Sunday 30 October 2011

The Billing Process for Divorce Lawyers




Before you proceed much farther with your divorce, you need to know how your divorce lawyer will bill for the process. To be sure divorce is a very complex process and does not entail just one flat fee for the entire service. There is an entire fee structure involved in the filing of a divorce and usually includes not only their services but those of others in their office as well. For instance, you may find charges for research, copying, telephone calls, postage, copy paper and much more. This is the reason you will find that divorce lawyers—and lawyers in general—use a combination of flat fees and hourly rates depending on the job requirements.
In most cases you will find that the only flat fees involve the preparation and filing of necessary paperwork. In addition your divorce lawyer will charge for the filing fee the court requires in addition to any fees they must pay for certain documentation to prepare your case (this might include copies of bank statements, financial records, loan balances, and possibly even credit reports if they are relevant to your case). Since most fees are by the hour, the more work they need to do, the more you will pay. This is why it's better for you to obtain as much information as possible since it will be less costly.
Do not be fooled into thinking you will be able to obtain an accurate estimate of how much you will need to pay for your divorce. There are many different factors that go into the fee structure of a divorce, and until they actually begin working on your case it will be impossible for them to even give you an idea how much it might cost. They can tell you how much most people with similar circumstances pay but that is as far as it goes.
There are a number of different tasks your divorce lawyer will perform either personally, through his office staff or by sub-contracting those services. The cost of each function will vary among lawyers; there is not a set fee for these services.
Prepare and file your divorce petition
Prepare an assessment of all marital and business assets
Prepare an assignment of property ownership
Prepare all ancillaries as needed
Represent you in court
Conduct negotiations with your spouse's lawyer
Re-assignment of the deed to real estate if necessary
Prepare the divorce settlement
Assignment of office tasks such as copying, sending letters, filing, research, making phone calls, etc.
Fees for the process server or certified mail related to the divorce filing and the final decree
While not all of the items above may be necessary in your case, it is important for you to understand your lawyer handles the billing of the divorce steps. Some lawyers may even combine some of the processes instead of billing them individually. However, you can be sure each divorce lawyer will provide billing that is a combination of hourly and flat fees that are relevant to the filing of your divorce petition.

Friday 21 October 2011

10 Websites to Help You Save on Monthly Bills



Everyone knows that bills are a part of life, and the reason most of us go to work every day. There are so many different things that we need to pay for each month, from electricity to insurance to groceries. There are many websites that exist solely for the purpose of saving you money on these monthly expenses. Here are 10 to explore in your spare time.

Alpha Buyer - This free group buying site uses the power of people in numbers to lower monthly bills you likely have, such as electricity and natural gas. The site negotiates with local suppliers in your area that are willing to give discounted rates to groups of customers just like you.

Insurance Quotes - Insurance can be a confusing thing to shop for, but it doesn’t have to be. After entering the type of insurance you are looking for, along with your zip code, this site searches through many of the top insurance companies in the country to find you the lowest rates possible. The site also offers many articles that can answer any questions you may have regarding insurance.

Bill Shrink - By providing this site with a few simple details of your monthly wireless, gas, and credit card bills, you can find specific deals in your area. This free service gives you personalized recommendations based on your current payments, usage, and needs.

Retail Me Not - This easy-to-use, free website offers thousands of coupons and discount codes for over 90,000 online retailers. You can sign up for a periodic email newsletter, which highlights the most popular coupons and discounts at the time.

White Fence - Finding the best deals on many of the services you use each month can be a daunting task. This free site searches your area for the most reasonable rates and provides you with a list of plans that may suit your needs, allowing you to compare rates and providers. They offer bundles on services as well, saving you even more money.

Lower My Bills - For over ten years, this site has offered services that allow you to compare rates and lower your monthly living expenses. They provide tools for refinancing mortgages and other loans, give you information and quotes on various insurance types, and provide help with debt relief and consolidation.

