Elections

Election month is drawing very near and this could explain the left and right bombarding from each other's camp. I am not trying to inject bias here but in my opinion, Obama has done a lot of good to at least prevent US Economy from sinking more into a black hole. Everything he is facing right now are result of years and years of risk, debt risk taken by previous leaders. It is not right to blame him that the economy is recovering slow. People should give him credit for at least trying to prevent the US from falling more. A man can do so much. If you have watched both the Republican and the Democrats nights, and you have been very attentive to every word, you will know where the inconsistencies are and I am not here to mention that. We all notice different things so I'll leave that up. Hard as it may as we want to admit but the world economy is dependent on US recovery. They have always been that one to balance international market and we all can't wait for this great nation to get back on its feet again. The Election this year would be a very good gauge on how our children's future going to pan out. Vote wisely and vote by heart.

Sinking Middle Class

I am not sure on what era you've been born but as to mine, I can very well tell you that we have a good working class. In our times, Middle Class people lives a good life. Decent salary, good living, and can afford some vacation every now and then. But what happened to our Middle Class now? Why is it called Sinking Middle Class? I wonder when this all happened. It was like we woke up one day and suddenly the Social Gap changed. There was no Middle Class anymore. It went straight from rich to poor. I have never witnessed an era with such a big gap of difference with the "have's" and the "have nots". This is really saddening that our children will grow up in this generation. I want that Middle Class to go back to where it has always been, to experience once more the grandeur that comes along with called being a Middle Class. We have to do something about this real fast and we can't let a Sinking Middle Class a regular thing, that can never be.

London Bridge is Falling Down

Eurozone is a very interesting subject for me. I take Merkel's courage to put up the fight and continue to protect the region. That can be really some hard decision making there. I mean, Germany can just choose to bail itself out, talk about how vulnerable Italy and Greece is right now, I am sure that most would say they are not very enthusiastic with the situation. And this is funny because that's when I thought of that children's song "London Bridge is Falling Down". I don't have anything but well wishes for the entire Eurozone. I have done several businesses in Europe and I can say that it has always been good times. Europeans are generally nice, laid-back people. I like how slow and relax their days are. I am sure that with enough patience and perseverance all of us will get through this recession. There will be better days ahead, you just gotta keep on holding on and do what you do. These are tough times and in times like these, we need better decisions and sound realization of things and I am sure that we don't have to sing "London Bridge is Falling Down."

US Companies Outsourcing

And so we heard the culprit, Corporate Tax! There's been massive pullout by big companies out of state. These companies stated that relocating their principal business office could save them $100M in tax money. I understand that most of them would still maintain their manufacturing plants stateside. If this allegation that transferring their principal business offices in other countries will save $100M, I can be quite sure that there's something wrong with the current tax laws. US Companies Outsourcing will never happen if our tax laws are updated and works well for both the benefit of the company and its employees. But, who are we kidding? We all know that management and workers have different goals. Companies should be willing to gain some and lose some because if we don't see a good solution for this sometime soon, I am quite sure that in a bat of an eye every company will soon be moving out and that's bad news for everybody. That's a lose-lose situation right there. Our beloved Representatives and Senators better do something about this soon. We don't want US Companies Outsourcing become a norm.

Interesting Era

I could never be thankful enough that I wouldn't have to worry about who to vote this coming election because I'm voting neither of them. Although I'm quite most likely sure that it is going to be a long road to recovery. This is also a good time to test our resilience during difficult times. We should all learn how to adjust and be flexible whatever circumstance comes along the way. I know that this era is very interesting. This kind of phase is when people become more innovative just like the industrial period which turned out to be one of the most significant turning point in history. We are living in a very interesting period and I am very proud to be a part of this generation and experience all of this with you all. All of us has the same dreams for our children. A better country for their future, good governance, and the best environment for our children's holistic growth. I have worked with several public servants from the government and it is just so frustrating to know that there are many people whom we gave our complete trust and putting them in office but despite this, some of them choose to close their eyes to what is morally equal and just. I am not sure how these people sleep at night.  

