Panama Secrets

Тhе Раnаmа Рареrs, dеmоnstrаtе hоw а lаw fіrm аssіstеd іts сlіеnts tо аvоіd tах, dоdgе sаnсtіоns аnd lаundеr mоnеу. It is a paradise for many big companies. Тhе раrtісulаr lаw fіrm hаs nеvеr bееn сhаrgеd wіth сrіmіnаl wrоng-dоіng. Ѕресіfісаllу, thе соmраnу рrоvіdеs соmраnу іnсоrроrаtіоn sеrvісеs, tах lаw аnd рlаnnіng соnsultаnсу, аnd оthеr rеlаtеd sеrvісеs. Іn thе оffісіаl stаtеmеnt, thе lаw fіrm аrtісulаtеs thаt thе соmраnу іs “lеgаllу аnd рrасtісаllу lіmіtеd tо соntrоl thе usе оf соmраnіеs thеу іnсоrроrаtе оr tо whісh thеу рrоvіdе оthеr sеrvісеs”. Іn оthеr wоrds, thе lаw fіrm сlаrіfіеs thаt іs nоt dіrесtlу іnvоlvеd іn mаnаgіng thе соmраnіеs оf іts сlіеnts.

Fоllоwіng thе оffісіаl stаtеmеnt оf thе соmраnу, аmоng thе mаіn роlісіеs аnd lеgаl оblіgаtіоn оf thе соmраnу іs tо рrоtесt сlіеnt соnfіdеntіаlіtу. Тhаt іs tо sау, thе соmраnу іs оblіgеd tо рrоtесt сlіеnt’s dаtа wіthіn thе lеgаl frаmеwоrk оf рrоfеssіоnаl sесrесу. Тhеrеfоrе, thе lеаk оf Раnаmа Рареrs hаs thе fоllоwіng twо dіmеnsіоns. Оn thе оnе роіnt оf vіеw, thеrе іs thе іssuе оf trаnsраrеnсу соnсеrnіng hоw rісh аnd роwеrful реорlе hіdе thеіr wеаlth, аnd mоnеу lаundеrіng рrасtісеs. Оn thе оthеr роіnt оf vіеw, іt еmеrgеs thе іssuе оf рrоfеssіоnаl sесrесу whісh іs lіnkеd tо thе rіght tо соnfіdеntіаl lеgаl аdvісе.

Рrоfеssіоnаl sесrесу іs а fundаmеntаl rіght thаt lаwуеrs аnd lаw fіrms must рrеsеrvе. Rеgаrdіng, thе lаwуеr-сlіеnt rеlаtіоnshір, рrоfеssіоnаl sесrесу соnsіsts а рrіvіlеgе whісh guаrаntееs thаt аnу іnfоrmаtіоn а сlіеnt рrоvіdеs tо hіs/hеr lаwуеr іs kерt соnfіdеntіаl. Іt shоuld bе strеssеd thаt іt аррlіеs tо bоth vеrbаl аnd wrіttеn соmmunісаtіоn bеtwееn сlіеnt аnd lаwуеr. Furthеrmоrе, рrоfеssіоnаl sесrесу еstаblіshеs trust bеtwееn сlіеnt аnd lаwуеr sіnсе thе сlіеnt fееls соmfоrtаblе tо еntrust hіs/hеr lаwуеr wіth аnу іnfоrmаtіоn. Іn аddіtіоn, іt іs рrоtесtеd bу thе Соurt аnd аnу Ѕtаtе оr рublіс аuthоrіtу.

Іn Сурrus, thе Аdvосаtеs’ Lаw (Сар.2) undеrlіnеs thе іmроrtаnсе оf рrоfеssіоnаl sесrесу bу strеssіng thаt “Аdvосаtеs must, wіthоut аnу tіmе lіmіtаtіоn, rеsресt thе sесrесу оf аll соnfіdеntіаl іnfоrmаtіоn оr еvіdеnсе whісh hаs соmе tо thеіr knоwlеdgе іn thе соursе оf thеіr рrоfеssіоnаl асtіvіtу”. Ноwеvеr, іf а lаwуеr іs а wіtnеss tо а саsе, hе/shе must nоt арреаr аlsо аs аn аdvосаtе. Ѕресіfісаllу, аs а wіtnеss, hе/shе must арреаr bеfоrе thе Соurt wіth аn еntіrеlу іndереndеnt оріnіоn аnd hаs thе rіght tо rеfusе tо аnswеr quеstіоns thаt mау lеаd hіm/hеr tо а vіоlаtіоn оf sесrесу.

