Here are a few things adopting parents should know before they go ahead with the adoption which your Memphis Adoption Attorney will tell you.

1.    Adoption can be Time Consuming

Adopting a child is not a process that can be fast tracked. There are several legal and administrative layers of work that need to be fulfilled. If your adoption takes time don’t grow restless or irritated. Adoption organizations want to make sure they have your complete data and are content with your abilities as a parent before handing the baby out to you.

2.    Get your Documents in Order

Adopting a child is an important responsibility, you cannot expect to be handed that easily. You will need to show a number of different family records, financial documents etc. to prove that you are legally qualified to adopt a child. A good way to start up on this is reading about eligibility requirements for parents looking to adopt over the internet.

3.    Learn about the child before Adoption

While you’ll get a lot of time to get to know the child once you have adopted them, it is important to know as much up front as possible. There needs to be background research conducted about the child which means finding out their medical record, circumstances of their entry into the adoption home etc. before you make your decision.

4.    Adoption is not shopping, respect the child’s emotions

Adopting a child is not like going to a shop and making a purchase. The child is a human being that has emotions, likes and dislikes. If the child is an infant they may not have the same attachment issues that a slightly grown up child might have. Children over the age of four can find it hard to adapt to a new environment and may need nurturing throughout.

5.    Use a professional Attorney/Agency/Organization

If you are adopting a child, you need to make sure that it is lawful and fulfills all the legal and administrative criterions. For that, you will need help from a professional Adoption Attorney or adoption agency.

There are legal strings attached to adoption. To make sure these strings don’t hold you back contact our adoption law department today!

The post Top 5 Things You Should Know About Adoptions appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.

What is to be done in such cases? When debt needs collection, it is required to avoid violent confrontations and use tactics that allow you and the payee to solve the problem with a good settlement. Bosserman Law small business attorneys are available to help small business owners recollect their owed debt and keep their business functioning in harmony.

What To Do When Your Clients Have Unpaid Invoices?

Send a Demand Letter

Before hiring a collection agency, ask your attorney to draft up a demand letter for the payable amount to your company.

Lawyer up or Hire a Collection Agency

When the above fails, you can try revisiting your contract to try and persuade the client with an arbitration clause, if you don’t have the arbitration clause, you should pursue this through legal procedures. Bosserman Law can guide you through what measures there are to be taken to reclaim the money that your client owes you.

You can also consider hiring a collection agency. There are a number of things to consider when hiring a collection agency. First of all, you should ask the people you trust and know to point you in the right direction. Getting a collection agency that has dealt with similar cases as your own business can be helpful, as they know how to approach such cases better than the business owners themselves.

Collection Agency Procedures

There are two ways the collection agencies work:

They can work with you to help recover the debt that the customer’s owe you, for a retainer of course, normally 30% of the owed debt or the company can buy the debt from you for a lower price and can help you get rid of the client instantly. This depends on the business owner as to how they want to approach the situation, they can put in the effort and fight for the debt or just let the company sort it out after selling it off.

Winning A Judgment

After you have won a judgment, and it still needs to be paid by a client who is in another state, you will need to hire a lawyer in the client’s state and enforce the judgment through legal means. Once again, you have the option of selling the debt to the collection agency and be done with it.

After winning the judgment, it is possible that the Agency’s price for buying the debt would be higher than if you were trying to sell the debt without settlement.

Consultation with your attorney on this matter is the key and they can help you make the better decision when considering selling your debt or not.

For further assistance in the matter, search for Bosserman Law in Southaven and get paid today.

The post Debt Collection Assistance for Small Businesses appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.

Good Business Partner

Maintaining the success of your business requires hard work but sometimes, you may need more than just that. With hard work come more contacts and the need for advice from trusted people. A lawyer will make sure that they guide you through the process of employee hiring as well as safety regulations that need to be conducted in your work environment. They will provide you with the right strategy for your startup to expand and generate profit. A hired lawyer would always make sure that their client gets the best out of every deal they have.

