GEORGIA VIRTUAL LAW FIRM BLOG

To continue from our last post, here are more super basic tips that we hope will help encourage you to take the plunge and start your business or to examine what changes you need to make with your current one:

1. Have a team: We all have talents, some of you excel in math (don’t be shy, we know you’re out there and we need you!), others are brilliant in the visual aspects of marketing and branding–nonetheless, it’s important from the beginning to have a diversity of talent surrounding you.  Above having an accountant or bookkeeper and attorney (unless of course, you have those skills yourself), there are other valuable people you can use to help you grow your business. If you’re not a business person, ask your friend who just received their MBA to lunch or coffee to brainstorm your latest ideas, or if you can, hire them on an hourly basis.  An “idea” person should not be overlooked too, especially if you are in sales–brainstorming sessions allow you to develop your objectives and goals for the company while also providing an outlet for all the other stressful day-to-day business activities.

2. Have a board of directors.  This may sound stupid or irrelevant if you are just starting a business.  It’s very likely your board is picked from your team of helpers, which is a great place to start.  Having a board accomplishes several things: first, it lends credibility, for example, if you owned an art gallery and had your accountant, lawyer, a curator from a major museum or auction house, and a retired gallery owner on there, it looks good to have people from diverse professions who believe in your business.  If your grandfather lends you money to start your business, put him on your board (he has an invested interested and obviously wants to see you succeed).  Second, having a board forces you to adopt a discipline of looking at balance sheets, reviewing your business objectives, and constantly thinking of ways to grow.  By having a board, you are mirroring what big companies do, and that’s a good place to start in becoming one yourself.

3. Keep separate accounts.  If you have an accountant or bookkeeper, they will already set you up with separate accounts.  Even if you’re a sole proprietorship, keeping your personal accounts separate from your business from the beginning allows you to easily monitor your expenses and income.  And, look for credit cards that offer perks or cash back, and it’s an easy way to monitor your expenses.

We all like to think that we can escape from things unscathed, especially when it comes to business.  As much as we want to avoid it–it’s inevitable–we will make a mistake.  The whole reason for the mistake is to learn from it (and hopefully never repeat it again!).

When starting a business, many entrepreneurs naturally want to cut corners and save money, which makes sense up to a point.  However, you don’t want to have to repeat the same work if you did it wrong the first time, which inevitably, does not save you money.   That’s why it’s important when you’re incorporating your business to do it right the first time rather than to find the hidden mistakes down the road.  Save the inevitable mistakes for later!

Once you’ve done the essential steps of determining what type of business you want to start, determining the legal structure of your business (sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, etc),  you may want to consider a couple of things:

1. Don’t try to incorporate your business yourself.  There are many specific documents that need to be filed when starting your own business, and many times documents can be incomplete or documents are missing under the Georgia Corporation code.  There are on-line incorporation packages that are affordable and legitimate (when I say legitimate, it means your documents are reviewed by lawyers that understand proper business filing actions)–everyone knows you want to save your money for other important things like marketing, design, and improving your company.  If you’re looking for forms, then search no further and click here using our secure Virtual Law Firm.

2. Don’t automatically sign yourself up as a registered agent.  There’s nothing wrong with you being your own registered agent, however, you may want to consider the county of jurisdiction if you were faced with a lawsuit as some counties are more business-friendly than others.

3. Secure your business name and website domain name.  Even if you’re not ready to create a website, go ahead and save it for a future project to ensure no one else does while focusing on other areas of your business.

Stay tuned,

(Hurricane Sandy Storm Path, Wikipedia)

Concern over employees getting paid while out of work due to Hurricane Sandy is no issue for lawyers.

While Hurricane Sandy has affected many businesses and their ability to operate, luckily in this virtual world, it hasn’t disabled everyone from work; this is no more true than for law firms in Manhattan.  Hurricane Sandy may have temporarily closed down law firm offices, but it hasn’t stopped lawyers from continuing to work.

Even when the office is shut down, there are expectations from client and their employers, and the clock doesn’t stop.  Clients expect that, even if they are unable to work and go on-line, their lawyer is able to continue working and billing.  And, associates must meet the billable requirements set up by the firm–no excuses.