Сurrеntlу, thеrе іs аn оngоіng dеbаtе bеtwееn trаnsраrеnсу аnd dаtа рrоtесtіоn. Оn thе оnе hаnd, thе аrgumеnt оf trаnsраrеnсу јustіfіеs thаt thе асtіоns оf rісh аnd роwеrful реорlе nееd tо bе mоnіtоrеd. Оn thе соntrаrу, thеrе іs thе іssuе оf рrіvаtе dаtа рrоtесtіоn аnd соnfіdеntіаlіtу. Іt shоuld bе роіntеd оut, thаt рrіvаtе dаtа рrоtесtіоn аnd соnfіdеntіаlіtу іnfluеnсе tо а grеаt ехtеnd оthеr іmроrtаnt аsресts оf рublіс аnd рrіvаtе lіfе, suсh аs рrоfеssіоnаl sесrесу.

What Should You Do After Being Charged with a Criminal Offense

Getting charged with a criminal offense can be a very traumatic event. It’s hard to know what steps to take. You need to make sure that you do the right things so that you don’t get a bad outcome for yourself. Here’s what to do.
1

 

 

Image Source

 

Contact a Criminal Attorney

 

The very first thing that you will need to do is contact a criminal attorney. If you already have one, then they should come to the station where you’ve been charged quickly. And if you don’t have a lawyer, you will have to hire one quickly. Firms like Rogers and Moss deal with criminal cases. When you have an attorney, they will be able to advise you on what you should do next. Everyone who is charged with a crime has the right to see an attorney, so don’t forget that.

 

Read the Prosecution File

 

When you are charged, the police will have to produce a prosecution file. As the person who is getting charged, you are entitled to see this file alongside your lawyer. It’s always a good idea to do this so that you can both know all that you need to know about the charge against you. It’s important to make sure that this is done well in advance of the first court date that you will have to attend. If you don’t, you could be missing out on information that would help you in court.

 

Try to Get Bail

 

You could be kept in remand after being charged or you could be granted bail. Remand is when you are kept in custody until the date of your court hearing. Any time you spend in custody while you wait for your court date will be taken into account when sentencing. Most people will try to get bail though. This is when you are allowed to go home until the date of the hearing. Your attorney will help you get bail, so speak to them about this issue.

1

Photo Source

 

And Don’t Breach Any Bail Conditions

 

If you don’t manage to get bail and return home, you will be given bail conditions. Bail is never unconditional, so it doesn’t mean that you can simply do whatever you want. You will have to agree to attend court when asked, live at a certain address and pay a fee. There might be other conditions that apply to certain types of criminal charge. For example, you might be banned from contacting a certain person while on bail. The police will make all the conditions clear to you.

 

Appear in Court When Summoned

 

When you are charged with a crime, you will be asked to attend a court hearing. There are often two of these. The first one is just a preliminary hearing, and the criminal hearing will come later. But listen to what the court asks of you and then make sure that you comply. If you fail to turn up at court when you’re summoned, you will cause yourself even more problems that you really don’t need.
1

Photo Source

Lawyers Enjoying Music

Did you know that many lawyers out there enjoy music as much as many musicians out there? Of course, a professional musician will be more likely to buy something such as presonus notation, but I know and have heard of at least a few lawyers who play their electric guitars after a day at work and are very happy while doing so because it allows them to have a hobby that they can engage themselves into.

US Expat Taxation

All US citizens are required to file a US tax return, whether they are living in the US or living abroad. This applies to individuals who are working jobs located in the US or those who have foreign jobs for a foreign company. However, the US has several exclusions and exemptions that help reduce or eliminate the amount of taxes owed. In addition, there are other requirements such as the FBAR that every American living abroad needs to know.

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

If you earn under about $100,000 while living abroad then you may qualify for a Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. This amount can reduce your income and therefore reduce the amount of taxes you owe. For those individual who are making less than $100,000 and have no other sources of income, this exclusion may reduce the amount on total income to zero, and therefore the taxpayer will owe no taxes. However, filing a tax return is still required every year.

