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If you’re wondering how to go about finding a Utah attorney, we’d like to help. Utah has thousands of attorneys, but we can give you some tips for choosing the right attorney for you. The search should not feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Instead, we want to help you narrow the field and find the right fit for you. Of course, we’d first like to recommend our own firm, Alpina Legal. If one of our areas of expertise corresponds with your needs, we’d love to meet with you. Which brings us to the first point–pick an attorney whose area of expertise is what you need. Some attorneys will take any case, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be great at pursuing it.

Next, look for someone who has experience. Often the amount of years practiced is a good indicator, but there are other factors as well, for example, how many cases has she won?

Third, look for someone who is located near the court where your case will be heard. This will mean that the attorney is familiar with the people there, as well as the rules. She will be known by the others there and more likely to be trusted.

Fourth, ask around about the attorney and try to determine what her reputation is. If she is well-respected by her colleagues, judges, clients, and others, this is a great sign.

Next, you will want to find out what resources this attorney has. Some attorneys are stretched to the limit and may not be able to give your case the time it requires. Others have a great staff, the time, and the interest to pursue your case with dogged reliability.

Communication style. If you contact an attorney and she doesn’t respond within 24 hours, you may want to reconsider your choice. Your attorney should be an able and responsive communicator.

We hope these tips will help you determine what attorney you’ll hire, and we hope you’ll peruse our web site and choose us to represent you. Call for a consultation today!

Real estate transactions are a part of our lives. Buying property is something most of us will do at least once in our lives, often multiple times. So many people are affected by issues surrounding this type of law–renters, landlords, homeowners, home buyers and home sellers. In addition, real estate transactions include commercial property–for doing business, farming, ranching, etc.

Real estate law can be complicated because each state has its own laws governing the transfer of property. There are two kinds of property–real and personal.

Real property refers to land and anything erected on it, or growing on it. It also refers to what is within that land, for example–minerals, oil, or gas. Personal property refers to anything other than land that can be owned–like money, stocks, and other financial notes, as well as property that can’t necessarily be seen or touched. For example, a song you have written is your property.

Almost all real estate transactions must be in writing and follow the laws of that state regarding the documentation and the transfer. This is why real estate law becomes important when you are ready to buy or sell property. You will want to ensure that all the documentation and the transaction itself are in order and that you are being treated fairly and with honesty.

Alpina Legal is here to assist you with a variety of real estate related transactions, including but not limited to purchases of property and negotiations relating to those purchases, real estate agent representation, deed of trust and mortgage creation, real estate promissory notes and financing documents, commercial and residential leases, notices of and litigation for default on any real estate transactions, evictions, title searches, zoning and use changes, creation and submission of development plans, obtaining appropriate permits for development.

Please give us a call today for a consultation so we can help you in your property needs.

Are you drowning in debt? Avoiding bill collectors? Do you see the numbers in your bank account dwindling with no ideas about how to replenish them? If this is your situation, declaring bankruptcy might be the right choice for you. At Alpina Legal, we help people get back on their feet by walking you through this process and we invite you to come in and let us help you determine whether this option is right for you.

‘What exactly does that entail?’ you may be wondering. There are two very common types of bankruptcy, both of which we’ll discuss here. The first is called Chapter 7 bankruptcy. In essence, you sell some of your property in order to help pay down your debt. In return, your unsecured debt will be erased. And, there are some kinds of poperty that are exempt, meaning you won’t be required to sell them–like your house, a car, clothes, furniture. Remember, that there are some kinds of debt that cannot be alleviated or erased–this includes spousal and child support, as well as tax obligations.

The other very common form of bankruptcy is Chapter 13. This is for those who are known as ‘wage earners’. That’s because you’ll need a reliable source of income because you’ll create a payment plan that shows how you plan to pay back the debts you owe over the next three to five years. Based on how much you earn, how much you owe and how much you would have paid if you had filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, an amount will be determined that you will then pay down.

These are the two bankruptcy types usually used by individuals. Next time, we’ll discuss the kinds of bankruptcy you would declare for your business.

In summary, we’ve tried to provide you with the basics about declaring bankruptcy, but this is just the beginning. We’d like to invite you to come in for a consultation and we can help you determine whether bankruptcy is the right decision for you, and if it is we’ll do the leg work!

Forming a business should be an exciting and enjoyable venture, one in which all parties feel empowered, secure, and confident. This is why it’s a good idea to turn to someone in the business law field to help you with your endeavor. Keeping everything above board from the very beginning sets a tone for you and your partners. In addition, it helps you avoid complications, arguments or potential disputes in the future. Establishing a connection with good business lawyers also means you will have us at your beckon call if you should have other issues arise in the future with regard to your business.