Handling Crisis

When starting a small business, getting sued is the worst thing that could happen to you as the money that you were supposed to put in your business all goes into legal fees and attorneys. This is the reason why having a lawyer hired before starting a business is essential. Many lawsuits can be avoided or settled for a low amount if the company has a legal advisor backing them up.

Obtaining Patents

America has a very complicated system of Patents and obtaining one can require a tedious process. Having a lawyer by your side helps you speed up the process substantially. Lawyers can even help you avoid a patent violation.

There have been many small businesses that have been shut down as the idea that their company was based on had been patented by someone else. Lawyers know their way around the patent system and can help you accumulate enough information to acquire a patent for your own idea without being sued or shutdown.

When hiring a startup attorney in Mississippi, be sure to contact Kelly Michael Bosserman, who specializes in:

• Collections
• Corporation/LLC formation
• Business planning
• Business succession
• Leases
• Regulatory Issues and Filings

The post Why do you need lawyers when starting up a small business appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.

Mississippi adheres to a specific set of codes when it comes to child support payments. In case of a divorce when the child is handed custody to one parent, the other parent is required to pay child support. To determine the amount to be paid and settle the matter, finding a child support attorney in South Haven is important. However, it is not that difficult as there are many lawyers who specialize in constructing these agreements.

This law was formed so that the parent who is not living with the child full time has to bear responsibility as well, and pay for the needs of the child/children as well. The custodial parent is obligated for child support too; however, there is no certain percentage of their income that has to be documented legally as the state assumes that this parent will be providing for their children through their assets.

The payments made by the custodial parents continue till the child turns 21. In case the child is sentenced in a juvenile facility, the non custodial parent is not obligated to pay child support for the period the child spends in jail.

How to calculate the payments?

To calculate the amount that a non-custodial parent has to pay, the first thing to know is the total income from all sources. These include salary, commissions, investments, trust and inheritance.

Taxes, disability contributions, social security contributions and mandatory retirement are to be subtracted from these and the difference would be the Gross income.

Child support percentage is as follows:

• 1 child: 14% of income
• 2 children: 20% of income
• 3 children: 22% of income
• 4 children: 24% of income
• 5 or more children: 26% of income

Adjustments in the amount paid

In some cases, it is possible that the amount being paid for child support is unfair to a parent or the child. In some cases, the amount set by the state can be rebutted with evidence of factors such as extraordinary medical expenses, child’s own income, increase in either parents’ income, and the child’s age.

As times, agreements have been made between the parents to adjust the child support amount to be fair to the other parent. This agreement has to be written though and submitted in court where the agreement has to be approved by a judge.

Details for this process can be discussed with your child support attorney in Southaven, as they can better guide you to what would be fair for you and your child. For more information on family law, contact us today!

The post What are the essential things you should know about child support in Mississippi. appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.

To help you better understand the process of domestic adoption, we’ll take a look at some of the most common myths and realities.

International Adoption is More Common Than Domestic

Fiction. While international adoptions are certainly common, domestic adoptions occur more frequently in the United States. In fact, the number of international adoptions is shrinking overall with the Wall Street Journal referencing 6,441 international adoptions in 2014 vs. 23,000 in 2004. Many families are choosing to go the domestic route when it comes to adopting a child.

Domestic Adoptions Are More Open Than They Were in the Past

Fact. The general nature of adoption has changed greatly over the past few decades with more people favoring a transparent process. Instead of conducting the process in secret, adoptive parents and birth parents are more likely to take the time to get to know each other these days. This approach to adoption allows more information about the child’s medical and family history to be shared as well.

Domestic Adoptions Are Long, Drawn-Out Processes

Fiction (mostly). Why do we say mostly? Because the actual duration of an adoption process does vary, and there are no guarantees as far as an end-date. Without the right guidance, you can find yourself tangled up in home studies, court hearings and more. However, the right counsel makes a world of difference.

At Bosserman Law, we understand the ins and outs of adoption because we’ve been through the process ourselves. Our guidance will turn the process into a joyful one for you and your growing family.

If you’re not sure where to begin or just need a confidential ear, reach out to Bosserman Law today by calling 662.890.9558. We’ll provide the guidance you need to begin building or expanding your family.