Grocery Saving Tips - This free site provides you with numerous grocery shopping tips that are sure to save you money on your next shopping trip. They also provide online sales flyers from various grocery stores, and free, printable coupons for a wide variety of products.

Gas Buddy - By providing you with local gas prices, this site allows you to compare them and choose the gas station that offers the cheapest gas prices nearest you. This site relies on customer involvement, and encourages you to post your local gas prices on a regular basis.

Price Grabber - Online shopping is easier when using a comparison shopping site like this one. It provides customers with the lowdown on products, prices, and merchants before making their purchases. This site is free to use, and you can also sign up to receive email notifications when a product you are shopping for has dropped to the best price.

Mr Rebates
- Signing up with this free website allows you to earn cash-back rebates when you make a purchase at any of the more than 2,000 online stores that participate. You can also combine online coupons with your cash-back rebates to save yourself even more money.

Since so much of your hard-earned money goes to your monthly bills, it is refreshing to know that there are still some places out there that help you save money. All you have to do is know where to look, and you could end up saving a bundle.
Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey enjoys writing about insurance, finance, and related topics.

Creating the Liquidity Needed to Finalize Your Divorce Settlement






The time from final determination of asset assignment to the receipt of those funds can be quite some time. In fact, if there are a substantial amount of assets, for each party to receive his or her just share of the marital assets it may be necessary for one of the parties to obtain cash through liquidation in order to settle the asset distribution with the other spouse. For instance if the wife receives the marital home in the divorce settlement she will need to generate cash in order to buy out her husband's interest. The same may be true of other assets such as vacation homes, timeshares, motor vehicles and even household goods. Your divorce lawyer can provide you with more detailed information on these issues.
If you find it necessary to generate some cash flow in order to finalize your divorce settlement, there are several options you may wish to consider although some are better suited to the situation than others. Some of the most common ways to obtain the cash you need to make good on your divorce settlement include the following:
  • Evenly distribute any remaining funds in joint checking and savings accounts
  • Liquidate all liquid and near liquid assets such as checking, savings, CDs, cash on hand, coin collections and bonds and securities
  • In order to distribute the marital assets pertaining to the family home you can refinance the property in order to obtain the cash you need to buy your spouse's interest and thus retain the home in your own name
  • Research the possibility of borrowing against your 401K Plan. While the government sets regulations regarding withdrawals and loans, it's possible you may be able to borrow against it if there is real property involved
  • Get a loan from your bank
While the last two options may not offer the best solutions, they are certainly available if you need them and have no other way to generate liquidity. During the distribution phase of your divorce it is necessary for all marital property to be distributed in accordance with the court order; this means you must use any means necessary to fulfill your obligation in the process. While there can sometimes be an extreme delay in the finalization of real property such as when the court determines the custodial parent can continue to live in the marital home until the minor children are of legal age, it is essential to make sure all marital property is distributed as quickly as possible.
Your divorce lawyer will be able to help you determine what divorce steps you must take in order to ascertain a quick and equitable distribution of all assets. The property settlement is usually always the longest of the ancillaries to reach finalization, but if you prepare in advance it will take less time. Determine what you must do and begin the process right away especially if you think there is a possibility it will take some time. For instance, if you need to obtain a mortgage in your own name it may take several weeks to complete—more if you are looking to obtain a government-insured mortgage. Keep all of these factors in mind as you begin to negotiate the terms of your divorce settlement.

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Living Overseas on Your Pension




Once an individual retires, much of their life becomes dependent on the pension they receive each month to get by on their daily needs. Because of the lower cost of living in other countries, many retirees often choose to live overseas in the twilight of their years. If you are one of those still contemplating on following others overseas, then do take into consideration of the following before making a decision.

Check Your Finances. This is the basic step you need to review as this would be your lifeline as well as your gravy train when you are living overseas. You need to sort out all the paperwork as to the receipt of your pension benefits each month. You also need to have a system where updates regarding your pension benefits and other important information can be received to make the appropriate adjustments to maximize your benefits overseas.

