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Jun 22, 2018

Vacation Time! Get the Right Documents in Order

Will your child be away from you, spending time or traveling with friends?

Having a Temporary Guardianship form in place can give you peace of mind!

You can authorize a trusted friend to give Medical Consent in an emergency when it may be difficult to get hold of you.

And it may be a legal requirement to issue a Consent to Travel should your child be crossing international borders.

Continue reading "Vacation Time! Get the Right Documents in Order"

Jun 21, 2018

Wedding Photography Tips - Legal Guidelines

It is important for the wedding photographer and (even more so) the bridal couple to have a clear understanding of pertinent details such as:

• Who owns the copyright of the wedding photographs? Clients may argue that they paid for the work i.e. “work made for hire" and should therefore own the copyright.
  
  There are a number of ways to address this in the wedding photography contract.
• Does the photographer need model releases or more specifically, for whom and when is this necessary?
• Is a retainer (or reservation deposit) refundable?
  Etc.

We also provide free templates for your wedding checklist and photography contract.

Continue reading "Wedding Photography Tips - Legal Guidelines"

Jun 20, 2018

Home Business Insurance Checklist

Running your business from home? There are some risks you may be exposed to and need to consider.

For example:

• Small Business Liability Insurance and Property Insurance
• Establishing a Bond
• Worker's Compensation Insurance
• Incorporating Your Small Business
• Independent Contractor Insurance

Here's an overview of a variety of ways in which you can protect yourself and your personal assets against claims.

Continue reading "Home Business Insurance Checklist"

Jun 15, 2018

Personal Loan Agreements - Consider this:

Terms of Payment:

Consider if/how the borrower can afford to repay the loan within a time period acceptable to the lender. If the payment schedule is not feasible, it will inevitably lead to default which is not the desired outcome.

Interest:

Can you charge interest and at what rate? Should you charge interest?

You don't have to charge interest (with loans to family members for example) but you need to know what the limitations are.

Security:

You could consider tangible goods such as jewelry, art work etc. as collateral to secure a loan. You could also require/demand that the repayment of the loan is guaranteed by having another person sign as co-signor or enter into a separate guaranty agreement with a guarantor.

Review our guidelines and use our free Promissory Note templates to compile your document.

Continue reading "Personal Loan Agreements - Consider this:"

Jun 13, 2018

Durable or Lasting Power of Attorney

An enduring, durable, continuing or lasting power of attorney is such an important legal document to have in place!

It enables you to appoint the person(s) you wish to look after your affairs when you become incapacitated.

Unlike a normal POA that expires, the directives in this document will endure/last/continue when you are no longer able to make your voice heard.

Here are some step-by-step guidelines (and free templates) to help you plan ahead.

Continue reading "Durable or Lasting Power of Attorney"

Jun 11, 2018

When is a Restraint of Trade Enforceable?

It is acceptable for a company or franchise or employer to want to protect a company's business interests.

The keywords here are "reasonable" and are there "proven business interests" that warrant protection.

You then need to consider:

• The area to which the restriction will apply
• Which activities will be restricted
• The duration and the entity to whom the restraint applies

Review our guidelines on how to go about drafting your legal agreement.

Continue reading "When is a Restraint of Trade Enforceable?"

Jun 08, 2018

How Do You Get Copyright?

The “right to copy” in work you create is automatically yours!

• You have the say in how the work can be used
• You have the right to benefit commercially
• You have legal recourse if anyone infringes on your rights

There are a few exceptions e.g. work created in an employment situation or commissioned work, where the copyright may not be yours.

Continue reading "How Do You Get Copyright?"

Jun 06, 2018

Making a Living Will

If it is important to you to direct whether you wish to:

• Have your life prolonged (or not) by artificial means
• Allow blood transfusions
• Donate your tissues or organs etc.

... then you need to make these wishes known whilst you are of sound mind.

We provide a free Living Will template to assist you in drafting this important document.

Continue reading "Making a Living Will"

Jun 04, 2018

Non-Solicitation and No-Competition Agreements

A company's assets go way beyond tangible goods!

There is substantial value in a company's client list. Equally, its employees often represent a major financial investment on the part of the company, e.g. sourcing, training, etc.

The purpose of a Non-Solicitation agreement is to protect those assets against unfair advantage from a competitor.

This may happen when an employee leaves the company and by soliciting fellow employees will not only gain from their experience, but will also have access to any confidential information that they may have.

An ex-employee may also attempt to solicit business from a company's customer base. Knowledge of the company's pricing structure, suppliers, marketing plans etc. will constitute an unfair advantage to a former employee.

Having a Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement in place is vital to protect these assets!

Continue reading "Non-Solicitation and No-Competition Agreements"

Jun 01, 2018

How to Create a Testamentary Trust Will

Creating a testamentary trust under a will offers many advantages! We'll show you:

• Sample wording to create a trust in a will
• Examples of instructions to trustees
• Whether probate is necessary
• The difference between a Testamentary Trust vs Living Trusts ("inter vivos" trusts)

Continue reading "How to Create a Testamentary Trust Will"

May 31, 2018

Landlord Tenant Law

Many governments see landlords as partners in providing housing!

They actively assist landlords with legal guidelines and forms to manage their property portfolios and tenants.

There are answers to many frequently asked questions about obligations, evictions, rental increases and the rights of both parties.

We've compiled an easy reference to help you with landlord rights in your specific area:

Continue reading "Landlord Tenant Law"

May 29, 2018

A - Z of Testamentary Trusts

• How long does it take to create a testamentary trust?
• What are the duties of the trustee?
• How will the trustee spend the money?
• How does one dissolve a testamentary trust?

Find the answers to the above and other questions here:

Continue reading "A - Z of Testamentary Trusts"

May 25, 2018

Tired of Copyright Infringement?

We are too!

Some folks genuinely think that if it's "out there" it's free for all and in the public domain.

"In the public domain" actually has a specific legal meaning and has nothing to do with content being "in the public eye".

You do have recourse!

Review our legal guidelines and use our printable Cease and Desist letter to protect your rights in your intellectual property.

Continue reading "Tired of Copyright Infringement?"

May 23, 2018

Asset Protection in Family Wills

How can you make provision for:

• A minor child who cannot legally own property?
• A child with diminished capacity?
• A prodigal child who may squander an inheritance?
• A family member with a substance dependency or serving a prison term or being unduly influenced by another person?

We'll show you in detail exactly how to go about it!

Continue reading "Asset Protection in Family Wills"

May 21, 2018

Simple Rental Agreement

You've asked for it, so here it is!

We've received many requests for a simple, one page, weekly or month to month rental agreement.

We've compiled a free rental agreement that captures the details of the landlord, tenant and premises and outlines the basic terms and conditions typically found on rental or lease agreements.

The template is a basis to work from, where you can add specific clauses to suit your property or requirements.

Continue reading "Simple Rental Agreement"