Brenda’s Blog

Several years ago I sat in a courtroom waiting my turn to argue a case. The case before mine was an ugly swearing match between two relatives over a water line which crossed one of their properties to reach the land of the other. The line had been put in by their grandparents decades ago, but now one of the grandchildren was unwilling to continue allowing the other relative to receive water through the line. Unfortunately, there was no written agreement that would have made it easy to determine…

The connections we can now make through computer networks and other social media have enriched many of our lives and made it much easier to stay in touch with our families, our friends, and our communities. But, as I wrote a few weeks ago, these social networks also contain some pitfalls that can bring a lot of misery into our lives. One of the most serious threats is cyber bullying: the use of computers, cell phones and other electronic devices in ways that inflict intentional and repeated har…

Any time you have to deal with the legal system, the first question to ask is: Do I need a lawyer to help me with this? For something as simple as a speeding ticket, the answer may be no (especially if you know you were driving too fast). There are many other times when hiring a lawyer could be the best possible decision. Having an experienced attorney run interference for you with the courts can save time, money, and hassles. Each case is different, so there’s no hard and fast rule fo…

Regardless of who you are, you may someday find yourself in a court of law. You may be only a witness to a case, but you might become a plaintiff or defendant. The judge and/or the jury will be paying close attention to the way you act, look and respond to questions. The outcome of your case could boil down to these factors. Here are some suggestions will help you prepare for your court appearance. Always be early. This shows respect for the judge, jury, and other parties in the case. Yo…

My husband says lawyers are the only people who can write a 500-page document and call it a “brief.” Technically he’s right because in legal terms, a brief is any written document prepared by a lawyer or party on each side of a dispute and filed with the court in support of their arguments – regardless of its length. If you are ever involved in a legal case, it’s quite possible you will hear lawyers using words that are unfamiliar to you. Even worse, they may use common words like “…