Monday 28 March 2011

5 Myths About Using Employee Leasing Services

Many people are confused about employee leasing/ PEO services, and need more information about how they can save time and money by using them. Here are five common myths about this service, and the truths behind them.

#1---It costs more to use an employee leasing company.

You'll save money by using these services! The PEO allows you to concentrate on building your business while managing your administrative costs.

#2---I can't save money on my workers' compensation costs! My experience rating and the state control my rate.

Wrong! The employee leasing companies buy workers' compensation for thousands of employees. Bulk buying means favorable discounts that you may not receive if you are not using the services provided by a PEO.

#3---If I use an employee leasing company, I'll lose control of my business.

Not true! You maintain complete control of the day-to-day operations of your company; you're simply outsourcing the annoying paperwork. Dealing with insurance agents, audits and employee questions take time that you can better spend focused on your business. But it's not just time. It's money, too.

#4---Health insurance rates and their yearly increases are pretty much the same with every carrier.

Not true! On average, small business owners pay more for group health than larger companies. By partnering with an employee leasing company, many small business owners have seen savings as high as 35% on their group health costs.

#5---I'll pay more if I use a PEO broker.

You'll pay less by using the services of a PEO broker. You get the best rates when companies compete

Increasing Margins, Decreasing Headaches - Why Staffing Companies Are Turning to Employee Leasing

Managing a staffing company can feel a bit like running a three ring circus. You're constantly searching for qualified employees, selling your services to employers and juggling the proper amount of cash to keep the whole thing running smoothly.

Add all the administrative functions of dealing with payroll and insurance- and you're a certified ringmaster.

Many staffing companies are discovering the benefits of working with an employee leasing company/PEO (Professional Employer Organization). Why? Because employee leasing companies manage the hassles associated with payroll, workers' compensation, human resource and claims issues, so that you can focus on increasing your company's bottom line.

An employee leasing company provides online access to reports and employee information. In addition, the employee leasing company administers your quarterly tax reports and handles all of your payroll deposits and W-2's. One of the biggest reasons staffing companies are using this service is the drastic reduction they receive on their workers' compensation rates. Having no up front premium deposits or surprise audits, along with having their employees properly classified, is saving business owners thousands of dollars each year.

The employee leasing company becomes your administrative partner, handling all the aspects of your business that take up your time. You maintain control of the day-to-day operations of your company. The PEO is simply the administrative arm handling the annoying paperwork.

Can you save money by using employee leasing services? Yes! You'll save time and money. A PEO will allow you to concentrate on building and expanding your staffing business while controlling your administrative costs. How much your company saves depends on your current situation.

Whether your goals are to reduce the high costs of workers' comp insurance, simplify payroll administration, or attain a stronger benefits package for your employees - we can help! With over 1000 PEO/employee leasing companies that service different markets, states and industries, there may be only a handful that truly fit the needs of your staffing business. Let us help you find your proper fit.

Over the years, Employee Leasing Quotes.com has helped thousands of business owners - including staffing companies, gain access to the right employee leasing/PEO provider.

Offshore Employee Leasing: A Strategic Management Option

Business outsourcing is a widely known compelling strategic management option several companies are adopting nowadays. From small to large scale establishments, they have been using it to continually maintain their stable status in today's overly competitive market. Its emerging power as a business tool is undoubted.

Offshore Outsourcing is a program in which non-core operations are delegated from a company's internal unit to an overseas external supplier. This set-up enables you to focus on your business core competencies. Companies in various parts of the word deploy this program in the purpose of obtaining better profit margins and decreasing overhead costs.

Through the business outsourcing model, you'll be relieved of the usual burdens accompanying the implementation of traditional recruitment processes and staff maintenance.

Having an outsourcing company to rely on gives you the benefit of deferment from several human resources related fees such as non productive administrative costs, government taxes, levies, unemployment insurance costs, in-house training expenses, etc.

There would be no further need to worry about the equipments needed before an employee could begin. Every leased employee has their own table, comfortable working area, computer, efficient internet access, and everything they could possibly need. With just a go signal from you, they could begin right away.

Outsourcing offshore gives you an extended resource pool of skilled personnel. Moreover, you can take advantage of the value of less than par foreign currencies. You will only be paying us a fraction of the cost in comparison to the actual charges of using local manpower resources in your area.

This program enables your company to function more efficiently by having all manpower services you need without worrying about manpower related fees.

Employees' regular in-house trainings and constant progress check are also conducted upon job placement to continually enhance their skills.

Prime Outsourcing, a trustworthy supplier of offshore leased employees and IT related outsourcing services, offers you the best cost and quality edge in today's overly competitive market. Our company currently has a very stable and credible status in the industry, proving it worthy to invest your money and trust unto.

Our objective is to assist several local and multinational enterprises attain their full potential as well as increase their ability to compete.

Our company has the perfect Asian location- Manila, Philippines- the heart of the largest English speaking country in Asia. With this strategic location, you surely will be encountering no difficulties in communicating with our employees. Our people have excellent English verbal and written skills.

Our services have already been globally proven reliable and easily available. You definitely will experience no difficulties in choosing the best employee that will most certainly suit your needs and meet up with your qualifications. Our company features an integrated team of marketing and IT professionals who understand and practice the latest in Information technology. All of them are college graduates with several years of experience in their respective fields. These individuals exhibit professionalism, high competence, flexibility and dedication to excellence.

We will also take the responsibility of recruiting and sourcing highly qualified applicants, in accordance to the requirements that you had specified, that will comprise your staff overseas.

In short, we will be handling almost all of the routine maintenance and development tasks for you. Due to the improved organizational efficiency, you can now give your sole concentration to your company's strategic growth and development.

We have two types of solutions that you could try, depending on the package that would suit your needs most.

The first one is the "dedicated staff package". In this set-up, your leased employee will work for you full time- eight hours a day, six days a week, four weeks a month. There would be no need to worry about conflicting schedules since every employee is flexible to your prescribed time frame.

The other one is the "per project package". Provide us the specific requirements then we'll do the rest for you. We will be arriving at a fixed price after estimating the amount of time and resources involved in your project. Afterwards, a project plan would be presented to you for your approval.

