All the career surveys you’ve taken haven’t helped narrow your interests. The truth is, you love law, business, and technology. Now, you don’t have to choose between them. With the many legal office technology careers available, you can blend your passions into the perfect career.Legal office technology careers offer you the opportunity to perform a wide variety of administrative and office management functions to promote the efficient operation of a legal organization. Tasks may range from scheduling trials and recording court business to performing legal work for an individual attorney. You may also be called upon to handle legal dictation and transcription, set up legal files and business records, and execute legal forms.To better prepare for legal office technology careers, you can earn a technical certificate or associate of applied science degree in legal office technology, which may then transfer into a bachelor of applied technology degree. These programs will enable you to become a management support professional with technical and communication skills. After all, time management, problem solving, and teamwork skills are key to success in legal office technology.Legal office technology schools provide a foundation in legal issues, terminology, and procedures for successful employment in a legal office support position. They’ll also help you develop general office support skills in word processing, computer applications, accounting, and information management.Coursework at legal office technology schools may include business communications, computerized accounting, digital input and transcription, client services, wills and probate, criminal law, business mathematics, keyboarding, word processing, administrative law and procedure, legal office technology, legal assisting, legal document processing, civil litigation, family law, legal terminology and office procedures, spreadsheets, records and database management, paralegal studies, and legal research and analysis.In your legal office technology program, you’ll become familiar with the U.S. court systems in the preparation of forms and legal documents. You may also follow a lawsuit through litigation, trial, judgment, and appeal. You’ll learn the proper terminology for handling legal dictation and transcription, and you’ll learn about law office administration as well as the major substantive areas of the law.At legal office technology schools, you’ll also dabble in the elements of legal research and analysis and sources of the law. You’ll develop skills for identifying and analyzing legal issues and for formulating logical and practical legal arguments. Plus, you’ll learn to research using a law library and computer technology.Looking for a lucrative career in a legal setting? Legal office technology schools will get you there.
Navigate the Pitfalls in the Health Care Reform Laws
Have you found an expert that can tell you how health care reform or also known as ObamaCare will effect your health care decisions? If you have, I have some bad news for you, you have not. If anyone claims to be an expert they are deceiving you. Even the lawmakers and even President Barack Obama can not even claim to be experts.Let me do some damage control before I continue, the reason I say there is no experts, because no one knows the law from beginning to end, and all the changes made after it became law, and it even is changing as I write this article. Yes, many know the basics and that is why I am dedicating time in my day to help the Average Joe understand impacts that they may face.In my discussions with many people, I have found they do not really understand what they have from their employer today. When I have asked, how did they select their health care, they almost always will say, it is what someone recommended to them and is what they have. It is not a one size fits all and as I said it is very personal for what your family needs. Your health is not like anyone else, and your families health is not the same. It goes even back to family genes and medical conditions that may be passed over time. So if you are not really looking at what you have and need, you may be accepting many risks. I will discuss in this article a few items to think about as you make your decisions. How Is Your Health?How often do you go to the doctor or should you be going to the doctor? I use to think I was in perfect health and nothing could influence me to go to a doctor. I had no need for the doctor. As I got older, I found I needed to keep in mind vision, dental, and even when my family had medical issues, I needed to make sure I did not have the same thing just pop up. This is one area that will lead you to decisions to be made. If you are healthy and feel you do not have anything you need to worry about, then you can buy a watered down insurance policy, but if you or your family have needs, you need to watch this. What is your co-pay?As I said, health is very big item to understand your co-pay. Is it an 80/20 plan where you pay 20 until you meet your deductible? Now, in order for it to be part of affordable health care, your premiums can not be more than a certain percentage of your income for you as an individual. So, know what you will be responsible for from the beginning. What do you need to pay for office visits? If you go to the doctors a lot, this could get costly? What is your deductible?As I have talked to many people, I can not believe how many people do not know what their deductible is. Now this is important because you will pay your copays until you hit that deductible. Over the past three years, I have watched companies select larger and large deductibles. Now that puts the burden on you and if you have a sudden illness, it means you will need to come up with a lot of money. I have seen deductibles between $2000 and $6000. If you are like 80% of all Americans and are living paycheck to paycheck, what is your strategy to cover this? My Spouse and I both work and I have been on my spouses insurance for years, is this OK?Yes it is OK, but again you need to evaluate it. Some employers are passing on more costs when the spouse is eligible with another employer and they are having to cover the spouse because their insurance options may be better. Again, this is going to be a very personal decision based on cost and coverage. Will you avoid penalties from the government, yes, as long as you are covered by insurance.This is just the first of many articles I plan to write. Remember, you are paying an insurance company to collect money to pay your medical expenses directly to the doctors. Insurance companies place people in risk categories in order to calculate what they will pay out will be less than they bring in.