Check Your New Home Country. As a foreigner in a foreign land, you need to be prepared to live the lifestyle in the new home country of choice. This can be done by a few prior vacation trips to be able to find the best place to live in the country. If you are choosing a tropical paradise or an oasis in the middle of hinterlands, you need to be very familiar with the country before actually deciding on settling down for the long run.

Check Your Finances in Your New Home Country. This is key. You need to find out the exchange rate between your home country currency and the residential country’s currency. You also need to establish a conduit where you can receive your money at full value. You also need to find out the standard of living and the cost of that standard of living that can provide a comfortable and complete lifestyle for yourself. You need to be sure about your finances in order to live the life in your new home country.

Check Your Options. It won’t be just lounging around for you when you have already retired. You need to explore other options in the new home country to add on to what your pension brings in each month. You can open a business or engage in a venture in your new home country. Not only would this help in bringing in extra cash, it can also keep the creative juices flowing for you and your future.

In the discussion above on living overseas on a pension, the common denominator would be preparation. You need to prepare yourself, your finances and your future as to the life you would be living overseas(Learn more visit expatforum[dot]com). You can enjoy yourself lounging around and having fun and the sun, but this can be done as part of the new life you would have overseas.

Friday 16 September 2011

Consumer Debt Consolidation- Clearing Debt this moment




Everyone try to live a life free of loan, free of debt, but it is becoming a luxury these days, the unsaid difficulties and discomforts the loan borrowers and the debt is being produced today is very high. All these kind of harassment and bad credit balance can ruin your life balance and pushes you to a insurmountable abyss. Clearing the debt and repayment of loans is every man's dream and this dream can be realized by consolidation of companies in consumer debt.

Now the debt consolidation companies have become very popular because it is everyone wants to know which companies to consolidate consumer debt? What to do to eliminate debt and loans from the borrower? Is it really beneficial or is another loop hole to increase your financial burden? Consumer debt consolidation is intended only to reduce the burden of loans to consumers rather than cause or increase it. These debt consolidation lenders access to the amount of loans you have to pay and then get to a more feasible plan to help you consolidate your loans.

Debt consolidation loans can eliminate all loans and debts and commit to a single loan offers. Definitely the interest rates are low and easily repayable without extra pinch in your wallet. Debt consolidation companies for consumers are many and varied, therefore the choice of the company is essential. You can check online to see which system is right for you and compare policies from other companies.


Debt consolidation companies also offer consumers free advice on debt consolidation as the way of efficient investment recovery of outstanding loans and debts. The company will contact the loan lenders on your behalf and try to achieve a reduction in the payment option or reduce the interest rate so the joke easier and more feasible for a refund. When companies offer free advice always make sure that if one is truly free. Many companies could charge for other media to announce that offer free advice. Make sure they are clean and can be trusted.

Always choose a repayment period of loans with lower interest rate when you decide to go for consumer debt consolidation, which will help ease your load. Choose a plan that will be possible to continue or maintain every month. It should be easy to pay without any additional charge must be new and beneficial to you in the sense that it should not compound interest. Repayment of loans and always try to be free of them if not for a very urgent need.

Saturday 27 August 2011

Debt Management Tips for taking your life in proper order




Today, to use the technology of the loans is very easy job.Advancing has given birth to the Internet has made it convenient for the borrowers control their loans choice.With the help of a couple of clicks on the website a lender can access the desired loan online. The easy way to get credit is the main reason behind the growing number of debt-related problems.

Number of loans taken on different occasions I have greatly benefited many times and must have worked as a lifeguard in emergency situations. However, you never knew that these loans may pose a threat to you, now you have to remember that the lender to pay, how much and when. Failure to pay loan fees can negatively affect your credit score. In such circumstances, debts become a burden. You can fall into a trap of life of long-term debt, you do not know how to handle these debts. A program of debt management in these conditions can serve as a tool for effective management of debt to help reduce the burden of debt.