Election Year

Everybody's so caught up with the coming election this November. Have you got a candidate yet? I don't think it's a matter of being a republican or a democrat anymore, that tug-of-war has long been gone. We should all start thinking forward and forget about our political affiliations. The most important factor is who can manage to help us all get out of this slow economy and I have to tell you that this country didn't get here overnight. It was years, decades of financial mishandling and we all are suffering this now because of miscalculated risk. Some analysts can even crunch numbers and percentage of how this country's growth is going to fare in a year or two but we can't simply rely on "Estimated Growth" for in the first place, we are all experiencing this now because of "Estimation." Sometimes estimation doesn't go the way we thought it would. What we need right now is a stable plan for growth. It will be a slow process but I believe that people can be resilient to undertake current challenges for a better tomorrow.

Guns, Guns, Guns

Everyday news about irresponsible gun owners circulate every state and this isn’t really something we should be accustomed to. Can you just imagine a seven-year old child accidentally shot his playmate dead? Seven-years old don’t know what guns are and personally, I think that we should held the parent’s responsible for such thing. States have different rules on gun regulatory ownership. We could all argue that gun ownership is a right to protect ourselves and I am all for that. However, I find it disturbing that irresponsible people are given license to carry. Gun owners should be more responsible about upkeep of their guns especially if they have children inside the house. Kids usually mistake guns for toys and this as we all know ends in disaster. We can’t afford to compromise our children’s safety over careless storage of our guns. We need to organize more lectures about how people should be diligent on keeping their guns on safe storage.

Real Estate Investment or Stock Investment

There have been some buzz on where people should invest their money especially these times when almost every market is volatile. Some people who are well knowledgeable about Stock Investment would most probably put their money in stocks. Although if you are a new player around gambling, I wouldn't really recommend it because stocks can be manipulated from people who knows how the system works and that's not really good news for people who are just starting to learn about the in's and out's of the stock market. I know many people who have been taking advantage of buying foreclosed properties and renovating then resell them at much higher prices or have the place rented. Properties are good investment. We all know that Real Estate Investment is profitable these days especially if you have some money stashed for investment purposes. It is indeed a good time to buy Real Estate Properties. As I have always said, it is one of the safest niche where one can put his money. We are not sure though how long will this bubble market last but that's still good news for buyers.

Change

Creating laws are very tricky and challenging. There is never a one way fits all law designed to work for every state or every country. Everything depends on the circumstances and current needs of its people and its socio-economic government. As what most lawmakers dream of, a society with functional laws and laws that are really created to serve most people and not only the few. We really need hundreds of law repeal. This may come off as an impossible mission but I'd say that taking a step by step approach to this goal will be all worth it when the time comes that our children, and our children's children will be able to take advantage of what we will be sowing today and I am sure that you'll all agree with me on that. Besides, what are we all here for? Isn't it to give a better future for generations to come? Let's make this happen and we can make it happen. There will be hurdles but a willing and determined society will definitely pull this off.

Tax Reforms

Many have given their opinion about tax reforms and how each one can help the economy start the engine for recovery. But what many Tax Analysts refuse to give their opinion on, is their probable estimate on how these strategies would fare for the economy. Nobody wants to be blamed for giving ineffective unsolicited advice and just to give you some points here, when I was still in law school debate is encouraged, brainstorming is part of our everyday lives. Some of you might have experienced how it is being on the same room with two lawyers arguing different points. You’ll see veins on their necks shouting almost as loud as their conversations. Emotions are high. But once they get out of the room, they go back to talking to each other in a more decent tone. This is effective brainstorming. Every strategy works, the only challenging thing is if it will deliver the result that people expect it to. Tax Reforms haven’t been taken care of because politicians take it personally. They are more concerned with which party they are working with and not with what the nation needs. If only personal goals are set aside and people just focus on what really needs to be done. Then, we are not that far from that recovery that everyone’s been talking about.