Getting Approved For a Business Loan Or Equipment Lease in a Time of Tight Credit
Anyone in the business of equipment leasing or commercial lending knows that things have changed dramatically in the past several months. For a company trying to acquire working capital or permanent financing, submitting a “clean” package is important now more than ever.The sub-prime meltdown has had negative repercussions throughout the credit markets. As a result, underwriters across the country have tightened up credit standards. Business loans and equipment leases that were “slam dunks” for approval last year are now being turned down. For example, many lenders require business owners to have a minimum credit score of 675 to qualify for loans. (It used to be much lower). Other lenders won’t even consider funding start-ups even if the principals have extensive experience in the industry. Commercial loans and equipment leasing transactions are still being closed but a much lower approval rate because the rules have changed dramatically.It all sounds pretty bleak, doesn’t it? While it’s tougher to get the capital you need to grow, there are things you can do to increase your chances of qualifying for a loan or lease. it is critical that the package of information that is reviewed by the underwriting department be organized, concise, and complete. Here are some suggestions that will help:Check your credit regularly and take steps to improve your score:Underwriters have always placed a lot of importance on credit scores because it reflects the debtor’s ability to take care of obligations in a timely manner. With lenders as nervous as they are today, a high credit score is even more critical. There are ways to check your score on a regular basis such as logging on to www.annualcreditreport.com and running a credit report. Carefully review the information. In a 2004 study, it was found that 4 out of 5 credit reports contain errors that can be detrimental to you credit standing. These errors include, but are not limited to:
Inaccurate personal information such as wrong social security numbers, inaccurate birth dates, and out-of-date addresses
“Closed” accounts listed as “open”. For example, a student loan paid off years ago showing delinquent.
The same mortgage or loan listed twice.
Major loans or mortgages that have been paid off or timely serviced not listed at all.
If you find an error on your report, write a letter or e-mail to the credit bureau. The bureau is obligated to contact the creditor who supplied them with the disputed information and then respond to you within 30 days. If you are unhappy with how the claim is settled you can ask to have a brief written explanation added to the bottom of your credit report.To improve your score, you need to take steps to resolve any items that are showing up as delinquent and those in which a judgment or lien has been filed. Make it a priority to pay credit car balances in full each month rather than making the “minimum payment”.If you are credit-challenged, find a co-signer:Lenders will be more likely to approve the business loan from an applicant with below standard credit if the debt is guaranteed by someone who is financially stronger. The guarantor can be a family member, friend, or business associate. To motivate someone to co-sign on your loan, consider paying a guarantee fee to the individual or perhaps an ownership position with the company.Pledge additional collateral with the lender or lessor:Some lenders who might otherwise turn down your application for a business loan or equipment lease may change their minds if you increase the collateral base. This might give the decision-maker or loan committee with an added comfort level in the event things to south. Other collateral might include specific assets from another business that is free and clear, rental property, or equity in a personal residence.Make sure all the information required with your application is complete and accurate:Nothing slows things down in the approval process more than incomplete information. If your tax return isn’t completed and it’s past April 15th, get your tax accountant on the ball and get it done. make sure you provide an up-to-date interim financial statement. Always keep your personal financial statement updated. For unusual or non-recurring items, make sure to provide an explanation in notes to the financial statements. Lenders also like to see the business loan or equipment lease applicant employ an efficient accounting system that provides information in a timely manner.These are just a few of the ways you can bolster your chances of getting credit during a period in our history where it can be very challenging even for the most deserving.