Tag: Phoenix business lawyer

  • Why Don’t Lawyers Have Empathy?

    Shark Car Ornament by peggydavis66 from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    Shark Car Ornament by peggydavis66 from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    One of my entrepreneurial friends recently asked me this question. He works with lawyers in various aspects of his life. He previously asked me, “Why are you the only lawyer I like?” His most recent question made me ponder if and how empathy plays a role in the practice of law.

    We Do Have Empathy
    Good lawyers do have empathy for their client’s situation. I respect that my clients are often angry and scared. Their livelihood and sense of security may be on the line. I get that. Effective lawyers get that. If nothing else, it shows that we respect our clients’ perspective on the situation.

    However, the fact that we don’t commiserate with you doesn’t mean that we don’t care. The client will always be more emotionally invested in the can that the lawyer. That’s partly why you hire us – we’re more clearheaded and able to attack the situation logically, rather than feed our client’s anger and desire for revenge.

    We’re Professional Problem Solvers
    If you hire a lawyer, you’re paying us to fix or prevent a problem. At our core, that’s what we do.

    When you’re dealing with a legal problem, there’s always a chance you could lose. By hiring a lawyer, you’re betting that the odds of getting the outcome you want are better than if you hired someone else or tried to handle it yourself.

    It may seem like we don’t care if we’re not empathetic all the time, but at the end of the day, that’s not what you hired us to do. If we’re putting time and energy into validating your feelings, that’s time and energy we can’t put towards actually addressing the problem you hired to fix.

    It’s Not our Job to be Nice
    Sometimes we have to say things to our clients and prospective clients that they don’t want to hear, things like

    • I don’t think you have a case.
    • That’s not how the law works.

    One of the reasons why the world needs lawyers is because the law is not black-and-white. If the answers were easy to find or resolution easy to achieve, people wouldn’t need lawyers to solve their problems. Sometimes the situation involves bad choices by on people on both sides of the dispute. I don’t tell my clients that they fucked up, but often times, lawyers are hired to deal with preventable problems. I don’t shame my clients for their choices – everyone makes mistakes – but I try not to sugar coat it either.

    We’re lawyers, not miracle workers. We have to play the hand our client gives us.

    We’re Saving You Money
    One of the challenges of being a lawyer is the fact that we work and bill by the hour. I work in an eat-what-you-kill environment, so if I’m not billing, I’m not earning income. I take pride in the fact that I respect my clients’ budgets, but that means I have an obligation to work efficiently.

    If a client wants to have an empathy session, that’s fine, but I have to schedule and bill them for it. On most days, I have a to-do list of projects related to multiple client’s cases and I have as much of an obligation to do quality work for each one.  That’s why when I’m in the middle of working on work for a client, I won’t take calls because the distraction will impact my work for both clients, which will force me to take longer to complete my tasks for them.

    This question spawned some interesting conversation among my fellow legal eagles. It’s good to know that most lawyers I encounter seem to be thoughtful about this issue. If you want to hear more of my perspectives about being a lawyer, you can contact me directly or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn. You can also get access to more exclusive content, entrepreneurial tips, and rants that are available only to people on my mailing list, by subscribing here.

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    Ruth Carter

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  • Choosing a Business Partner – Bet on the Jockey, not the Horse

    Lone Star Park by Travis Isaacs (Creative Commons License)
    Lone Star Park by Travis Isaacs (Creative Commons License)

    When it comes to deciding who will be your business partner or a business investor, choose your associates with as much care as you would a romantic partner. When it comes to selecting these people, don’t you just look at their reputation, their track record, or their wallet. Look at who they are as a person. Look at how they work in relationships with others, their values, and their personality. If you are going to be intimately involved with this person from a business perspective, it should be someone you enjoy being around and who has values and goals that are compatible with yours.

    When Gary Vaynerchuk evaluates startup owners and businesses for investment purposes, he says he bets on the jockey, not the horse. That makes perfect sense because there are times of great ideas out there but a much smaller group of people who can take one of these ideas and execute on it in effectively. As Gary would say, “Ideas are shit. Execution’s the game.”