If you’ve been considering forming a business, you’ve probably been made aware of the complicated factors involved in such a venture. There is the issue of choosing the right structure–will it be a corporation, a partnership, an LLC? Getting this right is key because the implications of this choice affect many other aspects of your business–including taxes, liability, transfers, sale of the business, or dissolution.

At Alpina Legal, we draw on years of experience and expertise as we help you to form your business. We’ll draft agreements–including buy/sell agreements, operating agreements, and other origin documents to ensure that you comply with laws and regulations in effect currently in the state. We’ll also represent you if you get involved in litigation matters once your business has been formed and is up and running–if there is a contract dispute, issues with intellectual property claims, partnership disputes, etc.

There’s no longer any need to hesitate. Call Alpina Legal today to come in and discuss your business formation. We will do our best to resolve your concerns and get you started in the right way. And remember, we provide consultations. We’d love to help you make your dreams come true.

If you’re a business owner or simply looking for legal support for some of your company’s enterprises, Alpina Legal can be a great resource.

As you probably know, when you have intellectual property it’s important to protect it. One of the ways you can protect it is with a trademark or a registered trademark. At Alpina Legal we can research your trademarks for you, find out whether they are free and then register them for you. This is an important way you can protect your ideas and inventions, as well as innovations and brands. We have the expertise and knowledge to help ensure that you are covered, so that you are less likely to have to get into litigation in the future. At the same time, if your trademark is challenged or there is an infringement, we can represent you. Many companies find it wise to outsource their entire trademark and copyright issues to a legal entity, like Alpina Legal, knowing that they can be fully protected.

As for copyrights, they are just as important to the integrity and success of a business as trademarks are. If you have written material that you’ve created, you are often well advised to get that material copyrighted. How do you know what to copyright and how to do it? That’s where we come in. We can ensure that your material is registered and licensed and even help you to know which things need to be copyrighted. We’ll also help enforce and protect your copyrights, and help prevent infringements.

In short, when you need legal help regarding advertising and marketing for your company, Alpina Legal is ready to assist you and even take over that aspect for you. Give us a call today for a consultation and let’s get started making your business stronger, sharper and more successful.

Accidents happen. The fallout from your accident may still be happening. You may be experiencing pain, discomfort, time off from work, hospital bills, and the list goes on. These things are usually unlooked for, and unplanned for. You were not anticipating this, and now you wonder if anything can be done about it.

You might begin by asking yourself who is responsible for your accident. If someone else caused this pain and injury, there is often something you can do about it. Put it another way, if you come to us, we can do something about it.

At Alpina Legal, we help personal injury clients by first listening to your story. Getting a clear understanding of exactly what happened to you can help us in building a strong case for you later on. Making sure we have all of the details will enable us to present a full picture of your accident.

Additionally, your first consultation with us is free and we give you a full assessment of your chances. We’ll honestly look at your chances of getting compensated and we’ll only represent you if we think we can win.

One thing that is important to remember is that you’ll need outside corroborating proof of what you’ve experienced. That can mean eye witness accounts, doctors’ statements, medical records and bills, etc. These kinds of things strengthen your case immensely and help us put a dollar amount to what you should receive.

Don’t languish in discomfort, don’t lament your bad luck–instead, take action and give us a call or email us and we’ll set up an in-person appointment. We can’t heal the pain that you’ve already experienced, but we can do our very best to seek remuneration for you. Remember, your first consultation is free and we’ll have a very thorough chat about your situation.

Tax season is fast approaching and whether you’re an individual, own a business or are an entrepreneur, strategic planning can help you save some money. You probably don’t have time to stay up to date on all the latest strategies, but we do. Need to know about how to reduce your tax burden? We can help with that. Wondering about filing deadlines? Look to us. Trying to understand the bureaucracy of the IRS? Don’t bother, instead let us do the hard, boring work of figuring out your best tax strategy.

Today, we’re going to discuss small business tax planning. Why is it so important to hire someone to help you with your taxes? Simply because if you don’t you are probably giving away money that you could have kept.

First off, claim the deductions that you are entitled to. There are two such deductions that most small businesses can qualify for. Let’s say you have a home office, if you work from home at all, you can most likely make a deduction based on how much of your home is dedicated to use as an office (usually around 15%-35%).

The second thing you can deduct is car expenses. Most small business owners use their car for work. You can deduct for mileage–driving to and from work, or deduct if you drive to meet clients. You can deduct for expenses related to gas, your car insurance, parking fees, repairs, oil changes and other maintenance, etc.

