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Cultural

White Law Office, Co. > Cultural
29 October
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A Virtual Attorney in a Changing World

Posted by Thomas D. White
in Cultural

What is a Virtual Lawyer? As I write this I am at a legal technology conference in San Diego with the speaker proclaiming the virtues of virtual lawyers and virtual law firms. As a traditionally trained lawyer, the concept of “virtual” law was at first daunting for me. “Virtual” sounds like a lawyer existing on a Star Trek holodeck. What I discovered was much different, but we need to first define virtual law. We live in a world that is leveraging technology at an increasingly rapid pace. I remember as a young lawyer marveling at the IBM Selectric’s ability to backspace and erase what I had just typed. It seems like yesterday, but technologically, it was in the Stone Age. Simply put, a virtual lawyer is a lawyer who is able to use technology to efficiently and economically provide services to the client. As technology changes, legal services need to become more efficient and economical for the client. If you think about it, lawyers have been using technology to serve clients virtually (not face to face in a law office) for about a hundred years through the telephone. Most of my conferences with clients are not in person, they a phone calls. But phone calls are only one way of attorneys and clients communicate. For instance, most of our correspondence with clients is by email. This is much quicker than regular mail in communicating and allows us to send documents instantly. An emerging use of technology that many of our clients enjoy video conferences. The internet has...

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06 September
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Social Media and the Law

Posted by Moriah E. Schmidt
in Business Law, Civil Law, Criminal Law, Cultural, Family Law, Litigation

We are in a social media-driven day and age. On average, internet users spend about 2 hours and 22 minutes per day on social networking platforms. Saima Salim, How much time do you spend on social media? Research says 142 minutes per day. With such a significant amount of time spent on these sites, it is wise to be aware of some of the legal issues you could face. There are many aspects where social media and the law collide. Privacy First of all, consider the privacy of the information you post online (or the lack thereof). How often do you put something online and consider whether you would want a judge or prosecutor to view the evidence? Courts are seeing social media used in cases more and more often, especially in divorce cases. If you post something online, it is very possible that it can be used against you in court. Social media sites are built to collect data from you. That is one of their primary goals. They are fueled by companies who advertise to your specific needs and wants. They use a multitude of tricks to get you to give them information, and anyone – including the government – can be collecting this data from you. As the ABA eloquently put it, "In Europe, Canada, and other countries across the world, protection of each citizen's private information is considered to be a human right, secured by statute and enforced by the government and private causes of action. In...

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20 August
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Finding the Right Fit When Searching for a Lawyer

Posted by Christopher M. White
in Business Law, Civil Law, Criminal Law, Cultural, Elder Law, Family Law, Litigation

Lawyers have solutions that can be close to “one size fits all” for simple matters, those solutions are only for the most basic of situations.Every nuance and detail of your situation, no matter how small you might think it is, can cause the recommended solution for your problem to change.This, among other reasons, is why it is so hard to compare attorneys based on price point. Some attorneys will attempt to shoehorn you into a solution that may not be the best for your situation, but it is “low cost.”We have witnessed this when so-called “Trust Mills” come through town.They charge a set price, and they have never met anyone who doesn’t need a Trust.The thing is, we have met plenty of people that didn’t need a Trust.The Trust was overkill for their situation, not set up correctly, and in the end a waste of their money. Legal services should be like a good pair of shoes.They should fit well and last a long time, or at least until your situation changes and you need a different pair.One size fits all solutions in legal services are like one size fits all clothing—they are made in bulk, out of the cheapest material, all to benefit the manufacturer.Yes, it is cheap, but it wasn’t made with you in mind.Having a custom-tailored solution takes time and getting to know you as a person.Sure, at the end of the day, it may be more expensive, but it fits you and won’t wear out too quickly. So if...