In a way, natural disasters can funcation as a way of “cleansing” the way you practice.  It forces you to focus your reinvestments on what’s essential to your practice and to morph your practice to be more transportable.

In Georgia, many counties require on-line e-filing of pleadings, which means if you have a computer and a phone, you can essentially practice anywhere (until you need to appear in court, right?!).  And in cases without power, candlelight and paper file review, while not the most expedient, still get the job done.

If you ask your friends or family whether they have a will, the likelihood is that they would say no.  It’s no surprise that seven out of ten people die without a will in the United States.  But why?  Surveys say that people don’t have time to think about tomorrow as they’re too stressed about today.   Or, that most people don’t want to think about death.  For me, I tend to procrastinate on things like this, but after getting married and having a child, the world looks different.

Everyone knows that if you die without a will a court picks someone to handle your estate, and they decide how to disperse your hard-earned money.  If both parents of a child die, the court decides who their legal guardian will be.  If you’re not legally divorced when you die, all of your estate could go to him or her, and not your children.  Yikes.  Please tell me this scares you a bit.

If, however, you have a will, you decide what you want to do with your money, your possessions, and your children.  Most of us support local charities that benefit from our donations, so why not make a difference and include them in your will?

The real question is, if this doesn’t motivate you to get a will, what would?  We’re so concerned about our things when we’re alive, shouldn’t we care as much about what happens to it after we’re gone?

Everyone wants convenience and ease in everything they do.  It’s particularly true in the things they don’t have to but need to do.  Most people say they would likely create a Georgia will if there was a valid, easy way to do it online.

We’re listening, and the solution is here, it’s easy and it’s affordable.  Stop putting it off and say you’ll do it tomorrow because there is now a valid, easy way to create a Georgia will on-line right here.  No more excuses.  Our Georgia law firm has created an on-line form for you because it’s important for everyone to have a will.

The best parts are: it doesn’t require an appointment with a lawyer or even a call, you can work on it any time anywhere you want, it’s affordable, and after it is reviewed by a Georgia lawyer, you’re done!  So, One, click here and go to client login, Two, register (so that we know where to e-mail your will) and pay online, Three, complete the questionnaire (the questions regarding your will), click Submit, and after it’s reviewed, you’re done.  Easy and valid, that’s all you need.

Stop procrastinating.  Get your Georgia will online today!

We like helping clients!

There’s no other way to state it.  Every day we strive to offer our clients a better alternative to traditional legal services in Georgia.  That is why we launched our virtual law firm to provide limited-scope representation for common legal issues.  We were recently gratified when a client purchased our Georgia Power of Attorney with Durable Provisions and repeatedly thanked us and praised our services.

Our client lives in an assisted living facility.  She is competent, lucid and a very smart woman, and she was in the process of transitioning her authority to a daughter.  Thus, she knew she wanted a Georgia Power of Attorney with Durable Provisions in order that her daughter could make certain financial decisions if necessary.  But, she doesn’t have a car!  And, she’s moved to our community to be nearer to more family so she didn’t know any lawyers.  To further complicate things, she, like most people her age, is on a fixed income.  Thus, finding a lawyer, scheduling appointments, arranging transportation, and paying fees for such a simple document seemed daunting!

Fortunately, the director of her facility is a friend of the Cobb Law Group, and she asked us for a solution.  Our Virtual Law Firm was the perfect answer!  From the convenience of a computer at her assisted living facility, our client was able to register as a client of our law firm, choose the Power of Attorney she wanted, and–this is the best part–she paid substantially less than she would have paid in a traditional law firm environment, and she had the completed document that same afternoon!

The Cobb Law Group is pleased that our Georgia Virtual Law Firm saved her headaches, time and money!  If you or anyone you know needs a typical Georgia legal form, please check out the documents which we offer online through our virtual law platform.

By:  Dorothy A. Spencer

A major change in Georgia’s jury system has occurred!  As of July 1, 2012, the local jury pool has expanded to include every citizen who legally is eligible to serve on a jury.

So, if you are:

• 18 years old; and

• a citizen of the county where you vote or hold a driver’s license,

you made the cut!

