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.

When is Free Legal Advice Good?

Lawyers will tell you outright that Free Legal Advice isn't good because it's bad for our profession and that is only a job of a Pro Bono Lawyer. But with how things are going especially with the coming of dotcoms, Legal Advice online have been abundant. More and more lawyers welcome inquiries from almost about anybody who have Legal questions about some things. I cannot say that lawyers are all the same, some give legal advice online just to really help people because that's what they find in their heart to do and there's totally nothing wrong with that but I am more concerned if an inquirer asks what he is supposed to do in some situation but fail to disclose full details this is where things go wrong. I noticed that most people who ask Free Legal Advice online don't really disclose every information about them maybe because they are also trying to protect themselves and other people involve but are they aware that this can be very fatal? If you ask any lawyer about your situation but you missed out on some information you think isn't very important then you are totally putting yourself and your interest in full blast failure. Remember that when you ask for advice never ever miss out any facts because evaluation of the lawyer and his advice will be inappropriate to your real situation only because you chose to miss out on some facts.Next time you try to get advice remember everything i told you here and of course, if you need some help you can send your question and I will reply as soon as I can. I hope you understand where I am trying to get at, I just really want to help most of you here that is why I am giving this Free Legal Advice and believe me, you are going to thank me later for this.

Contract Experts

Sometimes I feel like I keep on repeating things, important things that people choose not to listen to. Have you ever needed contracts and end up doing it several times because it was poorly written? I can attest that this is very common and this actually shouldn't happen if people will just start to believe that Contract Experts aren't called "Experts" for no reason at all. The most common complain I hear is that Legal Professionals charge too much that is why most people choose to prepare contracts by themselves. But I am very concerned with this because most of the time, poorly written Legal Contracts and their "result" are binding. What does this mean? You can't argue in Court that your contract is unenforceable because you prepared it and didn't seek help from Contract Experts but this is definitely a mistake you made and whatever the decision in Court will be, you are directed to abide by it. I know some people who haven't experience this will just roll their eyes but I also know that many of you here can relate to what I am trying to say. I want to address this growing problem because it seems that people really lack knowledge regarding this matter. Most of the time they are caught off guarded and appeared very surprised when courts decide not in their favor. As the famous saying goes, "Ignorance of law excuses no one". We cannot argue in any court that it is a honest mistake. Everybody have to suffer the consequence of their action whether they are guilty or not out of ignorance or not. I am sure that most of you have needed contracts or some form of Affidavits at some point. Whether it is as simple as Affidavit of Loss or as complex as Special Power of Attorney. These contracts are drafted, prepared, and evaluated well because it's a make or break thing. You have to make sure that the content of the contract works in your favor and not for anybody else and this is how you take the first step in protecting yourself: Hire Contract Experts and let them do what they do best.

Doing Business in The Philippines

There are many foreign retirees looking for a country where they can live and retire comfortably and I can say that The Philippines maintain to be very attractive for retirees. Number one reason for this is the weather, Philippines is a tropical country and mostly have sunny days. Another important factor that retirees look into is the cost and in The Philippines, one can live comfortably spending only about $1,000-$1,500 a month and domestic help is very common which only costs $100 a month. But there is this one thing that many retirees want to consider about The Philippines, most see big opportunities but it is quite hard to start a small business in The Philippines especially if you are a foreigner because Philippine Laws clearly states that every corporation shall be 60% Filipino owned and 40% Foreign owned. Some people try to circumvent the law by hiring Filipino dummies who will act as owners but in reality, it is owned by a foreign person. So if you are thinking of a small business it can be difficult to start one. There is a new bill about "Special Retirement Visas" and there are provisions that is available to Foreigners. I am sure that with this development, Philippines can attract more Foreign investor which is always good for the country. There have been "fixers" posing as brokers or someone who can help Foreign people to do any kind of dealing they want to deal with but you have to be careful with this because most of them are crooks. So next time you are being approach by some random person on the street, don't do business with them. If you are a Foreigner and you want to know what kind of Business can you do in The Philippines, talk to Legal Professionals so you can protect yourself. I know some Foreigners who have made the mistake of dealing with random people they have met on the streets and of course, most of the time this kind of things end up bad. I just want to give precaution to people to stop dealing with just any person and get some sense and hire Legal Professionals to better know your stake about any inquiry you are concerned of.

