Tag: Florida insurance attorney

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Weekly Review for Law Practice Tips for Friday, April 18, 2014

Law Practice Tips for week of April 14, 2014

Law Practice Tips for week of April 14, 2014Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week related to law practice management, law technology, and legal marketing.  Enjoy!

Working Remotely: Managing Solitude
Working remotely has many benefits as we’ve discussed in this series. It can also be lonely. If you’re working from home, it’s you, the computer and the four walls.
Contrast that with being surrounded by people on your commute to and from work, drop-bys and lunch with co-workers, and meetings with clients and visitors.  But, it doesn’t have to be lonely. Here are a few tips to stay engaged and keep loneliness at bay while maintaining the kind of productivity that makes working away from the office appealing.  Read more here… 

Worst Times To Post To Your Law Firm Social Networks
When is the best time to post to your social networks? When is the worst time to post?  If you’re going to take the time to post to social media networks such as LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and Facebook, you want to certainly want to see some action – people reading your post, clicking through to your blog to read more or checking out a link that you referred/recommended.  Read more here… 

3 Ways To Get More Out Of Every Single Hour
Time is a key resource that we simply cannot replenish. The 24 hours of each day are all we are given—once spent, these hours are lost forever. This means that if you’re struggling to fit all of your priorities and “to-dos” into your day, it’s time to look for methods to use those hours and minutes more effectively.  Here are a few research-backed suggestions that can help you make the most of the time you have.  Read more here… 

Will 2014 Be One of the Worst Years for Law Firms?
As part of our first quarter Legal Analytics activities, we’ve been analyzing invoice data for 2013 and the early part of 2014. While there were some expected trends, I’ve been genuinely startled by some of what we’ve learned. Our data shows that demand for legal services, as measured by billed fees, was fairly flat across the industry from 2012 to 2013. And it confirms one of the things we in the industry have observed anecdotally for some time: work for outside counsel is moving from the largest Am Law 100 firms, whose fees were up less than a third of a percent, to smaller ones, with Am Law 101-200 firms showing a 4.9% increase and Unranked firms seeing a 2.5% rise. Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Law Practice Tips!

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Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Monday, April 14, 2014

Florida Insurance Law Updates

Florida Insurance Law UpdatesHere are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Insurance Company Awarded Attorney’s Fees Against Insurance Claimant
In Citizens Property Insurance Corporation v. Perez, 4D12-1412 (Fla. 4DCA 2014), a new Florida insurance law case, the insurance company was seeking attorney’s fees and costs against its policyholder when the policyholder lost a Florida insurance claim lawsuit. The legal basis for attorney’s fees and costs was based on a Proposal for Settlement made under Florida Statute 768.79 and Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442. In the proposal for settlement, the insurance company made a minimal offer of $1,000.00 to which the policyholder rejected. The policyholder argued the insurance company was not entitled to attorney’s fees and costs because the minimal offer was not made in good faith. The Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal held that an insurance company’s minimal offer was in good faith if it had a reasonable basis at the time of the offer to believe its exposure was nominal. The Fourth District Court of Appeal found that the insurance company had a reasonable basis to believe its exposure was nominal and the minimal offer was made in good faith.  Read more here… 

Flood Insurance Reforms May Be Missing The Mark
Reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program have been passed, but these changes may have little impact on the actual cost of flood protection in many parts of the U.S. The reforms were meant to limit the rate at which flood protection becomes more expensive, but homeowners in many parts of the country could face “extreme costs” when it comes to their coverage in the coming months. In Winona County, Minnesota, for instance, homeowners are being told to brace for rate shock as flood protection becomes more expensive.  Read more here… 

Florida Senate Passes Parasailing Insurance Bill
Parasailing in Florida moved closer to becoming a regulated industry lat week, with the Senate approving a bill that would place safety guidelines on companies.
The legislation details insurance, equipment and license requirements, along with weather conditions that would force operations to temporarily stop. The bill passed 40-0.  Read more here… 

Carriers Being Selective with Citizens Clearinghouse Agency Appointments
Florida’s state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. says the initial opening of its new web-based clearinghouse designed to make it easier for private insurers to write its policies has been promising, although the number of policies removed by insurers has been modest due to the reluctance of companies to appoint agents.  Citizens launched the clearinghouse at the end of January, making it the latest tool for the insurer to reduce its 940,000-plus policyholders.  Read more here…

Thank you for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

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Weekly Review for Law Practice Tips for Friday, April 11, 2014

Weekly Review for Law Practice Tips

Weekly Review for Law Practice TipsHere are some recent articles of interest that I found this week related to law practice management, law technology, and legal marketing. Enjoy!

