Houston Lawyers Direct

Attorney SEO Series

admin — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:26:45 +0000

Make sure to check out our new Attorney SEO Series at the Houston Lawyers Blog.

Attorney SEO Series - Introduction

admin — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:14:38 +0000

Unfortunately, many legal professionals still don’t take full advantage of SEO or search engine optimization when marketing their practice. This series sponsored by Houston Lawyers Direct will help to explain the importance of SEO and introduce a few simple steps that will help bring traffic to your practice. (more…)

New Attorneys and Areas of Law Added

admin — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:58:03 +0000

Remember, if you can’t find the area of law you need, simply contact us! Houston Lawyers Direct is dedicated to serving you, and we will do everything in our power to get you the qualified legal representation you need.

New Attorneys and Resources

admin — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:40:42 +0000

We are happy to announce several new resources and Counselor Marcia Pevey- the latest addition to our team.

What happens if I die without a will?

Marcia Pevey — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:02:15 +0000

People put off thinking about or writing their will because, of course, they have lots of time for that and they will live forever – and they cannot bear thinking about their own mortality. However, the use of a will may well be one of the greatest gifts that you can give to your family and/or friends. If you write a will you will be choosing who gets your hard earned assets and you can direct the ownership of your assets to the place where it will do the most good and/or alleviate a pressing need. A well prepared will prevents family strife; after all, no one wants their main legacy to be family strife.

If you do not write a will, the State of Texas will write it for you as follows:

Single person without children:
All of your estate (including cash) and real property (land) will be divided equally between your parents. If your parents predecease you, then your estate will be divided equally between your brothers and sisters, with full shares going to full bloods and half shares going to half bloods.

Single person with children:
Your estate is divided equally between your children.

Married without children:
Your personal property will go to your surviving spouse. One half of your real property will go to your spouse and the other half of your real property will go to your parents or if they predecease you, to your brothers and sisters. If you do not have parents or brothers and sisters at the time of your death, you spouse will be given your entire estate, both personal property and real property.

Married with children.
One third of your personal property will go to your spouse and two thirds of your personal property will go to your children. Your spouse will get a life estate (a right to the use of the property during their lifetime without ownership rights) in one third of the real property. All ownership rights in the real property will be given to your children. However, your children will not be able to sell the one third of the real property in which your spouse has a life estate until after the death of your spouse.

If you do not like these “state written wills” and if you want to avoid the expense to your estate of having your heirs declared by the court system, you need to take the time to write the will that is customized to your estate and your family, and most importantly, your desires. In the long run, consulting with an attorney will be the safest and most cost effective plan for both you and your family.

If I agree to be my Relative’s Guardian, what have I agreed to do?

Marcia Pevey — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:53:27 +0000

Guardianships are established and overseen by the Court system. In Harris County, the Probate Courts supervise the Guardianships. These courts appoint the Guardian and limit the Guardianship, if necessary. The Probate Courts also review Annual Reports, a report as to the physical well-being, location, medical, and overall status, of the relative and audit Annual Accounts, a report of the income, expenditures, and status of property each year.

Guardian of the Person
If you are appointed by the Court as Guardian of the Person, you have agreed to take care of the physical well-being of your relative. You will have the privilege and the duty to decide where your relative lives, you will provide clothing, food, medical care, and consent to medical treatment. You will not have to spend your own money to provide these services. These expenses will be covered by your relative’s income (including government assistance programs for which you will apply) and/or your relative’s assets.

Guardian of the Estate
If you are appointed by the Court to be the Guardian of the Estate, you have taken on the responsibility of caring for your relative’s property. This is a fiduciary duty which simply means you will take better care of your relative’s property than you do of your own property. Your relative’s estate includes everything that he/she owns – land, money, bank accounts, furniture, jewelry, vehicles, clothes, etc.– everything! You will have a duty to take care of, manage, and invest their property.

Both of these Guardianships (and you could be appointed to one or both) will require reporting to the Court on at least an annual basis; therefore, you will be required to keep accurate records of all income and expenditures and doctor’s visits. Many of the things you do with your relative’s estate will require a court order. Keep in mind that you may need an attorney to oversee your required court reports and orders.

Your responsibility as Guardian will continue until the Court removes or releases you as Guardian. At the end of your time as Guardian, you will be required to file with the court a Final Report, if you are Guardian of the Person and/or Final Account, if you are Guardian of the Estate.

What is Houston Lawyers Direct?

admin — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 06:25:45 +0000

Houston Lawyers Direct regularly receives questions from both attorneys and
general users asking to learn more about our services.

Who are top Houston Attorneys?

Where can I find Lawyers in Houston?

What is Houston Lawyers Direct?

If you have ever asked a question like this before, don’t worry you’re not alone.

Houston Lawyers Direct regularly receives questions from both attorneys and general users asking to learn more about our services.

This educational resources aims to discuss why we created Houston Lawyers Direct and how it can help you find valued educational resources and qualified legal representation.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit our About page, that may be a good place to start.

Our Objectives:

Provide individuals with free and thorough legal resources.
Present users with hassle-free methods of reaching qualified legal representation.

How we accomplish these goals:

What you should know when working with Houston Lawyers Direct:

We go to great lengths to in preserve the trust of users like you, and work hard to ease the burden of your legal issues. Our content is consistently updated, and our services are available 24 hours a day.
There is absolutely no obligation when filling out a free case review form, and you are not required to pay any attorney fees until after you and the attorney agree upon suitable compensation.
Houston Lawyers Direct never receives any portion of attorney fees, and so you can be assured that there is never a conflict of interest.
Feedback from users like you help us to regularly tailor our services.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us; Houston Lawyers Direct is always glad to help.

Will my divorce be affected if I date other people?

admin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 02:27:56 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOu7bMgNvqY

Houston Lawyers Direct recognized the importance of being informed when going through a divorce. This video answers the question, “Will my divorce be affected if I date other people?”

Remember, the information offered on this site should be used only for educational purposes and does not substitute legal representation.

For articles and additional videos like this one, visit our Educational Resources page.

Coming Soon

admin — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 16:44:05 +0000

Thank you for your patience while we work out the final kinks in Houston Lawyers Direct.

Domestic Violence - What You Should Know

admin — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:20:30 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAbE2pgTsLE

Attorney Miles Mason discusses the facts behind domestic violence. On average one in three women has experienced some form of abuse in the lifetimes. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to tell if incidents of domestic violence are decreasing. It is important that victims be aware of their rights. For more information, we have added several helpful links to the right of the video.

For articles and additional videos like this one, visit our Educational Resources page.