So, what has changed?  Well, a couple of things.  Until now, Georgia was the only state remaining that used “forced balancing” of jury pools.  This meant, whenever a jury pool was created by the local jury commission, the goal was for them to not be skewed according to gender or race, so essentially, the pool would be “balanced” by eliminating eligible members.  Other changes include how grand jurors will be selected.  In the past, only the names of persons deemed by jury commissioners to be the ‘most intelligent, most experienced and most upright citizens’ of the county were placed in the grand-jury pool.  Not any more.

The only unforseen inconvenience to the public is the possibility of being summoned for jury duty when you’ve already been permanently excused from jury service due to age or medical reasons.  For everyone else, if you receive a summons for jury duty, look at it as an opportunity to learn more about our judicial system.  It’s not much, but you do get paid!

It may sound crazy, but this is a great time to start a new business in Georgia!  This probably contradicts many people’s concepts of reasonable business practices, but here’s some of the big reasons why 2012 is a great time to launch a new business:

10.  Thanks to technology, many new business ideas can be run from your house or existing office space, which means little overhead;
9.  More and more customers are learning to trust businesses without store fronts;
8.  If you want a store front, it’s a great time to rent or purchase office space at a premium discount;
7.  There is a large competitive work force which means you can pay less for more talented employees;
6.  In a slower economy, you pursue your recreational interest less so use that time constructively to start a small business of your own;
5.  The Internet allows you opportunities to reach a global market very quickly;
4.  The State of Georgia is offering small businesses a free website in order to promote their business;
3.  Desperation can be the Mother of Invention;
2.  Small businesses which start and survive now can position themselves to thrive when the economy turns around; and
1.  The Georgia Virtual Law Firm gives Georgia businesses access to legal representation at affordable, predicable costs!

The Georgia Virtual Law Firm offers many services which are vital to a successful start-up business at a much lower rate than traditional legal representation.  Did you know, for example, that we offer complete Georgia Incorporation packages, Georgia LLC formation packages, and Georgia Partnership packages (we also offer all of the separate documents a la carte so you can pick and choose the documents which you need)?!

Please keep in mind, that these Georgia legal forms are for smart, savvy people who have some idea of their needs and are willing to do part of the work themselves!  For example, traditionally, a new Georgia business might hire a law firm to prepare and file their incorporation documents.  Although it may not be openly discussed, the client pays for the law firm to assist in signing the documents, photocopying and finalizing the documents, delivering the documents to the Georgia Secretary of State, waiting for the copies, and writing a letter to the client to send them copies of the documents.  This is a great service (and we provide these services in a brick-and-mortar office), but many people can perform these steps themselves and save themselves a great deal of money.

The Georgia Virtual Law Firms’s services do not end with corporate or entity formation, we can review your office lease, draft business contracts, draft the “small print” for your legal contracts and invoices–virtually anything a traditional law firm can help you with. Let your dreams of owning your own business with less up-front incorporation costs become a reality and click on our Georgia Virtual Law Firm Link today!

This is a general information article and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. The content above has been edited for conciseness and additional relevant points are omitted for space constraints. Readers are encouraged to seek counsel from a construction lawyer for advice on a particular circumstance.

As you probably know, a Last Will and Testament allows you to direct the distribution of your estate, and it is very important that every individual exercise his or her rights to distriubute their property as they wish.  When you prepare your Will, there are many questions which you may be asked by your Georgia lawyer.  A few keys terms that will help you in the preparation of your will are as follows:

• Testator/Testatrix: The person making the Last Will and Testament.

• Fiduciaries:  Fiduciaries are Executors, Trustees, and Guardians, i.e., anyone who holds property for the benefit of someone else.  Through your Will, you can designate who will serve in various fiduciary roles.  A spouse often serves in these fiduciary roles, with a trusted relative or friend serving in the event the spouse dies first.  If you die without a Will, you have no control over who will serve in these fiduciary roles.

• Executor/Personal Representative:  An Executor or Personal Representative is responsible for settling and managing the estate of a person who dies with a Will.  This is the person who will be in charge of gathering your assets after your death and making sure they are distributed in accordance with your Will.

• Trustee:  A Trustee is the legal owner of property held for the benefit of another (typically for the benefit of a minor or someone with special needs).  Under a Will, an Executor may distribute assets to a Trustee to hold for the benefit of the beneficiary.