    Think of your business relationships as a “business marriage.” These are people with whom you will be legally connected and have fiduciary obligations to each other. And if things don’t work out, you will need to get a “business divorce” where one partner buys the other out or when the partners decide to shut down the business and divide whatever assets are left. I’ve worked on collaborative divorces where the owners realized that they could no longer work together on a business but they could agree on what terms they wanted for their separation. I’ve also worked on contentious business divorces where each side has legal representation and the contract negotiation is longer and the parties are much more antagonistic.

    In many cases, many problems in a business relationship or the business divorce could have been avoided had the parties verified that they were on the same page from the beginning of the relationship regarding their goals, how they were to run the business, and how they will resolve problems. Unfortunately, too many people use poorly written contract templates they find on the Internet or proceed without one at all. They don’t understand that it is cheaper and easier to write an effective contract with a lawyer at the big getting of a business relationship then for each side to have to hire someone to negotiate their business break up when things don’t work out.

    Choose your jockey (business partner) with care. If they treat other people poorly, they will treat you poorly. If you think you can manage or manipulate a person’s behavior, you are already asking for trouble. If your prospective partner balks at the idea of solidifying your relationship with an operating agreement or investor agreement, turn and run away. No one’s money is rich enough to make up for the headaches and heartbreak that result from not having a proper contract in place. In fact, the appropriate response to a request for a contract should be something along the lines of, “Duh.”

    If you want to chat more about the importance of business contracts or how to write one to accommodate your needs, you can contact me directly or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

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    Ruth Carter

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  • Entrepreneurship, Business Contracts, & Self-Awareness

    Meditation by Moyan Brenn from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    Meditation by Moyan Brenn from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    As a lawyer I am in a problem-solving industry. I much prefer to be on the problem prevention side than having to help my clients clean up the mess they find themselves in, but I try to help when and where I can.

    The last few months have been particularly frustrating. I’ve seen multiple situations where problems could have been prevented if the people involved had fully thought the situation through, called a lawyer to help them record their agreement in writing (and had the provisions they didn’t think about in advance), and signed their contract. Let me be clear – I’m not mad at my clients or prospective clients. I give them credit for realizing they are in over their heads and asking for help. The frustrating part is knowing that they are in difficult situations that could have been prevented.

    Well written contracts are business gold. They put everyone on the same page from the beginning of the relationship and they outline how the parties will deal with problems when they occur.

    I wonder what some people are thinking when they work without a contract or with a poorly written contract.

    • “We were too excited about the project to worry about a contract.”
    • “We were on a deadline.”
    • “I didn’t think we needed a contract.”
    • “The template I found online looked good enough at the time.”
    • “Hiring a lawyer is too expensive.”

    All of these are crappy excuses not to have a contract or to have an ineffective one. A responsible entrepreneur is thoughtful enough to know what their needs are including an awareness that they will be dealing with more pain if they have to clean up the mess compared to doing it right the first time. And if the person you’re working with doesn’t understand the value of having a legally sound contract written by someone who knows what they’re doing, I would have serious reservations about working with that person. I thoughtful entrepreneur knows it is a better use of their time and money to hire someone to draft a contract at the beginning of a project than to try to do it themselves and have to hire a lawyer later to clean up the mess they created for themselves.

    More entrepreneurs need to hear and to realize, that even though they might be running a solo shop, they never have to deal with a situation alone. They don’t have to have all the answers all the time. It’s ok to ask for help. In fact, it’s a sign that you are a good entrepreneur when you play to your strengths and you let other people use their best skills on your behalf. This requires a high degree of self-awareness and humility.

    Gary Vaynerchuk and his team made an awesome video about self-awareness as an entrepreneur. I regularly watch it as part of my journey as a business person.

    This is an area where I have substantial interest – both as a lawyer and an entrepreneur. If you want to chat more about this topic, you can contact me directly or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

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    Ruth Carter

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  • When “I’m Sorry” Isn’t Enough

    Sorry Bout That! by Anne-Sophie Ofrim
    Sorry Bout That! by Anne-Sophie Ofrim

    I’ve encountered a significant number of people in my short legal career who were under the impression that they could absolve themselves from legal wrongdoings by simply apologizing. Unfortunately for them, that is often not the case.