These service packages are available in reasonably low prices, promising you of enormous savings without sacrificing quality.

Services and solutions offered by the company:

o Data entry, processing and conversion

o Data capture and image scanning

o Forms processing services

o Typing and word processing

o Web research services

o Online research, survey and catalogs

o Medical transcription

o Documents and record management

o Programming

o Creative writing

o And much more!

What Is Offshore Staff Leasing?

Offshore Staff Leasing is similar to hiring someone locally, except that a service provider will manage the selection process, setting up, and the actual operations on behalf of the company client. Employee leasing is the best outsourcing solution if the workload is fit for full-time staff and if the requirement is an ongoing need. It provides flexibility and it can potentially bring down operational costs by up to 70%. The advantages are indeed numerous.

Offshore staffing would give companies access to a skilled manpower resource, and for countries like the Philippines, these talents come at lower labor costs compared to the workforce in first world countries. With the effects of recession felt by the global economy, and while wages keep going up because of the limited manpower pool, cost reductions that offshore staffing can provide is strong motivation for most business owners.

Employee leasing services would also give you room for flexibility. Consider your business needs and then pattern your staffing plan after this, since you would have the option to decide how many employees to hire, and you could also have your team scale up or down as needed.

You can also handpick the resource you will hire so you're assured of staff-organization fit. Offshore staffing services typically follow a process that goes from recruitment to live operations. For instance, for recruitment, the service provider reviews the requirements and from there, they can immediately start sourcing for the profile that you need. You would even have the option to select tests and conduct interviews. The staff leasing process moves forward to setting up infrastructure and workstation requirements, and then the offshore staff is good to go.

As you can clearly see, offshore staff leasing offers a lot of benefits. However, it is very important to have a clear understanding of your requirements so you can select the optimal service provider at the geographical location that can match your needs.

A known destination for employee leasing is the Philippines. The country has a workforce pool of fresh graduates and professionals who have knowledge in a wide range of industries. Secondly, offshore staff leasing in the Philippines is fully supported by the government; thus, no extra taxes or covert expenses would discourage companies looking into employee leasing services. In addition to that, the business practice is professional and at par with international standards.

Lastly, offshore staffing in the Philippines has become a 24-hour business where employees can accommodate non-regular working hours. Manila, the capital of the Philippines, has indeed become an outsourcing hub, and outsourcing companies in this area are very competitive, each with their own unique selling proposition. This makes staff leasing in Manila all the more convenient because there are many attractive choices when it comes to package rates, upgrades, and setup customization.

Just to sum it all up, this delivery model has been proven effective for a lot of companies because hiring an extra pair of hands for fewer expenses is a resourceful and cost-effective way to supplement onshore operations.

Employee Leasing Company - 5 Things They Can Do to Help the Employer

1. They keep you from wasting time

The employee leasing company gets rid of things that take the employer away from focusing on growing their company. Business owners do not go into business to worry about government regulations, payroll taxes, or administrative duties. The Professional Employer Organizations allow you to get back your time, and get back to revenue increasing tasks.

2. Help You Improve Your Cash Flow

The Professional Employer Organization takes all your employment fees (FUTA, FICA, etc) and combines them into one known monthly fee. After all, what better way to understand your expenses than to work with an employee leasing organization that provides predictable payments each payroll period. Also, rather than increasing internal investments in new employees, PEOs help you keep your HR/employee related costs to a minimum.

3. Provide Predictable Medical Benefits

A PEO uses an umbrella method and takes on many small business companies and consolidates them to offer each lower premium medical benefits. This essentially takes your 15 person company and incorporates it into a medical benefits pool of 1000 employees or more. Using this method, levels out the playing field and allows you to offer comparable benefits to much larger companies.

4. Government - Understanding Rules and Regulations.

An employee leasing company will help the business owner understand the various rules affecting them and provide guidance as to what they should do in various situations that may arise. They help in compliance of federal, state, and local laws. In addition, the Professional Employer Organization will provide and store legally required employee forms and paperwork.

5. Maintain and Reduce Risk

Additional benefits are acquired in companies with workers comp modifiers that are relatively high (greater than 1). The employee leasing company that you work with may have a modifier that is less than that, therefore offering your small business a better rate. Also, employee leasing company employees provide great advice for improving workplace safety and how to reduce claims. An employee leasing company will proactively manage their clients' workers comp claims and help to reduce claim costs, including identifying fraudulent claims.

Why Use Employee Leasing Services?

You'll Save Money

Let's say you're a small business with 20 employees. As you can imagine, you don't have the same advantages as a large company with 200 employees. Your employee related costs for workers' compensation and health insurance are much higher, along with the administrative costs of running your business - placing you at a competitive disadvantage. When you, along with other business owners connect with an employee leasing provider, you immediately level the playing field, because now the employee leasing company has a group of hundreds of employers with thousands of employees to leverage buying power for your insurance needs, dramatically cutting these costs.

You'll also avoid upfront deposits and fees on your workers' compensation insurance, (typically thousands of dollars) that traditional insurance companies charge, with a no money down pay-as-you go policy - allowing you to keep more cash in your business. And, you'll avoid the childish games played by big insurance companies, with no annual audits and paperwork.

Time Savings

Look, you started your business to sell a product or provide a service, and generate income doing what you're trained to do, what you love to do. But what kills the excitement and prevents growth is the time and money, wasted on work that doesn't produce a dime for your business.

Dealing with the headaches of payroll administrative work, keeping up with governmental compliance issues along with workers' compensation and health insurance tasks - are a small portion of what costs employers roughly $5,000 a year per employee in time and paperwork.

Imagine the relief of unloading the responsibilities of annual payroll management, reporting accurate deposits and quarterly reports. An employee leasing provider has a fully staffed team of payroll and human resource experts managing these issues daily for hundreds of employers, which means you'll pay a fraction of the costs that you would hiring full-time employees to manage these classic time wasters. An employee leasing provider let's you focus on the things that really matter, by outsourcing the work that doesn't.

Access to better employee benefits

A PEO provider gives you access to same benefits of large companies and many Fortune 500 corporations, like a host of group, health insurance plans, vision and dental insurance, even 401K and other savings vehicles at reduced rates.

