Legal Defense InfoBlog

Online Identity Theft How To Protect Yourself From it

2008-12-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

The crime of identity theft occurs when someone gains enough personal information about you to enable them to open accounts in your name.
This could be:

at department stores,
a Visa/MasterCard account,
a gas credit card,
even a bank loan,
and in some cases, all of the above.

The thief then charges those new accounts to the hilt, maxing them out, and then disappears to look for his next victim. The first time you ever become aware that your identity has been compromised is when you get a call from the card issuer or department store asking when you intend to start making payments on the account. And it all goes downhill from there.

Catching the thief is next to impossible, although the crime
should still be reported to the local authorities.

Much of online identity theft is possible because people are just too free with their personal information. This does not mean you should become a recluse or a hermit, but a certain amount of care and plain common sense should be exercised when you are doing anything online, especially a financial transaction.

Here are some of the tips that can be moved to help avoid having you become a victim of online identity theft:

* Keep your password safe. Do not write it down. Make your password something you can remember, and make it different for each online account you have, but do not make it something simple. Make it a combination of words with a number in it, like "pickled5honda". The worst thing you can do it write it down and then lose that paper where you wrote it, or even worse, have it as a file on your computer, and then your computer gets hacked.

* Never answer "yes" to any popup screen that may occur when you visit a website, asking if you wish them to save your password. Picking this will result in your password being saved in a system file which hackers can use to access your account and steal your identity.

* Be sure you know the company you are dealing with online, and think twice before entering your personal information, credit card numbers online. If it is a company you know and trust and you have worked with them before, that is one thing, but be very cautious with a company you do not know.

* Be aware of "phishing". Phishing is a strategy for stealing identities online. It is one of the easiest ways for a thief to steal your identity, as they set the bait and you take it. The identity thief shows himself as a member of a loyal and most used company.

Examples of these identity theft online tricks is that one of the millions of thieves sends you an email of which says that you have won or appears to come from your bank or credit union, even with the email showing the logo or the bank or credit union to make it look legitimate. But if you click the link asking you to verify your identity, you have just taken the bait. Your bank will NEVER ask you to enter personal information online, NEVER, so don't fall for this one.

Identity theft online is a real and serious threat that cannot be ignored. So if you want to avoid becoming a victim, heed these tips!

An Overview of the 1980s "Mass Personal Injury Litigation"

2008-12-29T09:06:00.000-08:00

One of the significant issues to arise during this era, which is still continuously disserted, is the explosion of mass personal injury litigation.

The United States in the 1980s has seen people by the thousands suing many companies or corporations for damages and losses that resulted from injuries and diseases they have sustained.

Based from their cases,

toxic substances,
medical devices,
pharmaceutical products
and catastrophic events

were mostly the causes of their injuries.

The indemnification paid by the companies and their respective insurers amounted to billions of dollars. Billions of dollars and more were also spent on defense, insurance and payment to plaintiff's personal injury litigation lawyers.

During this period, the ghost of mass liability became such a scare for insurers who were from some manufacturer and markets that are researching and developing product lines.

These mass litigations involving personal injuries have two distinguishing features that make it apart from the other cases of product liability.

1. The claims contained in litigation have great level of cohesion of issues and parties.

2. The case standards and principles have remarkable interdependence

Personal injury litigations in massive numbers are usually the result of having many claims arising from several jurisdictions in the space of press release list short intervals. Only a few law firms usually bring up these personal injury claims and only the defendants being sued for it are only one or a few in number.

In terms of judges, one or a few are handling them although the claims may increase in number. A small group of experts and special masters assist the judges throughout the litigation process.

Because there are common features in actors and issues, the collective assessment of all the claims that are involved on same mass personal injuries increases and decreases depending upon significant developments and outcomes of single cases.

Emergence of Mass Personal Injury Litigation during the 1980s

• The interactions of varied societal and legal trends paved the emergence of this litigation phenomenon during such period.

• This was also the period in the nation when products were mass marketed. Thus, the country's population was increasingly exposed to potentially dangerous or injurious consumer products and substances.

Several social influencing factors:

Evolution of law firms dedicated to the issues of the plaintiffs that facilitated the filing of personal injury claims in massive and overwhelming numbers.

Growing number of information being exposed through mass media that suggested or established the "causal links" binding the injuries sustained to the products and substances used or exposed with.

Changes made with the legal doctrines and the product liability law, which gave an opportunity for victims of the mass injury occurrences to file charges against defendants as common as the consumer products' manufacturers.

How To Get A Divorce The Peaceful Way - Even If Your Ex Is Not On Board

2008-12-21T06:47:00.000-08:00

In my 26 years as a divorce attorney, and especially the last dozen years that I have been a divorce mediator, a phrase I have heard very often when I get up on my soapbox about Peaceful Divorce is, "but you don't know my ex!" or "it's not possible to have a peaceful divorce in my situation". Not so.

You CAN learn how to get a divorce the peaceful way, whether your spouse or ex is on board right now or not.

Now that may not be what you want to hear because what it does is place the responsibility for your life right back where it belongs, with you. Believe me, a lot of the resistance you are feeling when you think of changing your story about your relationship with your spouse or ex is for this very reason!

Nonetheless, this is the way life works. You are creating your life by the primary thoughts you are thinking, and the feelings you are feeling through the universal law of attraction. Divorce doesn't exempt you from the laws of life! You are creating your reality! The time to own it is now!