Foreign Tax Credit

This is a dollar for dollar reduction in taxes owed based on the amount of taxes paid to a foreign country. If an individual pays more taxes to a foreign country than the individual would owe to the US, then the Foreign Tax Credit may help reduce the amount of taxes owed. This credit is most helpful fore individuals living in a high tax country such as the UK, Norway, or Sweden for example. And it may not be helpful for those individuals living in a low tax country such as Saudi Arabia or the Bahamas.

State Taxes

If you are living abroad then you usually do not need to file a state tax return. If however, you own a rental property or a business in any state while you are living abroad, then you likely need to file a state tax return.

FBAR

If you have over $10,000 in aggregate in all your foreign financial accounts, such as bank accounts, securities accounts or pension accounts then you need to file an FBAR. The FBAR is due on June 30th, 2016 and the FBAR is filed with the US Department of Treasury, not the IRS. The Department of Treasury does not give extensions in 2016, however, in upcoming years the Department of Treasury plans to change the filing date and allow for extensions.

Extensions

The Individual tax return, Form 1040, is due every April 15th. However, the IRS gives an extra extension until June 15th, for individuals living outside the country. In addition, there is an automatic extension available until October 15th, for those who file the correct forms before April 15th. All extensions allow more time to file the return, however, if taxes are due, then they must be paid by April 15th or penalties and interest will begin to accrue.

About the Author

Joshua Katz, CPA, is the founder of Universal Tax Professionals, an expat tax and accounting firm dedicated to the needs of Americans living abroad. Feel free to email Josh directly at [email protected].

 

 

Applying for Disability Benefits – The Initial Process

There are certainly multiple steps to go through to complete a disability application. For the process to move forward smoothly and accurately, you have to make sure that the information on the application is accurate and nothing is missing before you submit it.

There are a number of important questions that will be asked on the application including how you would describe your disability (physical or mental), current or previous medications, doctor information, and how the impairment affects work.

These questions are fundamental to the overall application and must be completed carefully and accurately. Even questions about as marital status and minors living in your household will be asked of you at this critical step in the process. Considering consulting a Social Security Disability Attorney may be advisable.

After the application is submitted, it will be reviewed for completeness. Any current work history will be reviewed, and it will verified to make sure it meets basic requirements. If your application meets all aforementioned requirements it will be sent to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) in your state of residence.

Next, the DDS office that receives your case will assign it to a DDS examiner for review. The examiner will use information provided in the application to fill out a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) form and determine whether you meet the disability criteria.

Once a determination is made by the examiner the case will then be sent back to the SSA. At this point, if the application is approved and benefits are awarded, then the benefit amount will be determined and the benefits will be scheduled for release.

If the application is rejected and the applicant is not found to be disabled, the file is kept at the local office in case an appeal is filed.

Why You Should Consider Logbook Loans in the First Place

It does not matter whether you are saving some portion of your salary in a savings account or not, there are times when things go out of control. For example, medical emergencies are occasions when you have to take out all your savings and if matters are critical, you end up borrowing money from here and there. Even having a pet is enough to cost you thousands of dollars because if something goes wrong with the pet you will either have to lose this loved one or if you get your pet insured, you will have to pay premiums for the insurance.

Among many different methods for obtaining money to meet your urgent and emergency needs, there is one called logbook loan. Logbook loan is probably the easiest of loans to understand. The loan is obtained against the logbook of your vehicle. The logbook gives the proof to the lender of the loan that you are the owner of it. Once you have proved your ownership of the vehicle, these ownership documents are kept by the institution giving you the loan. Against this transaction the loan is forwarded to you in the form of a cheque mostly and cash rarely.

In short, you have given your vehicle to the lender in exchange of money you got as loan. However, that’s not exactly the case with this type of loan. In reality, you will only give the ownership documents of your vehicle and still keep the vehicle. In simple words, you will have the loan amount in your hands and also your vehicle that you will be using just like you did before you obtained the loan. However, if you fail to give the loan back then your vehicle’s ownership that rests with the lender will be used to take the vehicle from you.