• Guardian:  A “Guardian of the property” is a person who holds property for a minor or an incompetent beneficiary.  A “Guardian of the person” is a person who is authorized to make personal decisions for a minor or incompetent beneficiary.  Often an individual’s Will names a person (usually a close relative) to serve as Guardian of the person and property of his or her minor children.

• Descendants:  The term “descendants” includes children, grandchildren, etc., but not spouses of descendants.  The phrase “per stirpes to my descendants” protects descendants of a deceased child.  For example, if you give your property “per stirpes to your descendants” and all three of your children survive you, each takes one-third.  If the oldest of your three children does not survive you, but has two children who do survive you, those two children (your grandchildren) will take your deceased child’s one-third share.  Adopted descendants are treated like blood descendants under Georgia law unless the Will provides otherwise.  Step-children, however, are not treated as descendants unless they have been adopted.

If you are a Georgia resident and you need a current Will, please login to our Virtual Law Firm and purchase an updated Last Will and Testament today right from your computer!

For years, we have helped friends and family with their estate planning needs; one particular person has had The Cobb Law Group draft multiple Georgia Powers of Attorney over the years.  Each time, I get a telephone call from the principle (the person asking me to draft the form) to change the name of his agent (the person named in the power to act on behalf of the principle).  Each time that we have this telephone call, we discuss the specific type of power of attorney he wants such as whether it should be a “general” power of attorney or a “specific” power of attorney; similarly, we discuss the duration that the power of attorney should last.

This principle (also sometimes called the Maker) typically grants the power of attorney to one of his children in case he were to become incapacitated and could no longer manage his own business affairs.  Typical powers of attorney terminate automatically (by law!) upon a person’s legal incompetence.  In order to extend the agent’s authority to continue beyond the principle’s legal incapacity, a power of attorney must include specific language which makes the power of attorney durable.  An example of the language which we have used in the past is as follows:

“The rights, powers and authority granted in this instrument shall continue in the event of the principle’s incompetency and shall not be revoked by said incompetency; this Power of Attorney shall not be affected by the principle’s subsequent disability or incapacity, or lapse of time.”

Thus, after speaking with my client, we always include “durable” provisions in his power of attorney.

Recently, this same client decided to update his power of attorney.  Rather than calling me and scheduling an appointment, he decided that it would be considerably less expensive (and easier!) if he used our Georgia Virtual Law Firm.  When it came time to choose which power of attorney form he desired from our list of Georgia legal documents available online, we received an email message asking “What does the word durable mean?”

This is great, and it’s a wonderful–albeit unintentional–benefit of using a virtual law firm.  Although I had explained durable provisions several times before to this client, it never “clicked” for him.  Instead, it took him seeing the option on a website and weighing that option against the other options to begin to grasp the legal difference.  Thus, his email was asking for specific information to help him make a better-informed legal choice.  Now, he fully understands what distinguishes a Georgia Durable Power of Attorney from a standard power attorney, and I bet he will never again have to ask any attorney what a durable provision is!

If you or a loved one is interesting in having your own Georgia Durable Power of Attorney, please visit our Georgia Virtual Law Firm for a low-cost, effective form.

This is a general information article and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. The content above has been edited for conciseness and additional relevant points are omitted for space constraints. Readers are encouraged to seek counsel from a construction lawyer for advice on a particular circumstance.

by:  Cobb Law Group

One of the most important legal documents that you can have is the Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care.  “Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care” is the official name for a Georgia Living Will or a Georgia Durable Medical Power of Attorney.  Regardless of what you call it, it is very important because it allows you to make decisions about your long-term health care before it’s too late.  There are many benefits of obtaining such a form:

• it allows you to name an individual who will make health care decisions on your behalf if you are incapable of doing so yourself;
• it allows you to choose your treatment preferences if you have a terminal condition or if you are in a permanent state of unconsciousness; and
• it allows you to name the person who can/would serve as your guardian if one is ever needed.

Without a duly executed Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care, your religious beliefs or your opinions regarding long-term life support may be disregarded.  It’s wonderful to have opinions regarding long-term life-support; in fact, we know many people who claim they want to be “unplugged” as soon as possible while other people firmly espouse the benefits of long-term life support and heroic medical measures.  Your opinions mean a great deal to you; however, your opinions have no effect on what will happen to you unless you have a Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care–it gives authority to your opinions and beliefs!