That's good news! Isn't it a relief? Isn't it empowering to understand that you have the power to change your relationship with your spouse or ex by changing your attitude, and when that changes, everything changes?

But I've tried that, you say! It doesn't work! Oh yes it does. You must be consistent, and persistent. Are you holding the vision of the relationship you would like with your spouse or ex? What does it look like? Hold that vision consistently, and patiently, and it will begin to materialize before your very eyes. You know that what you focus on expands! What do you want your divorce to look like? Your life afterwards? What are you focusing on? What you want, or what you don't want?

Are you focusing on what is right with your spouse or ex instead of what is wrong? Are you making a concerted effort to remember the qualities you respected and admired when you married this person and perhaps had children with them?

Going through divorce is like driving a car. Are you looking through the windshield, toward where you are going, or through the rear view mirror, stuck in the past? Be proactive in creating the vision of what you want it all to look like and consistently hold that vision. What vision are you holding? Is it of a peaceful divorce? Is it of a respectful, effective co-parenting relationship with your spouse or ex? Is it of healthy, happy children and meaningful future relationships for yourself?

Don't give up! Hold the vision of what you want, not what you don't want! You will move in the direction you are looking and before you know it, you will have created a peaceful divorce, and the pathway to being happily divorced, if that is what you truly desire.
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For a FREE email series on "The 10 Worst Mistakes You Can Make In Your Divorce," go to www.HappilyDivorced.org

Read Legal Advertisements Carefully.

2008-12-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

Read legal advertisements carefully.

As a general rule in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Many reputable lawyers don’t advertise in newspapers or the Yellow Pages.

Don’t assume that the size of the Yellow Page ad means that a lawyer is better qualified than one with a small ad (or no ad at all).

Always review a lawyer's background.

LegalMatch makes this easy with the profiles they offer on their LegalMatch Member Attorneys.

These help you learn about a lawyer's experience and qualifications.

Legal Matters: How To Choose A Lawyer And Why You Need One!

2008-12-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

There's 4 steps you have to take if you want to solves your legal problem...

1. Define your problem carefully before considering hiring a lawyer.

Sometimes it's easy to know if you need to find an attorney. If you've been charged with a crime, been served with a lawsuit, or need a divorce-a lawyer is exactly what you need.

Lawyers, however, aren't just for criminals or those in litigation.

Qualified attorneys--like those at LegalMatch--can also provide advice and knowledge to people who just need to talk to an expert.

A skilled lawyer’s advice can help you understand the complex rules associated with business negotiations and partnerships, estate planning, adoption, will and trust drafting, tax strategies and much more.

Lawyers improve their clients' quality of life by protecting them from situations that might later bring emotional and financial hardship. A good, high-quality lawyer is there to help those in trouble now and those who want to avoid trouble in the future. You can begin your search for legal help by presenting your case to LegalMatch, where qualified lawyers can review your situation and help you to resolve it. Finding a lawyer is fast, free and confidential at LegalMatch.

2. Ask yourself, and others, if it is possible and prudent to solve your own problem.

In many cases, you may be able to solve your problem without an attorney's help. If a company has wronged you, see if it has a customer service department. Often, a complaint can be settled to your satisfaction without having to find a lawyer. You may also want to contact the consumer protection department at your state attorney general offices.

If a regulated industry (like a bank or insurance company) has wronged you, there is a state-run agency in charge of watching that industry that you can contact. The agency may be able to deal with the problem on your behalf.

Community groups might also be able to offer you free advice on these types of legal matters.

On the other hand, sometimes a lawyer's advice can be well worth the money. A lawyer can help ensure that you contact the right people first, and that you don't do something that will hurt your case later. LegalMatch makes finding the right lawyer easier than ever.

3. Determine the immediacy of your situation.

If you've been accused of a crime or find yourself the defendant in a legal suit, contact a lawyer immediately. Avoid delay in seeking legal counsel if you've been injured and plan to pursue your rights. Waiting several months could jeopardize your right to seek relief.

Even if you are thinking about legal help merely to avoid problems in the future, it's never too early to begin your legal search.

For example, tax strategies, corporate and employment law advice, and estate planning shouldn't be put off for too long. Putting legal matters on the back burner might cost you more in the end.

When you decide to act, LegalMatch is there to make finding the right lawyer fast, safe, and secure. At LegalMatch, you can confidentially present your case on-line for lawyers to review, and then evaluate lawyer responses, credentials, and experience at a speed you're comfortable with.

4. Find a lawyer that best suits your needs.

There are a lot of lawyers out there, but...

How do you find one that best suits your needs?

First, you need to find one who works in the proper jurisdiction. Typically, lawyers are licensed to practice in a particular state. LegalMatch clearly indicates the states in which its lawyers are licensed, making the selection process very easy for you.

Second, you need to find one who knows how to best handle your case best. Many lawyers specialize in one type of law or another. A specialist in family law won't be your best option if you need a bankruptcy lawyer.

LegalMatch matches your case with lawyers based on their practice areas and expertise to make it simple for you to find a specialist or a generalist as you search for legal help.

Third, you need to find a lawyer compatible with your budget. If a lawyer on television advertises low fees, they may not include every service you'll need in that fee. LegalMatch requires lawyers to spell out exactly what is included in the advertised fee. This allows you to compare what lawyers are charging with what services they actually provide.

LegalMatch makes finding a qualified lawyer fast and easy. Present your case, and interested attorneys will send you a message commenting on your case and describing why they may be best qualified to help you.