Snakebites 21007

SnakeBites

21007

“Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.”

Samuel Johnson, Editor rejecting a manuscript

“An ounce of mother is worth a ton of priest.”

Spanish proverb

The Law

There is no more dangerous situation than one where you have no idea you

need a lawyer. A person(s) is not aware of needing a lawyer so they do not

consult with an attorney. In fact this is reality. People don’t know what

legal calamities await them so they just march off into the sunset confident

that all is well. More often than not this is what ultimately leads you into

trouble and BIG legal fees. So how do you know if you need a lawyer?

Ask. Yes, that is right. Ask a lawyer what the issues are and what, if

anything, you need to do to protect yourself.

Now here is where it can get tricky. Lawyers are trained to eliminate legal

issues not assess business risk. So you are going to have to understand

what the risks are and whether or not you want to bear those risks. Here

are two separate examples with two different outcomes: Situation ONE

you are buying a house for a modest price and you are closing next Friday.

Do you need a lawyer to review the papers? If it involves a lot of money or

some unusual warranties, then maybe the answer is “yes”, but ordinarily a

lawyer is not employed. Situation TWO you are building your dream

house and spending a lot of money and must sign contracts with your

architect and builder. In this instance it is not prudent to enter into

numerous contracts involving highly sophisticated lien statutes without

consulting a lawyer. Buying an existing house is less complicated than

building your own house.

SnakeBite

You are not a lawyer. You are not expected to be able to assess whether or not you need one. That is not your job; it is my job. Ask, ask, ask. Do not be embarrassed that you have no idea whether or not you need a lawyer. If you do not, it is no big deal, BUT if you do and you don’t ask you could be in trouble, big trouble. Remember that good, timely legal advice is very cheap and a great bargain. Learn to change your thinking. It will make a huge difference.

Three Roads

In the history of the National Football League, 31 running backs have gained more than 10,000 yards. Of the 31 only Jim Brown and Barry Sanders, averaged at least five yards per carry.

Love N Stuff

Here’s all you need to know about men and women:

Men are stupid; women are crazy.

And the main reason women are crazy is because men are stupid.

George Carlin

The Last Word

“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”

James Madison

John