Here are some tips on debt management to a few that can help you manage all your debts:

1. Creating a Budget: Need an organized and well-planned budget, to maintain control over their monthly expenses.Note every financial transaction you do each month this will help you stay on track. It will give the true picture of their finances and therefore you can take the decision accordingly. A budget will give an overview of how the funds you have and how it will disburse the expenses with the money available. Setting the budget is not enough, it is important to stick to it.

2. Consolidate high interest debts that have interest rates with a debt consolidation loan LoanConsolidate. A debt consolidation loan can serve as a tool for effective debt management. This will help get rid of debt by reducing monthly expenses. With a debt consolidation loan, free will of all the problems of dealing with multiple creditors, who will be responsible for a loan, the lender and low monthly fee.

3. Avoid taking on new credit: If you are already in a debt trap, please try to avoid taking a new loan. Borrowing a new loan may be useful for you, but will be a very short period. You can increase the debt burden and will add to their problems instead of solving them.

4. Council of debt, debt management advice can be a useful way.You can also seek advice from management consultants debt. Most lenders in the UK are debt management counselors who have years of experience and can provide an easy roadmap to get rid of the debt trap by paying off existing debts.

5. Learning to save: The need of a loan is when you do not have sufficient funds in your savings account to suit your personal desires. The habit of saving, try not to spend on unnecessary things. No, do not become a miser but use the funds carefully, a small amount of money you save today will be very beneficial to you in the future and make it easy for you to respond to the needs of emergency cash at the right time and correctly.

Debt management is a process that takes time. You can save your time and hard earned money by employing a management company to assume the debt of its debt and may offer an effective solution to all your debt related problems.

Tips to manage debt properly used can reduce the threat created by debts, help out of debt more easily. The payment of existing debts will help ensure a smoother and easier life for the future.

Wednesday 3 August 2011

Tips for effective debt consolidation




There are several debt consolidation programs. Everyone wants to save their hard earned money, but the debt is the main contrain. Here are some things you can do to help improve the financial position and strong as possible. More importantly, a debt consolidation program helps a good stay in debt.

Be aware about the amount of your debt

The first step to getting out of debt is to find out how much debt you currently have. Kindly looked at your all monthly bills and added them all. You should also see if you have charges pending, you know you really need to cover it.

Restructuring your finances

If you know how much debt you have, you have to look over your finances and see what can be cut. In other words, create a budget according to your monthly income that can live onActual income at the time

This can also be ordered to reduce that pile of credit cards - if it is one of the causes of their debt. Cut the cards are not used, and close accounts. Too much credit is a way to get your credit score is lower because a lender is the ratio of debt to income is considered, and credit-income.

Cover Your debt

Stop by and choose a way to cover those debts. If, after deciding that the debt youManage without financial support, this is a good option. Probably many people could get out of debt more disciplined habits.

If this method does not give enough money, then you can try, money, other ways to get to consolidate your debts into one monthly payment. Here are four:

Borrow from your family member's

A personal loan - is best guaranteed

A home equity loan - fixed rate or variable

The cash-out mortgage refinancing your first mortgage

By selecting one of the last three cases you need to buy the best rate. You should also learn what the best option might be for you - and this is according to your personal situation.

Try to reduce debt quickly

If you need money to pay the debt and ensure you get a low monthly payment, you have to pay as quickly as possible. Being in debt can certainly be the quality of life has been able to enjoy. You can also save money on interest if you work to eliminate all your debts as quickly as possible. Then, in a short time to relearn the importance of financial freedom.

Plan for future development

This means taking steps to facilitate corrective action. In other words, the best preparation for the future to prevent something that does not happen again. Although not always possible to get out of debt , a little goes a long way wisdomfinances search for Debt counseling can be a good way to get the educational tools needed to help them stay out of debt and keep your credit -. want to remove the need for consolidation of debt again.