Microsoft Office for iPad sets the gold standard for tablet productivity:
It took four years, but Microsoft has finally released full-featured Office apps for the iPad. As expected, the new Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps are free to install but require an Office 365 subscription to unlock the full set of features. Here’s what you can expect. Read more here… 

Going Paperless A to Z:
Reducing your firm’s paper storage requires initial investments of money and effort. But soon you’ll realize the benefits in terms of dollars and time saved and available for billable client work. Read more here…

Thanks for reading (and sharing). Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Law Practice Tips!

image credit: wisbar.org

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Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Monday, April 7, 2014

Florida Insurance Law Updates

Florida Insurance Law UpdatesHere are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends. Enjoy!

Flood insurance bill is now signed into law:
On March 21, 2014, President Obama signed the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 into law. This law repeals and modifies certain provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act, which was enacted in 2012. FEMA looks forward to working with Congress, the private Write Your Own Insurance Companies, and other stakeholders to implement these Congressionally-mandated reforms and to working toward our shared goals of helping families maintain affordable flood insurance, ensuring the financial stability of the NFIP and reducing the risks and consequences of flooding nationwide. FEMA will continue to identify and publish special flood hazards and flood risk zones as authorized and required by Congress. Read more here…

Florida Supreme Court Throws Out Medical Damages Caps Law:
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s caps on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice wrongful death cases violate the state Constitution’s equal protection clause. The 5-2 opinion held that the way the caps reduce damages “is not only arbitrary, but irrational” and it “offends the fundamental notion of equal justice under the law.” Read more here… 

When Do I Need a Lawyer for My Florida Insurance Claim?
Sadly, it is not a question of whether you will need a lawyer for your insurance claim but rather when you need a lawyer for your insurance claim. Insurance companies have made it a routine practice to deny insurance claims. Insurance claims are denied because it is profitable to do so. Every penny not paid for an insurance claim is a penny earned for the insurance company. Read more here… 

Florida Home Foreclosure Rate Falls But Still Triple National Average
The residential foreclosure rate in Florida, which has the highest percentage of delinquent mortgages in the U.S., declined to 6.2 percent in January, according to a report by CoreLogic Inc. That’s down from 10.1 percent from a year earlier. Florida’s rate was triple the national average of 2 percent, according to the report by Irvine, California-based mortgage data and software company. Florida led the nation with 116,000 foreclosures completed in the 12 months through January, the company said in a separate report in February. Read more here… 

Florida Homeowners Insurance ‘Bill of Rights’ Slowed by Fraud Measure
Florida’s chief financial officer went to the Legislature this spring with a simple request: grant additional protections to customers dealing with property insurance companies. But the push by Jeff Atwater is in serious jeopardy. That’s because insurers, such as State Farm Florida, are only willing to accept the added protections if they come with other changes that could help keep their costs down. Read more here… 

Added two more case histories for actual results obtained:
There are two components for evaluating a lawyer and lawfirm.  First, how did the lawyer and lawfirm go about its business and treat its clients? That information for Russell Law can be found in “Testimonials”.  Secondly, what results did the lawyer and lawfirm achieve for its clients? Read more here… 

 

Thank you for reading (and sharing).

Stay tuned for next week’s weekly review for Florida Insurance Law!

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Weekly Review for Law Practice Tips for Friday, April 4, 2014

Weekly Review for Law Practice Tips for April 4, 2014

Weekly Review for Law Practice Tips for April 4, 2014Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week related to law practice management, law technology, and legal marketing. Enjoy!

How to Increase Focus and Productivity with Mindfulness

So, what exactly is mindfulness and why should lawyers care? The simple answer is that practicing mindfulness will help you be a happier human being and a better lawyer. Read more here… ow.ly/uwTHl

Finding Happiness As A Lawyer: Three Pillars And A Box Of Crayons

Ever wonder what the secret to happiness is? Landing a Biglaw job? Making partner? Saving your innocent cousin from wrongful conviction for a convenience store robbery in the small town south? Whether you’re a currently-miserable attorney who’s pinning her hopes for happiness on eventual career success, or a veteran attorney who could stand to be a bit more happy, I have both bad and good news for you. The bad news: you may have to look beyond the bounds of your career for the additional keys to lasting happiness. The good news: doing so is easy! But how could this be, you ask? Read more here… ow.ly/uwSIT