Law Revisions

There is a lot of law revisions needed to complement the needs of our times. It is sad to say that we only see this need when a person has been a victim of a circumstance. Why does it always have to be there should be someone to suffer before lawmakers realized that a law needs some polishing? This is a reality and most lawmakers wouldn't admit it but this is the real situation. I can mention a number of laws that have flaws that needed to be addressed soon and I don't want to get attention from lawmakers because they wouldn't really step up until something tragic happens. Our morning papers are filled about what has happened recently and I am not really keen to draw attention but I should say that right from the inception of this law, I already knew about its shortcomings so now lawmakers are pointing fingers on who to blame. I should tell you that the tricky thing about a law is people have different perceptions about everything they read. One might have a different opinion about what a particular law means and another would have a different one too. The most important thing to consider for one to fully comprehend what the law is about is to know its rationale and make a research about thelawmaker who drafted it then you'll know what he truly means and what the law serves for.

Stand your ground Law

There is a lot of law revisions needed to complement the needs of our times. It is sad to say that we only see this need when a person has been a victim of a circumstance. Why does it always have to be there should be someone to suffer before lawmakers realized that a law needs some polishing? This is a reality and most lawmakers wouldn't admit it but this is the real situation. I can mention a number of laws that have flaws that needed to be addressed soon and I don't want to get attention from lawmakers because they wouldn't really step up until something tragic happens. Our morning papers are filled about what has happened recently and I am not really keen to draw attention but I should say that right from the inception of this law, I already knew about its shortcomings so now lawmakers are pointing fingers on who to blame. I should tell you that the tricky thing about a law is people have different perceptions about everything they read. One might have a different opinion about what a particular law means and another would have a different one too. The most important thing to consider for one to fully comprehend what the law is about is to know its rationale and make a research about the lawmaker who drafted it then you'll know what he truly means and what the law serves for.

Focal Point of Expertise

We should all know that lawyers have different areas of specialization. If you are a Real Estate Investor, you wouldn't be interested to get a lawyer who specializes in Family Law. People should be aware that one must be able to hire a lawyer depending on their specific need. Expertise is very important as this can be a precursor of how your case will be handled. It is important to know that your lawyer has wide knowledge armed with experience regarding the point of subject matter. There is just no settling for second rate that's why most of us are keen to deal with experts. If you need contracts drafted, one should be able to get Contract experts. I'm sure you wouldn't trust your contracts drafted by newbies and people who don't have enough experience to do it. Contracts are very complicated and should be handled well. Many people get in trouble because of ill-prepared contracts. It can very well determine the outcome of your transaction. That's why we highly recommend you to get Contract Experts to save yourself from unnecessary undertakings. Your contracts should protect you and your interest however, contracts that weren't prepared well can very much work to your disadvantage. The sad thing here is it's too late to make reparations as you are already bound from the moment you signed that contract. This is a very common mistake that most people make and this is a sad truth. Stop making those mistakes, have a Contract Expert work on your contracts and start protecting your self and your interest.

Procedural Law versus General Laws

I don't have any explanation for this predicament but as you have always known I've been very vocal with my frustrations with the Legal System. How do can we acquit someone of a crime he blatantly committed? I know I have to repeat this over again just to help people realize how important Rules of Courts are. It is something that members of the court should adhere to, from the magistrate to the clerks of court. It is really a strict set of rules that nobody is exempted from. It's either you follow this or totally waive your rights to defend yourself in court. Rules of Courts are very precise and certain. Each rule is well defined and there are no ambiguities as most of these deals with deadlines and how many days a certain party is allowed to file a counter or a reply. Unlike General Laws, where sometimes laws can be vague and it needs proper interpretation by the magistrates. That's why there are dissidents because some laws have different opinions and I will admit that some can be outdated and needs revision as they are not applicable to present times. One good example is the age of minors held for a crime. I think this really needs polishing because more and more minors are capable of committing crimes these days. Can you believe a 9 year old can rape? This may sound quite bizarre a decade ago but this is very prevalent these days. I hope that there are lawmakers reading my blogs so they'll have an idea that something really needs to get done. I'm sure they won't mind making "working laws" for the taxpayer's who pay their hefty salaries.

