Starting out as a legal secretary

This writer worked for eighteen years in the legal profession in both Canada and South Africa and knows something about what goes on in an office where lawyers go back and forth from court leaving their secretaries with mountains of work. For the most part the offices resemble those of Boston Legal without the shenanigans of Danny Crane. To get serious, the following is what is required of a legal secretary who works in a legal office for the first time:

* Take a course in etiquette in a legal office as well as legal studies and the law.

* Typing up of a summons, statement of claim and other legal documents including a petition for divorce, a Decree Nisi and so on. One learns how to do all of this on the job.

* Preparing affidavits and supporting documents.

* Interviewing clients and witnesses in personal injury cases where the clients have been in an accident and are suing for back pain and broken legs and other damages.

* Writing lengthy reports for the lawyers and preparing affidavits to go to court.

* This area of criminal law is a harried and fast-paced experience which can sometimes take up to five and six lawyers to participate in defending a case. We have all seen the dream team in the OJ Simpson case.

When you first start out in a legal office you are strange to the process and the people who are all smarter than you and you have to have energy and work fast to accommodate this kind of work. In between all the work that needs typing, you have to answer your phone, look for documents, talk to clients, run out for croissants and coffee from Starbucks. In corporate law the process is quieter, smoother; in criminal law it is harried and fast paced and everyone gathers around a table and give their dime's worth on a big or difficult case.

Cases and evidence are parcelled out to the different attorneys depending on their skill, such as being a good closer for closing arguments or where another lawyer is good at putting a case together and managing it but not good in front of the jury sealing the deal. Watching programs like Damages and Boston Legal can sometimes skewer one's perception.

For the most part in your first year you will be a typist, note taker, errand girl, and be at everyone's beck and call. Because you are in your first year; you won't say no. You learn the personalities of the staff. You are not qualified yet to interview clients because you are not yet familiar with the law and you don't know enough. Working in criminal law also means that you come across witnesses and offenders in difficult criminal trials where a day in the life of a lawyer can easily become a nightmare. A job as a legal secretary is exciting, but do not go near it if you can't handle the pressure and expect to only sit and type all day. That is the least exciting part of the job.

http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com

Vancouver Home Sales

For those of you contemplating buying a house in the Vancouver area, here is a tip for you to think about. When having a potential buyer at your open house, don’t go back and forth too much in front of the client and the real estate agent asking a ridiculous price for your house because the client may become disgruntled and think that perhaps he has made a mistake and should not sell his house but make renovations instead. Think of a realistic price beforehand, make a reasonable offer, and be flexible. You cannot afford to lose a buyer who is in your home and wants to be convinced that he is making the best choice by selling his house and buying yours.

Mortgages and things

Things are tough out there and real estate in the British Columbia area is not cheap. A great number of owners in big homes are becoming landlords where a section of the house can be rented to tenants; it is one way with the high cost of mortgages to remain in your own house and in your area which you have always liked. As well, with the extra money from rental you are able to qualify for a higher mortgage loan and not move at all.
New mortgage rules may put off some Canadians from entering the housing market, but overseas investors are not concerned. Vancouver and Toronto both draw a huge international crowd who can afford to seal the deal with a 20% down payment and also exempts them from the new rules set out by the government.


Real estate investment

Is real estate a good investment? Yes, it is. It is better to be an owner than a renter as property values increase over the years and you will eventually pay up your mortgage and not pay for a mortgage any longer. You can then either decide to live in a house that is free and clear, or you can choose to invest the proceeds of the house and live on the income during your retirement. You have equity; you are free from any further payments.

Home Sales

If you decide to sell your home and not use a real estate agent, here are some things you can do to find the home you want and save on real estate commissions:

• Have an open house with a difference where you have some light snacks on the table which promotes a comfortable environment and the prospective buyer is more at ease.
• Do some staging with mirrors and flowers to make your living room look more spacious.
• Dress up your bathroom with fresh rolled up towels and have a sweet scented candle burning in the toilet.
• Have a friend design a killer brochure where all the details of the property are listed and the buyer can see the rates, taxes, size of the property at a glance.
• Make sure your kitchen looks fresh by packing away unwanted items, cleaning the counter tops, and have fresh flowers or cookies in a plate for buyers who can’t seem to leave the house. There is a lot one can do to improve on the current appearance of the house and you may wish in the end not to sell.
• Leave thank-you notes on the table and ask your visitors to sign in the register.

http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com

Vancouver Home Sales

For those of you contemplating buying a house in the Vancouver area, here is a tip for you to think about. When having a potential buyer at your open house, don’t go back and forth too much in front of the client and the real estate agent asking a ridiculous price for your house because the client may become disgruntled and think that perhaps he has made a mistake and should not sell his house but make renovations instead. Think of a realistic price beforehand, make a reasonable offer, and be flexible. You cannot afford to lose a buyer who is in your home and wants to be convinced that he is making the best choice by selling his house and buying yours.

Mortgages and things

Things are tough out there and real estate in the British Columbia area is not cheap. A great number of owners in big homes are becoming landlords where a section of the house can be rented to tenants; it is one way with the high cost of mortgages to remain in your own house and in your area which you have always liked. As well, with the extra money from rental you are able to qualify for a higher mortgage loan and not move at all.
New mortgage rules may put off some Canadians from entering the housing market, but overseas investors are not concerned. Vancouver and Toronto both draw a huge international crowd who can afford to seal the deal with a 20% down payment and also exempts them from the new rules set out by the government.


Real estate investment

Is real estate a good investment? Yes, it is. It is better to be an owner than a renter as property values increase over the years and you will eventually pay up your mortgage and not pay for a mortgage any longer. You can then either decide to live in a house that is free and clear, or you can choose to invest the proceeds of the house and live on the income during your retirement. You have equity; you are free from any further payments.

Home Sales

If you decide to sell your home and not use a real estate agent, here are some things you can do to find the home you want and save on real estate commissions:

• Have an open house with a difference where you have some light snacks on the table which promotes a comfortable environment and the prospective buyer is more at ease.
• Do some staging with mirrors and flowers to make your living room look more spacious.
• Dress up your bathroom with fresh rolled up towels and have a sweet scented candle burning in the toilet.
• Have a friend design a killer brochure where all the details of the property are listed and the buyer can see the rates, taxes, size of the property at a glance.
• Make sure your kitchen looks fresh by packing away unwanted items, cleaning the counter tops, and have fresh flowers or cookies in a plate for buyers who can’t seem to leave the house. There is a lot one can do to improve on the current appearance of the house and you may wish in the end not to sell.
• Leave thank-you notes on the table and ask your visitors to sign in the register.

http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com