For over 25 years, business owners have relied on HR outsourcing and employee leasing solutions to drive down employee related costs. Employee leasing services will change how you do business, giving you more productive time to generate income for your company- doing what you do best!

Mike Burgelin, owner of Employee Leasing Quotes, specializes in PEO and employee leasing solutions. Employee Leasing Quotes works with small businesses to significantly reduce employee-related costs by helping obtain lower workers' compensation insurance, lower payroll costs and more without reducing staff

A Closer Look At Employee Leasing And PEO Services

Is It Really an Innovative Management Tool?

LET'S LOOK AT THE REAL PROFIT PICTURE!

In today's competitive market, only the smart leader sees profit margins climbing. He/she realizes that one of the largest ex-penditures (which must be constantly addressed) is balanced and cost-effective staffing. The successful leader realizes that leasing provides a competitive edge. Employee Leasing is not a totally new concept. It has been tried and proven by some of today's leaders and most profitable companies. It can help to stabilize your costs and insulate you from unexpected increases, which can send your profit margins tumbling. Our company can manage those risks for you. PML will be your "silent" partner.

SO, HOW DOES IT WORK?

We work together! You become a client and PML becomes your Professional Employer Organization (PEO). Together, we co-employ all of your staff. We assume responsibility for payroll, worker's comp, unemployment insurance, medical bene-fits, payroll taxes, and other employer/employee-related issues. You maintain control of staffing (hiring and firing), day-to-day on-site supervision, and the usual operations of business. However, you now have PML's input and expertise at your disposal.

EMPLOYEE LEASING--A PROVEN MANAGEMENT TOOL

(Quotes from: 1. Wall Street Journal, 2. USA Today, and 3. Fortune Magazine)

1. "THE employer avoids payroll, insurance and tax hassles. The staffers are happier, too, because they get better benefits."

2. "The PEO concept appeals to the small to medium-sized firms who want to be free from bookkeeping chores and labor problems."

3. "Employees are even more enthusiastic than employers about the arrangement."

This is the bottom line; as your PEO, PML will handle all those complex issues that rob you of valuable decision-making time. This lets you do what you do best... manage your business and make a profit. We will become the employer of record through a contractual legal arrangement called employee leasing. PML takes the responsibility for payroll administration, taxes and with-holding, worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, medical benefits and related government mandated regulatory compliance and reporting.

SO WHAT DOES PML DO FOR YOU?

o PML prepares your Payroll Checks.

o PML handles Wage Garnishments.

o PML prepares Management Information Reports.

o PML computes and PAYS State & Federal Payroll Taxes.

o PML pays all FUTA, FICA, and SUTA Taxes.

o PML will help you avoid late TAXES, FEES and PENALTIES.

PML does all this for our clients, but, the best part is, simply, it's all within what you're already spending on your own!

AND WHAT IS IN IT FOR EMPLOYEES?

o Prompt accurate payroll and delivery.

o Group Benefit(s) coverage.

o Prompt accurate wage reports for employee purchases.

o Optional choice of BC/BS plans

o Prescription Card option (if enrolled for health coverage).

o Stand alone Dental and/or Vision plan.

o 401K plan.

What Are Your Employee Leasing Or PEO Goals?

If you have decided that an employee leasing/PEO service is a smart choice for your business, the next step is determine what specific goals you want to achieve. With so many companies to choose from that specialize in specific industries, markets and states- which one will be the best choice for you?

For example, a contractor that needs to keep workers' compensation costs to minimum has a totally different objective than a physician's office in the need of a strong benefits package. This is where the search can be difficult. Many employee leasing companies these days don't even offer benefits. Their niche may be strictly in the construction and trades industry with an offering of competitive workers' compensation rates and payroll.

You'll also find what I would call "hybrid" employee leasing companies that target blue and gray collared employers with limited benefit packages so they can say they offer all the "bells and whistles" too. The final category would be PEOs that really target the white and grays with strong benefit and human resource services. These employee leasing companies will also provide more "extras" like pay cards, special reports and employee assistance programs.

Within those basic tiers of employee leasing companies there are still many factors that separate each. Many in each category, for example, have workers' compensation policies that only cover the employees in the state they operate from. Some may cover the state of their home office and a few surrounding states, with others offering nationwide coverage.

Health insurance and benefits need to be carefully selected, as well. Great Blue Cross and Blue Shield rates aren't worth much if you happen to be in an area where the doctor and hospital coverage is limited. A cut-rate plan that requires your employees to drive an hour to see the doctor ends up being more of a nuisance than a benefit.

As you can imagine the overall costs and fees will vary per group. The goal is to really drill down to your business needs and work from there. If you need help or just have questions, call us. Our information is free and helpful.

Employee Leasing, HR Outsourcing, PEO, ASO - Demystifying Acronym Madness

Are you currently shopping or working with an employee leasing company? Perhaps you are looking into a Professional Employer Organization? Surely you have heard about the benefits of HR Outsourcing...

If you said "yes" just once then read on, this article will help you to understand the similarities and differences between each of these terms.

Employee Leasing, Professional Employer Organization, and PEO, all mean the same exact thing. Particularly, they all refer to an HR Outsourcing company that partakes in coemployment with its clients, which fundamentally means two companies employing the same employee base and splitting the responsibilities of properly managing them.

HR Outsourcing is a broad definition that refers to a wide range of companies and services that all have one thing in common; they help companies offload some part of the responsibilities necessary to manage their workforce. The simplest and most common is a payroll processing company such as ADP, the most comprehensive and less known would be Administaff, which is considered to be a PEO. PEOs provide an array of services including payroll processing, workers comp insurance, employee benefit packages, HR support, and even 401(k).

An Administrative Service Organization or, ASO, can be considered as an HR Outsourcing firm, but since ASOs do not coemploy with their clients, they are not a PEO. ASOs usually provide payroll processing, HR support, and can administer workers comp insurance, employee benefit packages, and 401(k). Notice the difference here in the word "administer", as opposed to "provide" which was when referring to PEOs. This is due to the fact that PEOs offer clients their own benefit plans and workers comp insurance through coemployment, whereas ASOs only help administer policies that you can attain through a normal broker.