Procedural Law

I can tell you right now that I am not really a big fan of Rules of Court back in law school but the thing is, this actually plays a big part on one's case. Are you aware that even if you have a good case you can lose by technicalities? It will be very valuable to know that your counsel knows Rules of Court pretty well. One can use Procedural Laws to escape a liability and it only takes that small hole of opportunity to check whether the other party is lacking some technical requirements. Judges in Court are very particular with Rules of Court. If there is some essential requirement missing on a Motion one has filed I can tell you outright that that Motion will be denied. It doesn't matter if your Motion contains essential facts and significant evidence but once there's some technicality that wasn't properly followed, you know what will happen next. Do you think it's fair that some cases lose because of mere technicality? Personally, if you lose a case for this reason I think it was your mistake hiring an incompetent lawyer. Being a client you must be diligent enough to hire someone of reputable standing of winning cases. You can't really blame anybody here but yourself because you're the one who lacked good judgment. Don't be fooled that a lawyer graduated from whatnot law school because that doesn't say anything about him at all. I know many smart and very intelligent lawyers when they were still studying law but on trial, I have to say they just don't fit. Most smart and very Intelligent lawyers are better at desk jobs maybe because they are lacking with personality. A very good suggestion I can give you is hire a lawyer who have been doing Private Practice for many years because there's no substitute for decades of experience in trials.

Essential Elements

I am not very sure if you guys are quite familiar with some cases that are actually what we saw it to be very obvious. I don’t want to make some controversial topic as I respect every jurisprudence and how cases were decided by their respected jury but there are high profile cases from the past few months that have been oddly decided. I can state an example, there was this case where it was quite obvious that crime committed was murder but because there is one Element of Murder lacking then it couldn’t be decided as Consummated Murder. Well, jury may decide on it as first degree or second degree murder but not Murder. Laws are very technical that’s why we need to know these things. There are so many things that people don’t understand about the law because of its strict and confined rules. I have repeatedly have this in mind that it will be awesome if there’s a group of Attorney’s who can volunteer and do free public speaking on different aspects of law so that masses of people could somehow learn to understand how it goes. This can be very promising and a lot will really benefit from it. A bigger question though is would there be enough lawyers to volunteer for this kind of work?

Age Requirement

I am quite bothered by how many cases we hear everyday of crimes involving minors. I personally think that the government should really do something about this real quick. There must be some adjustment with the age requirement on what age of a minor can be held liable for a crime. This is just a thought, but what if you are a parent of a crime victim which involves a minor as a perpetrator? Court would send that minor to social services or other institution not penal in nature. Would you feel justice was served? I fully understand the rationale behind not mixing minor criminals with adults because it affects their holistic growth but has anyone thought of a penal institution for minors? I know this won't be easy but for those who are on the same page, I really do think a penal institution for minors will be a milestone. Minor criminals aged 9 to 14 can be put behind bars at a penal institution specially made for minors. Fifteen years old and older criminals can certainly be integrated with adults as this age group are expected to have sound discretion of their action and decisions. I know that some of you might not agree with me but social services won't work for minor criminals. These children need to be in a setting where they would feel they are paying time behind bars because what they did was a "crime". If minor criminals continue to be cradled in social services setting they will never feel remorse for what they did. The government should really do something about this rising criminality rapidly committed by minors.

