Nokia: Nokia Mobile Phones - Always The Best
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Nokia: Nokia Mobile Phones - Always The Best: Mobile phones have slowly and steadily taken over the lives of the people by becoming a fashion icon as well as status symbol. If we...
Will The Law of Attraction Help Me Win the Lottery
Friday, 8 June 2012
The law of attraction is one of the ways to use the power of our
subconscious mind to attract all circumstances and attributes which are
favorable to what we want. The question is whether we need to take any
actions. Does the law really work without us doing anything? This
article talks about the relationship between taking action and the law
of attraction.
Many skeptical minds will ask if the law of attraction has such a powerful impact, will it help without the user doing anything. Will it help us to do a simple task like buying a lottery and wait to win? In that case, people can easily get rich even the laziest group of people in the world. If this is true, living in this world will be the most pleasant thing without any difficulty at all.
The law of attraction is definitely a law of nature. It can cause exact affect similar to Newton's law of gravity or Einstein's law of relativity. We can apply the law and get the result every time you want. However, in order to effectively use the law, we need to understand the nature of life. There is another law called the law of cause and effect. Everything that happens has its own cause. There is no such thing as accident. When you use the law of attraction, your communication with the subconscious mind is a cause and the result you want is the effect. This definitely will happen otherwise the law of attraction will not be called a "law".
How to communicate with the subconscious mind is by visualization. The subconscious mind does not understand verbal language. It only understands picture. We therefore need to make the picture in our mind. Once the picture is vivid and clear, the subconscious mind will perceive it as it is real. The mind then will work to make all you want come to you and you get what you have visualized. The visualization needs to be done everyday or as often as you can. When you visualize, you have a deep belief that this thing will definitely happens to you because you will take every efforts to make it happens. The more belief you have, the clearer the picture it will be. The clearer the picture is, the sooner the result will materialize.
Then we come to the question if the law is applicable to winning a lottery or achieving wealth without doing anything. The answer is yes. If you can vividly visualize, you can win a lottery. Or you can get what you want without doing anything if you can effectively visualize. There were some evidences that people win lottery using visualization and the law of attraction. The keyword here is "effectively". The truth is that the chance that you can effectively visualize will be very slim if you don't really believe that you will get the result. How to believe that you can achieve your goal depends on your plan of action. Deep inside you know that you will not get anything if you do not take any action. Most people know that the chance of winning a lottery is very low. The higher the prize is, the less chance you have according to the law of probabilities. Therefore, most people can not truly believe that they can win lottery by just visualization. They therefore will not be able to use the law of attraction to attract the lottery winning.
It is the same as doing nothing and expecting the good result. Your logical mind will not accept this assumption and will result in defected visualization. You will not get what you want. Plus you will waste your time doing that.
The law of attraction can help you win everything if you know how to use it including winning a lottery. This article will reveal the secret of how to make use of the law effectively.
Many skeptical minds will ask if the law of attraction has such a powerful impact, will it help without the user doing anything. Will it help us to do a simple task like buying a lottery and wait to win? In that case, people can easily get rich even the laziest group of people in the world. If this is true, living in this world will be the most pleasant thing without any difficulty at all.
The law of attraction is definitely a law of nature. It can cause exact affect similar to Newton's law of gravity or Einstein's law of relativity. We can apply the law and get the result every time you want. However, in order to effectively use the law, we need to understand the nature of life. There is another law called the law of cause and effect. Everything that happens has its own cause. There is no such thing as accident. When you use the law of attraction, your communication with the subconscious mind is a cause and the result you want is the effect. This definitely will happen otherwise the law of attraction will not be called a "law".
How to communicate with the subconscious mind is by visualization. The subconscious mind does not understand verbal language. It only understands picture. We therefore need to make the picture in our mind. Once the picture is vivid and clear, the subconscious mind will perceive it as it is real. The mind then will work to make all you want come to you and you get what you have visualized. The visualization needs to be done everyday or as often as you can. When you visualize, you have a deep belief that this thing will definitely happens to you because you will take every efforts to make it happens. The more belief you have, the clearer the picture it will be. The clearer the picture is, the sooner the result will materialize.
