Lincolnton North Carolina Legal Blog

Try to choose your battles in child custody situations

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Family Law on Friday, January 18, 2019.

Transitioning to a co-parenting model for child custody isn't easy. This model relies heavily on you and your ex being able to work together. This doesn't mean that you will always agree, so you should have some guidelines for how you will handle conflicts. Guidelines can definitely take some of the stress out of disagreements -- but so can remembering that every disagreement doesn't have to result in a battle in the first place.

In other words, you can learn to choose your battles over the kids with your ex.

Know what components you should include in your medical care

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Estate Planning on Friday, January 4, 2019.

There are many things that you can do when you are creating an estate plan. Before you try to get things together, you need to consider what goals you have for your loved ones after you pass away. Keeping this in mind as you go through the process might help you make decisions that can help you realize that goal. We can help you come up with an estate plan that addresses those points.

Remember that your estate plan encompasses more than just the plans that you have for after you pass away. You can also plan for what is going to happen if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. It might not be easy to think about that and to plan for it, but it can certainly take some of the stress off your loved ones if you have everything in line.

Clearing up confusion about powers of attorney

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. on Wednesday, December 26, 2018.

Like many in North Carolina, you may wonder what will happen to you and your belongings if you should become ill or incapacitated. This may be weighing more heavily on your mind if you are experiencing medical issues or a decline in your overall health. Perhaps you have even considered including a power of attorney document in your estate plan, but you have heard confusing information about POAs.

Before you dismiss this important option, you should take the time to learn as much as possible about its benefits. You may find that having a POA in your plan gives you more peace of mind once you clear up any misconceptions you may have.

North Carolina residents seek refunds for storm-damaged rentals

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Real Estate on Friday, December 21, 2018.

The North Carolina Real Estate Commission has received more than 100 complaints from people who paid to rent a vacation property but couldn't use it because of storm damage.

The vacationers all have the same complaint: They want their money back.

Ensure you are handling the adoption process correctly

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Family Law on Friday, December 7, 2018.

Adopting a child is a very special decision that an adult can make. When you are going through this situation, you need to make sure that you are thinking about the entire situation instead of focusing only on the finalization of the adoption. We know that you've probably put considerable thought into this decision. We are here to help you throughout the process.

There are many questions that might come up as you go through the necessary steps. We can help you learn about what's likely to come so that you are better prepared for the matter. Since these cases are all unique, you shouldn't try to base your decisions on what another person experienced when they went through the adoption process.

The role of reasonable suspicion in drunk driving stops

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Criminal Defense on Thursday, November 22, 2018.

Throughout the holidays, people typically go to gatherings that involve alcohol. However, drivers need to ensure they only operate a vehicle if they are sober because police officers are much more likely to be watching for signs of drunk driving during the entire holiday season.

Anytime a police officer has a reasonable suspicion that a driver of a vehicle is impaired due to drugs or alcohol, they can pull the vehicle over and try to determine what's going on. It's important to understand that a "reasonable suspicion" isn't the same as probable cause for an arrest. It's a much lower standard because an officer need only have reason to believe that a driver might be guilty of a crime to make a limited inquiry into the situation.

Get your estate plan ready before the busy holiday season

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Estate Planning on Friday, November 9, 2018.

As the holiday season approaches, most people want to focus on the fun aspects of this time of year. There is one task that all adults should complete now that can ensure their loved ones have one of the best gifts of all – a plan for what happens to their assets when they pass away. Your estate plan is a set of documents that does this, as well as a few other tasks.

We know that you might not want to tackle this right now, but you will probably enjoy going into the season with the plan in place. Come the first of the year, you won't have to worry about finding the time to do it. We are here to help you get everything together so that you can ensure your wishes are clearly outlined in a legal manner.

Can the seller back out of our real estate deal?

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.

While some are lucky enough to find the house of their dreams and close on the sale within a few weeks, not everyone is that fortunate. In fact, for many, the whole process may take several months, provided you do not anticipate any snags with your financing.

When you find a house you love, you may be excited to learn that the seller is motivated and eager to make a deal. However, what can you do when a seller is not so motivated and decides to back out of the sale?

Plan for the holiday season with your child

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Family Law on Friday, October 26, 2018.

The holiday season is coming up quickly. This means that divorced parents will need to revisit child custody arrangements for the season. Not only do they have to determine the schedule for the actual holidays, they also have to decide who will supervise them when the kids are on their winter breaks from school.

If this is your first holiday season as a single parent, you might not be fully prepared for what's to come. Depending on the ages of your children, you may have to plan for child care when they are out of school. Before you do this, you need to know when they will be with you and when they'll be with your ex. From there, you must determine which parent is going to be responsible for child care and whether the same provider will be used in both homes.

Plea deals might help you get your criminal case resolved

On behalf of The Jonas Law Firm, P.L.L.C. posted in Criminal Defense on Friday, October 12, 2018.

People who are facing criminal charges often want to have those taken care of as quickly as possible. This is especially true when they know that they did commit the crime and don't relish the idea of going through a jury trial. For these individuals, a plea deal might be beneficial to resolve the criminal matter.

It is important to note that most prosecutors aren't going to work directly with a defendant to determine the plea deal. Instead, they work with the defense attorney to come up with the terms of the deal. These can vary greatly, so anyone who is working on one should consider the specifics of the case before making any decisions about what is going to work.