principal's wishes. If the surrogate should have to make a decision about something that was not discussed with the principal, the surrogate should make their decision considering the principal's best interest when deciding. Before the surrogate makes a decision that was not discussed with the principal beforehand, the surrogate may ask for medical information and advice from the principal's health care providers and have access to the principal's medical records. The surrogate not only has the authority to consent to medical treatments for the principal, the surrogate may also decline suggested medical treatments or ask that medical treatments being administered to the principal be stopped or removed as well. The surrogate may also request that the principal's medical records be shared with another medical facility so that the surrogate could get a second opinion from a different physician and even request that the principal be transferred to a different health care facility.

This article was brought to you by Richie Hill on behalf of Legal Forms Bank.biz, a provider of low cost legal forms. You can download your state's power of attorney form at their Website, fill in the blanks on your PC, and then print it out. It's that simple!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Durable Limited Power of Attorney Forms - When to Use

When you would like to allow someone else to have the authority of acting on your behalf, you will have to use a legal document called a power of attorney. It is widely used legal form for any circumstance where there is a need for owner's signatures to make the contract legally binding. When a person signs the power of attorney form, he or she will be granting the legal authority to another individual to be able to stand in the owner's shoes; therefore he/she could act legally for the benefit of owner. In this situation, the person receiving the power of attorney is called attorney-in-fact. Contrary to many people's belief, the person doesn't have to be a lawyer in order to be the recipient.

In many occasions, power of attorney forms are very useful and popular among those who are especially interested in their own asset distribution or inheritance. The forms also can be used to give an authority to someone else to sign particular documents in case you are not able to be present but your signatures are required.

There are few different types of power of attorney forms, such as unlimited power of attorney, limited one and durable unlimited one. Among them there is one called durable limited power of attorney. With this form, you are providing for a limited grant of authority to another individual for very specific reasons. You are designating a person to act for you in a particular occasion, in a very specific manner and you can actually limit the activity that the person will perform. Therefore there are a lot more details described in the document and certainly there will be a limitation.

But this legal form and the contents inside will remain effective even though you become disabled or incapacitated, thus allowing the assigned person to act on your behalf in case of your losing ability. Your attorney-in-fact can keep the authority that is already given through the document and remain valid even if the power is limited. In order for this to be complete, the both parties' names and addresses should be clearly written on the document and signatures are required at the time of signing. Also there should be a full detailed descriptions and outlines of work area described on the document. Usually the owner's signature should be notarized and two other witnesses will be accompanied when the document is complete. In that case, the person who will receive the document is not eligible for being one of the witnesses.

If you are considering of appointing your attorney-in-fact, then you can download Power of Attorney Forms. It is used to protect your own assets and specify legal rights towards your assets after your absence.

For more information about legal documents, go to Free Legal Forms site, where you can find many free legal forms and resources including living trust forms that you can use to help secure your own company and assets.

Tips to Get Good Legal Advice For Free

Getting legal advice for claims is considered to be an expensive task by most people but the truth is that it is possible to get free legal help from the best solicitors in UK. This article will provide you with some tips that will help you benefit from free legal advice to get 100 percent compensation for claims.

Tip #1 - The internet is filled with legal advice for personal injury claims and even criminal injury claims. Claim related information is available on the internet in the form of articles, blogs and posts on forums. Most of the articles and blogs on the internet provide general advice that is helpful for majority of cases. Before filing a claim take some time out to surf recommended and trustworthy websites for claim related information. If you are surfing a forum or blog for claim related advice then make sure that the person giving the advice has some legal background.

Tip #2 - Always opt for legal help only from a certified legal professional. While your friends and family may want to help you out by providing tips and suggestions, at times this help can do more harm than good. Solicitors spend many years receiving legal education and they also are aware of the latest claim related information.

Tip #3 - While hiring personal injury solicitors for legal help make sure that the solicitor you are hiring is accredited by the Law Society and the Association of Personal Lawyers. The selected solicitor should also have a reputation for winning maximum number of cases. You should keep in mind that it may not be possible for all lawyers to win all the cases at all times hence while selecting lawyers you should be a little lenient if the lawyer has not won a few cases.

Tip #4 - If you are planning to hire a personal injury solicitor then you should make sure that you hire a legal professional that offers no win no fee services. These beneficial services entitle claimants to receive free legal information regarding their claim. Many solicitors also provide no obligatory services that entitle claimants to ask questions to solicitors before hiring them. The solicitor offering these services should also be willing to answer questions and he should use lay man language rather than using legal jargon that may not be understood by you.

Tip #5 - If you want personalized legal advice then you should contact an accident settlement company and ask them to give you advice related to your claim. You can either visit the website of the accident settlement company, fill out a web form or you can call them for information. Most accident settlement companies that provide legal services in UK also offer no win no fee services along with no obligatory advice.