    When I first meet with a client, especially in situations where they suspect their intellectual property has been infringed, I start by asking, “How do you want this to end?” Their answer will inform me what I need to do to try to get their desired result (and if that result is available).

    Sometimes my client simply wants the alleged infringer to stop using their work. That requires a cease and desist letter from me and the recipient to cease and refrain from using the material in question. An apology isn’t even required. However, if my client wants money, and my evaluation of their case shows that they are eligible to collect, “I’m sorry” will not be enough to resolve the situation.

    In general, once lawyers are involved, “I’m sorry” is not going to be enough to fix the situation. If a person hires a lawyer, they are usually investing hundreds of dollars in an attempt to seek their preferred resolution. Very few people are willing to pay that amount just for an apology.

    In my experience, when one side gets a lawyer the other side should get one too – if only for a consultation to understand the totality of the situation. They need to understand their options for responding to a cease and desist or a demand letter and the likely consequences of each potential course of action. In a perfect world lawyers talk to lawyers when there is a dispute. They know the law best and can often speak more candidly about the situation and achieving a resolution.

    Every entrepreneur should watch Mike Montiero’s “F*ck You, Pay Me.” It’s an outstanding talk that shows how the legal system helps entrepreneurs protect their rights.

    If you believe your rights have been violated or you’ve received a notice from someone’s lawyer accuses you of intellectual property infringement, breach of contract, or the like, contact a lawyer in your community who can analyze the situation and advise you on your options. If you want to chat more about this topic, you can contact me or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

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    Ruth Carter

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  • Lawyers Protect you during a Business Divorce

    Pareja (Couple) by Daniel Lobo from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    Pareja (Couple) by Daniel Lobo from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    Over the last six months I’ve worked with a handful of companies that were experiencing major changes in regards to how the company is operating and who the owners are – usually resulting in one or more owners buying another one out. Sometimes the owners realize that they no longer have a shared vision and can work together amicably to resolve the situation so they can each move forward in their professional lives and sometimes it’s quite contentious. I often call the situations “business divorces.”

    When these situations happen, it’s helpful to get a business lawyer involved early in the process. You may only need in our consultation to discuss the situation in your proposed plan of action. Your lawyer can act as a neutral third party who doesn’t have invested ego in the outcome of the situation. Invite your lawyer to review your company’s operating agreement or bylaws (hopefully you have these) and remind you of what courses of action you previously agreed upon in this type of conflict (assuming you made these decisions when you started the company) and how to change the status of your business with your state’s corporation commission.

    Most business owners I know don’t want to think about the worst case scenario when their businesses are just getting off the ground and everyone is optimistic about the future; however, this is the best time to have this conversation and document it because this is when you are most likely to be thinking about what is fair and what is in the best interests of the company. If you wait until there is a conflict to try to have this conversation, you’re more likely to get into a battle of wills where people are more interested in what they want and/or hurting the other person.

    Additionally, if you are going through a “business divorce” expect it to take longer than you’d like. There may be valuations that need to be performed on the company, documents that need to be reviewed by your lawyer or accountant, and a custom contract drafted between you and your future-former-co-owner. This may involve a significant amount of negotiation and revisions.

    I actually enjoy drafting these documents to shift the ownership of the company, especially when both sides are represented by counsel. Each lawyer is an advocate for their client’s concerns without it having to be a combative situation. And we can shield our clients from the tribulations that would likely result if they tried to reach a resolution on their own. Ultimately we both want the same thing – a change in business ownership and clients who are satisfied with the outcome.

    If you are in a situation where the arrangement with your fellow business owners is no longer effective, please contact me or a business lawyer in your community. If you want to connect with me on social media, you can find me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn.

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    Ruth Carter

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  • Now Available – B Corporations in Arizona

    Welcome to Arizona! by Fred Miller from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    Welcome to Arizona! by Fred Miller from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    One of the awesome developments in the Arizona business community for 2015 is that businesses are allowed to form benefit corporations (B corporations) in this state. These are for-profit corporations that have other motives for being in business besides maximizing profits, and their shareholders are aware and accept that the company has dual motives. This motive must be to at least provide a “general public benefit,” meaning the business has a “material positive impact on society and the environment, taken as a whole, as assessed against a third-party standard, from the business and operations of a benefit corporation.” This option became available in Arizona at the beginning of the year.