PEOs usually cater to small businesses with employees from 5-200 employees, with the true sweetspot being 10-50 employees. PEOs often save companies on purchasing health insurance and to also help keep them in compliance with the rapidly expanding base of regulations that weigh on small businesses.

ASOs usually work well with bigger companies, from 100 employees into the thousands. Companies that use ASOs, or HROs, usually have the need to offload the administrative burden of human resources, but are large enough to qualify for a better benefit program than smaller businesses.

The Advantages of Employee Leasing

Is your business getting bigger and in need of more staff, yet you don't want to deal with salaries or payroll? Your business is only able to grow as fast as the internal organization can process higher volumes of sales. More sales, result in increased employee demand. Hence, your business adjusts your internal organization over and over again. It's a never-ending story.

Employee leasing is a program that can help in this regard, as well as heighten employee retention. Having high paid accountants or managers in your company requires more salary. Thus, companies search for a way to minimize their administrative cost. Employee leasing is helpful in maintaining the balance of having manpower and high volume of sales and profit. It benefits both the company and the employees. It's a win-win situation.

Employee leasing is about hiring an organization to send you an employee qualified for the job your company needs. Therefore, you can sit and think of other things that can maximize your profit. That organization is referred to as PEO or professional employment organization. This is one less job for you. The company can help with the hiring procedures, but technically, anyone hired through a PEO is an employee of the PEO and not the company thus, more profitable if you actually do the hiring. The better the employee, the better the better the production of your company will be. This makes the use of employee leasing critical.

The management of employees can also be very complex and requires outsourced services as well. Knoxville employee leasing lets the PEO Company do the administrative work so you can free up office space and insurance cost of employees. This leads to less paperwork for the company owner and employees to do. Workman's compensation claims and all related paper works are taken care of on your behalf.

Employee Leasing Vs Staffing Services - What's The Difference?

Over the years I've dealt with many business owners who confuse Employee Leasing (a.k.a. PEO services) with staffing or temporary labor companies. In many cases those same business owners have had experience with one or the other services, but really aren't familiar with the differences. So what are they, and how do each benefit employers?

To begin with, an Employee Leasing company's main benefit to an employer is to relieve the non-profit producing tasks of dealing with employee administrative hassles- such as payroll, employee benefits, human resources and workers' compensation. By outsourcing these to an Employee Leasing company, the employer can focus on what they do best and grow their bottom line.

Throughout the years, business owners have faced increasingly escalated government rules regarding employment. Employee Leasing companies assume many of these responsibilities and provide expertise in human resource management.

An Employee Leasing company is typically the most cost-effective option for an employer when the business owner has five or more full-time employees. Costs related to workers' compensation, unemployment tax and payroll administration are much less in comparison to a staffing or short-term employment arrangement. As you can imagine the more employees as a business has, the more time has to be devoted to employee issues- therefore the value of outsourcing this work becomes a more profitable decision.

A business can benefit by using a staffing or temporary help service in variety of ways, as well. The obvious advantage is the ability to access short-term help immediately. Whether it is a construction project with a timeline that requires temporary labor, or a secretary who takes a leave of absence for an extended period of time; accessing pre-qualified help at a moment's notice is when these services can be an employer's best friend.

The administrative costs such as payroll, unemployment taxes and workers' compensation are handled by the staffing company. The employer also relieves themselves of any benefit requirements like health care, vacation, sick or holiday pay. But, there is a premium to pay for these short-term employment services. The overall employee-related costs will be much higher including fees that are added for using staffing companies. The added risks and administrative costs for the services they're providing is exactly why staffing companies are to be used as a temporary solution.

Employee Leasing - Lower Your Costs

In a tough economy, businesses have to cut costs wherever they can, and this is where employee leasing can come in handy. Employee leasing refers to an arrangement where an employer gets employees through the services of a Professional Employment Organization (PEO). The PEO can provide a range of services including recruiting new employees and taking over the payroll for existing employees. These employees are then leased to the hiring company as workers. The employees are still under the daily direction and management of the company they are leased to but personnel issues are generally handled by the PEO. The process is similar to the business model found at a temporary staffing firm with the exception that the employees of a PEO are usually working with the business for the long-term.

Employee leasing is viewed as a valuable way for businesses to avoid many of the time-wasting hassles and frustrations associated with dealing with employees. Payroll management, benefits administration, risk management, human resources issues and other administrative burdens are all major responsibilities that can eat up valuable business time. Unfortunately, they are all necessary. Businesses have to pay employees for the work they do as well as comply with local, state and federal laws that are associated with doing business and hiring employees. The services of PEO can help a business pay all staff on time, handle health insurance benefits, make quarterly tax deposits and deal with unemployment claims.

As employee-leasing companies handle multiple company payrolls they can typically get better discounts on insurance, discounts that most small businesses would not be able to take advantage of on their own. Therefore, companies who take part in PEO services often find they are able to attract and retain employees with higher skill levels and greater experience.

Typically, these highly trained employees bring valuable knowledge to the table on getting new customers; improving sales and making a business run more efficiently. As these employees are satisfied with the pay they receive and the benefits available to them, employee turnover can be greatly reduced and allow the business to focus on making money not constantly hiring and training new employees.

With the use of employee leasing services, businesses save money because they do not have to rely on in-house payroll accountants and employing an entire department of employees just to handle human resources. For many small and medium sized businesses, having these services in-house can lead to extremely tight administrative costs that make it difficult to remain in business or advertise. For some such small businesses, the owner is forced to perform many of these tasks since the cost of these administrative functions is so expensive. Needless to say, a business with such a plan will have trouble devoting much time to cultivating customer relationships, seeking out new clients and working to build a profit.

To sum it up, employee leasing allows a business to focus its time and resources on making money, not managing employees. Taking advantage of a PEO can be a simple way to streamline the process of doing business. Allowing a business to keep its competitive edge in an increasingly saturated market and making it possible for the business to cost-efficiently hire, train and manage employees.

Choosing the Best Criminal Defense Attorney

The law is a complicated thing, and unfortunately, the system is not just all black and white. That is why we people need a good criminal defense attorney at their side if a time comes that they are on the wrong side of the law, but shouldn't be. And even if they happen to be guilty of a serious crime, it's still their right to provide themselves with the best criminal attorney that they can afford in order to ensure that they get a fair and proper trial. Too many individuals (because of ineffective defense attorneys) have either been convicted of crimes that they didn't commit, or were sentenced to much harsher terms than they needed to be.