Then we come to the question if the law is applicable to winning a lottery or achieving wealth without doing anything. The answer is yes. If you can vividly visualize, you can win a lottery. Or you can get what you want without doing anything if you can effectively visualize. There were some evidences that people win lottery using visualization and the law of attraction. The keyword here is "effectively". The truth is that the chance that you can effectively visualize will be very slim if you don't really believe that you will get the result. How to believe that you can achieve your goal depends on your plan of action. Deep inside you know that you will not get anything if you do not take any action. Most people know that the chance of winning a lottery is very low. The higher the prize is, the less chance you have according to the law of probabilities. Therefore, most people can not truly believe that they can win lottery by just visualization. They therefore will not be able to use the law of attraction to attract the lottery winning.
It is the same as doing nothing and expecting the good result. Your logical mind will not accept this assumption and will result in defected visualization. You will not get what you want. Plus you will waste your time doing that.
The law of attraction can help you win everything if you know how to use it including winning a lottery. This article will reveal the secret of how to make use of the law effectively.
Jim Somchai
Read more of his articles from his site
[http://www.visualizationmeditation.com/go/site]
Get The ATTRACTION ACCELERATOR to help your visualization and attraction
[http://www.visualizationmeditation.com/go/site2]
Geting FREE REPORT ON SUCCESS SCIENCE and Earn Money
Read more of his articles from his site
[http://www.visualizationmeditation.com/go/site]
Get The ATTRACTION ACCELERATOR to help your visualization and attraction
[http://www.visualizationmeditation.com/go/site2]
Geting FREE REPORT ON SUCCESS SCIENCE and Earn Money
Lemon Law Lawyers Or Attorneys- The Answer To Your Problems
If you have just bought a brand new car and found it to be notably
flawed, what do you do? Sure, you'd probably be upset. I mean, who
wouldn't? A new car is something exciting, and you probably couldn't
wait to show it off to your family, or take your friends out for a ride
in it.
But then, when you bring your new ride home, you find out there is something wrong with it - perhaps in the transmission or in the steering. No matter where the malfunction is, discovering that your new auto is imperfect can really be a wet blanket to the excitement of owning a new car.
However, it is not the end of the world. What you should do is get over your grief and contact a lemon law lawyer or attorney who can fight for your consumer rights under the lemon law. That's right - a lemon law lawyer or attorney will be able to help you to legally demand for a replacement vehicle or a refund.
In most parts of the United States, you are allowed to file a claim without the presence of a lemon law lawyer or attorney if you think you are legally skilled enough to do it. In most cases, though, it's a good idea to seek guidance from a lemon law lawyer or attorney first before submitting your case to the judge.
Lemon law lawyers or attorneys are learned in the practice and applications of the lemon law, and are familiar with every nook and cranny of court proceedings. Having one of them in your corner won't do you any harm at all. Furthermore, if your chosen lemon law lawyer or attorney is really very good, you will get all the benefits you deserve and you might even recover from your initial frustration.
The lemon law lawyer or attorney will instruct you to notify the car manufacturer of your complaints without delay. You have to do this in a civilized manner, of course, and with the help of your lemon law lawyer or attorney, so the negotiations will run smoothly.
You will find that oftentimes, a manufacturer will take you a lot more seriously if you have the backing of a lemon law lawyer or attorney, and they will exert more effort in providing you appropriate compensation for your troubles.
Even if you decide not to take your case to court, maybe just settle it with the car company representative over lunch, or over a cup of coffee at the local café, it is still helpful if you have a lemon law lawyer or attorney with you.
If the car manufacturer you are dealing with happens to have less than honest intentions in mind, he might try to take advantage of your legal inexperience. The presence of a lemon law lawyer or attorney will discourage anyone from such schemes. A brilliant lemon law lawyer or attorney will also make sure that you will end up on the winning side of the deal.
If you are a more ferocious type and wish to battle it out in court, a lemon law lawyer or attorney will definitely be required. The best lemon law lawyers or attorneys will probably have fairly expensive fees compared to other lemon law lawyers or attorneys, but go ahead and hire them anyway. If you win the case, then your legal bills will be covered by the manufacturer and you won't have anything to worry about.