    Given that this is a new type of business entity in this state, I looked to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) to get answers to my questions about B corporations.

    What information does a company have to provide to the ACC in the Articles of Incorporation?
    To create a B corporation, the incorporators must fill out the same Articles of Incorporation as other corporations in Arizona and pay a $60 filing fee ($95 for expedited processing). Every corporation is required to file an annual report with the ACC. B corporations must file an annual report and an annual benefit report where the company describes what general public benefit it provided. Each report has a separate filing fee.

    Can an existing Arizona corporation be converted to a B Corporation? If so, how? Please include information about the associated fee(s).
    Yes. An existing Arizona corporation can be converted to a B corporation by filing an Articles of Amendment with the ACC and paying a $25 filing fee ($60 for expedited processing). An Arizona LLC can also be converted into a B corporation under the Arizona Entity Restructuring Act.

    Is a B corporation taxed like a C corporation? If so, can a company be a B corporation and file as an S corporation with the IRS?
    Traditional corporations are C corporations, and they have double taxation where the corporation pays taxes on its income and the shareholders pay taxes. If the company qualifies, it may elect to be taxed as an S corporation where there is pass-through taxation so only the shareholders pay taxes on the income. Based on my research, a B corporation is taxed as a C corporation, but it has the option, if it qualifies, to be taxed as an S corporation.

    I tell all clients to talk to their accountant before starting their business to determine which type of business entity is right for them and to make sure they understand the tax implications. And yes, every business needs an accountant.

    Where can people go for more information about B corporations in Arizona?
    The ACC created a legislative update that is filled with information and links about B corporations in Arizona. This is a great resource if you’re interested in starting a B corporation or converting your business to a B corporation. If you still have questions after reading this, contact the ACC or a business attorney in your community.

    If you’re interested in B corporations but are unsure you want to create or convert your business to one at this time, you can look into being “B Corp. Certified” by B Lab.

    If you want to chat with me about this topic, feel free to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or you can email me.

    Please visit my homepage for more information about Carter Law Firm.

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    Ruth Carter

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  • Make Your New Year’s Resolution Legally Binding

    Resolving to Write More - a Worthy Thought by Carol VanHook from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    Resolving to Write More – a Worthy Thought by Carol VanHook from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    As I was reading my Twitter feed the other day, I saw a post that said only 8% of people keep their New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t know if that statistic is accurate but I believe the number is low. If you want help keeping your New Year’s Resolution, make it legally binding with a contract.

    Here’s what I suggest: get a friend who also has a New Year’s resolution and write a simple agreement with benefits for sticking to your resolution and penalties if you don’t. The penalty has to be painful enough that it motivates you to want to avoid it. And it helps if your friend is kind of a jerk who will hold you to it.

    If I were writing this type of contract, it would be something like this:

    Joe and Mike’s Resolution Agreement

    Parties.  The Parties to this Agreement are Joe Smith and Mike Jones.

    Consideration. In consideration of mutual desires to improve our lives and ourselves, we have created this binding agreement to stay motivated to stick to our New Year’s Resolutions.

    Joe’s Resolution. Joe currently weighs 250 pounds. Joe resolves to weigh 220 pounds or less on December 31, 2015. If Joe fails to do this, Joe will donate $1,000 to the charity of Mike’s choice on that day.

    Mike’s Resolution. Mike currently smokes a pack of cigarettes per day. Mike resolves to be a non-smoker by December 31, 2015. If Mike fails to do this, Mike will donate $1,000 to the charity of Joe’s choice on that day.

    The Celebration. If both of us are successful in keeping our resolutions, we will celebrate by getting opening day tickets for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

    This is a real contract. This contract is governed by Arizona law. All disputes will be resolved in litigation in Maricopa County.  The non-prevailing Party will be responsible for the prevailing Party’s attorneys’ fees. The Parties can modify this Agreement only in writing that’s signed by both Parties (but you better have a good reason to ask to change this Agreement).