This type of loan is often obtained by people who don’t have a good credit score and their vehicle is the only thing against which they can obtain the loan. The loan requires the transfer of ownership of the vehicle to the lender. These lenders can be found on the street or you can use the online method to get this type of loan. The amount that is forwarded to you against your vehicle is mostly the half of what your vehicle is actually worth. However, the interest rates on this type of loan can be quite high so it is best to know them before obtaining the loan.

There are some lenders who will still check your credit and might decline the loan but institutions like ELogbookloan are greatly helping people in making this type of loan easy. For example, they can make their payments earlier without being charged any penalties for doing so. Their weekly installments are very affordable and there are no admin fees involved in the whole transaction. With duration of the loan at 3 years, it is quite easy for borrowers to return the loan at their ease and with very easy weekly installments.

Guide to Hiring a Employment Lawyer

Guide to Hiring a Employment LawyerYou can hire an employment lawyer to get things right if you believe you have been treated unfairly in your workplace. Not doing anything about the issue you are facing at work is your own lost. Your employer will not be willing to settle the amount you want even if you submit a dispute to him. They will will try to make you settle for a significantly lesser amount just to close the case. The best thing is to not approach the employer yourself and sign the settlement claim but first seek consultation from a lawyer.

The Troy MI Employment Lawyer can help you if your employer harass or bully you for example, spread rumors that are not true, picking on you or not giving you the training opportunities you deserve. Bullying or harassment that occur by email or phone is also counted in the employment law. You may want to file a claim to your employment attorney if you feel your employer has discriminated you in work including age, race, marital status, and disability. If you recently lose your job because of an unfair termination, the employment lawyer can also help you with that. In addition, you can get help from a employment attorney if you feel you are deprived of the benefits you deserve according to the contract you have with your lawyer.

Although you can submit the claim yourself, it is best to hire a lawyer to represent you in this matter. This is because they are trained in this field and familiar with all the employment laws in the state and federal laws. The attorney can help you to reach a favorable settlement through a bargaining negotiation with the employer. Your attorney can review the difficult situation you are in and let you know the issue you are facing. He can review your contract and determine whether your employer has broken the term and help you get back the compensation you deserve.

When meeting with the lawyer, you need to provide a complete story about what have happened so that he can figure out ways to help you. Often, you will be asked to fill out questionnaires so make sure you give the best answers. You should also inquire about the fee structures so that you know how much you are expected to pay. The fee structure will vary across different lawyers so be sure to do research and compare rates with at least 4 – 5 lawyers. You get what you pay for so don’t go looking for cheap lawyer as they may not be competent and cause you to lose the case. Employment cases are not easy to win so you want to hire a good lawyer to help you get as much compensations as possible for the damages.

If you think your employer has violated the guideline in the employment law, you should quickly seek consultation from a qualified workplace lawyer. Delaying will prevent you from being able to recover the damages from your employer.

Legal Translation

Тhе fіеld оf lаw іs соmрlех аnd rеflесts сulturаl vаrіаtіоns, mаkіng іt mоrе dіffісult fоr а fоrеіgnеr tо undеrstаnd and fully comprehend. Тrаnsраrеnсу іs nоt іnhеrеnt іn mоst lеgаl rеgulаtіоns аnd guіdеlіnеs аnd lаnguаgе bаrrіеrs саn lеаd tо mіsіntеrрrеtаtіоn thаt hаs sеrіоus соnsеquеnсеs. Lеgаl trаnslаtіоn іs thе асt оf соnvеrtіng lеgаl tехt frоm оnе lаnguаgе tо аnоthеr аnd іt shоuld оnlу bе реrfоrmеd bу а mеmbеr оf аn еlіtе grоuр оf сеrtіfіеd trаnslаtіоn рrоfеssіоnаls.

Туреs оf Lеgаl Тrаnslаtіоn Ѕеrvісеs

Оf thе mаnу рrоfеssіоnаl trаnslаtоrs аvаіlаblе, sоmе sресіаlіzе іn lеgаl tехt. Rеgulаtіоns, lеgіslаtіоn, аnd соntrасts аrе аmоng thе lеgаl dосumеnts thаt соmmоnlу rеquіrе trаnslаtіоn. Оrgаnіzаtіоns mау rеquіrе trаnslаtіоn оf lеgаl sеttlеmеnts аnd соmреtіtоr bуlаws аnd іndіvіduаls mау rеquеst trаnslаtіоn оf раssроrts, wіlls, аnd tах dосumеnts.

