PMCW Law

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:  As an undergraduate, I had no idea what my career path would be. I was a political science major (with no particular interest in politics). My junior year I had to interview a lawyer for a class assignment and his passion for what he did really had an impact on me. I decided then and there that it was what I wanted to do. Question:   Where did you...

Preparing for law school can be a daunting task, but if you start early enough, you will have plenty of time to get everything squared away.  Applying to a law school takes commitment and focus.  If you setup a timeline, you will find this application process will be smooth.  Here are some tips to help you. 1. Graduate from College with a Bachelors Degree and a high Grade Point Average (GPA) Choosing the right major is important, since many law schools don't have any guidelines or prerequisites to follow.  Prelaw is not necessarily the route you want to go as each school has different prelaw programs. Consider other majors such as philosophy, economics or journalism. These Majors seem to have a high acceptance rate in Law School. Law school involves a lot of reading and critical thinking, so consider a major that will challenge you in those areas. Your GPA is one of the two most important factors for your law school applicati...

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. Charles McElyea   Question: Why did you become a lawyer?   Answer:   In Junior High School in Campbell, Mo. we were given an achievement test which also pointed out various occupations that best suited us. One area on my list was the law. At that time I wasn’t really sure what a lawyer did, but it sounded interesting so from that point forward I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. Question:  Where ...

Conducting family estate planning can be a difficult and emotional job.  Providing for the disposition of your assets however, is extremely important.  Having a Will that is complete and up to date along with other estate planning documents, will give you and your family peace of mind.   Here is a partial list of topics you should consider when preparing to do estate planning: Designating a Personal Representative or Trustee: This is the person (or persons) that you designate and trust to manage your affairs and wishes upon your passing.  They will ensure your financial requirements, wishes and desires are adhered to according to your Will or Trust.  Choices often include your spouse or surviving children.  A good strategy is to pick a primary choice and one or two alternates, and to check with them to make sure they are willing to serve. Powers of Attorney: There are 3 typical types of documents appointing a power of attorney...

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. Q & A with Attorney Matt Hamner Q)   Why did you become a Lawyer? A)   I read the book To Kill A Mockingbird in Seventh Grade and thought Atticus Finch was the coolest and said “What a great way to make a living.” Q)   Where did you go to school? (Undergrad/Law School) A)    I received both my undergraduate and Law degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Q)    W...

The Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch P.C. support many community events in the Lake of the Ozarks area.  We wanted to share some details on two upcoming events that we think are particularly worthy...The Polar Plunge and the Daybreak Rotary Winterfest. 2014 Polar Plunge at the Lake of the Ozarks - February 22nd Info for Blog gathered from -  http://somo.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1085756 This "unbearable" event is a unique opportunity to show your bravery as you support local Special Olympics athletes by walking, running or crawling into the frigid winter waters. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics Missouri’s year-round program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Event Location: Public Beach No. 2 Event Schedule: Registration - 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm Parade of Costumes line up for judging - 1:50 pm Parade of Costumes-...

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. Q & A with Attorney Deirdre O'Donnell Q)   Why did you become a Lawyer? A)   I had my first inkling of wanting to become a lawyer when I was working in St. Louis as a social worker. I was serving adults with disabilities who lived in a group home setting, and some of them were getting into trouble with the law. That got me thinking a lot about the importance of strong legal advocacy for people who cou...