Burden of Proof

Most complainants in almost every case I have ever encountered throughout my Legal Profession feel that courts side with the defense every time a judge stress that Burden of Proof lies in the accuser. Defense actually only needs to deny said claims and counter attack by telling the complainant to prove the accusation. Mostly complainants present material evidence and oral evidence by means of a witness. Now, what the defense have to do is to attack the credibility of the witness giving testimony in court. So as most of you can see the picture here this is the reason why most complainants feel that courts side by the defense but the rationale here is to give both parties a chance to prove their claims by presenting authentic, valid, and credible evidence. Courts cannot rule on something just because a complainant looks aggrieved. Of course, accused' also have rights and this is provided by the constitution. We should all understand it is not as easy it is to prove a claim in court so if you are thinking of filing a claim against another I will suggest that you better have adequate evidence to prove all your claim so you don't have to waste time and money in pursuing a case with no substance. I see a lot of cases go archived and some cases accused' were acquitted for lack of substantial evidence. It is best to keep all document of your transactions and receipts of everything and if you have some documents that needs authentication have them authenticated already because requesting this in different government offices can also take some time and we all know how it goes over there. Be always diligent of all your transactions so if something happens you are sure that you and your interest are well protected. 

Ignorance of the Law Excuses No One

I am sure that many of you here have heard this phrase "Ignorance of the Law Excuses No One". Many of us are aware of this phrase but very few put it to heart and most importantly, very few put it to practice. I understand that many people get in trouble because of their ignorance of the law. People make decisions without intervention of a lawyer and I can say that this is really something that could put you in trouble. Always remember that money you spend for a Legal Counsel is always worth the trouble of getting in trouble with the law. Nobody can go to court and face a judge and tell the judge that he was sorry he wasn't aware of the law. This can never be an excuse for anything at all. A judge can even cite you for contempt if you try to use this as a defense. No lawyer will ever advice you to use that excuse in court or maybe if one did, he wants to see you behind bars actually. I really think that people should think about this because most people I know take this for granted and they will only realize their mistakes when they already got themselves in trouble. I don't understand why most don't act on something until they get themselves in trouble or maybe this is just how most of us really are. I can say that this is not only about Laws but we should always be aware of things and take preventive actions rather than cure.

Rules of Evidence

It is very important to know the Rules on Evidence when one is defending a case in court. Many people can't believe their evidence wasn't accepted in court. This happen all the time and believe it or not it is kind of a common situation than it is not. There are hundreds of evidence refused in courts because they were illegally obtained. One should note that for Evidence to be accepted in court it must be obtained legally with the virtue of a valid search warrant and seizure. There are essential requirements for a warrant to be valid and it is important that all of these are met. Rules can differ in different states so it will be mostly helpful to get a counsel who is familiar with the local laws. No matter how strong and relevant your evidence is but if it was illegally obtained there is no way that will be accepted in court. It will be treated as mere scrap of paper and many people find this unreasonable but this is a strict Rule of Evidence that everybody must adhere to. I know many people get frustrated and puzzled by this rule because it seem very unjustifiable. What would you do if evidence is in front of you just waiting for you to pick it up? Do you have time to wait and apply for a valid search warrant and seizure if evidence is in front of you? Do you think that this evidence will still be there by the time you return with a valid warrant? These are some of the loopholes that i find with the Rules of Evidence and I can agree with how most people feel about this especially victims of a crime. We are very familiar with this kind of scenario and we can all just hope that there will be some sort of an act to make this rule better and reasonable.

Circumstantial Evidence

I want to share to all of you how effective Circumstantial Evidence can be. It is very rare that Lawyers and Investigators get to collect Direct Evidence that can truly point to a perpetrator but the good thing here is you can take advantage of what we call Circumstantial Evidence. Circumstantial Evidence can come in different forms. It can be a material evidence and can be testimonial evidence. There are many instances that Circumstantial Evidence is used in Courts though if you're not really a big fan of crime and trial courts series on TV you might not be very familiar with this. It is very helpful to use Circumstantial Evidence in forming a grounded concrete evidence against a perpetrator. The tricky thing here is how a lawyer will be able to connect all these Circumstantial Evidence to form a reliable evidence. I am sure that every lawyer who have presented Circumstantial Evidence have been objected by the adverse lawyer contending presumption of facts. It is very likely that connecting evidence is close to presumption that's why your Circumstantial Evidence must be viable and quite concrete to be accepted as Evidence in Court. I am sure that many of you are surprised sometimes that even if a complainant has all the evidence needed they still don't win the case. Are you wondering why? Evidence can't speak for themselves. You need a good Trial Lawyer to speak for those Evidence you have. It is interesting that I have seen some cases where a defending lawyer can even win a case without holding any evidence at all. Actually, if you are on the defense side there's no need to present evidence. Your role are more about counter attack. A Defense Lawyer should do everything to dispute the claim "by" presenting their evidence. It is only at this time that a defense will present Evidence.

