The Friday Five 5.3.19 – Cinco de Mayo!
Happy Cinco de Mayo and stay safe this weekend!
Child support liens after a car accident settlement
When you are figuring out what to do after a car accident, you should make sure that whomever you are working with understands child support liens and how they can affect your settlement. Pursuant to The Texas Family Code, Sections 157.311 through 157.331, a child support lien attaches to any settlement for personal injuries. We recently went through this situation and it can be very difficult to get the Texas Attorney General’s Office to take less than the total owed – but it is possible in some cases. And when I mean that it is difficult to get them to reduce the total amount of what is owed, I am only talking about reducing the amount that needs to be paid before getting any settlement funds. I am not talking about getting the total amount owed reduced.
There are many requirements as to what constitutes an effective child support lien. The lien only attaches to the net amount that is owed to the client once the attorneys’ fees, costs and medical bills have been paid. In the end, you will end up paying all or a significant portion of any unpaid child support and that money will come out of your portion of the settlement. We can help you through this process, just make sure to tell us up front about any child support obligations you may have
11 Things Your Kids Need to Hear to Grow Up to be Thoughtful and Well-Adjusted
We all want our kids to grow up to be well-rounded, independent adults. But sometimes we forget how much our own behavior affects our kiddos, which is why we loved coming across this Inc.com article that focused on 11 things kids need to hear you say in order to become thoughtful and well-adjusted. Hearing parents say, “I’m sorry,” “You were right,” and “I trust you,” can have a huge impact, according to parenting experts. And it will make us feel more connected to our kids, too!
Insurance company trick of the week – The Fake Deadline
The insurance adjuster gives you a deadline to settle, even though it is nowhere near the Statute of Limitations. Under Texas law, you have two years from the date of an accident to either settle a case or to file a lawsuit. Having an insurance adjuster tell you that you must take or leave their settlement offer weeks (or even days) after the accident is wrong and dangerous, especially if you are facing the need for additional medical treatment down the road.
Google Search made easier with these 40 tips
Gone are the days when we used to hover over library books to find answers to our questions. And just because Google searches are quick sources of information, it doesn’t mean that the Google Search Bar is limited to just that. Check out these 40 incredibly useful things Google Search can do; our favorites are helping us male a decision when no one else can agree by using the random number generator, finding out detailed nutritional information on virtually any food, and using the “bubble level” tool to make sure you hang a picture straight. Who knew?!
Dream Program
I recently heard a presentation by Dan Ralph’s about how we can help others achieve their dreams. Dan is a dream coach. My first question is “Why do we even need another person to teach us how to dream”? Shouldn’t dreaming be a natural response to life? Yes, dreams are natural, but we sometimes lose the path, become discouraged or even just give up on pursuing our dreams. A dream coach helps to clarify the vision for the dream, even helping to develop the “Why” of the dream and then proceeds with directions for the “How”.
We are planning to implement a Dream Program right here at the law office. We were already committed to helping our staff reach their dreams by encouraging them to continue their college education, but this is just one area where we may be able to help them. We are now planning to help our staff draw out a roadmap to accomplish whatever other dreams that they may have and, finally, we are also going to try to see how we can even help our clients achieve their goals and dreams. And, just to clarify, this isn’t about financial help, but is about how to implement a plan to bring their dream to fruition with the highest odds of success. I am truly excited to see where all of this leads for both myself and for my staff and clients.