The post Domestic Adoption: Fact vs. Fiction appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.

Filing for divorce is a difficult decision for anyone and knowing which type of divorce to file for can be confusing. Here’s what you need to know about contested divorces as compared to non-contested divorces in Mississippi.

The Difference Between Contested and Non-contested Divorce

First, it’s important to understand what constitutes a non-contested divorce and a contested divorce. You may also hear non-contested divorces referred to as “no-faults” divorces. Couples who file for a non-contested divorce typically cite irreconcilable differences and agree on the major issues pertaining to the divorce.

A contested divorce is fault-based, meaning a legal reason is cited as the cause of the divorce. There are several fault grounds in Mississippi including adultery, cruel and inhuman treatment, insanity, and desertion for one year or longer.

Important Information about Contested Divorces

First, you or your spouse must have had residency in the state of Mississippi for six months or longer to file for either type of divorce. However, with contested divorces, whoever files for divorce must prove the fault they cited as the legal reason for divorce. The other spouse will respond to the fault grounds with an acceptance or denial.

As you might have surmised, contested divorces take longer than non-contested divorces as a general rule. A Final Judgment of Divorce can be made 60 days after the initial complaint is filed. However, with a contested divorce, the court will have to decide on many of the issues at hand, lengthening the process.

An experienced attorney is a key requirement to successfully navigating a contested divorce. At Bosserman Law, we understand the challenges of divorce and how to reach a favorable outcome. To discuss your case and how to proceed, contact us today at 662.890.9558 to set up a consultation.

The post Filing For Contested Divorce in the State of Mississippi appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.

Is it possible for anyone other than yourself to make sense of your financial matters?

What would you want done should you be incapacitated?

It sounds depressing to think of these questions when you’re still in good health. But getting your affairs in order will give you peace of mind and make things easier for your loved ones at a difficult time.

Here’s how you can get your affairs in order in three easy steps.

1. Round Up Your Important Documents

Unless you plan on sending your loved ones on a wild goose chase, you should gather all your important papers and store them in one place.

Important documents include your financial records, deeds to any property you own, insurance policies and personal records such as birth certificates and divorce papers.

2. Make a Will

If you die without a will, the law will decide who your heirs are.

This could be a problem.

You might want to leave some of your property to a close friend, or make a bequest to your favorite charity. You might also want to exclude someone who would otherwise inherit by law. This isn’t possible unless you have a will.

Your will tells people exactly how you want your property to be divided up when you’re gone. You’ll also nominate an executor to sort it out and decide who’ll take care of your minor children and pets.

3. Plan Ahead

Death isn’t the only bad thing that could happen.

An accident or illness could leave you unable to take important decisions for yourself, leaving the task to distraught relatives.

Make life easier for your loved ones by drawing up a legal document that gives you a say on how your affairs are to be conducted.

A living will allows you to set out your wishes on what kind of health care you want, so your relatives won’t need to make those tough decisions for you. Alternatively, you could nominate a person and empower them to take medical decisions on your behalf by means of a power of attorney.

Are you looking to get your affairs in order? Contact Bosserman Law at 662-890-9958 to set up an appointment.

The post How To Get Your Affairs In Order in 3 Easy Steps appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.

Adopting a child can be lengthy and complicated, but it’s usually much simpler when you’re a stepparent.

As a stepparent, you’re legally connected to one of the children’s parents. You’re also living with the children already. Because of these circumstances, the courts are more likely to dispense with hurdles such as home visits.

Unfortunately, you might still face some obstacles to complete the process. Here’s what you need to know.

Getting Parental Consent

The biggest hurdle in a stepparent adoption is obtaining the other birth parent’s consent.

Adoption terminates parental rights. A birth parent might be reluctant to give consent, especially if he or she is still a presence in the children’s lives. The flip side is that adoption also terminates parental responsibilities, including the obligation to make child support payments.

Should the birth parent refuse consent, it might still be possible to go ahead with the adoption. In order to do so, however, you’ll need to prove abandonment, lack of fitness or that the parent isn’t the presumed father.

