What are your responsibilities at Lindley Law? My primary title is “Paralegal” but it is certainly not the only hat I wear. My day-to-day includes anything from communicating with clients, processing court filing, scheduling consultations, maintaining our calendar, or even giving potential tenants a tour of our new building. As a paralegal I draft court filings, organize client documents, and prepare exhibits for depositions, mediations, and other hearings. I am often asked, “what is a paralegal” and the simplest explanation is that I provide support for the attorneys and assist in managing the workload that they face each day. Additionally, I am an Office Manager. This means I keep the…
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Holographic Wills and Statutory Requirements to Modify Them
The law distinguishes between typewritten wills, typically prepared by an attorney, and those which are handwritten by oneself. Handwritten wills, known as holographic wills, must meet the statutory requirements set forth by N.C Gen. Stat. S 31-3.4 (2015). These requirements include: (1) the will must be written entirely by hand by the testator; (2) must be subscribed by the testator; and (3) must be found among the testator’s valuable papers or effects. In some cases after a will is drafted, whether by hand or typewritten, the testator my wish to make modifications. An addition or supplement that explains, modifies, or revokes a will, or part of a will, is a…
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A Beginners Guide to Arbitration – Part 2 Pros and Cons of Arbitration
Our June 11th blog post broadly discussed arbitration and the upward trend of including mandatory arbitration clauses in agreements. This week, we analyze the pros and cons of arbitration to elucidate when arbitration clauses are useful and when they are potentially harmful. In arbitration, individuals and entities bring legal claims against one another outside the public court system. Although many aspects of arbitration are similar to a civil court trial, arbitration has a number of key differences. Pros Speed – Arbitration is generally faster than litigation. Whereas litigation often takes years, the arbitration process may only take a few months. However, arbitration can take longer when there are…