But then, when you bring your new ride home, you find out there is something wrong with it - perhaps in the transmission or in the steering. No matter where the malfunction is, discovering that your new auto is imperfect can really be a wet blanket to the excitement of owning a new car.
However, it is not the end of the world. What you should do is get over your grief and contact a lemon law lawyer or attorney who can fight for your consumer rights under the lemon law. That's right - a lemon law lawyer or attorney will be able to help you to legally demand for a replacement vehicle or a refund.
In most parts of the United States, you are allowed to file a claim without the presence of a lemon law lawyer or attorney if you think you are legally skilled enough to do it. In most cases, though, it's a good idea to seek guidance from a lemon law lawyer or attorney first before submitting your case to the judge.
Lemon law lawyers or attorneys are learned in the practice and applications of the lemon law, and are familiar with every nook and cranny of court proceedings. Having one of them in your corner won't do you any harm at all. Furthermore, if your chosen lemon law lawyer or attorney is really very good, you will get all the benefits you deserve and you might even recover from your initial frustration.
The lemon law lawyer or attorney will instruct you to notify the car manufacturer of your complaints without delay. You have to do this in a civilized manner, of course, and with the help of your lemon law lawyer or attorney, so the negotiations will run smoothly.
You will find that oftentimes, a manufacturer will take you a lot more seriously if you have the backing of a lemon law lawyer or attorney, and they will exert more effort in providing you appropriate compensation for your troubles.
Even if you decide not to take your case to court, maybe just settle it with the car company representative over lunch, or over a cup of coffee at the local café, it is still helpful if you have a lemon law lawyer or attorney with you.
If the car manufacturer you are dealing with happens to have less than honest intentions in mind, he might try to take advantage of your legal inexperience. The presence of a lemon law lawyer or attorney will discourage anyone from such schemes. A brilliant lemon law lawyer or attorney will also make sure that you will end up on the winning side of the deal.
If you are a more ferocious type and wish to battle it out in court, a lemon law lawyer or attorney will definitely be required. The best lemon law lawyers or attorneys will probably have fairly expensive fees compared to other lemon law lawyers or attorneys, but go ahead and hire them anyway. If you win the case, then your legal bills will be covered by the manufacturer and you won't have anything to worry about.
The Law of Attraction - A Reflective View
We are all becoming over powered by the amount of information and
hype on the law of attraction following the film "The Secret". In this
article I would like to take a reflective look at the concepts as they
have been presented to us unknowingly in the past.
To commence the reflection I would like to quote from James Allen. I looked around upon the world, and saw that it was shadowed by sorrow and scorched by the fierce fires of suffering. And I looked for the cause. I looked around, but could not find it; I looked in books, but could not find it; I looked within, and found there both the cause and the self-made nature of that cause. I looked again, and deeper, and found the remedy. I found one Law, the Law of Love; one Life, the Life of adjustment to that Law; one Truth, the truth of a conquered mind and a quiet and obedient heart. And I dreamed of writing a book which should help men and women, whether rich or poor, learned or unlearned, worldly or unworldly, to find within themselves the source of all success, all happiness, all accomplishment, all truth. And the dream remained with me, and at last became substantial; and now I send it forth into the world on its mission of healing and blessedness, knowing that it cannot fail to reach the homes and hearts of those who are waiting and ready to receive it. I bring you the law of attraction.
We all remember with what intense delight, as children, we listened to the never-tiring fairy-tale. How eagerly we followed the fluctuating fortunes of the good boy or girl, ever protected, in the hour of crisis, from the evil machinations of the scheming witch, the cruel giant, or the wicked king. And our little hearts never faltered for the fate of the hero or heroine, nor did we doubt their ultimate triumph over all their enemies, for we knew that the good guys were infallible, and that they would never desert those who had consecrated themselves to the good and the true. And what unspeakable joy pulsated within us when they won the day, scattered all the darkness and trouble, and were granted all their hopes, and they were "happy ever after." With the accumulating years, and an ever-increasing intimacy with the so-called "realities" of life, our beautiful fairy-world became obliterated, and its wonderful inhabitants were relegated, in the archives of memory, to the shadowy and unreal. And we were told we were wise and strong in leaving for ever the land of childish dreams, but as we re-become adults in the wondrous world of wisdom, we long to return again to the inspiring dreams of childhood and wish that they are realities.