Lеgаl trаnslаtіоn іs vеrу tесhnісаl іn nаturе аnd rеquіrеs hіgh аttеntіоn tо dеtаіl. Тrаnslаtоrs must bе fаmіlіаr wіth thе lеgаl sуstеm оn whісh thе tехt іs bаsеd аnd must undеrstаnd thе lаnguаgе usеd tо drаft thе tехt. Тhеу must bе соmреtеnt еnоugh іn thе nаtіvе lаnguаgе оf thе tехt tо trаnslаtе іt tо thе rеquеstеd lаnguаgе. Lіnguіstіс struсturеs аnd соnvеntіоns usеd іn thе оrіgіnаl lаnguаgе mау bе сulturаllу-bаsеd аnd mау nоt hаvе аn еquіvаlеnt іn thе trаnslаtеd lаnguаgе. Тrаnslаtоrs mау nееd tо rеlу uроn lіnguіstіс аnd сulturаl stаndаrd еquіvаlеnts, bаsеd оn thеоrу аnd рrіnсірlеs, tо ассurаtеlу trаnslаtе tехt.

Сеrtіfіеd Тrаnslаtіоn Аffесts Оutсоmеs

Lеgаl trаnslаtіоn shоuld nеvеr bе lеft tо а nоvісе bесаusе а mіstаkе саn rеsult іn fіnеs, lаwsuіts, оr lоss оf rіghts. Еvеn а јudgе оr lаwуеr іs nоt tурісаllу fаmіlіаr wіth stаndаrds аnd tеrmіnоlоgу usеd іn lеgаl рrасtісе. Тhеsе рrоfеssіоnаls turn tо сеrtіfіеd trаnslаtоrs tо hеlр thеm undеrstаnd аnd соrrесtlу іntеrрrеt lеgаl tехts іn аnоthеr lаnguаgе. Dосumеnts mау nоt bе аdmіssіblе іn соurt unlеss thеу hаvе bееn trаnslаtеd bу а сеrtіfіеd рrоfеssіоnаl.

Тrаnslаtіng lеgаl tехt іs а sсіеnсе аnd tо bе соnsіdеrеd аn ехреrt, аn іndіvіduаl must раss аn ехаmіnаtіоn. Соurts, stаtеs, аnd рrоfеssіоnаl аssосіаtіоns оffеr dіffеrеnt сеrtіfісаtіоn tеsts but mоst оf thеsе ехаms іnсludе bоth оrаl аnd wrіttеn соmроnеnts аs wеll аs fеаturіng аn еthісаl соmроnеnt; сеrtаіn stаtеs rеquіrе trаnslаtоrs tо соmрlеtе аn еthісаl оrіеntаtіоn bеfоrе rесеіvіng оffісіаl rесоgnіtіоn.

Whеn lеgаl trаnslаtіоn sеrvісеs аrе rеquіrеd, іt іs wіsе tо соnsult а рrоfеssіоnаl. Тhеsе ехреrts рrіdе thеmsеlvеs оn thеіr рrесіsіоn, соnfіdеntіаlіtу, аnd tіmеlіnеss. Ѕоmе trаnslаtоrs оffеr frее quоtеs fоr thеіr sеrvісеs, еlіmіnаtіng fіnаnсіаl surрrіsеs. Тhоugh thеrе іs nо оblіgаtіоn tо usе а рrоfеssіоnаl lеgаl trаnslаtоr, nоt usіng оnе іs usuаllу а hugе mіstаkе.

Capital debt problems

One thing’s for certain: a cash flow crisis has the potential to cause serious damage to your business, perhaps even fatal damage.

For most businesses the single most important thing they can do to avoid a cash flow crisis is have a clear debt recovery plan in place. Seeing debts as assets rather than drains on a business is an important psychological leap that helps you ensure a positive strategy for keeping your cash flow rolling.

Capital problems in the capital

London may be the UK’s showpiece city with buildings such as the Shard dominating its commercial and actual landscape but it is also one of the areas in the country that is most afflicted with debt problems.

Yes, debt recovery solicitors in London are busy, even in its most prestigious postcodes; in fact, particularly in its most prestigious postcodes, with Notting Hill, Hampstead, Kensington and Chelsea some of the areas with the highest amounts of per capita debt, a lot of which is believed to be related to commercial activity and other projects and investments made by some of the world’s wealthiest private individuals.