Georgia residents have a unique form which is the only statutorily authorized form from the Georgia legislature.  And, the Cobb Law Group’s Georgia Virtual Law Firm is offering this very important and useful form through its online platform.  It’s part of our goal to make forms such as the Advance Directive accessible and affordable.

It’s an ideal form to be one of the first forms our virtual law firm promotes as it is a form which the Georgia legislature intended to be “user-friendly”.  Thus, you don’t need to schedule an appointment with a lawyer and pay for an explanation of every sentence and section; instead, you can read the document yourself, decide for yourself what options and decisions you want to choose and save yourself money!

If you don’t have a Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care, please consider purchasing one today–click here for more details!

As a part of our newest initiative, we are making Georgia legal forms and Georgia attorney representation more accessible and affordable than ever through our Georgia Virtual Law Firm.  Please keep in mind that these unbundled legal services are not for everybody nor are they right in every situation!

Unbundled legal services is a relatively new concept that allows you, the client, to decide and manage which legal services you wish to purchase (and which ones you don’t need!)  Gone are the days when people dealt with a stodgy law firm who decided what the client needed and how much they were going to pay; now, you decide exactly which legal documents and services are right for you, you see the cost up-front, and you decide whether or not this is right for you!

Simply stated, eLawyering can be a great option for many people; here is a short list of  some of the situations in which unbundled legal services might be useful to you:

•  if you need a Georgia specific form such as an Advance Directive for Health Care or an Interim Lien Waiver;
• if you’re looking for commonly used documents such as a Georgia Power of Attorney, Georgia Durable Power or Attorney or Georgia Incorporation Documents;
• a situations such as a husband and wife who want to leave their estates to the surviving spouse then split equally among their children;
• those who want a 30 minute telephone call with a Georgia attorney or an email response without spending too much money.

Conversely, unbundled legal services are not for every situation.  Complex or atypical situations require the time and expertise of a competent lawyer.  Here are some situations where a virtual law firm is probably not the best option:

• those needing a customized document such as limited power of attorney allowing the agent to perform limited functions on behalf of the principal;
• complex situations such as last wills and testaments for a second marriage when there are children from a previous marriage and an espousal testamentary trust is required;
• those who need legal representation in the State or Superior Courts of Georgia or any Federal court or court of appeals;
• those who require a legal specialization such as labor law or intellectual property law.

To state it another way, if you are looking for a common Georgia legal document, check out the Virtual Law Firm to see if there is a viable, cost-saving option for you; if you have questions and need more guidance, contact a competent Georgia Lawyer for advice.  Good luck and please let us know if you have any questions about these services!

This is a general information article and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. The content above has been edited for conciseness and additional relevant points are omitted for space constraints. Readers are encouraged to seek counsel from a construction lawyer for advice on a particular circumstance.

Virtual Law Office, eLaw Office, online legal forms, all of these terms describe a bit about the Cobb Law Group’s online Virtual Law Practice available to Georgia residents.  These forms are the same or substantially similar to the forms which we offer to our clients who schedule visits to our office, but we can offer comparable services over the internet for lower costs!

We offer a full range of legal services in our office locations, but for those whose legal issues are relatively simple and for those who know exactly what they need, our eLawyering services are perfect.  We are always adding to our Georgia legal forms online, but here is a current listing:

Georgia Business Documents:

• Bad Check Notice
• Bill of Sale
• Buy-Sell Agreement (simple form)
• Construction Contract (simple form)
• Contract (simple form)
• Contract Change Order
• Employee Nondisclosure Agreement
• General Assignment
• General Georgia Noncompete Agreement
• General Release
• Hiring Letter At-Will Employment
• Independent Contractor Agreement
• Mutual Nondisclosure Agreement
• Noncompete Agreement for Business Managers
• Noncompete Agreement for Executives
• Noncompete Agreement for IT Professionals
• Noncompete Agreement for Research and Development Employees
• Noncompete Agreement for Salespeople
• Notice of Election to Cancel Contract
• Privacy Release
• Promissory Note
• Second Notice of Overdue Account
• Specific Release
• Subcontractor Agreement (simple)

Georgia Corporation and Georgia LLCs Forms:

• Amendment to Articles of Incorporation
• Amendment to Bylaws
• Approval of Corporate Minutes
• Articles of Incorporation (for Georgia)
• Articles of Organization (for Georgia LLCs)
• Buy-Sell Agreement (simple form)
• Bylaws
• Georgia Certificate of Limited Partnership
• Consent of Shareholders to Amendment of Bylaws
• General Partnership Agreement
• Incorporation Packages (including Approval of Corporate Minutes, Georgia Articles of Incorporation, Georgia Corporate Bylaws, Organization Meeting of Directors)
• Georgia LLC Operating Agreement
• LLC Formation Package (including Georgia Articles of Organization of LLC, LLC Operating Agreement)
• Notice of Meeting
• Organization Meeting of Directors
• Georgia Partnership Package (including General Partnership Agreement)
• Shareholders Agreement
• Special Meeting of Directors
• Waiver of Notice of Meeting

Georgia Construction Law–Liens & Waivers:

• Georgia Final Waiver and Release Upon Payment
• Georgia Interim Waiver and Release Upon Payment

Georgia Notice to Owner/Notice to Contractor:

• Georgia Notice to Owner/Contractor for Federal Government Projects
• Georgia Notice to Owner/Contractor for State Government Projects
• Georgia Notice to Owner/Contractor for Local Government Projects
• Georgia Notice to Owner/Contractor for Private Projects
• Georgia Request for Notice of Commencement for State of Georgia Projects
• Georgia Request for Notice of Commencement for Local Government Projects
• Georgia Request for Notice of Commencement for Private Construction Projects

Georgia Landlord Tenant Documents:

• Amendment of Lease
• Assignment of Lease
• Demand for Rent
• Landlord’s Consent to Sublease
• Lease Termination Agreement
• Monthly Rental Agreement
• Notice to Terminate Tenancy
• Notification to Landlord to Make Repairs
• Residential Lease (simple form)
• Residential Lease with Purchase Option (simple form)
• Security Deposit Receipt
• Sublease

Loans and Collections:

• Mortgage
• Promissory Note
• Security Agreement

Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Estate Planning:

• Georgia Advanced Directive of Health Care
• Cancel Deceased’s Membership or Subscription
• Codicil for Will
• Codicil Revoking a Gift to a Named Beneficiary
• Codicil Revoking Appointment of Executor and Appointing Substitute
• HIPAA Authorization (Patient)
• HIPAA Authorization (Practice)
• Instructions to Custodian of Power of Attorney
• Memorandum of Wishes
• Notice to Creditors of Death
• Notice to Creditors of Spousal Death
• Notice to Homeowners Insurance Company of Death
• Notice to Stop Social Security Payments After Death
• Power of Attorney with Durable Provision
• Request for Death Certificate
• Request for Life Insurance Claim Form
• Request for Life Insurance Proceeds
• Revocation of Power of Attorney
• Will for an Unmarried Person
• Will for a Married Testator
• Will Package for a Married Testator (includes Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care, HIPAA Authorization (Patient), Will for Married Testator)
• Will Package for Single Testator (includes Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care, HIPAA Authorization (Patient), Power of Attorney with Durable Provision, Will for an Unmarried Person)
• Wills Package for Married Testator (includes a Georgia Advance Directives for Health Care for each spouse, a HIPAA Authorization (Patient) for each spouse, Power of Attorney with Durable Provision for each spouse, and a Last Will and Testament for each spouse)

Other Services:

• Legal Advice Via Email
• Legal Advice Via Phone Call
• Legal Document Review
• Legal & Court Coaching

Please keep in mind that this is only a start!  The Cobb Law Group hopes to expand our virtual law practice areas as we move forward.  In the meantime, if you don’t see a Georgia Legal Service which you think we should offer, please let us hear from you!

This is a general information article and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. The content above has been edited for conciseness and additional relevant points are omitted for space constraints. Readers are encouraged to seek counsel from a construction lawyer for advice on a particular circumstance.

by:  Mark A. Cobb

Cobb Law Group

Since this is one of the first articles on our newest blog about eLawyering in Georgia, we thought an explanation of eLawyering or a description of a Virtual Law Practice would be useful to our readers.