How To Prove Abandonment

To prove abandonment, you’ll need to show the birth parent doesn’t communicate with or financially support the child. Failure to communicate or make child support payments must have happened continuously for a given length of time.

How To Prove Lack Of Fitness

The court decides whether a birth parent is unfit at a fitness hearing.

You’ll need to prove the birth parent is abusive, doesn’t visit, has mental problems, has a drug or alcohol addiction or is in prison.

Presumed Fatherhood

Most states have laws that set out who is presumed to be a child’s father.

The court can terminate parental rights if you can prove the person refusing consent doesn’t meet your state’s legal definition of a presumed father. That way, you’ll no longer need his consent to go ahead with the adoption.

Do you need help with the stepparent adoption process? Contact Bosserman Law at 662-890-9958 to schedule a consultation.

The post Stepparent Adoption: What You Need To Know appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.

But which legal form is right for your business?

And should you even incorporate at all?

Read on to find out.

Should You Incorporate?

When you’ve been doing business for a while, incorporating may seem like the logical next step.

But incorporation isn’t just a milestone to check off your list, it’ll also change the way you run your business and increase your business expenses. It makes sense to take a critical look at your business and carefully consider whether incorporation actually makes sense for you.

There are many advantages to incorporating. The most obvious is enhanced credibility for your brand. Incorporation also provides less glamorous, albeit more practical benefits, such as tax advantages and personal asset protection. The trade-off is enhanced scrutiny and the need to comply with federal and state legislation.

Corporation or LLC?

Both corporations and LLCs are separate legal entities, which enjoy certain advantages and legal protections. When you incorporate your business, it becomes a legal person in its own right. It can sue and be sued in its own name, and its assets and liabilities are completely separate from yours.

However, corporations and LLCs enjoy different benefits and protections under the law.

Corporations have significant tax advantages. It’s possible, for instance, to deduct a corporation’s business losses from your personal tax return, including startup costs. A corporation can also provide considerable savings on Social Security and Medicare taxes. That said, corporations must have a set management structure, and unless your business is a certain size, this may not be feasible.

LLCs offer the same major benefits as corporations, including safeguarding your personal assets, but don’t have the same extensive tax advantages. The flipside is that the management structure is more flexible. This makes an LLC a better choice if you own a small business.  Depending on your state, there may be a wide range of differences in fees for the LLC and the corporation.

Are you thinking of incorporating? Reach out to Bosserman Law at (662) 890-9558 for a consultation.

The post LLC or Corporation: Which Legal Form is Right for Your Business? appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.

Building a business is hard work, sure, but few things can beat the satisfaction of seeing your idea grow and become successful.

But first, you need a solid business plan.

Here’s how to go about it.

Why You Need a Business Plan

Unless you’re fronting your business’s startup costs out of your own pocket, you’ll need to get some funding. Unfortunately, no one’s going to give you their money if they don’t know how you plan to make your business financially viable.  

However, a business plan isn’t just a fundraising tool. It helps you understand how your business is put together and identify any weak spots. Writing it down also forces you to remain accountable, which increases your chances of success.

What Should You Include in Your Business Plan?

A business plan is your vision for your business’s future. It can take many forms, from that paragraph you scrawled on the back of an envelope to those thick documents in corporate boardrooms.

However, it’s always a good idea to include the following elements:

The basic concept

This is where you flesh out your idea. Questions you’d want to answer here include what product or service you’ll provide, how you’re going to provide it, and who your target customers are.

Your strategy

Once you’ve established what your business will do and what you want to achieve, it’s time to set some targets. What specific actions will you take to move closer to your business goals?

Your competitive advantage

You need to persuade your prospective customers that you’re the only one who can satisfy their needs. Unless you’re clear about this yourself, that’s going to be tough.

Financials

Think carefully about what everything will cost and how much revenue you think you’ll earn. Be conservative, so you’ll avoid nasty surprises. Besides startup and other running costs, you should also budget for unforeseen expenses.

Do you need help drawing up a business plan for 2016? Contact Bosserman Law at (662) 890-9558 to set up an appointment.

The post How To Create a Business Plan for Your Small Business appeared first on Kelly Bosserman Law.