The Politics of Medicines

I am sure you have heard about Branded Medicines produced by Big Time Medicine Manufacturers being given preference in bidding’s. I will admit that I don’t know much about the difference between Generic and Brand name Medicines. I know for a fact that they pretty much have the same composition only that they may vary labels and packaging. We all know that Generic Medicines are a whole lot cheaper compared to Brand name Medicines. But do you wonder why some of your medicines have been pulled out the market? Some people might dispute this but believe it or not, there’s still politics regarding this topic. Big Medicine manufacturers coerce politicians to manipulate bidding’s in their favor and this practice has become very common in different states. There are big controversies behind health care and this makes me sick in the stomach. Health care is something that should benefit people no matter what their status is in life. Generic Medicines were conceptualized to make medicines cheaper and more available to masses but this is not happening all because of politics, all because of money. Is this really what our society has become? Money-Greedy individuals who acts with no morals! I wish that people making all this happen rot in hell. Is this what we’re passing to the next generation? Take some action, start at home! Discipline your kids the right way and fear for your souls.

what is "Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt?"

Some people might think that it is easy to prove "Proof Beyond Reasonable Doubt" when in fact, this is the hardest to prove. This is actually the concept that makes or break a case in court. No matter how much evidence you have against a defendant if there is some shadow of reasonable doubt, an accused cannot be proven and sentenced to guilt. Circumstantial Evidence is the most common type of Evidence that people present in court and this can be proved to be very helpful especially if the Trial Lawyer presents good and solid arguments in court. I hear many people question some court's decision and this is the answer. Most accused aren't proven guilty because of lack of evidence. Although in my own opinion, If a lawyer lacks evidence, he can compensate on this by rebuttals and technicalities. A good argument in Court is always a winner and that will take direct evidence to bring this down. Remember that the slightest cast of doubt to prove a party's guilt is enough to acquit him from charges. I know amazing trial lawyers who can acquit their clients even if guilt is pretty obvious. The thing in court is, one cannot contend that evidence is "pretty obvious" that is not enough, that will never be enough. That's why there are some Legal Practitioners who question the validity of proof beyond reasonable doubt. However, despite various groups disputing this strict requirement of the law, there is nothing one can do really because this is the law and we can't change our laws just like that. It's not as easy as some people think. There are victims who weren't given justice because their perpetrator's guilt wasn't proved beyond reasonable doubt and I see families cry over this strict requirement of the law. A very helpful thing is to experience watching a trial in court. I am sure that you will enjoy as most of it is almost close to watching a Legal Drama series and this can give you knowledge about some of your questions. I even see people clap their hands after a heated argument between lawyers in trial. I have been in Legal Practice for so long now but Trial Drama never fails to amuse me.

What actually is Legal Age?

We see a lot of violence these days and it is just most unlikely and devastating how many children bring guns to school. We all know that they didn't expect that one gunshot can take lives but just like me, have you been wondering what age is actually legal age to held children liable fro their actions? Somewhere I think that this roots at home when we don't let our children take responsibility for things he do just because he is a child. I think we should stop doing that and make them liable for everything they do so they will realize at an early age the concept of right and wrong. Sometimes I think it is just unfair to make parents liable for things that their children have done. Why does parents have to take the blame even if they have exercised due diligence? I just don't think this is fair. What I know is we're raising a pack of brat kids by cradling them at home and telling them that everything is going to be alright. I really think we should stop doing that if we want a better society in the future.