When choosing the a criminal defense attorney, a few things should be taken into account. Pick an attorney that has been practicing law for a long time. Not only will he or she have loads of experience with criminal law, but will also be familiar with the judges and district attorneys. This can definitely be an advantage when going to trial.

Enlist the services of a criminal defense attorney that has a team working for him. A top notch defense lawyer cannot reach this kind of success alone, and that is why his firm usually consists of a team of investigators and experts that will help individuals defend themselves properly against criminal charges like DUI, drug possession or use, and juvenile crime.

Guilty or not, it's no secret that there are people who will be so hell bent on making an arrest that the truth will no longer matter. This is where a having a quality criminal defense attorney will come in and make sure that you are not taken advantage of. Too many times has a person been given undue punishment, or has faced police brutality.

The law and the system of justice is not a simple one. Sometimes, people end up doing bad things for reasons that were intended to be good, and people sometimes get in the crossfire. And sometimes people make thoughtless, impulsive mistakes that they need intelligent legal counsel to assist them in making the correct decisions going forward.

Getting into legal trouble is far from fun, and in most cases, can be a terrifying experience. For those individuals charged with a serious crime, finding the best suited criminal defense attorney can be the first step in dealing with a life-changing negative situation and getting back on the right path.

How to Find a Top Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney

In a Southern California city such as Ventura, Pasadena, or Los Angeles, criminal lawyers are a dime a dozen. But how do you find the most qualified counsel out of the many expert lawyers in California? Which defense counselor in San Bernardino is immensely educated in forgery law, DUI/DWI law, writs and appeals law, or assault law? A person wanting to hire a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney has to ask himself/herself these questions! People are stunned to realize that many of my clients are first time lawbreakers, who because of dubious circumstances are arrested and charged with a criminality. Sound familiar?

Many of my customers are word of mouth referrals, referred by acquaintances, people in their network or their lawyer. Being referred is the starting step, but how do I, as a prospective client, know if this criminal defense attorney is most appropriate for me? My administrative assistant, Cynthia, is the first person who has communication with a prospective customer. Cynthia is frequently asked if the criminal attorney has any experience handling criminal court trials just like theirs and what is my success rate? Often the client will directly ask me those same question.

Those are terrific questions that need to be answered honestly. But how do you know if your criminal defense attorney is honestly telling you the truth? "Buyer beware"- there are a lot of attorneys out there who will exaggerate the facts when it comes to their qualifications and previous experience - my investigator, refers to this puff as the attorney at law "selling wolf tickets".

To help you find a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who is suitable for you and your criminal court case, here are five easy steps to help you choose a competent criminal defense attorney.

5 steps to find a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles

Know the crime you have been arraigned with. Ask colleagues and friends for recommendations to criminal lawyers. Word of mouth is a great way to find an lawyer that's right for you. You will feel more confident hiring a criminal defense legal representation who was recommended by someone you trust.
Go online to expand your list. A good site to find good criminal lawyers is lawyers.com. Simply type in the area of law and location to determine your query. For example, "Riverside criminal attorney", or to be even more precise, "drug trafficking attorney San Diego".
Research the list of attorneys you've put together. Find out how long they have been practicing criminal law (general rule of thumb is at least 15 years), how many criminal law court litigations they have won/lost. In California, you can look up an attorney's undergraduate and law school schooling and how long they have been admitted to the bar at The State Bar of California website. More importantly, check whether the lawyer has an AV Peer Review Rating on lawyers.com website. This rating is a recognition of the attorney's legal competence and adherence to the highest level of professional ethics as judged by other attorneys and judges.
Ask the legal representation about the fees. Depending on the counsel, rates can vary greatly from $100/hour to over $750/hour. Get his/her costs schedules up front to know precisely what you will be paying. Never be in agreement to work with an attorney that charges a percentage of the total settlement he/she gets for you. It is unethical for the attorney to do so.
Meet with the attorney in person. But before meeting, make sure you find out whether there is an initial consultation fee. Ask as many questions that pertain to your criminal case as possible. Get an overall sense of how comfortable you feel and whether or not he/she is competent enough to represent you in the court of law. Does the defense counselor ask appropriate, sensible questions? Will he/she handle the case or let junior associates do the work? To hire the best Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, ask to see their track record in writing and then go to the court and check them out!

San Diego DUI Laws

Driving under the influence, or DUI, is the law that prohibits driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated. In many states a person is charged with DUI when he is found driving with a blood alcohol concentration over .08% or .10 %. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the percentage of alcohol in a person's bloodstream. In most places a BAC limit is set under which people can legally drive motor vehicles. Therefore, a driver's BAC is used to determine guilt in cases of driving under the influence. A person driving under the influence of drugs may also be charged with DUI, even if the drugs are prescribed. San Diego DUI is a legal resource for the accused to counter the influence of extremist groups advocating unfair laws, the destruction of constitutional rights and a new era of prohibition.

An arrest for DUI can be made at any blood alcohol level. Some counties routinely prosecute people with blood alcohol levels below .08% BAC. Often the decision to arrest depends upon the performance on the field sobriety tests (balance and coordination) and the driving pattern (weaving, speeding or an accident, etc.). An officer can arrest for simply being under the influence of alcohol or drugs with no reference to your blood alcohol level at all! The District Attorney would then file a 23152(a) CVC charge, which is simply driving under the influence of alcohol. Again, this would likely be based on the police observations of your driving pattern and performance on field sobriety tests.

If the person charged with DUI is having a hard time finding a lawyer, then he can immediately call 1-800-DUI-laws and a lawyer will be provided to him in no time. If the person doesn't like his attorney then he can contact DUI laws directly at 818-884-8075 and another attorney will be found for him. The person will not be charged to speak to a lawyer about his case; the initial consultation charge is absolutely free.

The court will generally count prior DUI convictions against a person. If the law is substantially similar to the law in San Diego then a previous DUI can be used against the person, thereby increasing the penalties (jail time, greater fines and longer alcohol programs, etc.).

