PMCW Law

No matter the season, the Lake of the Ozarks is truly a beautiful community in which to live and work. All of us at the Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. consider ourselves very lucky to get to be a part of such a wonderful community, and we hope our fellow residents do as well. The Lake Area provides many great opportunities to spend time with your friends and family without having to pay for entertainment. Are you aware of all the free things there are to do at the Lake of the Ozarks? If you're looking for something fun to do that won't break your bank, give some of these activities a try. Hiking Ha Ha Tonka. This photo of Camdenton is courtesy of MissouriStateParks. The Lake of the Ozarks is home to some of Missouri's most beautiful state parks. If you and your loved ones enjoy getting out and exploring gorgeous wooded areas, you'll have to visit some of these locations: Ha Ha Tonka State Park  in Camdenton, MO Lake of ...

Bundle up! It's time for one of the most popular winter events at the Lake of the Ozarks. If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, all of us at the Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. would like to invite you to Eagle Days. Eagle Days at the Lake of the Ozarks On Saturday and Sunday, January 3rd and 4th, 2015 , Eagle Days will return for its 15th year! The first program attracted 651 participants, and it has only continued to grow since then. Last year, a record-breaking 3,700 people took part in the activities. This year promises to be bigger and better than ever. You and your family will get to watch live eagle demonstrations by the birds at the World Bird Sanctuary. Naturalists will be standing by at Osage National Golf Resort to answer any questions that the visitors may have. This event is educational and fun, but the best part is that the event is completely free (except for the boat cruise, which has a small c...

Accidents, by their very nature, happen when we least expect them to.  Some accidents involve the misuse of words, some involve the misplacement of belongings or resources, and others involve personal injury.  Accidents vary in severity and impact, but all accidents have one thing in common: they all bring unintentional and/or undesired consequences.  If accidents manifest in the form of a work-related injury or an automobile accident, they can cause serious legal issues. While you'll want to (and should) dedicate all of your time to healing, these legal issues must be addressed before they have time to grow deeper roots. That's where the Law Firm of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. comes in! Our experienced personal injury attorneys are able to advocate for you and your rights when you need them the most. Personal Injury Laws As with all branches of the law, personal injury is governed by several laws dictating when and how much you can coll...

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 ...

Buying, selling, or building a home is a wonderfully exciting time in anyone's life, but it certainly comes with its fair share of legal issues! Having an experience real estate lawyer on your side to help you handle boundary line disputes, access and easement issues, concerns over construction, and other issues can make a huge difference.  As the client, it is important to find a lawyer you trust. Before hiring real estate attorneys, set up interview times to get to know them. Asking them the following questions will help you get a better understanding of how they conduct their real estate law practices and, consequently, will better equip you in your hiring process. 1. How long have you been practicing real estate law? Working with a less-experienced lawyer might not be a hindrance in other areas, but real estate law can be incredibly complex. You will be much better off working with an experienced real estate attorney . 2. Have you handled cases similar to mine befo...

Earning a solid undergraduate education is a crucial stepping stone on the path towards cultivating a successful career as a lawyer. Becoming a lawyer requires years of education and schooling even after you have completed your undergraduate degree, but your first four years of college will provide you with the foundation you need.  At Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. , we believe in developing and encouraging the next generation of lawyers. If you or someone you know is currently pursuing their undergraduate degree with hopes of continuing on to law school after graduation, consider taking (or encouraging them to take) classes in the following subject areas. Critical Thinking/Logic Classes that encourage students to critically analyze and evaluate situations look wonderful on a transcript. Law schools are searching for students who can carefully, critically, and strategically pick apart situations and arguments so they can determine the truth or main point of t...

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...

At the Law Offices of  Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter & Welch, P.C ., we have a proven investment in our community and the next generation. We care deeply about the lives of those around us and want to help each young person in our community fulfill their dreams. We want to take this opportunity to pay it forward to the next generation of lawyers by compiling a list of tips and techniques for studying and maximizing your LSAT test score. The Test The LSAT is a standardized test that every prospective law school candidates must take. The exam lasts several hours and tests the candidates' reading comprehension and their logical and verbal reasoning proficiencies.  There are five 35 minute sections of multiple-choice questions.   Proper preparation is key to a strong test score! The Tips Determine your baseline. Take a few complete practice tests to determine your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you decide where to start prepa...

The Law Offices of  Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter & Welch, P.C . have the  best attorneys in the Lake of the Ozarks  area and a top notch support team to help you with most legal issues.  We want to feature the outstanding members of our firm via a series of Blogs where we ask some questions and get some insight on why they went into Law, learn about them as individuals, and feature what they do when they are not at work helping others.  We hope you enjoy this series, and we will feature a different team member every other week. Question - Why did you become a lawyer? Answer -   That is a good question because I almost didn’t become one.   I was in Forestry School at the University of Missouri scheduled to graduate in 1970 and it became apparent to most of us that there were no jobs in that field due to a recession that we were then going through.   I could have accepted a Fellowship in the Department of Plant Physio...