Special Resident Retiree Visa

There is a Resident Visa in The Philippines known as Special Resident Retiree Visa. An applicant is required to maintain a time deposit in a Philippine Bank.

The Requirements are as follows: Must be 35 years old and above, no criminal record, must meet medical records, must meet investment requirement.

Retirement Options and Required Time Deposit:

1. For those with pension, 50 years old and above, the required deposit is $10, 000 with a monthly pension of $800 for a single applicant and $1, 000 for a couple.

2. For those without pension, 35 to 49 years old must maintain $50, 000 time deposit. For 50 years old and above, must maintain $20, 000 time deposit. For former Filipino Citizens, at least 35 years old, regardless of the number of dependents must maintain $1, 500 time deposit. Ambassadors of foreign countries who served and retired in The Philippines, current and former staff members of international organizations including ADB, at least 50 years old must maintain $1, 500 time deposit.

A Resident Retiree applicant can bring with him without additional deposit , his spouse and a child who is unmarried and below 21 years old or if the spouse is not joining, two (2) children provided they are unmarried and below 21 years of age. Additional children with the same qualifications may also be allowed to join the principal retiree provided there is an additional deposit of $15, 000 per child. This does not apply to former Filipino Citizens.

The benefit of Special Resident Retiree Visa is that you can have a business in The Philippines and you are a resident. There will be no need for Visa extensions.

Circumvent the Law

We know a lot of people circumvent the law and funny thing here is nobody really acts on it because the strategy to circumvent the law is actually "legal". Strange as it may sound but there are "legal ways" to circumvent the law. Now, it may not appear blatant but these things you will only learn in law school. Although I can assure you that Law Professors don't really encourage it but a Lawyer has that duty to do all he can to protect his client and its interests. So we can't really say that if someone got away by using a law provision that states he is not in the wrong then there's really nothing you can do but dispute it and if you have a good lawyer, you can only dispute it by authentic evidence and proper trial skills. Don't get me wrong I am not in any way encouraging you to discover what these circumventions are but if I can only teach all of you what you can do in one situation, I would but our opinion is mere opinion until we have a Lawyer-Client relationship where my knowledge are protected by this restriction. I am sure that you have heard about this and I just want to share a few things I know because it makes me breathe. If you have legal questions, you can refer to www.philippinelegal.com and I can assure you that they have competent legal professionals having been in the legal profession for over thirty years. Protect yourself!

Retiring in The Philippines II

I have mentioned about "Special Retirement Visas" in my previous post and i have received a number of messages because of this. That's why I think I should discuss more about this one. You could click on the hyperlinks if you need extensive information. Foreign people have been enticed to retire in The Philippines because of tropical weather. With Rheumatism, I am pretty sure that it's a pain every time the weather gets cold and this may sound funny to you but most retirees I have talked to told me that this is the reason why they chose Philippines as a retirement destination. Weather is good and your dollar stretch a long way here. I can also say that it is very convenient and affordable to hire your own helper and do all the household chores in as low as $100 a month salary. I really could say that Good weather and just thinking of the cost of living here it is really cheap. I am very much optimistic with the "Special Retirement Visas" because this gives foreign retirees more rights as retirees in The Philippines. Even while you are retiring here you can actually put up some business just to get you a little bit busy and have some thing to do so I guess what people say that retiring is boring but it shouldn't be. We just need to look for things to do and utilize our time wisely. I am sure that many of you here are quite interested and if you have more inquiries just let me know.