First, a Virtual Law Practice (“VLP”) is a new type of legal practice.  There are, of course, brick-and-mortar firms, and the Cobb Law Group maintains its brick-and-mortal offices, but a VLP exists “in the Cloud” and gives consumers an alternative to the traditional law firm. Thus, for example, clients of the VLP do not schedule appointments and appear at the physical office; instead, they add information from their computers, laptops and notebooks anytime they want.  This information is then securely transferred to the lawyer to complete the legal project and send back to the client.

For example, if you need a Georgia Advanced Directive for Health Care, there is only one valid form authorized by the Georgia legislature.  You could (i) find an attorney, (ii) schedule and appointment, (iii) drive to the appointment and meet with an attorney, (iv) wait to review a draft of your documents, (v) schedule a follow-up appointment, (vi) drive to the attorney’s office for a second visit to sign the document, and (vii) expect to pay $100 to $200.  Through our virtual law firm, you (i) purchase the SAME Georgia Advanced Directive for Health Care for $35.00 through our secure online service, (ii) at your convenience, complete a questionnaire, (iii) in 1 to 2 business days, our attorneys review and finalize your document and upload it onto your secure dashboard, and (iv) you print out your document and sign it at your convenience.  The VLP is a lot easier, quicker and much more affordable!

Second, a VLP option is not for every scenario.  A VLP is great for obtaining forms commonly used by Georgia attorneys, it is great for “normal” situations which do not require much customization.  A VLP, however, is not for complex legal transactions or situations.

For example, if you were to start a home-business by yourself or with one partner, the VLP can provided you with an affordable, quick, workable Georgia incorporation package or LLC formation package.  If you’re spinning off a sizeable portion of an existing, multi-million dollar corporation, then the VLP is not for you (and in that case, you could contact us, Cobb Law Group, for our traditional business services!)

Third, a VLP means “limited scope representation” or “a la carte legal services”.  You, the client pick and choose the documents and services you require–and you pay only for those services usually at a deeply discounted rate.  So, if you know that you need a simple Georgia Shareholder’s Agreement, then the VLP may meet your needs exactly.  On the other hand, if you don’t know what documents you need or you have a difficult situation, then the Cobb Law Group’s traditional brick-and-mortar practice will meet your needs better than the VLP.

What are the advantages to the Cobb Law Group’s Virtual Law Office?  There are many and they include:

•  flat-fee legal services
• quick legal document turn-around
• you, the client, direct your legal plan/needs
• substantially lower legal costs
• the convenience of accessing legal services 24/7
• and many more!

Keep reading this blog and please pass along your comments as we share with you more about the exciting world and the benefits of using a Virtual Law Firm!

This is a general information article and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion. The content above has been edited for conciseness and additional relevant points are omitted for space constraints. Readers are encouraged to seek counsel from a lawyer in their jurisdiction for advice on a particular circumstance.

Welcome to the Cobb Law Group’s newest blog–we’re excited you are here!

Imagine finding a Georgia law firm available anytime you need one!   Because of recent changes in legal technology, we are excited to inform you of new legal documents that are available to you on-line and to discuss their benefits as well as some of their limitations.

Future blog posts will discuss how something called a Georgia Virtual Law Firm can help Georgia clients lower their legal costs; whether you’re a new or existing business owner and need to form a corporation or a new limited liability company (LLC); or whether you are an individual needing a Last Will and Testament in Georgia, a Georgia Advanced Directive for Medical Care and Guardianship, or other common business and personal contracts and letters, there are more affordable options for you to explore through this blog and our Virtual Law Firm.

Of course, we wish to hear back from you!  As we explore the possibilities this new and exciting platform offers us, we hope you will contribute ideas as to the type of documents and representation needs you might find useful through a Virtual Law Firm in Georgia.

We also hope that these blog articles will inspire other law firms to take their own leap to provide more flat-fee legal services, to promise quick response to inquiries, and the convenience of solving your legal needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as this will help rebuild the sullied image some lawyers have created for our profession.

Although we have been a traditional brick-and-mortar law firm for over 20 years, our experience and our enthusiasm assure us that we are on the right track to providing an alternative and affordable method for accessing law in the 21st century.  We want to always bring our clients the newest ideas that we think will benefit them.  Particularly in this economic climate,  finding affordable legal needs can be challenging, but we’re happy to say it’s just a click away, so let’s begin!