Another way to reduce the amount of taxes you pay is called income splitting. This simply means that the income from your business is shared between you and another family member. Let’s say it’s your spouse, you will need to prove that your spouse actually does things for the company–that means daily tasks, not just once in a while. Also, you need to pay your spouse the same amount you would pay another who was in the same position.

These are just a few tips we can provide here in this blog. For a full consultation, call us today.

Thinking about filing for bankruptcy? It’s a scary thought and a decision that requires a great deal of consideration. To many, declaring bankruptcy can seem like a drastic move and definitely something to be avoided, but there are times when choosing bankruptcy is the right decision for both individuals and companies. We live in times when debt is rampant and enormous. You get credit card offers constantly and you may have gone into debt for college, a car, a home–there are always legitimate reasons to incur debt. But, if you’re drowning in it, bankruptcy can provide a much needed reset.

That said, let’s go through some of the signs that show you it’s time to declare bankruptcy.

1. You have no idea how much you owe

2. You’ve been getting collection calls

3. You use a credit card to pay for basic necessities

4. You make only the minimum payment on your credit cards

5. You are avoiding assessing your finances, afraid of what you will find

If two or more of these statements apply to you, it’s time to give some serious consideration to declaring bankruptcy. That’s where we can help. One of the first things we’ll do is go through your assets with you, making an inventory of things like retirement funds, vehicles, savings accounts and so forth. We’ll then determine how much you owe. If you owe a great deal, and don’t have a lot of assets, declaring bankruptcy can sometimes be an option. We’ll do the hard work of filling out the paperwork making sure you have declared all the things you need to and that you are in compliance with the law. There are different types of bankruptcies–including chapter 7 and chapter 13, the two most common. We’ll help you determine which one is right for you or your business.

Don’t hesitate, call us at Alpina Legal today, and let’s wipe your financial slate clean!

You may be wondering if you could qualify for social security disability benefits. If so, here are a couple of guidelines to help you determine your eligibility. Not all jobs are covered by social security. If you have been working at a job that is covered by social security, then that is the first step to being able to qualify. Your disability will need to be one of the ones covered by social security.

If you do qualify for social security disability benefits then you are in good shape. The benefits will continue until you can go back to work.

At Alpina Legal, we can help you get your paperwork filled out and filed, increasing your chances of winning the disability benefits. To be honest, most claims for SSDI are rejected at the first level and even at the reconsideration. Even if you have an attorney, this can happen to you. But the benefit of having an attorney is that you can take your claim, if it has been rejected, and submit it before an administrative law judge.

At Alpina Legal we can ensure that your case is developed correctly, so that we leave no stone unturned in helping you make the strongest case possible for why you should receive benefits.

The layperson has no idea how to prepare their disability case. The process is complicated and thorny. At Alpina Legal, we are well informed in the ins and outs of getting disability. Is it worth the risk of trying to represent yourself and almost certainly being denied? Definitely not. You increase your chances greatly when you turn to great representatives like our staff here at Alpina Legal. We’ll also give you a consultation in which we’ll honestly assess your chances of winning the case and help you understand whether you should go for it or not. Call us today for your initial consult.

For many of us buying a home or selling one will be the biggest financial transaction of our lives. That’s why it’s so key that you protect this asset. At Alpina Legal, we want to make sure that if you’re signing a contract, you’re making the right decisions that will ensure your future happiness and well-being.

First, let’s talk about the purchase contract. You will want to thoroughly read this document and make sure it includes the following–purchase price, how the house will be paid for, a description of the house and property included with it, and any other terms or conditions placed upon the purchase. When you run into language you don’t understand or that you find troubling, this is the time to turn to your attorney. Do not sign the contract until your attorney has reviewed the document with you and found it to be in good shape.

Most of us have to get a loan when we buy a home and if that’s true with you, your lender will want to make sure the property has a clean title. Again, this is where you will want to turn to your attorney, so that she or he can ensure that the title is clear of any claims of others, judgments, unpaid taxes, or other defects. As your attorney searches public records, she or he will be able to determine whether any issues are apparent. This can save you from purchasing something that has baggage attached or potential problems.

Not all title problems can be found, even by the best attorney, so at Alpina Legal, we recommend you buy title insurance, which protects you from unforeseen or undiscovered issues. We’ll also apply for the title insurance for you.

When it’s time to close the deal, your attorney will prepare all the closing documents, she or he will schedule the closing, and be there with you to explain all the documents and make sure you understand them. She or he will also make sure that you receive copies of most or all of the documents so that you can have proof of what ensued.

Call Alpina Legal today and we will provide you with an excellent attorney who will represent your interests in this exciting time of your life.