    Signed by:

     

    Joe Smith                    Date                                       Mike Jones                 Date

     

    Witnessed by:

     

    Friend Name #1           Date                                    Friend Name #2             Date

     

    I threw in a celebration clause so both sides would have a reason to encourage their friend to keep their resolution, plus it’s always good to celebrate successes. I added in witnesses so there would be more people holding them accountable.  I’d tell both sides to put a copy of the contract on their refrigerator so they’d see it every day and remember the promises they made.

    Contracts are fun, and they can be simple and personalized and still be valid. Good luck to everyone who making resolutions for the next year. I hope you’re successful. If you want to chat with me about this topic, feel free to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or you can email me.

    Please visit my homepage for more information about Carter Law Firm.

    Hat tip to my friend Jeff Moriarty for suggesting this as a topic.

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    Ruth Carter

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  • End of the Year To-Do List for Entrepreneurs

    5/4/2010: To-Do List by john.schultz (Creative Commons License)
    5/4/2010: To-Do List by john.schultz (Creative Commons License)

    We’ve made it to December 2014! It’s hard to believe another year has flown by. I don’t know aobut your industry but most people stop calling their lawyers around the 15th or 20th of the month. (Exception: DUI attorneys.) That will give me almost two weeks to review and tie up loose ends from 2014 and get ready to hit the ground running in 2015. There are certain things I do as an entrepreneur during this time and I think they’re things all entrepreneurs should do.

    1.  See your Accountant
    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a good business accountant is worth their weight in gold. I see my accountant twice a year – when I’m getting ready to do my taxes in February or March and every December. Every December he looks at my books to give me an estimate regarding my taxes for the next year and tell me if I should do a spend down before the year ends. We also talk about my plans for the next year and what financial implications might be on the horizon.

    If your accountant advises you to do a spend down, buy quality things for your business – like new software or equipment or pre-pay for legal projects you want your attorney to tackle. Don’t buy a ton of pens and sticky notes that will take you a decade to use.

    2.  Fund your Retirement Account
    If you’re an entrepreneur, there’s a good chance you don’t have a 401(k) through your company. When you are your own boss, it’s your responsibility to prepare for your financial future, including getting a retirement account. If you don’t have one yet, start one. If you have one, give the maximum contribution if you can. The more you can put away when you’re younger, the faster it will grow.

    3.  Review your Progress from 2014
    I hope you had a list of goals for this year. Now is a great time to get that out and review all that you’ve done this year. Celebrate your victories and successes, and when you came up short, ask yourself what happened. Was it an unobtainable goal? Was there a shift in the company that made it a lower priority? Did you forget that it was your goal? Take some time to reflect on how you personally and how the business has changed in the last 12 months.

    4.  Write Down your Goals for 2015
    Think about the year ahead. What do you want to be able to say you did a year from now? Think about what you want to accomplish in the next 12 months and write down your goals. Try to make your goals measurable, tangible, and specific so it’s easier to determine if you’ve achieved them. Really take some time to think about what you want to do in 2015 and start laying the foundation to make it happen.

    I hope you’ve have a productive year and that you’re excited for what’s to come. I know I am – there are many projects in the works for 2015. If you want to chat with me about this topic, feel free to connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or you can email me.

    Please visit my homepage for more information about Carter Law Firm.

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    Ruth Carter

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  • Thoughts About Effective Contracts

    Signing Paperwork by Dan Moyle from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    Signing Paperwork by Dan Moyle from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    Some people think contracts are intimidating and others find them mind-numbingly boring. In general, I like working with contracts. I know this makes me sound like a big dork, but it’s true. I get to help my clients protect themselves and write for a living – two things I enjoy.

    When it comes to contracts, some clients hire me to review an existing contract and some hire me to draft a contract from scratch. Here’s one thing I learned in law school and have verified to be true in practice: the person who writes the contract, does so in the best interest of their client. So when you read a contract, think about which side wrote the first draft because I will guarantee it’s biased in their favor.

    For example, I’ve written plenty of contracts for situations where a business hires an independent contractor to work on a project. The contract verbiage can be very different when I’m representing the business than when I’m representing the contractor. This is why a lot of lawyers want to be the side that writes the first draft of a contract because they want to write in their client’s favor and negotiate from there.