Business Attorneys - The Benefits of Ongoing Legal Representation

In terms of starting and running a business in San Diego, whether a coffee shop on Fairmount Avenue or a high-tech software developer on 5th Avenue, it is a wise choice to establish an ongoing relationship with a law firm experienced in business law. Corporate formation might be the first legal necessity an attorney addresses for you. However, as a business, the need for an attorney seldom stops there. Corporate lawyers and the law firms with whom they are associated often handle many business-related legal matters.

From corporate formation to real estate transactions, from contract negotiations to small business acquisitions, corporate lawyers can take the headache out of complicated legal paperwork and filings. Having an existing relationship with a law firm experienced with that many facets of business law provides an easy, fluid ability to hand off such matters to someone who knows exactly how to handle them. For example, the law firm who filed your corporate articles may have attorneys who also handle estate transactions for commercial clients. By handing off your real estate transactions to the same law firm, you avoid the hassle of searching for yet another attorney.

Rather than spending valuable time asking for referrals, searching online, or combing through the phonebook, your current law firm can assign a San Diego attorney from their firm to assist you with that matters. If their firm does not employ an attorney who specializes in real estate, their knowledge of your company can help you find a good fit for one. Knowing your company, they can make a recommendation for a real estate attorney San Diego who stands to be the best fit for the types of real estate transactions you business currently needs, or might need in the future.

In the unfortunate event your business, like so many businesses today, suffers financial hardship, you may find yourself facing tough choices such as filing bankruptcy. Again, having an existing relationship with a law firm in such situations is invaluable. Your firm can provide the services of one of their San Diego bankruptcy attorneys, or refer you to the best such attorney for your situation. Just as with real estate and other corporate legal matters, having an ongoing, established relationship with an attorney or multi-lawyer firm can save you the time and hassle of finding a lawyer. Additionally, since the firm already knows your business, they can make recommendations and suggest tailored specifically to your business.

DUI Attorney - What You Should Expect After Being Caught For DUI?

No matter whether you have been caught driving drunk or you are being charged with the offense, you should not disregard it as something insignificant. Depending on the laws at the time of your citation and the adjustments that can happen, you could wind up facing serious consequences. Stronger consequences and laws are now being enforced by the states every year and you probably will end up paying a sizable fine or even be taken into custody. Furthermore, your license may be suspended and you could end up with a criminal conviction if anyone was injured during your incident. All of these can seriously affect your opportunities for employment in addition to your future plans. Having a experienced DUI attorney makes all the difference to ensuring your case proceed smooth helping you come out in the best possible situation.

If you have been pulled over for DUI and are looking for a good DUI attorney, you can always check online to review a number of attorneys backgrounds, qualifications, experiences, previous case histories and more. A San Diego DUI attorney advised to choose one according to their experience and recent cases as this will ensure they are up-to-date with the latest DUI laws. If they are members of the NCDD then it is all the better.

A Lawyer dedicated to focusing primarily on DUI cases in your county will definitely be much more qualified to handle this type of incident over an inexperienced attorney who has not successfully managed such cases previously. Experienced DUI lawyers may be able to have your charges reduced, protect your license and sometimes can have them dismissed completely. This is not to say they advocate the practice of driving under the influence, rather you will often be required to attend alcohol counseling.

A DUI attorney will be suited to handle the case and also will assist you if you are facing a substance abuse problem. A local San Diego DUI lawyer confirmed that your honesty with your lawyer will remain sacrosanct as it is a point of client confidentiality. If your case is criminal or homicidal recklessness then your attorney will be able to advise you on the repercussions of those charges on your life in terms of employment, future goals and more. If you are guilty of a serious drinking problem you will often be required to attend a mandatory alcoholic program or enroll into rehab. If there is personal injury involved, the attorney can be entitled to charge a bulky fee which is due to the more complicated proceedings involved.

You should always discuss the rates and payment details ahead of time with your attorney. If you need to give a substantial deposit, you need to discuss why and be able to pay. If you are certain of having found an experienced attorney it will likely be worth it as an effective lawyer may very well be able to get you off the hook. However, it will ultimately be your decision to make the effort to change your habits and stay off the wrong side of the law.

San Diego DUI Lawyer

A San Diego DUI lawyer and defense team are used to describe the team of attorney's, paralegal's, and other professionals that come together to defend you from a DUI or drunk driving related offense here in San Diego.

San Diego has one of the highest rates of DUI arrests in the nation for the population size. The city has dramatically stepped up DUI patrols and checkpoints in the areas known for a 'party' type atmosphere. Some speculate that the increased vigilance on DUI enforcement has been due in part to San Diego's fiscal difficulties. It is known that the city is in a bit of a financial bind and looking for ways to bring in more revenue.

Anyway you look at it, if you're arrested for a drunk driving charge you'll want to ensure that your San Diego DUI lawyer and defense team has experience fighting and winning cases here in this city. San Diego has a lot of different DUI firms who do a lot of advertising so choosing the right defense team can be a difficult task. We'll discuss how to decide which DUI lawyer to represent you.

First, you'll want to ensure that the DUI defense team you select will actually end up being the same team working on your behalf... beware of the 'bait and switch' tactic where you think you're getting the lawyers with the great reputations- but then you end up with a brand new bar admitted lawyer with no real experience handling your case after you agree to allow the firm to represent you. To avoid this simply ask them during the initial consultation who will be physically be handling this case. Make sure you speak with whoever that is.

Next, you'll want to make sure that the DUI lawyers you select have experience working with the San Diego District Attorney's office and more importantly they have a great working relationship with the San Diego District Attorney's office.

Last thing to make sure is that the firm only handles DUI cases here in San Diego and no where else. Make sure that that they spend their time here in SD; so that you know they have good relationships and experience.

San Diego Boat Accident Lawyer - Will a Limitation Action Sink Your Boat Accident Case?

Maritime law is the law of the sea. Maritime law is very, very different from California State law. One of the peculiar parts of maritime law is the Limitation of Liability Act. Under the Limitation of Liability Act, if certain factual prerequisites are met, a shipowner can limit its liability for a accident to the value of their vessel.