Our beliefs show us that there is no evil in the universe but it has its root and origin in the mind, and sin, sickness, sorrow, and affliction do not, in reality, belong to the universal order, are not inherent in the nature of things, but are the direct outcome of our ignorance of the right relations of things. According to tradition, there once lived, in India, a school of philosophers who led a life of such absolute purity and simplicity that they commonly reached the age of one hundred and fifty years, and to fall sick was looked upon by them as an unpardonable disgrace, for it was considered to indicate a violation of universal law. It was their belief that disease comes to those who attract it, to those whose minds and bodies are receptive to it, and flees from those whose strong, pure, and positive thought-sphere generates healing and life-giving currents. A couple of older quotes show the length of time the Law of Attractions has been with us simply under the term the law If you are given to anger, worry, jealousy, greed, or any other inharmonious state of mind, and expect perfect physical health, you are expecting the impossible, for you are continually sowing the seeds of disease in your mind. Such conditions of mind are carefully shunned by the wise man, following the law of attraction, for he knows them to be far more dangerous than a bad drain or an infected house. (Written by an unknown writer in the late 1890's)
A further reference to our minds power is found in an article by W Atkinson in 1906 If you would be free from all physical aches and pains, and would enjoy perfect physical harmony, then put your mind in order, and harmonize your thoughts. Think joyful thoughts; think loving thoughts; let the elixir of goodwill course through your veins, and you will need no other medicine. Put away your jealousies, your suspicions, your worries, your hatreds, your selfish indulgences, and you will put away your dyspepsia, your biliousness, your nervousness and aching joints. We now know that true health and true success go together, for they are inseparably intertwined in the thought-realm. As mental harmony produces bodily health, so it also leads to a harmonious sequence in the actual working out of one's plans. Two articles from the late 17th century also reflect on the law of attraction and our junction with the law.
Item 1 By the power of faith every enduring work is accomplished. Faith in the Supreme; faith in the over-ruling Law; faith in your work, and in your power to accomplish that work, -here is the rock t e universal Law of Attraction, upon which you must build if you would achieve, if you would stand and not fall.
Item 2 To follow, under all circumstances, the highest promptings within you; to be always true to the divine self; to rely upon the inward Light, the inward Voice, and to pursue your purpose with a fearless and restful heart, believing that the future will yield unto you the meed of every thought and effort; knowing that the laws of the universe can never fail, and that your own will come back to you with mathematical exactitude, this is faith and the living of faith. There are those today, men and women tabernacled in flesh and blood, who have realized this faith, who live in it and by it day by day, and who, having put it to the uttermost test, have entered into the possession of its glory and peace. So in closing this article I want you to be assured that what we talk about today has been with us through the ages. See the wheat from the chaff, question what you read and hear as the miracles being portrayed from the Law of Attraction may not be true, but go forward in the sound knowledge the law is with us and will be as we move forward. Mere wishing brings nothing but disappointment; it is living that tells. The foolish wish and grumble; the wise, work and wait.
To commence the reflection I would like to quote from James Allen. I looked around upon the world, and saw that it was shadowed by sorrow and scorched by the fierce fires of suffering. And I looked for the cause. I looked around, but could not find it; I looked in books, but could not find it; I looked within, and found there both the cause and the self-made nature of that cause. I looked again, and deeper, and found the remedy. I found one Law, the Law of Love; one Life, the Life of adjustment to that Law; one Truth, the truth of a conquered mind and a quiet and obedient heart. And I dreamed of writing a book which should help men and women, whether rich or poor, learned or unlearned, worldly or unworldly, to find within themselves the source of all success, all happiness, all accomplishment, all truth. And the dream remained with me, and at last became substantial; and now I send it forth into the world on its mission of healing and blessedness, knowing that it cannot fail to reach the homes and hearts of those who are waiting and ready to receive it. I bring you the law of attraction.