Cost Cutting

I fully understand the hype why people opt to get free legal contract templates online rather than having it done by Contract Experts. Times are tough and if we could get everything for free, we know we would but there's just some things we really need to pay for like our basic needs food, shelter, clothing, and medicines. I hope that people start to realize and treat their Legal needs as basic needs because getting into any sort of Legal entanglement just means more money needed to shell and more trouble and what's worst is if you're not even sure if you're going to get good judgment in your favor. There is just a lot in stake when you lose judgment in courts. You may not have enough liquid assets to pay unfavorable judgment but what's more scary here is that your properties can be garnished by the courts to pay for any amount you need for settlement. This is when you look back and regret everything you've done and wish you did it another way. It doesn't really cost much to have your contracts prepared, drafted, and evaluated by Contract Experts. It is actually cheaper to have this right from the very start than go cheap then pay thousands later for contracts gone wrong. Many of you will judge that I am advertising this because I am in the Legal practice but if you look at it rationally, it is all common sense. I mean, who would go and sign a contract which haven't been carefully examined by lawyers? I know many of you have done this but can I ask, what happened to that? I am sure that you are thinking clearly now and starting to realize that I am talking some sense here. It's not all about the money as I have told my readers a lot of times, this is all about taking preventive steps. Doing the right thing to save yourself from trouble and I am sure you're going to thank me for that maybe not now but later. This is just really an important subject matter for me as I have seen people sign contracts and learning later on that contracts they entered into didn't really protect their interest because they opt to proceed and chose to skip hiring Contract Experts to review it. Would you believe if I tell you that most people undergoing foreclosures is because they haven't read their contracts well and they didn't hire a lawyer to explain the whole deal? Contracts can be very challenging. They contain Legal maxims that regular people aren't familiar with. Laws and Contracts uses different terminologies that most people aren't aware of and this is really shocking but most who don't understand choose not to. They choose to move on and just sign it at the bottom page rather than ask about it and what does it mean. Many people shy away from asking questions because they feel they will look stupid but in reality what is more stupid is going through and signing a contract you're not even sure of if it works in your favor. Many of you are jaw dropping right now but this is the reality of a society we have now and I hope that people just come to terms that there's nothing wrong if they ask Legal Professionals about anything. I know that when they think of lawyers people start to think of how much it's going to cost but just for once, stop thinking like that and do yourself a favor. Spend good money for good advice that can save you and your properties. Learn to protect yourself.

Why do we need experts?

I really don't understand why so many people spend precious time getting empty Legal Advice online and what is more frustrating is, I see a lot of people get into trouble because of wrong advice. This can be very well prevented if people will only hire the right people to do this for them. It is hard to enter into a contract with anybody especially if you're one who doesn't really know about legalities it is at this time when it is most important that we need to be advised by Legal Experts. I see people end up with unfavorable judgments or worst, their contracts are rejected in courts due to lack of substance and essential requisites. That is why I want to tell people time and again that it is most wise to hire Legal Professionals when you're thinking of entering into a contract with anybody so that your interest can be protected. Don't make the mistake of taking free advice online and end up in trouble, I am saying this because this really happens and it really shouldn't happen if people are just more aware of what to do. On the other hand, I think this is because of practical reasons. Most people think that they can get away with free legal tips and I don't want to disappoint you but this is one question I think you should ask yourself, Would a lawyer give Extensive Legal Advice without getting paid? I just want to raise more awareness that's why I want to stress this reality to you. Of course, lawyers may give you free legal advice online but they are always lacking and most of the time those missing elements are the most important facts you should know but of course, you have to pay for further inquiries and there is nothing wrong with this. What makes it wrong is if you don't proceed with the right information you need to know just because you don't want to pay Legal fees which is totally unreasonable. I can't imagine why people would rather get into trouble in the future than spend now and be certain that everything is in his favor. I remember very well how I myself got into trouble when I wasn't in the legal profession yet and I really didn't understand some things then. I prepared my own Special power of Attorney from which form from which I got online. I was out of the country and I needed some things done while I'm gone and unfortunately, my very own prepared Special Power of Attorney was refused and wasn't given credence when presented. I was so devastated and kept on blaming myself for being irresponsible and could have opt to hire Contract Experts to do this thing for me. I know that just by listening to my story some of you can relate to that situation. That's why I am encouraging people to be wiser and do the right thing because at the end you will always be the one to suffer consequences so don't let this happen. Be aware.