Stated differently, if you are seriously injured in a boat accident your recovery may be limited to the value of the boat that caused your injuries. Which, quite obviously, may result in you not being adequately compensated for your serious boat injuries.

The Limitation of Liability Act

The Shipowners Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, ("the Act"), may limit the liability of the owner of a vessel to the value of the vessel. This is a unique maritime principal. The Act limits a vessel owners' liability for claims, arising from acts performed by a ship's crew without the owner's knowledge or privity, to the owners' interests in the ship.

Meaning the value of the boat or ship and its cargo. If the ship's value is insufficient to satisfy all claims, the Act provides for equitable apportionment among the claimants.

Vessel owners must either file a Limitation Action in federal court or raise it as a defense. Vessel owners must file a petition to limit liability in the appropriate federal district court within six months after a claimant notifies an owner of a claim. For purposes of the Act, the charterer of any vessel is deemed to be an owner.

A Limitation Action can literally draw your case into federal court. The proceeding is before the admiralty court. The Act provides for all claims against an owner to be aggregated and decided at one time. It prevents multiple claims against a vessel owner. Limitation actions are equitable proceedings.

"What Does This Mean To My Boat Accident Case?"

As a practical matter a Limitation Action can limit your claim to the value of the vessel that caused your injury. This may not be a problem with a cruise ship. It can be a huge problem with a PWC or a ski boat when there are serious injuries or death. The doctrine is very harsh and unfair. It is usually strictly construed.

The Limitation Act requires strict compliance. A proactive seasoned maritime attorney can sometimes defeat a Limitation Action before it is even filed. One way to defeat a Limitation defense is to marshal the evidence such that you can prove privity of the owner of the vessel. That is, the owner of the vessel knew or should have known of the vessel's dangerous condition that caused the injury.

In a boat collision case, when the owner of the vessel is driving the vessel, then a Limitation Action would not apply in most, if not every, situation. Because the owner would have privity of the way he or she was commanding the vessel.

Limitation of Liability Act Case Studies

Mission Bay, San Diego - Boat Pulling Water Skier Collides With a Fishing Boat

The owner of a ski boat was water skiing while being towed by a friend. The friend was operating the owner's boat. The ski boat was going the wrong way on Mission Bay, San Diego, California. The ski boat was not going in a counter-clockwise rotation. The boat operator was watching the skier and plowed into a small fishing boat, severely injuring three middle aged women.

The ski boat owner filed a Limitation Action. The Action was defeated because the owner of the vessel was being pulled as a skier and he could see that his friend was not following the proper counter-clockwise rotation on Mission Bay. Thus, he had knowledge of the acts that were a cause of the collision.

Mexican Waters - Passenger on a Charter Sportfishing Boat Slips Down Ladder

A passenger on a Charter Sportfishing boat was on a four-day fishing trip to Mexican waters. The passenger slips and falls down a steep ladder into the galley. The Limitation defense was defeated by proving the non-skid on the ladder had been worn smooth for months, if not years, before the passenger slipped on the ladder and was seriously injured. There was plenty of time for the owner to have learned of the dangerous condition before the injury incident. Thus, there was privity (i.e.,knowledge).

Catalina Island, California - Charter Sailing Boat Sinks Due to Electrical Problem

An electrical fire starts on a 54 foot Chartered sailing vessel while cruising off Catalina Island. The Captain and 11 passengers abandoned ship. Two of the passengers drown. Litigation discovery reveals months before the sinking, a mechanic had recommended fixing the electrical problem. The owner had try to conceal both the mechanic and the previous electrical problem. The insurance company settled soon after the concealment was uncovered.

Colorado River - Yuma - 16 Year Old PWC Operator Hits Teen on Inner Tube

A 16 year old is operating a personal water craft on the Colorado River, north of Yuma. The PWC clips a teenage girl floating on an inner tube. The teenage girl is seriously injured. The owner of the Jet ski did not require the 16 year old to read the manual nor the PWC's riding instructions for novices. The owner had given the 16 year old less then 3 minutes instruction on how to operate the PWC before allowing the teenager to ride unsupervised. The insurance company for the owner paid the policy limits.

Conclusion

If you were injured or had a family member killed in a boat accident that occurred in navigable waters you need to expect and plan on having to defeat the Limitation of Liability Act. Your California maritime attorney should be proactive in planning for and defeating the Limitation Act defense.

Disclaimer:

The foregoing is not legal advice. I am simplistic in order to achieve clarity. Your situation may differ from those being described in this article. The foregoing case studies are not meant to represent any particular case or situation. Any resemblance to any actual events or cases are purely accidental.

Get a DUI Attorney in San Diego to Avoid DUI Arrests

Driving under the Influence or DUI is a very serious offense. If you are arrested under this citation means that you have failed either a field sobriety test, or urine, breath analyzer or blood alcohol level test given by the police. A DUI conviction means that you will either serve time and pay a fee and have a permanent record which is something we don't want to have.

DUI arrests have been rampant especially in California where the best mode of transportation is by car. The wide highways and long distances, as well as easy access to vehicles, make it both a nice place to drive and an easy target for cops to look for suspicious moving vehicles. Those that seem to swerve or are moving too quickly will easily be pulled over and from that moment on, the driver may be grilled about his driving methods and perhaps asked to take a field sobriety test. What many don't know is that a field sobriety test is something that is voluntarily done and those who are aware of this situation may refuse to take the field test. If asked to, the driver may take another form of test. One may take the breath analyzer test or the urine test. These tests may have its form of inconsistencies as well. If a person has burped or regurgitated, he is allowed at least 15 minutes before taking the breath analyzer test. This is to insure that the test is not tainted as acids from the burp may affect the test. Also, the urine test may also be not as reliable and may not be upheld in court.

San Diego for instance has around 16000 cases of DUI instances being held every year. This city is notorious for having a high amount of DUI cases because of its proximity to the Mexican Border and in that instance, there is an assumption that those Americans coming from the border, especially in the early mornings or after long weekend, may have had one drink too many. In such instances, finding a DUI attorney in San Diego is the best option for those who are arrested. A specialized DUI attorney from San Diego knows the ins and outs of such an arrest and is a great resource for anyone arrested from getting convicted. These attorneys will look into the procedure and process of how the evidence was obtained and may find something that may be of use in your defense.