We all remember with what intense delight, as children, we listened to the never-tiring fairy-tale. How eagerly we followed the fluctuating fortunes of the good boy or girl, ever protected, in the hour of crisis, from the evil machinations of the scheming witch, the cruel giant, or the wicked king. And our little hearts never faltered for the fate of the hero or heroine, nor did we doubt their ultimate triumph over all their enemies, for we knew that the good guys were infallible, and that they would never desert those who had consecrated themselves to the good and the true. And what unspeakable joy pulsated within us when they won the day, scattered all the darkness and trouble, and were granted all their hopes, and they were "happy ever after." With the accumulating years, and an ever-increasing intimacy with the so-called "realities" of life, our beautiful fairy-world became obliterated, and its wonderful inhabitants were relegated, in the archives of memory, to the shadowy and unreal. And we were told we were wise and strong in leaving for ever the land of childish dreams, but as we re-become adults in the wondrous world of wisdom, we long to return again to the inspiring dreams of childhood and wish that they are realities.
Our beliefs show us that there is no evil in the universe but it has its root and origin in the mind, and sin, sickness, sorrow, and affliction do not, in reality, belong to the universal order, are not inherent in the nature of things, but are the direct outcome of our ignorance of the right relations of things. According to tradition, there once lived, in India, a school of philosophers who led a life of such absolute purity and simplicity that they commonly reached the age of one hundred and fifty years, and to fall sick was looked upon by them as an unpardonable disgrace, for it was considered to indicate a violation of universal law. It was their belief that disease comes to those who attract it, to those whose minds and bodies are receptive to it, and flees from those whose strong, pure, and positive thought-sphere generates healing and life-giving currents. A couple of older quotes show the length of time the Law of Attractions has been with us simply under the term the law If you are given to anger, worry, jealousy, greed, or any other inharmonious state of mind, and expect perfect physical health, you are expecting the impossible, for you are continually sowing the seeds of disease in your mind. Such conditions of mind are carefully shunned by the wise man, following the law of attraction, for he knows them to be far more dangerous than a bad drain or an infected house. (Written by an unknown writer in the late 1890's)
A further reference to our minds power is found in an article by W Atkinson in 1906 If you would be free from all physical aches and pains, and would enjoy perfect physical harmony, then put your mind in order, and harmonize your thoughts. Think joyful thoughts; think loving thoughts; let the elixir of goodwill course through your veins, and you will need no other medicine. Put away your jealousies, your suspicions, your worries, your hatreds, your selfish indulgences, and you will put away your dyspepsia, your biliousness, your nervousness and aching joints. We now know that true health and true success go together, for they are inseparably intertwined in the thought-realm. As mental harmony produces bodily health, so it also leads to a harmonious sequence in the actual working out of one's plans. Two articles from the late 17th century also reflect on the law of attraction and our junction with the law.
Item 1 By the power of faith every enduring work is accomplished. Faith in the Supreme; faith in the over-ruling Law; faith in your work, and in your power to accomplish that work, -here is the rock t e universal Law of Attraction, upon which you must build if you would achieve, if you would stand and not fall.
Item 2 To follow, under all circumstances, the highest promptings within you; to be always true to the divine self; to rely upon the inward Light, the inward Voice, and to pursue your purpose with a fearless and restful heart, believing that the future will yield unto you the meed of every thought and effort; knowing that the laws of the universe can never fail, and that your own will come back to you with mathematical exactitude, this is faith and the living of faith. There are those today, men and women tabernacled in flesh and blood, who have realized this faith, who live in it and by it day by day, and who, having put it to the uttermost test, have entered into the possession of its glory and peace. So in closing this article I want you to be assured that what we talk about today has been with us through the ages. See the wheat from the chaff, question what you read and hear as the miracles being portrayed from the Law of Attraction may not be true, but go forward in the sound knowledge the law is with us and will be as we move forward. Mere wishing brings nothing but disappointment; it is living that tells. The foolish wish and grumble; the wise, work and wait.
