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Nov 25, 2020

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"

Nov 23, 2020

Proxy Form - When and How to Use It

A simple proxy is perhaps the most often used Power of Attorney.

A person can be appointed to attend meetings (or just one specific meeting) and can vote either as he/she sees fit, or according to the instructions of the person issuing the proxy.

As landlords we've often given a tenant in good standing a proxy, because such a person has first-hand knowledge of that particular housing estate.

Continue reading "Proxy Form - When and How to Use It"

Nov 20, 2020

Power of Attorney for Managing Your Real Estate

This free power of attorney form is geared towards appointing an Agent to manage your real estate on an ongoing basis.

It does NOT empower your Agent to buy or sell properties and it does not give the broad powers as in a general power of attorney.

However, it dovetails perfectly with our Property Management Contract:

• The management contract spells out the payment terms, obligations, warranties etc. which are not normally catered for in a Power of Attorney
• You can revoke the power of attorney at any time and without having to give a reason.

Continue reading "Power of Attorney for Managing Your Real Estate"

Nov 18, 2020

Property Management Contract

A property management contract needs to detail the specific duties and obligations of both Landlord and Manager, how much the fees will be and when and how payments will be done.

There must also be clarity on how repairs and maintenance will be paid for and whether the Landlord wishes to put a limit on expenses.

A very important clause to consider is the limitation of liability and the Landlord’s obligation to have adequate insurance in place.

Work through our legal guidelines and edit our free property management contract to suit your requirements.

Continue reading "Property Management Contract"

Nov 16, 2020

What Can Make a Will Invalid?

There are some obvious requirements to render a will legal, such as having the correct signatures in place, having made it without undue influence and for the testator being of sound mind.

But there may be provisions in the will that could render the will invalid, such as:

• The will is made subject to a condition which cannot be fulfilled i.e. impossible to execute;
• The testator's marital status changed but the will was not changed to reflect this;
• A child was born or adopted after the will was made but no new will was made to mention the child,
  etc.

We take a look at the above instances and also provide information on when a person can be disqualified from inheriting.

Continue reading "What Can Make a Will Invalid?"

Nov 13, 2020

Commission Agreement for Sourcing Tenants

Our finder's fee / commission agreement is tailored for those instances where the Agent will only source a suitable tenant, without contracting to the whole range of property management services.

There are a few key points to clarify:

• Who has the final say whether a rental candidate is acceptable - landlord or agent?
• Should an agent be given sole mandate to market the property?
• Will there be another fee due should the tenant renew the lease?
• Who pays the agent's fee - landlord or tenant?
  and many more...

There are definite advantages to using a rental broker or agent. It's all covered in our article.

Continue reading "Commission Agreement for Sourcing Tenants"

Nov 13, 2020

Commission Agreement for Sourcing Tenants

Our finder's fee / commission agreement is tailored for those instances where the Agent will only source a suitable tenant, without contracting to the whole range of property management services.

There are a few key points to clarify:

• Who has the final say whether a rental candidate is acceptable - landlord or agent?
• Should an agent be given sole mandate to market the property?
• Will there be another fee due should the tenant renew the lease?
• Who pays the agent's fee - landlord or tenant?
  and many more...

There are definite advantages to using a rental broker or agent. It's all covered in our article.

Continue reading "Commission Agreement for Sourcing Tenants"

Nov 11, 2020

Work Made for Hire Contract

In many countries it is a requirement to have an agreement in place that specifically designates commissioned work as work made for hire if the person/company who commissioned the work wants to claim the copyright in such work.

Even in an employment situation employers should not assume that they automatically own copyright in their employees' creative work.

In some jurisdictions the law is quite clear in defining work made for hire but elsewhere it may be open to interpretation.

The best approach is to have a written agreement in place regardless whether it appears obvious as to who owns the copyright!

Review our free template and the additional guidelines to assist you with your work for hire contract.

Continue reading "Work Made for Hire Contract"

Nov 09, 2020

Car Rental Agreement

When drafting your document you need to clearly identify the vehicle and, quite importantly, what the vehicle may NOT be used for.

You also need to specify all the costs the Renter will be liable for as well as the rental period. For example, would you charge extra to get rid of tobacco odors in the car?

Take a look at our free template and modify it to suit your requirements.

Continue reading "Car Rental Agreement"

Nov 06, 2020

Permission to Make Reprints of a Photographer's Work

If you hired a photographer to capture images of your wedding (for example) you may argue that since you paid for the work, you may make as many copies as you wish.

A lab or photo store may not agree with this and may demand a "copyright release form" for fear of being held liable when making unauthorized reproductions.

It's a good idea to get this document in place before your event!

If your photographer does not supply it, get a free copy here:

Continue reading "Permission to Make Reprints of a Photographer's Work"

Nov 04, 2020

Reduce the Risk When Extending a Loan

There are a couple of ways to help ensure the repayment of a loan:

• Enter into a Security Agreement where goods are pledged as collateral or security against a loan;
• Enter into a Guaranty Agreement with a third party who undertakes to assume full responsibility for the loan, should the original borrower(s) default.

We've drafted a variety of free promissory notes to make provision for collateral kept by either the borrower or lender, the co-signing of a loan agreement or a separate agreement with a guarantor.

Continue reading "Reduce the Risk When Extending a Loan"

Nov 02, 2020

Your Last Will and Testament

It may be confusing when looking at a standard template to decide exactly how to adapt it for your specific circumstances.

With that in mind, we've created a number of free legal will forms to cater for:

• Married people with minor children OR adult children OR both or with no children;
• Single people with adult children or no children;
  
  Etc.

Our templates also make provision for bequests to charitable organizations and non-family members as well as any special requests you may have regarding your remains.

Continue reading "Your Last Will and Testament"

Oct 30, 2020

The Importance of Employment Contracts

Having the right contracts in place in the workplace not only defines and protects the rights of the employer and employee, it can also protect the rights and assets of the company.

Clauses that cover non-disclosure, copyright, patent rights, restraint of trade etc. need to be in place where necessary.

Supporting documents such as employee evaluations and warning letters which show correct procedure before dismissal, are invaluable in case of disputes.

The above free employment forms are available here:

Continue reading "The Importance of Employment Contracts"

Oct 28, 2020

Work Made for Hire

Employers, employees and freelancers all need to understand their rights when it comes to "work-for-hire".

We address some of the important issues such as:

• Who owns the Copyright?
• What are Moral Rights and can they be waived?
• WHEN do you need a Work for Hire Agreement?
  
  ...and more.

Continue reading "Work Made for Hire"

Oct 26, 2020

Motorcycle Bill of Sale

You may need a written bill of sale if you want to transfer ownership or title.

The forms supplied by your DMV are geared to record the financial details for tax purposes and do not necessarily record the terms and conditions between buyer and seller.

Our free bill of sale template is aimed to protect both buyer and seller and record details such as warranty, "as-is" disclaimer, transfer of risk etc.

Get your free legal form here:

Continue reading "Motorcycle Bill of Sale"