Legal Transcription

Most law firms contract Legal Transcriptionists because this can be a tedious job that can pile up and slow down things at work. Transcription is very easy as all you need to do is edit, rearrange, notes from lawyers and judges. It's not really a difficult job but it becomes difficult if it is in bulk. Piled Transcription is what makes doing this job tedious and time-consuming but if a firm takes their transcription seriously there will never be piles of transcription to do. Legal Transcription is what most newly graduate lawyers do because this is a fresh entry job and newly graduates haven't accumulated much skill yet so this is a perfect start for them to be exposed to Contracts. Some people it's just a boring desk job but you can't really say that because without transcriptions, work will be ten times fold hard for everybody. I value every kind of job and it doesn't matter if you're waiting tables or whatnot. Every job is just as important as your job and this is what my grandfather instilled in me. I have always been humble about our family's beginnings and I am still proud to say that we're all in the Legal Profession. We're not rich but we have decent names and this is the most important thing our forefather's have taught us and we continue to live our family's legacy. That's why when I hear some lawyers talk or act like some kind of jerk with Paralegals and Secretaries, I feel some shame that I am a part of this congregation, this kind of work which most people loath. I am not sure when it started but I very much know that not so many people are amazed by lawyers. Most even dread us but I'd say that stereotyping must stop because it's getting old.

Business/Corporate Laws in The Philippines and U.S.A

I want to discuss about the many similarities about Corporate Laws in The Philippines and U.S.A. That's why it can be no surprised why a good number of law students in The Philippines pass New York and California Bar Exams where most Filipinos are based. If you are planning to do business in The Philippines and you are coming from the states, it wouldn't be really that hard for you to understand the provisions and of course, that applies to Filipinos who wants to do business in The states too. I have considered blogging about this topic some time ago because I know that there is a surge of westerners who want to do business in The Philippines but finds it hard. There are some requirements that can put one off especially with the ownership that business shall be 60% Filipino owned and 40% Foreign owned. This rule seeks to protect the interest of Filipino Citizens and to moderate influx of Foreign investors who seek opportunity offshore but I can assure you that this risk is worth it. Manila is booming at its best and is one of the fastest growing economy in South East Asia. I can say that compared to other regions, The Philippines are one of the most stable country where one can invest and I can back that up with Economists' financial reports. What made Philippines more enticing to foreign investors is that communication is easy because most Filipinos are well-versed with the English language compared to other Asian countries. Doing business in The Philippines won't be easy but there is a hungry market here for new products and innovative concept from the western world. I am sure that any foreign investor who have done business in The Philippines can say this as well. I know that you have so many questions still and if you do, you can send me a message and I can be of assistance to you.

Retiring in The Philippines

There are many people who choose to retire in The Philippines and this is not very unusual. If you are getting old and have rheumatism, what could be more better than to live in a sunny country? Back in the day, The Philippines have no Laws regarding foreign retirees. We didn't feel the need to have one but as the years go by, trends have become so clear that many foreign retirees choose to settle in The Philippines mainly because of the weather and of course, your dollar stretches a long way around here. A retiree can very well live here modestly on $800 budget per month. If you want to live luxuriously with a helper waiting hand and foot anytime of the day consider spending $1,500 a month and that's still a good deal, I should say. Things have changed a lot and there is a "Special Retirement Visa" to better protect foreign retirees who chose to spend their times here. This is a good sign because foreign retirees will see that Philippines are paying attention to their needs and create laws to protect their interests. I know that many foreigners wanted to invest in The Philippines but doing business here is quite restrictive as the laws protect ownership of businesses. One big requirement that makes foreigners say nay is that corporations established in The Philippines must be 60% Filipino-owned and only 40% Foreign-owned and of course, nobody likes that. Another big hurdle is acquiring properties where a foreigner cannot have a property in his own name. He can't purchase a house and a land although the law allows foreigners to own Condominiums. I have a Swedish friend who wanted so much to have a beachfront house and he asked me how he can do this. Although foreigners cannot own a land, they can rent a property as long as fifty (50) years and this Contract Agreement will just depend on the owner of the land and between the foreigner but this is possible and this is actually how most foreign investors do it when they want some vacation house or property. If you have inquiries, you can send questions and I will be glad to be of help.