REH Paralegal offers many other types of legal document preparation:

Child Support Modification 

In order for an existing child support order to be changed, it must be approved by a judge, even if both parents agree to the modification.  As a general rule, the court will not modify an existing child support order unless the parent requesting the change can prove that his or her circumstances have substantially changed since the entry of the original order.  Some valid reasons might be a job change, additional income from remarriage, disability, cost of living, or a change in the needs of the child.

Quit-Claim Deed

A quit-claim deed is used to transfer all or a portion of your property into someone else's name.  Quit-claim deeds are commonly used by couples getting a divorce.  After a quit-claim deed is signed and notarized it should be recorded in the county where the property is located.

Name Change

There are certain restrictions on choosing a new name.  Generally, you cannot change your name with the intent to do something illegal.  For example, to avoid paying a debt, to keep from being sued, or to get away with a crime would be considered unacceptable reasons for a name change.

You also may not change your name with the intent of interfering with the rights of others, such as using a famous person's name; nor may you use a confusing name like a number or a question mark.

In addition, you cannot choose a name that is discriminatory against a certain race of people, or choose threatening or obscene words.

Power-of-Attorney

A power-of-attorney is used to arrange for another individual to make decisions for you should you become unable to do so.  In effect, you are giving another person the legal authority to act on your behalf.  This person is referred to as an "attorney-in-fact".  A "springing" power-of-attorney may be drafted so that it becomes effective when you sign it.  On the other hand, you can direct that it not go into effect unless a doctor declares that you are incapacitated.  A "durable" power-of-attorney remains valid even if you become incapacitated.  Some examples of authority conveyed by a power-of-attorney might be payment of your bills, investments, operating a business, or handling real estate transactions.  The amount of power you give to your "attorney-in-fact" is up to you.

Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks

A copyright gives the creator of a work of literature or art the right to control how that particular work is used.  The rights given to an author by a copyright may only be exercised by the author or by a person or entity to whom the author has transferred all of part of those rights.  If someone misuses any material covered by a copyright, the creator can institute legal proceedings to recover damages.

Copyrights protect works such as poetry, movies, paintings, music, photographs, sculpture, and videos. In order to qualify for a copyright, the work must actually exist, it must be original, and it must be the result, at least in part, of the author's creative efforts.  Although a copyright may cover a particular novel, dance, or painting, it does not prevent another person from copyrighting a similar work.  In addition, a copyright does not cover historical or scientific facts that may be uncovered in the course of research, provided that the author seeking the copyright expresses the information in his or her own words.

A patent is obtained for a product or procedure, such as an invention that can be used in the real world, although one could get a patent on, for example, a design for a particular product.  To obtain a patent, you must be able to describe, in detail, all aspects of your invention, and you must make certain that your invention is eligible for a patent.  You may be required to build a "working model" of your invention.

Trademarks apply to names and logos that are used to identify goods or services.

Contracts

There are three elements necessary for a contract to be considered legally valid:  offer, acceptance, and consideration.  Simply stated, this means that the parties to a contract are in agreement (offer and acceptance), and that something of value has been exchanged (consideration).  This can be a promise to perform a certain job or a promise to pay a fee for that job.  Although a contract need not be written to be valid, oral contracts can be difficult to prove, and it is wise to write out most agreements.

Leases, Rental Agreements

A lease or rental agreement is the most important document in a landlord-tenant situation.  It sets forth such issues as the amount of rent, length of tenancy, deposit amount, pets, and access to the rental property by the landlord.  The main difference between a lease and a rental agreement is that a rental agreement provides for a short period of occupancy, while a lease is used for long-term rental.  Leases and rental agreements should always be in writing to avoid disputes.  

Notary Services

A Notary Public is a licensed public officer who administers oaths, certifies documents, and performs other specified functions.  A Notary Public's signature and seal are required to authorize the signatures on many legal documents such as deeds, affidavits, and powers-of-attorney.

Attorney Services

If you are an attorney with too much work, but you don't want to increase your in-house work force, REH Paralegal can ease the burden on your staff. We are On-Line with Lex/Nex, Westlaw, Shepards, State Links, etc. for legal research

 

For more detailed information, please feel free to contact me at any time.  I look forward to working with you.