Why Less Effort Is Far Better for Your Career
This may sound odd at first, but I’d like to suggest you manage your career in such a manner that you avoid wasting a single drop of energy. To be clear, I’m not suggesting you use less energy, only that you stop wasting energy. Read more here…http://ow.ly/v0vhR

Why not disaster-proof your law firm today?
According the American Bar Association’s 2013 Legal Technology Survey results, 58 percent of lawyers surveyed cited security concerns as the top reason that prevented them from using cloud computing in their law practices.
The problem is, the current file storage arrangement and IT set up of most law firms is anything but secure. Case in point — a Pennsylvania law office that literally went up in smoke last month, when the building in which their firm was located was destroyed in a fire. Read more here.. http://ow.ly/v0tyY

Are New Domains an Opportunity for Law Firms?
With so many new gTLDs (“generic Top Level Domains”) coming online this year, I thought it might be worth exploring their value and potential use in law firm marketing. Read more here… http://ow.ly/v0snB

How smart trial lawyers start and finish their presentations with bookends and why you should too!
At the end of the presentation of my evidence (sometimes several weeks later) I make sure the bookend I finish up with, the one on the right, is the person who I feel will make the greatest emotional impact with the jury.

The formula to persuading 12 complete strangers is multi-layered and complicated. But at the top of my success list is making sure I always start and finish with the correct left and right bookends.Read more here.. http://ow.ly/v0rjX

Persuasive Litigator: Know How to Address a “Cold Bench”
If a “hot bench” is one that involves a judge actively participating in oral argument with questions and responses, then a “cold bench” must be one in which the judge just sits silently and watches. By that standard, there is no better exemplar of the cold bench than U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Read more here…http://ow.ly/v0qmk

MyCase Enhances Mobile Offering with Launch of Android App
MyCase, Web-based legal practice management software, today introduces a new application for Android mobile devices. MyCase became the first legal practice management software to offer a mobile solution in April 2013, with the launch of its IOS app. This latest release on Android further enhances MyCase’s solution set, offering more attorneys access to all aspects of the software’s comprehensive services at their fingertips. Read more here… http://ow.ly/vmuHI

Thanks for reading and sharing. Stay tuned for next week’s review for Law Practice Tips!

Photo credit: http://abovethelaw.com/

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Weekly Review for U.S. Veterans for Monday, March 31, 2014

Weekly Review for Veterans March 31, 2014

Weekly Review for Veterans March 31, 2014Here are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for U.S. Veterans, Veterans assistance programs, Veterans jobs, Veterans counseling, Veterans recognition, Veterans oral history, Veterans museums, military history and World War 2.

Veteran’s group names suicide prevention top 2014 priority; extending PTSD care also high on list.

Broad action is needed from Congress and President Barack Obama to combat the growing problem of veteran’s suicide, a group representing veterans of recent wars declared Monday on Capitol Hill. Read more here…ow.ly/uWq4l

Discounted Florida Legal Services for Veterans
Russell Law starts initiative to provide discounted legal services to Veterans and Active Duty Military Service Members
I am proud of my Country and what it stands for. And I am eternally grateful to all U.S. Veterans, past and present, for their sacrifice in defending our freedom. That being said, it is our civic duty as citizens to help those same Veterans and active duty military service members when they need it most. Read more here…ow.ly/v0fXW.

Soldiers in Poland pay tribute to World War Two in Poland. May history never repeat itself.

pic.twitter.com/f5n3hd1BWc

 

Enjoy and stay tuned for next week’s review for U.S. Veterans.

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Weekly Review for Florida Insurance Law for Friday, March 28, 2014

Insurance law

Insurance lawHere are some recent articles of interest that I found this week for the insurance industry, Florida insurance law, Florida insurance claims, and Florida insurance trends.  Enjoy!

Florida Senate OKs Ban on Insurance Underwriting Based on Gun Ownership

The Senate passed a bill that would make it illegal for insurance companies to deny policies or charge higher rates solely based on gun ownership. The bill passed on a 36-3 vote. Read more here… http://ow.ly/uMUZT

Florida May Have Private Flood Insurance Market

Homeowners in Florida are facing rising flood insurance rates that could threaten their financial stability, but state lawmakers may be able to provide some relief through new legislation. The legislation would create a competitive, private insurance market throughout the state. This would take flood insurance out of the jurisdiction of the federal government, allowing private insurers in Florida to provide this coverage to homeowners. State lawmakers believe that this will be beneficial to consumers as the National Flood Insurance Program may no longer be able to provide the coverage that homeowners need. Read more here… http://ow.ly/uMUWL

Florida’s Citizens Reaches Sinkhole Settlement

Florida’s state-backed property insurer said it has reached an agreement with more than 300 policyholders with sinkhole claims that officials say could save the insurer $30 million in legal fees. Read more here… http://ow.ly/uKvAt

Florida Legislature Seeks to Entice Private Insurers to Sell Flood Policies

The Florida Legislature is moving forward on a plan to entice private insurance companies to sell flood policies in the state that’s the most vulnerable to storm surge.

