PMCW Law

Having an effective Human Resources department for your company is crucial because if certain circumstances aren't handled the right way, you could end up being sued for thousands of dollars. Our attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks are here to go over a few common HR mistakes that can lead to lawsuits. If you are struggling to find the right legal support for your business call the business law attorneys at Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, and Welch at 573-346-7231 today. 5 Common HR Mistakes That Can Lead to Lawsuits 1. Using discriminating language in job postings While most HR professionals probably realize not to put obvious statements such as "no Europeans should apply" – there are a few common discriminating terms that can be overlooked. For example, posting something as simple as “looking for recent college graduates” can imply that you are discriminating against older applicants. It's important to be mindful of this sort of thing when writing job d...

Starting your own business is exciting, overwhelming, and consuming. Entrepreneurs live and breathe their businesses every minute of every day, and for good reason. No matter what your new business is, it will demand all of your time - and then some. In spite of all the time and attention entrepreneurs dedicate to their businesses, there are two major considerations that new business owners frequently fail to recognize: How will you get out of your business when you wish to retire? What will happen to your business if you or one of the other owners pass away or become disabled? It is absolutely inevitable that both you and your co-owners (if any) will separate from the businesses eventually, whether by retirement, disability, or death. It is important that you plan ahead for these occurrences. Buy-Sell Agreements -- The Basics A buy-sell agreement , in simple terms, is a document that can help you plan for the eventual separation of a business owner from the company...

You're an entrepreneur with dreams of developing a successful new business. You have it all planned out; you know where you will be located, the types of services you will provide, and the marketing tactics you will use to reach your customers. There's only one small problem: you're not a lawyer. Aspiring business owners often do not realize how many legal issues await them and their new businesses. Intellectual property laws, employment laws, real estate transactions, sales, contracts... These things (and many more) all come with important legal consequences.  That's where the Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. come into play! As experienced business attorneys , we can help you navigate the business law field. We can help business owners with a variety of legal issues, including (but not limited to): Selecting an appropriate business form Incorporation and creation of corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, etc ...

The legal field is as complicated as it is varied. Buying a house, renting a car, hiring an employee, getting married, recovering from a car accident... Each of these activities (along with thousands of others) have legal regulations and ramifications attached to them. The lawyers at the Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. recognize the challenges that these legal complexities bring. It is our goal to help improve the lives of those around us by handling the legal situations our clients face. We are proud to offer a variety of legal services in the Camden County community . Here's a quick overview of our many practice areas. Real Estate Law From residential and commercial real estate transactions to property line and dock disputes, PMCW Law can help you with all of your real estate law needs. With the help of Phillips and McElyea Land Title, Inc., we can take care of the details and reduce the risks in your real estate transactions. Business Law ...

By now you've heard of us, but how much do you really know about the Lake of the Ozarks' most trusted law firm ? Penicillin was revolutionizing medicine, and color television was making its debut. These were some of the things happening in American medicine and culture around the time that the attorneys at Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. began providing legal services in the Lake of the Ozarks community .  Just as medicine and American culture have changed considerably since that time, so has the way we practice law. We used to be open on Saturdays so that people who lived out of town could make the 6- or 10-hour drive to our office to review or sign documents. Now, those clients are able to review and sign documents electronically. In fact, Missouri courts are now requiring electronic filings. In some cases, you can't tender an original signature to the court clerk - even if you want to. These advances in technology have allowed us to eliminate...

Default Judgments defined A default judgment is a  judgment in favor of the plaintiff based on the failure of the defendant to respond to a law suit or appear in court.  This failure to respond or appear results in the court awarding a default judgment.  The default judgment is relief that is requested by the plaintiff. In other words, if someone files a lawsuit or other legal action against you and you do not respond, you are essentially "forfeiting" the case.  In a civil trial involving damages, the court will likely give the person filing the action the amount they are looking for.  This can be bad for you in several ways: 1) A judgment against you will most likely affect your credit report, and not in a good way! 2) You can have your wages garnished, affecting your employment. 3) You can have your bank account garnished. 4) If you don't have the judgment paid immediately, it earns interest.  This interest can caus...

LO Profile features Big Businesses at the Lake of the Ozarks The Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter & Welch, P.C. were recently featured in LO Profile magazine and we wanted to share it in our blog.   Names:   Charles E. McElyea, Matthew P. Hamner, Deirdre O'Donnell, Ronald K. Carpenter, David T. Welch Company:   Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter & Welch, PC Years in Business:   We are proudly approaching our 75th anniversary.  Our attorneys have a combined 146 years of law practice. Specialty Skills and Experience:   We are experienced business, real estate, personal injury, family law, estate planning and probate lawyers.  We also vigorously defend people who are charged with or are being investigated for Missouri misdemeanor and felony criminal law violations , including driving while intoxicated and boating while intoxicated offenses, as well as Federal crimes. Awards and Success:   Several of our law...

Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter & Welsh, P.C. Videos As we move into the new year, we wanted to share with you a few new videos that our talented folks put together.  We have a lot of exciting things happening at our Law Firm and we are looking forward to some great things in 2014. Our 75th Anniversary In 2014, Hugh Phillips first opened up our doors 75 years ago and we will be celebrating this throughout the year.  Here is Matt Hamner telling you a little about this momentous occasion Let our experience, knowledge, and talent help you with your legal needs. Our attorneys and legal team make up the best law firm in the Lake of the Ozarks area.  We can help you in many areas where you need an advocate for your rights.  Here is Matt Hamner again with some words on what we can do for you and your family We wish you and your family Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Here is Matt again with a holiday greeting for you! We Are Effective  Camde...

The steps required to form a non-profit organization and obtain tax exempt status can be time consuming, cumbersome and confusing.  We hope to provide you with a basic understanding of these steps in this blog.   Key steps to creating your non-profit organization You have decided to form a non-profit organization for a specific purpose.   The next   key steps you will need to address include: Naming your non-profit o The name cannot be the same as the name of any other corporation on file with the state's corporations division. o About half of all states require the name to end with a corporate designator, such as Corporation (Corp.), Incorporated (Inc.) or Limited (Ltd.). o Your name cannot contain certain designations reserved for the state, such as United States, Reserve, Federal, National, Cooperative or Bank Filing the Necessary documents   o Articles of Incorporation o Apply for a federal employer identification number Organizing ...