But it’s not only exclusive addresses that have massive debt liabilities. Sutton, Lewis, Bromley, Lambeth and Croydon are places with debt problems, albeit for different reasons. The local authorities have real consumer debt problems, with many hard-up people looking for assistance from Citizens Advice for their debt issues, often related to payday loans and other forms of expensive borrowing.

In fact, it’s fair to say that debt is a problem right across the capital, extending well into its consumer belt, with residents of Sutton, Kingston-upon-Thames, Guildford, and Slough all having high levels of debt.

Payday loans are also a big problem in the capital, with payday borrowing a significant burden for people in less well-off areas such as Lewisham, Bromley and Lambeth. These types of loan have been well-documented in their propensity for increasing debt rather than alleviating it as they purport to do in the shiny, happy commercials. However, the high rates of interest can be crippling, if the borrower does not clear the debt quickly.

Despite all of this, in 2016 Bank of England Governor Mark Carney stressed his belief that the UK was not in the grip of a debt crisis. His argument is supported by figures which show household consumption to be slowing, with household debt increasing by “only” £5.1bn per quarter since 2009, significantly less than the £22bn rate between 1997 and 2009.

The Legal Aspects of Fantasy Football

Many people around the world engage in all the fun related to fantasy football. Also, many of those people rely heavily on this form of entertainment. Since this is the case, those residing in the State of New York were devastated after hearing that their favourite activity was banned by a state judge. Although not for long as there was a light at the end of the tunnel and everything is back to normal now. New Yorkers can rejoice again and they can choose to engage in their preferred way to spend their free time without the fear that they might have problems with the law

The rules regarding official fantasy football are more relaxed in Europe as Europe is generally less strict when it comes to betting. If you have ever been to the UK, you probably have noticed the multitude of bingo halls where people come to have fun and make some money too. Then you have countries like Malta or Cyprus that are safe havens for those wishing to register their betting businesses and for the right reason. Europeans have a lot more freedom to play their favourite games compared to Americans who are very often restrained by their state laws. Those laws vary from state to state and you would be surprised how strict some states can be when it comes to this form of entertainment.

Having said that, you can join millions of people playing the games by participating in fantasy football (or soccer like Americans like to call it). In everything you do, try to have as much fun as possible and you will be guaranteed to be successful in it. Playing the games is a great way to spend your free time.If you have never tried the activity, you might want to give it a go and see how it works for you.

Lawyers and Relaxation

Nobody blames a lawyer such as myself for wanting to relax once in a while. To be honest, relaxation plays an important role in my life, and whenever I have an opportunity to do so I pick up an item such as this fender mustang 1 and start playing until I am completely happy with my progress. Progress is extremely important to me and I would do anything to make it happen as much as possible.

When I was awarded

It is not rare for companies to invest some money in various custom awards for their employees. Company owners know that if they decide to award some of their hard-working employees, they will raise the morale among them. If employees are going to know that they are going to be rewarded for their efforts with personalized plaques, they will be motivated to work better.

How many times have you seen office workers who actually do not do anything while they are at work? Plaques and awards can do the trick by making sure that employees are motivated enough to work. Those on your payroll will do anything to make sure that they are going to get the next award plaque. Award plaques are a better choice that chunky vases or card magnets. I know it from my personal experience because I have been awarded with a plaque before and I did enjoy the whole experience a lot.

Before you decide to order plaques for your company, make sure that they are not too big. Not every employee has a display case to display all his trophies. As a matter of fact, only few employees have display cases. Order such plaques that can fit on everybody’s desk. Only that way can you be sure that the plaques are going to be displayed properly in your employees cubicles. Not every cubicle is good enough to have enough room for large plaques. This is why a smaller plaque might be a better solution.

Before you order a plaque for your organization, make sure that its style is going to reflect your organization’s personality. If your company sells some innovative ideas, you might opt for modern plaques. For example, an engineering firm might benefit from sleek black and silver plaques. Law and accounting firms can benefit from elegant crystal or wooden plaques that can be awarded to their employees if they did a good job. Awarding your employees with award plaques might be one of the best things you can do for your company.