It is always better to be sober and avoid drinking altogether before driving and if you do drink, make sure that there is enough time before you sober up.

San Diego DUI Lawyer Can Get Your Charges Dropped With Technicalities

Last summer and during the Labor Day weekend, there were around 1097 driving under the Influence arrests made based on the statistics of the California Avoid Program. What was also interesting that during that time there were no DUI fatal collisions. This goes to show how important and effective police enforcement is regarding DUI. Though the highways are great to drive in with its wide roads and easy access, they also can be dangerous as cars go on high speeds and any person driving under the influence is potentially a killer. For this reason a DUI misdemeanor arrest is the lesser of a DUI arrest with a felony charge of murder in cases of a fatal collision.

San Diego has its share of DUI cases in the courtroom averaging 15000 a year. Its high rate may come especially from those who crossed the border during a long weekend or holiday and are rushing back not quite sober as they hoped to be. Still, with the arrest, there is a chance of some of these defendants in pleading their case especially if there is a good San Diego DUI lawyer around who takes their case. Why a local hire? Perhaps its is because of their knowledge of the local scene especially with the police enforcement and the local courts, that they may be able to get you out and have those charges dropped, especially on technicalities that they are familiar with. Some of them are:

- Were you told of your rights when having the test? The field sobriety tests are voluntary and you have a right not to take the test and may opt for the blood alcohol test, breath analysis test or the urine analysis test instead. If you were not told that the field sobriety tests were voluntary, you may have a good case.

- Do you have medical condition that may taint the breath test? Having bad breath or dental problems may actually hold alcohol in your mouth that may contaminate the exam. If you have an acid reflux syndrome problem or a gastro esophageal reflux condition, this can also be a condition exempting you from the breath testing

- If you were talking cough drops or even altoids and strong mints when the breath testing was done, this could also affect the test results and show higher alcohol results

Though hiring a San Diego DUI lawyer may cost some money, at the very least you get a fighting chance in defending yourself against a DUI conviction which will leave a permanent spot on your record and may make you lose your license for 6 months. You may even have to spend some time in jail and pay a fine.

The Curious Case of Rape and Consequent Defense

In San Diego, the laws are stricter than many other nations. If anyone is found guilty then the accused may have to serve prison for up to 8 or 13 years or a maximum fine of $10,000 and sex offender registration for life will be levied. To avoid such a situation a Rape Defense Lawyer San Diego would prove to be very helpful.

Contacting a Rape Defense Lawyer San Diego should be instant if there have been accusations on any individual. To protect the interests, freedom and future of the accused, the attorney will prepare a defense strategy and work towards protecting the rights of the accused. The selection of the lawyer should be done only after a brief research. The defense lawyer must have a good track record and some success in his or her name.

The San Diego law has a defined law for a rape case and decides on the penalties for this sexual offense. Engagement in sexual intercourse under the following situation will shift the case towards a rape case-

• An intercourse has happened against the victim's will or without the victim's consent; and

• There has been a sexual intercourse by means of force, violence, duress, menace, fear of bodily injury, fear of retaliation or fraud

The case of rape in San Diego is just not limited to unmarried females. There are different offenses related to the specific rape charge that a Rape Defense Lawyer San Diego may have to solve. This includes

• Spousal rape- which is the rape of one's spouse

• Date rape- committed against an acquaintance or person the accused was dating

• Statutory rape- involves sexual intercourse with a minor

In the cases of rape, the investigation procedures may include:

• Thorough check up of the credibility and validity of any witnesses

• Proving wrongful accusations or mis identification

• Exhausting all possibilities for gathering and evaluating DNA evidence

Experienced criminal Rape Defense Lawyer San Diego works with forensic specialists, lab technicians and psychologists in order to evaluate the accuser's case in details. The prosecutors tend to take such crimes seriously because there are good chances for the person to be defended.

The Credentials of Any Good San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer

The hallmark credentials that you want to see when hiring a San Diego criminal defense lawyer on a serious felony charge are pretty much the same for a criminal defense lawyer anywhere. When you are charged with a serious felony in a state court system where your exposure is many years in prison you don't want someone "practicing" or dabbling on your matter. You want a consummate talented and respected professional that regularly handles the type of criminal charge that you are charged with.

The bottom line is that you want a lawyer with a winning reputation. The profile that makes up that type of lawyer consists of a number of characteristics. You want a lawyer that is well educated. While the law school a lawyer went to isn't necessarily the characteristic that makes the difference, the better law schools produce lawyers who understand the theory of the law better which makes them better able to make arguments that persuade judges.

You also want a lawyer who has a good presence and who is respected in the courts. The more respected your lawyer is, the better he will be able to negotiate, win critical motions, and get rulings favorable to your case. A good lawyer who is respected in his community will be respected anywhere he or she goes to handle a case. The prosecutors and the judges get the picture quickly by the way the lawyer handles themselves.

You want a lawyer who has been practicing many years if your case is a serious felony such as murder, vehicular manslaughter, forcible rape, or child molestation. The more years a lawyer has practiced means that he or she has handled more situations, more cases, and more trials. That combined experience means that they will be able to analyze your case quicker and with more accuracy than a lesser experienced lawyer. Years of experience means they know all the moves and how to implement them effectively at the right moment.

Make sure your lawyer has successfully handled many cases of the type of charge you have. If you are charged with murder, for instance, you want a lawyer who has handled and tried several murder cases. A top gun lawyer should be able to cite several examples of jury trial results and favorable settlements in the type of case you have. There is no reason not to hire a lawyer with a long record of winning. Every lawyer has won a case or two. You want the lawyer with a long list of successful results.

In every major community in this country competent skilled professionals exist who are capable of getting you the best results. A little work trying to find one will be worth the effort. If you throw your money away on someone who isn't up to the task you won't find out until it is too late. You can always change lawyers but you may have spent all of your resources. Major Tip: Don't ask people to refer you to a good lawyer. You may just be getting a friend or a business referral. Ask people: "Who are the five or ten best San Diego criminal defense lawyers to handle a serious state court felony trial case?" You will likely get a list of great lawyers. The good lawyers will all talk to you and you will be able to see the difference and choose who you are most comfortable with and can afford.
 
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