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Friday, May 1, 2009

The Future of Legal Services: Unbundled Services

There is a new concept in the legal industry called unbundled services. It is largely 1908 1909 Rose Company Postcards by lawyers. But it has appeared in the attorney-ethical rules of many states. Most consumers have never heard of it. Most lawyers still have no idea of what it means. But the influence of Bratz com concept may change the future of legal services.

To understand the concept of unbundled services, one must have an understanding of the traditional ways attorneys handle representation. For most of history an attorney began representation at the beginning of a case. Representation didnt end until the end of the case. People needing legal services had two choices: either pay an attorney a fee for the entire case, or go it alone. There was no in-between. It was almost unthinkable for an attorney to provide help filling out one form or attending one hearing. It was all or nothing. There was nothing wrong with this system for those with the substantial assets needed to pay an attorney. But people that did not have much money were out of luck.

Many local state bar associations recognized this problem. The issue was recently studied by the American Bar Association. A new concept was borne out of these studies unbundled services. The basic premise was that some legal advice was better than no legal advice. Unbundled services recognized the reality of many consumers that attorney fees exceeded the financial capability of many. Unbundled services solved this problem. This concept makes it acceptable for an attorney to represent a client for one small part of their case without violating ethical rules. Many states have started to adopt rules recognizing the existence of unbundled services.

The most promising application is for family Cialis FAQ services such as divorce, child custody, support, and property distribution. The reason: more people attempt to handle their own family law cases than any other area of law. And the courts are increasing frustrated and bogged down with self-represented divorce parties. The need for flexibility and creativity in legal service is the most evident in family law cases.

Unfortunately, attorneys have been slow to offer unbundled services. They are either not aware of this new trend or have declined to change their service offerings. The result: over three quarters of family law cases involve people that have not hired an attorney. There are strong advantages for attorneys that offer unbundled services: a larger potential customer base, less collection problems, and the satisfaction of helping lower income clients.

If you cannot afford an attorney, consider searching for an attorney that will offer different services on an a la cart basis. This can include 2001 A Space Odyssey the initial divorce documents, attending one hearing, or participating in mediation. Do it yourselfers can also enlist the help of an attorney to prep for their final hearing. The era of unbundled services has 1969 70 Topps basketball cards and will ultimately empower the consumer and increase access to the court system.

Copyright 2006 The Divorce Center P.A.

Divorce Attorney Howard Iken has a rapidly growing divorce practice in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. He can be reached at 1-888-469-3486. More information on divorce can be found at href="18884mydivorce.com">Tampa Divorce Attorney

An example of unbundled services can be found at href="18884mydivorce.com/pub/Fees/fees.htm">Tampa Divorce Fees

New York State Divorce Laws

Divorce is and can be an arduous task, as with all other legal issues. On this matter, we will Care Bears about New York state divorce laws. The laws are unique in the sense that it differs from divorce laws in other states. Couples intending to file a divorce in New York should understand the laws concerning divorce filing.

New York does not have no-fault divorce as such. Instead, New York has its own version of a no-fault divorce. Under the New York state divorce laws, it requires the spouses to live separately for at least a year before the divorce can be filed. The parties involve must first execute what is known as a Separation Agreement. This Separation Agreement is to be filed at the local County Clerk before the one-year period can commence. The spouse suing for divorce must subsequently prove that he or she have performed the terms and conditions in the Separation Agreement to be entitled to file a divorce.

Besides the Separation Agreement, there are other grounds for divorce under the New York state divorce laws. Among them are:

Residency Requirements. Under Isis Relations Law 230, one of five requirements have to be fulfilled before the divorce can be filed.

Serving the Summons and Complaint. Spouses suing for divorce must ensure that the court have jurisdiction over the defendant by ensuring a Summons and Complaint or a Summons with Notice can be served.

Finally yet importantly, a person has to satisfy one of six the grounds for divorce which are stipulated in Domestic Relations Law 170. These six grounds are:

The defendant treating the plaintiff cruelly and in an inhuman manner, such as physical and verbal abuse.

The abandonment of plaintiff by the defendant for a period of at least one year or more.

The defendant being confined in prison of 3 1888 Allen and Ginter or more after the marriage has taken place

Acts of adultery by the defendant. This refers to sexual acts and Cialis FAQ performed by the defendant with a third party other than the plaintiff after the marriage.

The parties having lived apart in pursuant to a judgment or Doom Patrol of separation of at least one or more years and substantial proof submitted by the plaintiff in fulfilling these conditions.

The fulfilling of the Separation Agreement must be keen. This is the most common ground used by most people to secure a no-fault divorce. This is in accordance with both the plaintiff's fulfillment of the said conditions.

These are among the grounds that people can use in filing for divorce under New York State Divorce Laws. When in doubt, always engage the services of lawyers who are well versed in this field.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about divorceinfoonline.info/new-york-state-divorce-laws/">New York State divorce laws, please visit divorceinfoonline.info/">Divorce Info Online for current articles and discussions