Boat Lemon Law- What You Know Can Protect You
Every state in the country has a lemon law. This law provides
protection to consumers who have bought faulty vehicles, by requiring
the manufacturer to replace the vehicle or give a full refund.
This law works well for car owners, but what if you own a boat or other water vehicles? If you live in a state that has a boat lemon law, you're fortunate. There are now a handful of states that have passed a boat lemon law, with is fairly similar to lemon laws on automobiles.
Boat lemon laws ensure the consumers' protection. According to the boat lemon law, a manufacturer will have to replace a faulty craft, or give your money back - no questions asked - in case the purchased vessel is defective in any way. Boat lemon laws cover the purchase of faulty sailboats, motorboats, or even jet skis.
Boat lemon laws are good news for many boaters, but before benefiting from the boat lemon law, first there are 3 conditions to be met:
1. the defect of the watercraft has to be explicitly covered in the original warranty;
2. the consumer must give the manufacturer ample chance to solve the problem; and
3. the manufacturer should have unsuccessfully tried to repair the defect within a certain amount of time.
The boat lemon law of Ohio states that you have the right to file charges only if all three criteria are met. If only one or even two of the above criteria are met, you will not be eligible to file charges under the boat lemon law.
If you do qualify to file suit, you must do so within a certain period after the date of purchase on your receipt. In Ohio, boat lemon laws give you up to 2 years to file charges.
You must discuss your case with a lawyer who is an expert on boat lemon law litigation. Be careful with this, as there are boat lemon law attorneys who represent manufacturers. You want to hire a boat lemon law attorney who is excellent in representing the consumer.
It is also important to study the conditions specified in the boat lemon law. While it is necessary to get a lawyer who specializes in boat lemon law proceedings, it is also a good idea to not completely rely on them. To make sure you will be protected, it will be good if you can study what are covered by the boat lemon law yourself.
Besides the boat lemon laws, there are other legal rulings that can protect your right as a consumer. If you are in Ohio, you might want to familiarize yourself with the Consumer Sales Practices Act and the Commercial Sales Law as well. These may provide you more supporting facts for the handling of your claims.
This law works well for car owners, but what if you own a boat or other water vehicles? If you live in a state that has a boat lemon law, you're fortunate. There are now a handful of states that have passed a boat lemon law, with is fairly similar to lemon laws on automobiles.
Boat lemon laws ensure the consumers' protection. According to the boat lemon law, a manufacturer will have to replace a faulty craft, or give your money back - no questions asked - in case the purchased vessel is defective in any way. Boat lemon laws cover the purchase of faulty sailboats, motorboats, or even jet skis.
Boat lemon laws are good news for many boaters, but before benefiting from the boat lemon law, first there are 3 conditions to be met:
1. the defect of the watercraft has to be explicitly covered in the original warranty;
2. the consumer must give the manufacturer ample chance to solve the problem; and
3. the manufacturer should have unsuccessfully tried to repair the defect within a certain amount of time.
The boat lemon law of Ohio states that you have the right to file charges only if all three criteria are met. If only one or even two of the above criteria are met, you will not be eligible to file charges under the boat lemon law.
If you do qualify to file suit, you must do so within a certain period after the date of purchase on your receipt. In Ohio, boat lemon laws give you up to 2 years to file charges.
You must discuss your case with a lawyer who is an expert on boat lemon law litigation. Be careful with this, as there are boat lemon law attorneys who represent manufacturers. You want to hire a boat lemon law attorney who is excellent in representing the consumer.
It is also important to study the conditions specified in the boat lemon law. While it is necessary to get a lawyer who specializes in boat lemon law proceedings, it is also a good idea to not completely rely on them. To make sure you will be protected, it will be good if you can study what are covered by the boat lemon law yourself.
Besides the boat lemon laws, there are other legal rulings that can protect your right as a consumer. If you are in Ohio, you might want to familiarize yourself with the Consumer Sales Practices Act and the Commercial Sales Law as well. These may provide you more supporting facts for the handling of your claims.
What is the Law of Attraction Now?