Legal Advice

I find it strange how people react violently when legal advice they got online from free legal advisers didn't work in their case. There is really some confusion there when people think that free legal advice they have will be the same legal advice they will get if they consult a lawyer. Let me enlighten you with this. You can say that free legal advice is helpful but what I have to say is, those legal advisers aren't giving you every information you need because if they do, then I am pretty sure that lawyer's will run out of business. Those free legal advice you get online are perfectly right but what I am saying is there are some information lacking there for you to totally have a good case in court. From which, you will have to secure the services of a lawyer. I know that whatever I say here, many of you will still prefer the "free stuffs" but of course, who wouldn't?, right? But the thing is, you should know better how to protect yourself and your interest. This kind of things aren't the kind of things we can go cheap with. Lawyers charge the way they charge depending on their expertise and years of experience and I am not saying this because I practice a legal profession. I wanted to share this thoughts to you because many people make this mistake and what's sad is it can actually be prevented if you'll just learn how to do things the right way and get the right people to do it. I believe that with due diligence and believing in people's ability is always the right way to go. That's why we call these people experts on their field because we know that if we need legal advice they are the right people to go to.

How to have effective and enforceable contracts

Many people and I could never stress this enough, tend to make the same mistakes over and over again in making contracts. I fully understand that most of us would really opt for those free templates we get online but a big question is, do you really think it is worth the trouble? I am saying this because I work in a Court and I've seen people commit this same mistake everyday. Contracts are very important and preparing well-written and enforceable one isn't an easy job, that's why only Legal Contract Experts can prepare effective ones. A piece of advice I really want to give you is don't be fooled by these free templates online because they will definitely get you in more trouble in the future more than you have imagined and there will be no one to blame but yourself for scrimping on your legal needs. If you don't have funds to seek help from a Legal Professional to prepare your contract then just wait out until you have sufficient funds rather than choosing to get ahead by yourself and use those free templates. It just makes me so frustrated seeing people lose their hard-earned properties, money, and other valuable things just because they missed out on this very delicate matter. I know that many will advice you that free templates work and yes, they do but only as regards to your partner/partners in business or maybe you and your lessor/lessee. People forget that the most important factor of a contract is its enforceability in courts and this is where it gets you in trouble because you'll practically end up with nothing due to lack of substance of your paper/contract/motions. I hope to do a free seminar about do's and don'ts of contracts just to give people insight about this subject matter. Keep reading my blogs as I will keep you posted for further developments about that plan.

Free Legal Templates Online

I want to share a friend's experience about Free Legal Templates Online. I am sure that many of you here can relate to this subject matter. My friend is a regular employee at a big retailer store on the west coast and he have been laid off with no clear legal grounds. He wanted to file a labor case against his employer but of course, he doesn't have enough money to do that. So he decided he can do all this by himself by getting Free Legal Templates Online on how to file a complaint against an employer. For us working in the Legal Profession, we know exactly that only Legal Experts can do this job effectively but believe me that I do understand the plight of most people that Free Legal Templates Online are really just enticing..at FIRST! Most people are not aware that by using those free templates, it can be very damaging on their case. Many Contracts, Agreements, and Motions get rejected by courts because of lack of substance. Essential requirements of Contracts aren't met which of course is because you missed out on having your Contract prepared by Legal Experts and I don't want you to make the same mistakes over and over again. We deserve better by getting the right people and making them work their expertise according to our needs. Contract preparation, Drafting, and Examination may sound like an easy job but I am telling you that Legal Professionals spent years and years trying to perfect this skill and it will be best to trust people who will do it best for us which is of course Legal Experts.

Legal Contracts

Many of us continue to make the same mistakes we do especially in preparing Legal Contracts. I know that many of you here choose to use those free templates we see online and just fill it up thinking it could save us money but the truth of the matter is that most people who use free legal templates and file them in court usually gets rejected for lacking substance. Preparation of Legal Contracts are not as easy as they seem. It takes expertise to look closely on every information a client wants contained in his contract and who else can do this best but Legal Professionals of course. Personally speaking, to have your contracts prepared by Legal experts are the smartest thing to do. I understand that billing might offset you at first as contract drafting, preparation, and interpretation would approximately costs you about $1,000 - $2,500 versus those free templates you get online but as I have mentioned would very much get your documents rejected in courts at high risk which is unfavorable on your part. You can prevent this ignorance and humiliation by having a group of experts examine, prepare, and draft your Legal Contracts. I have made the same mistakes in the past which eventually costs me more than what I should have spent if I just hired contract experts and I don't want you to make those same mistakes. That is why I am trying my best to advice family, friends, and readers to always seek professional advice from experts.