PMCW Law

How can you know for sure if your business would benefit from having legal contracts? The short is answer is that companies can always benefit from using legal contracts to document their practices. In fact, our business attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks would argue that drafting solid legal contracts may well be one of the most important steps new business owners can take. Keep reading to find out some of the different ways solid contracts can protect your company. Protecting Your Corporate Secrets It doesn't matter if you own a small company with three employees or a major company with over one hundred employees - every business has secrets. Whether your deal with recipes or corporate strategies, during your time in business you will develop your own unique ways of doing things. Having your employees sign legally binding confidentiality agreements can ensure that these secrets will be guarded - or, at the very least, give you an option for legal recourse if informatio...

If you have suffered a personal injury, regardless of whether or not you were responsible for the accident, the very first thing you should do is seek medical attention immediately. Once you have received the proper care so you can begin your journey towards healing, you can dedicate some time and attention to the other details that need addressed. If your injuries were due to the negligence of another individual, there will be a whole other responsibility that needs tending to: filing a personal injury lawsuit at the Lake of the Ozarks . Filing A Personal Injury Lawsuit If you have suffered an injury due to the negligence or fault of anther, you may be able to seek financial compensation for your medical bills, missed time from work, associated pain and suffering, and other damages. Hiring a Missouri personal injury attorney should be your first step towards pursuing your damages, but it is only the tip of the iceberg. Your attorney will be able to guide you through the proc...

At Lake of the Ozarks, most of the summer is spent on the water. Although the end of summer is approaching, there are still a couple months left in the boating season. With Labor Day Weekend coming up and plenty of weekends still on the horizon, there will be many boats out on the Lake. It is important to always be cautious whenever you are out on the water, especially if there are a lot of boaters. In today's blog, your Lake of the Ozarks attorneys offer a few tips to help keep you and your family safe while out on the water. 1. Always Wear a Life Jacket Wearing a life jacket is a very simple task that that is extremely effective in saving lives. Missouri law requires boats to have U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets on board for every passenger on their watercraft. However, many people do not wear them. If you are in a boating accident, you may not have time to reach for your life jacket. Children under the age of seven are required to wear a life jacket whenever ...

"Is it time to for me to start thinking about estate planning?" If you are already asking yourself that question, the answer should be automatic - yes. Estate planning is the act of organizing your estate so that your assets and responsibilities are appropriately cared for and distributed to your surviving friends and family members after you pass away. Your estate planning attorney in Camden County, MO will be able to help you properly plan your estate so that the transition will be as seamless as possible. Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. has a solid team of experienced local estate planning attorneys, and we would be honored to help you make your important preparations. Wills vs Trusts While similar, wills and trusts are important estate planning documents with some distinct differences. For example, a will only comes into effect after your death, whereas a trust may become active as soon as you sign it.  Wills allow you to designate which pers...

Who is the father of your child? Believe it or not, from a legal perspective, the answer to this question may not be as obvious as it seems. There have always been children born out of wedlock, but with today's couples waiting longer and longer to get married (or foregoing an official marriage altogether), the number of children born to unmarried parents is on the rise. While identifying the biological mother of the child is easy (for obvious reasons), identifying paternity is not always as cut-and-dried. Our family attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks are here to explore this particular issue. When Paternity Is Uncontested In an ideal setting, there would be no question about whom the father of the child is. When both parents are in agreement regarding whom the father is, establishing paternity is generally more simplified . If the couple is married, the husband is the presumed father of the child, accordi ng to Missouri law . If the couple is unmarried, the parents m...

Many people are more comfortable traveling by road than other avenues (such as trains or airplanes), but the truth is that car accidents are exceedingly common. On a national level, thousands of accidents occur every day. Despite how relatively common they are, many drivers are unsure how to handle accidents when they do occur. Our traffic lawyers at the Lake of the Ozarks are here to help. What You Should Do When You Get In An Accident There is a certain protocol drivers should follow after they have been in a car accident. As a general rule, drivers who have been in an accident should always: Call the police. Exchange names and insurance information with the other driver(s). Take pictures of the accident and associated damage. Get names/contact information of any witnesses. Remain at the scene of the accident until all necessary business has been attended to. By following this general procedure, you can help ensure that you will have all the information you ne...

Jury duty is one of the hallmarks of the American judicial system. Among other things, the Sixth Amendment guarantees individuals facing criminal allegations to the right to an impartial jury. This impartial jury is comprised by everyday American citizens, just like you, who have been called upon to serve as jurors.  If you have not yet been called for jury duty (or even if you have served before), you may have several questions about the process. This week, the attorneys at our general practice law firm in Camdenton MO  are here to answer some of the common questions people have about jury duty. Q:  Is Jury Duty Mandatory? A:   Yes. If you have been called, participation is mandatory (unless you have been explicitly excused by the Court). Q:  What Happens To My Job While I'm On Jury Duty? A:   Employers are required to allow their employees to serve jury duty without having to use their vacation or sick leave. They are not required to pay you ...