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01 August
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Advice for Law Students

Posted by Moriah E. Schmidt
in Cultural

I graduated from law school in May of 2018, so the law school experience is still fresh in my mind. Fresher still is the paralyzing doom surrounding the bar exam (my thoughts and prayers are with all those who are sitting or who just sat for the July bar exam). I'm sure that every attorney will have a different perspective on what they learned from law school, and things they should've/could've/would've done differently. There is no failproof way to learn everything you need to learn while in law school; frankly, it's impossible. You can't take every class, do every practicum, or every internship – and even if you could, there is nothing except actually practicing law that will prepare you for the practice of law. Even the best internships cannot fully prepare you (although some can give you a very good start). However, hindsight is 20/20. Based on my own experience, here are a few tips and pointers for those knee-deep in finals, outlines, and law reviews: Take practical classes and practicums/internships as much as possible. Bar prep classes enabled me to learn a majority of subjects tested on the bar exam, but not necessarily much for the practice of law itself. I did not take as many bar prep subjects in law school, to focus on subjects I wanted to learn. If I could go back, I would have taken a few more practical, hands-on classes (trial advocacy, drafting contracts, etc.) Although it is extremely important to be well-prepared for the...

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29 July
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5 Questions to Ask When Looking for an Attorney

Posted by Christopher M. White
in Business Law, Civil Law, Criminal Law, Cultural, Elder Law, Energy, Family Law, Litigation

Finding an attorney adds stress to an already stressful situation. So, when you realize you need an attorney how can you be sure that you find the right one? 1. Does the attorney have a reputation for being able to handle your kind of matter? The single greatest factor in most people’s search for an attorney is personal recommendations. Ask your friends, family, neighbors, pastor, or other service providers who they recommend. Then ask them why they recommend that attorney. Is it because they got the job done quickly? Did the attorney keep them informed? What exactly was it that made them recommend that attorney to you. After looking for personal recommendations, search out the attorney on the internet and on social media. What are other people saying about the attorney? Do they advertise the kind of work you need? Have they written articles on the work you need? Using a combination of personal recommendations and online reviews can help lead you to an attorney that may fit your needs. 2. Does the attorney listen to your situation before recommending a solution? Once you are found an attorney you need to meet with them. This is usually in person, but it can also be done over the phone or via video chat. When you are meeting with the attorney the first time, who is doing most of the talking? That first meeting should start with you doing most of the talking and the attorney asking questions. Every situation is unique, and if the attorney doesn’t take time to...

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26 July
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Your “YES” Also Means “NO”

Posted by Jaime White
in Cultural

Let’s talk about one of the hardest problems that Americans face today. What is it? Taking on a healthy approach to life.  Some people call it work/life balance. That is a farce and I’ll explain why.  Let’s begin by talking about your “yes”.  When a person says “yes” to something they are automatically saying “no” to something else.  If you say “yes” to work you are also saying “no” to family, rest time, hobbies, etc.  If you say “yes” to family, you may be saying “no” to sports, community activities, and work.  You get the gist.  Your “yes” also means “no”.  Many American’s feel like they need to do it all.  That they need to work hard, climb the ladder, make there business more profitable while also having family time, quality of life through hobbies and more.  The thing most Americans don’t realize is that they are limited human beings with only so much time in the day and only so much energy.  Sound bleak?  It shouldn’t.  It just means that we need to make choices.  I recently saw a news report on the Today Show about a business called Double Good.  They are a gourmet popcorn company.  The business owner, Tim Heitmann, said that he had a heart for charity work but could not reconcile the demands of big business with his desire to give back to children.  He made a shift in his business plan and now owns a company that believes in what they are doing and has a healthy and happy culture.  I mention this story because it is a good example of how a person...

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25 June
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Embezzlement: How to Catch A Thief (Part 1)

Posted by Irene Burgett
in Business Law, Civil Law, Criminal Law, Cultural, Litigation

If you are a business owner, how do you know if the person in charge of the books is not skimming off the top? What checks and balances do you have in place to ensure more than one person is looking at the financials? It should be an area that business owners review regularly but often times it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of the business. Things like the bank reconciliation statements and cash flow statements get put on the back burner for review at a later date. So what exactly is embezzlement? Embezzlement is the act of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type of financial fraud. It's an employee who has taken it upon themselves to dictate how company money is spent and who feels a sense of entitlement. It's an abuse of power and the trust that the employee has been given. Let's start looking at ways to mitigate the chances of an employee embezzling money and look at potential red-flags. There are various studies done on an annual basis to determine the effects of embezzlement. One of the main things business owners can do to prevent embezzlement is getting to know their employees and looking for different characteristics as described below. The 2018 Hiscox Embezzlement Study states that...

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