It’s not clear, though, that many private insurers will want to assume the risks of flooding and join two companies already writing certain flood policies in the state.  Read more here…ow.ly/uWHX5

Thanks for reading and sharing.  Stay tuned for next week’s review for Florida Insurance Law!

Photo credit: www.regblog.org

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When You Need a Lawyer

It’s Not Like Pulling Teeth

Hiring a lawyer need not be the same as going to the dentist office.  Think of a lawyer as a proactive tooth fairy rather than as an impaler.  If used properly, a lawyer can solve a problem before it becomes a problem much like anti-cavity rinse.  Even better yet, given a chance, a lawyer could put some money under your pillow without you having to forfeit any ivory.    

When it comes to Florida insurance claims, you need a lawyer when you first realize that you have a claim.  This is the same rule that applies to any other area of the law.  For instance, if you are involved in a traffic accident, you normally obtain a lawyer after getting medical attention.  No one files their own personal injury claim and then calls a lawyer.  Same applies to Florida insurance claims.  Don’t start dealing with your insurance company without first consulting with a Florida insurance lawyer.  Florida insurance claims and insurance contracts in general can be very complex.  You do not want to tarnish your otherwise good insurance claim from the start because you do not know what you are doing.  Speaking of not knowing what you are doing, do not convince yourself that you can handle your own insurance claim if you have no previous insurance experience.  Just like it would be unwise to operate on yourself, it is equally unwise to act as your own legal counsel.

Assuming for the sake of argument that you made the call and claim on your own and you are now dealing with the insurance claim.  You definitely need a lawyer if the insurance company sends you a “Reservation of Rights” letter.  This ominous letter is a clear red flag and sign from your insurance company that they intend to deny your claim.  At this point it would be wise to have a Florida insurance attorney review your claim early on to see what can be done to maximize your claim and the chances for recovery.

You need an insurance lawyer when your insurance lawyer requests that you sit for an examination under oath (EUO).  An examination under oath is a procedure whereby the insurance company’s lawyer asks you questions under oath in front of a Court Reporter.  Insurance companies use an examination under oath to probe your case and to often look for or find ways to deny your claim.  The insurance company will have a lawyer helping it during the examination under oath and so should you.

You need a Florida insurance lawyer when the insurance company offers to pay you something on your claim but not the full amount you feel you are owed.  No matter what amount the insurance company is going to pay you they will require that you sign release documents in exchange for the payment.  If you are not careful, you could unintentionally sign away all your rights to make any other demand or supplemental claim for unpaid damages due to the loss.  A Florida lawyer is needed to review the release and to ensure that it is limited in nature and that your interests are protected.

Finally, you need a Florida insurance lawyer if the insurance company denies your claim.  The insurance company has a financial incentive to deny your claim and therefore not all denials are valid.  Do not accept the insurance company’s word that your claim is not covered, seek the advice of an experienced Florida insurance lawyer to review your claim.  If the insurance company denies your claim it is not going to change its position just because you send letters or make more calls.  The only thing at this point that is going to change the status of your claim is a lawyer that takes your case and files a lawsuit against the insurance company on your behalf.  A Florida insurance lawyer can put a smile on your face and the wait is not as long as it is at the dentist’s office.

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Mississippi Federal Court Slams State Farm for Hurricane Katrina Claim

Federal Court in Mississippi rules that State Farm must pay $2.5 million in punitive damages for denying Hurricane Katrina insurance claim.

Mississippi Federal Court Judge L.T. Senter, Jr., ruled that State Farm must pay the Broussard family of Biloxi, Mississippi that portion of the damages that wind caused to their home.  In short, the Judge found that State Farm failed to disprove the Broussard claim that wind blew the home off of its foundation.  State Farm Insurance initially denied the entire claim alleging that the damages to the home were caused by flooding and not windstorm.  Judge Senter’s ruling allowed the Jury to consider awarding punitive damages against State Farm for denying the entire claim, which resulted in a $2.5 million dollar verdict for bad faith against the insurer.

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