    Recently, I’ve worked on a few contracts that reminded me how important it is to still be reasonable when writing contracts. If your contract template is too biased in your favor, or doesn’t give the other side any sense of security in the relationship, you may have a hard time finding people who are willing to sign it.

    I’ve seen this in particular to contract provisions about changing or terminating a contract. There are times, like when you’re a long-term service provider, where you need to be able to change the terms of the original agreement to reflect changes in the industry, your services, or your rates and it would be bad business practice to let the customer change the agreement. In some circumstances, the contract says that the provider can make any changes at any time and if the customer doesn’t like it, they can take their business elsewhere – very take it or leave it. Other times, it’s prudent to specify under what circumstances changes will be made, how much warning the customer will have prior to changes going into effect, and how that notification will be delivered.

    I prefer to think about contracts as relationship management documents.   When you’re writing or reviewing a contract, think about the expected lifespan of your relationship with the other side and how you want to feel about that relationship at the end of the day. And remember that contracts are binding documents so it’s important that your contracts reflect your needs and protect your interests. This is one of the times where it’s important to make sure you have an accurate document before you sign it because you may not be able to change it later if you realize after the fact that you’ve made a mistake.

    If you want to chat more about contracts, you can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or you can email me. You can also subscribe to the Carter Law Firm newsletter.
    Please visit my homepage for more information about Carter Law Firm.

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    Ruth Carter

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  • Why You Have to Respond to Suspected IP Infringement

    Cease and Desist by H.L.I.T. from Flickr (Creative Commons License)
    Cease and Desist by H.L.I.T. from Flickr (Creative Commons License)

    A few weeks ago we all had a good laugh when Jeff Briton, owner of Exit 6 Pub and Brewery in Cottleville, Missouri got a cease and desist letter from Starbucks when he named one of his craft beers “Frappicino.” Starbucks said this was too similar to their Frappuccino and even took the liberty of contacting the beer review website Untappd to get the Frappicino beer listing removed.

    Briton responded with a letter and a check for $6 – the profit he made from selling the beer to the three people who reviewed it on Untappd. If you haven’t read this letter yet, go do it. It’s hilarious.

    My hat’s off to Briton for writing such a brilliant response and turning this situation into an awesome opportunity to promote Exit 6. Some people might say that Starbucks’ lawyers were being jerks for sending a cease and desist letter to the little guy who wasn’t their competition anyway. But it was what Starbucks had to do to protect its intellectual property.

    When you have a copyright or a trademark and you know that someone is using your intellectual property without your permission and you do nothing, you send a message that you don’t care about protecting your intellectual property rights. If you let the little guys get away with things like Frappicino beer and then one of your big competitors does something similar and you try to lay the smack down on them, your competitor will have an argument that your track record shows that you let others use your property without permission or penalty. By not protecting your intellectual property, you put yourself at risk of losing your intellectual property rights.

    It’s because of this risk that Starbucks has to send cease and desist letters to Exit 6 Pub. This is why I tell clients to keep an eye out for other people using their intellectual property. In trademark situations, a cease and desist letter is usually the proper response, even in situations like Frappicino beer.

    This is also why I tell bloggers and photographers to be diligent about who is using their work. If they find that someone’s using their copyrights without permission, even if they’re ok with it, I often recommend they contact the alleged infringer and grant them a license after the fact and request an attribution if the infringer didn’t give them one. If they’re not ok with what the alleged infringer did, we discuss whether the artist wants to send a cease and desist, a DMCA takedown notice, a licensing agreement with a bill, or sue for infringement. There should always be a response.

    If you have questions about your intellectual property rights or your strategy to protect them, please contact an intellectual property attorney in your community. If you have questions related to copyright or trademark and blogging, please check out my book The Legal Side of Blogging: How Not to get Sued, Fired, Arrested, or Killed.

    If you want to chat with me more about this topic, you can connected with me on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or you can email me. You can also subscribe to the Carter Law Firm newsletter.
    Please visit my homepage for more information about Carter Law Firm.

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    Ruth Carter

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