Archive for March, 2012

Selling Your Home: You Need a Real Estate Attorney Seattle

A lot of attention is given to buyers needing a real estate attorney Seattle when they purchase a home. After all, a buyer is making a significant investment and needs to get legal advice to protect himself or herself. What is less commonly mentioned, however, is that sellers are also entering into an important financial transaction. There are significant amounts of cash at stake for sellers too, and they too should consult with a real estate attorney Seattle when they find a potential buyer for their home.

A real estate attorney Seattle will provide a great deal of important advice to sellers. First and foremost, the real estate attorney will help the sellers to understand what their obligations are. There are required disclosures in all states and failure to know and understand these disclosures could later subject a seller to a lawsuit with significant financial cost.

A seller also enters into a contract with the buyers when the buyer makes an offer. Like any legal contact, this should be reviewed by an attorney to make sure the sellers interests are protected. A real estate attorney Seattle may, for example, help a seller to determine what types of contingencies are included in the contract.  Contingencies can allow the buyer or seller to walk away from the transaction and sellers may want to minimize the number of contingencies that buyers have so they do not waste time or take the home off the market, only to have the deal fall through.

On the other hand, sellers may also want to include contingencies of their own, especially if they are also buying a new house and want to keep their existing home in case their own purchase falls through.

With the help of a real estate lawyer Seattle, sellers will go into a transaction informed and will make wise choices that protect the significant investment they have in their house.

Marrying a Foreigner? An Immigration Attorney Tacoma Can Help

When you are a United States citizen and you wish to marry someone from another country, there are a number of different complications that can arise. You will need to make sure you take the proper steps so that your new husband or wife can come into the U.S. legally with the minimum of hassle and so you can get started on the process of obtaining citizenship for your foreign spouse. Because there are so many procedural requirements and because there are a number of different ways to approach the problem of obtaining entry into the U.S., it is a good idea to speak with an immigration attorney Tacoma as early as you can in the process.

How an Immigration Attorney Tacoma Can Help

The first decision you will need to make when you plan to marry someone from another country is whether the marriage should take place in the U.S. or in the country where your soon-to-be spouse lives. If you wish for the marriage to take place in the U.S., you can obtain a visa to allow your fiancé to come over to the United States. You will need to meet certain requirements in order to do this and you will typically need to marry within 90 days of your spouse coming to the U.S., but there can be some advantages to choosing this option. This also avoids the problem of making sure that the foreign marriage is recognized in the United States.

If you are already married or if you do not wish to get married in the U.S., you still have a number of different options including sponsoring your spouse and obtaining permission for him/her to enter as an alien relative, or obtaining a marriage visa.

The different options all have different pros and cons and different requirements that must be fulfilled. An immigration attorney Tacoma will help you to make sure you choose the best and most advantageous option and that you complete all requirements in a timely manner so there are no delays to beginning to live happily as man and wife in the U.S.

Significance of Immigration Lawyer Seattle WA

Illegal immigration is a serious issues and being in the United States without valid immigration status can result in significant consequences for the offender. This is especially true as tougher laws go into place making sure employers check eligibility to work, and as politicians call for crackdowns on illegal immigration. Entering or remaining in the U.S. illegally can result in deportation, imprisonment, a prohibition from entering the country in the future and a host of other potential consequences if you are caught by the authorities.

If you are in the United States illegally, it may be advisable to contact an immigration lawyer Seattle WA before you come to the attention of the authorities. By being proactive and speaking to an immigration attorney before you get into trouble or are found breaking immigration laws, you may be able to find options for obtaining legal status. Your lawyer, for instance, may be able to help you seek amnesty or otherwise find some way to remain in the country depending upon why you entered illegally in the first place or depending upon your family relationships in the U.S. Taking action before you are identified will look better to the authorities and give you a better chance of being able to stay in the country or at least avoid the most serious consequences of illegal entry.

If you have already been identified by the authorities as an illegal immigrant and you are facing an immigration hearing and potential deportation or other ramifications, contacting an experienced immigration lawyer Seattle WA is even more important. Your lawyer can help you to explore different options that you might have for staying in the country, defending yourself, or at least avoiding the most serious of penalties such as being deported and prohibited from re-entering the U.S.

Regardless of the specifics of your situation, the sooner you take action in contacting an immigration lawyer Seattle WA, the better your chances of resolving your immigration problems in a positive way.

Choosing DUI Lawyers Seattle

When you are arrested for a criminal offense, you are entitled by the Constitution to have an attorney to represent your interests. The law also mandates that if you can’t afford a lawyer, a public defender is provided for you. Because a DUI is a criminal offense, this means you may be provided with a lawyer for a DUI charge. In almost all cases, however, you will want to find your own DUI lawyers Seattle to represent your interests so you can make sure your attorney is as competent and proficient in DUI cases as possible.

Choosing DUI Lawyers Seattle

DUI charges are serious charges that can result in significant penalties, including jail time, and that can result in a permanent criminal record. You do not want to simply accept guilt or accept the consequences in most cases, as there may be options to defend yourself, to prove your innocence or to plea bargain the charges down to a lesser offense.

The defenses for DUI are, however, often highly technical. For instance, you may need to use medical evidence or scientific tools to prove that there was a problem with the breathalyzer or your BAC test. In many cases, only expert DUI lawyer Seattle will have the knowledge to successfully prove a DUI defense. You owe it to yourself, therefore, to contact DUI lawyers Seattle and to find out what options you have for avoiding the serious consequences of a DUI conviction.

When you find a DUI attorney, you should look for DUI lawyer Seattle who have extensive experience specializing in DUI cases. Find out what their track record of success is and make sure you choose someone who you are confident will bring extensive legal expertise to the table in helping you to beat the DUI charges and walk away clean.