Global Strategy Watch
Legal

Seeking Legal Help: Free Websites, Paid Subscriptions and Attorneys

July 20, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

The Internet advertises everything from quick weight loss, free cameras to even free legal advice. Websites that advertise free legal advice offer solutions to everyday problems such as traffic tickets and spousal laws, but do not offer solutions to complex financial or criminal issues. What’s important to understand is that most websites can offer legal help, and they may even get you out of the occasional parking ticket, but most free or legal membership websites cannot provide the same services as an actual lawyer. However, legal advice websites, legal subscriptions sites and even regular lawyers all serve a different purpose depending on the type of legal help you may need.

When to seek free legal advice

Most legal websites do offer answers to legal questions that can spare you the occasional trip to an attorney’s office. However, these free legal sites are only useful for understanding what laws are being upheld or broken. But you must also remember, these websites post answers to general questions you may have; they do not provide legal advice for specific problems you may be experiencing.

For example, you may be able to receive free legal advice regarding bankruptcy laws, however, laws may differ depending on the state you live in and the type of financial situation you are in. An individual living in Van Nuys, for example, may need different legal help regarding bankruptcy regulations from an Individual living in Tucson, which is why the individual living in Van Nuys may want to see a local Van Nuys bankruptcy attorney and not just consult a free website.

When Legal Subscription Websites Are Useful

Legal subscription websites offer a legal service of some kind, such as writing a will or helping an individual write a contract of some kind. These services often require an individual to pay a nominal fee or sign up for a monthly or yearly subscription. While these websites are nice to employ if you need legal advice for small issues, they are not so useful for larger issues.

For example, if you live in Woodland Hills and are considering filing a bankruptcy and need legal advice, you may be better off contacting a Woodland Hills bankruptcy attorney than contacting the your legal subscription service.

When to Hire or Speak to an Attorney

If you find yourself in need of a specialized service that only a lawyer can handle, e.g. if you are accused of a crime, if you are suing a person, or if you are filing for bankruptcy. While you may be opposed to the hefty attorney’s fees, it is best to resolve the problem correctly and immediately, than to postpone the problem and allow it to compound your legal problems.

Please remember, you can use a legal consultation site as a free service before you seek out a lawyer, but do not expect the free site to offer representation or equip you with enough knowledge to solve your legal problems.

Find out more about Bankruptcy Attorneys.

IRS Lawyers Help With Tax Audits

July 15, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Are you suffering from a tax related issue? Do you need professional, legal guidance on your situation? If so, contact a professional law firm that has experience addressing issues similar to that of your own. Dealing with the IRS can be difficult. By contacting these professionals, you can have comfort knowing your personal needs and issues are being taken care by an experienced attorney. When contacting the law firm, be sure to inquire about programs they may have that advise clients on tax related issues. It is common for tax payers to have questions about inconsistent or incomplete information received from the IRS. The lawyers will help clarify and issues or confusing aspects, tax-related.

You may also consider working with an IRS audit attorney in order to set up an IRS payment plan or to be provided with a detailed breakdown of what is owed each tax year. By conferring with an IRS tax lawyer, you can also confirm that your taxes have been received and processed each year in the unfortunate instance the IRS did not receive what you had previously thought was already filed.

Your IRS lawyer can also determine if the IRS has filed a federal tax lien, which may concern you in the future when selling property of applying for credit. By meeting with an attorney about these many tax-related issues, you may prevent immense headache in the future and clear up any questions related to the IRS. As always, prevention is always better than clean up, especially when it comes to your hard earned money. If you happen to be near Fairfield, California there are many great lawyer Fairfield.

A Second Chance at Offshore Amnesty

May 31, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

With the failing of the first tax initiative for American citizens that owned foreign accounts with exceeding $10,000 dollars were safe from being prosecuted for tax evasion.  This was decidly due to the lack of information distributed to clients that held such foreign accounts.  However, the IRS has not given up, and as of February 8 2011 they have begun another federal tax amnesty program the second initiative.

The second initiative ends August 31 2011 and requires that taxpayers to:

  1. File eight years back in their foreign sources of income that were not reported to the IRS.
  2. Calculate the interested that was not paid each year.
  3. Apply a 20% accuracy-related penalty or 25% delinquency based upon the largest sum of an individual’s accounts in the last six months as they were able to in the first initiative.

 

This second initiative also allows individuals to apply to the IRS for offshore amnesty in order to avoid penalties and fees.  This means that the IRS will not pursue any criminal charges for tax evasion, which could have resulted in jail time and a felony on one’s record, for those who apply.  The amnesty program will be dissolved within less than 100 days, and any individual without foreign account amnesty will no longer be eligible to apply again.

Why You Need a Tax Attorney

May 27, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Many individuals do not know how to file taxes.  It might seem simple enough if you’re working on your own, but taxes can become increasingly complicated if you own a business, hold investments, or have offshore accounts.  This is when one needs to look into getting a tax lawyer.  The laws are changing all the time and, in fact, individuals with offshore accounts need to apply for the federal tax amnesty program or they will end up owing tons of fees to the IRS.

It can get scary at times.  Having a solid tax lawyer cannot only help you avoid outrageous fees, but it can also help you get a large sum of money back in your next tax return.  There are many different ways by which one can increase tax-return revenue. Some examples include declaring medical expenses, declaring offshore amnesty, or declaring donations made throughout the year.

All of these means have a strong tax-return value and can help keep you out of debt with the IRS. If you are getting a tax return, get all the money that is due to you so you can pay for bills, personal items, and credit.

There are many different offers from the IRS.  For an amnesty program which can help keep you out of debt with the IRS, it is important to know if you qualify. Take advantage of these programs by finding your local tax attorney today. You’ll get the most out of your tax return and also avoiding incurring further debt.