The law of attraction has been mentioned widely in the world,
both off line and on line. The law of attraction is one of the hottest
issues in the internet. You can see this issue in every forum, every
article directories, and every chat room. Why is it so popular? The
reason is simple. What the law offers matches the needs of the public.
People want to know more and make use of it. Does it really work? This
article will talk what Law of Attraction is and how it works.
The Law of Attraction is commonly associated with new idea theories. It states people experience the corresponding manifestations of their predominant thoughts, feelings, words, and actions and that people therefore have direct control over reality and their lives through thought alone. A person's thoughts (conscious and unconscious), emotions, beliefs and actions are said to attract corresponding positive and negative experiences. It is believed that the thought brings result through the resonance of their energetic vibration. Many proponents of the idea claim that with practice a person can use the law of attraction to change their lives. However, the idea has received intense criticism from multiple circles in the media, the scientific community.
Believers allege that the statement by Buddha, "What you have become is the result of what you have thought", is an expression of the idea that thoughts introduced into reality can attract like energy. In Hebrew Scripture, Proverbs 23:7 states: "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he." It is also often alleged that the same idea can be found in beliefs as ancient as Hinduism. In the West, the idea of "positive thinking" became popular during the 19th century. One of the earliest known formulations of the ideas now known as the Law of Attraction is contained in the 1906 book Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World by William Atkinson, editor of New Thought magazine. Dozens of books in the first half of the 20th century addressed the topic under various names of "positive thinking" and the "Law of Attraction."
In March 2006 a film named "The Secret" was developed around the "Law of Attraction", and was later developed into a book by the same name. The movie and book have been selling at a tremendous pace and have gained widespread attention across the media from Saturday Night Live and Operah in the United States.
Proponents of the modern 'Law of Attraction' claim that it has roots in Quantum Physics. According to the 'law of attraction', thoughts have an energy that attracts like energy. In order to control this energy, proponents claim people must practice four things:
1. Know what one desires and ask the universe for it. (The "universe" is mentioned broadly, stating that it can be anything from God to an unknown source of energy)
2. Focus one's thought upon the thing desired with great feeling such as enthusiasm or gratitude.
3. Feel and behave as if the object of one's desire is on its way.
4. Be open to receiving it.
The Law of Attraction is now known universally and becomes obsession of the large group of people. Yet not so many people understand the real concept of the law. This article talks about the essence of the Law of Attraction.
The Law of Attraction is commonly associated with new idea theories. It states people experience the corresponding manifestations of their predominant thoughts, feelings, words, and actions and that people therefore have direct control over reality and their lives through thought alone. A person's thoughts (conscious and unconscious), emotions, beliefs and actions are said to attract corresponding positive and negative experiences. It is believed that the thought brings result through the resonance of their energetic vibration. Many proponents of the idea claim that with practice a person can use the law of attraction to change their lives. However, the idea has received intense criticism from multiple circles in the media, the scientific community.
Believers allege that the statement by Buddha, "What you have become is the result of what you have thought", is an expression of the idea that thoughts introduced into reality can attract like energy. In Hebrew Scripture, Proverbs 23:7 states: "As a man thinketh in his heart so is he." It is also often alleged that the same idea can be found in beliefs as ancient as Hinduism. In the West, the idea of "positive thinking" became popular during the 19th century. One of the earliest known formulations of the ideas now known as the Law of Attraction is contained in the 1906 book Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World by William Atkinson, editor of New Thought magazine. Dozens of books in the first half of the 20th century addressed the topic under various names of "positive thinking" and the "Law of Attraction."
In March 2006 a film named "The Secret" was developed around the "Law of Attraction", and was later developed into a book by the same name. The movie and book have been selling at a tremendous pace and have gained widespread attention across the media from Saturday Night Live and Operah in the United States.
Proponents of the modern 'Law of Attraction' claim that it has roots in Quantum Physics. According to the 'law of attraction', thoughts have an energy that attracts like energy. In order to control this energy, proponents claim people must practice four things:
1. Know what one desires and ask the universe for it. (The "universe" is mentioned broadly, stating that it can be anything from God to an unknown source of energy)
2. Focus one's thought upon the thing desired with great feeling such as enthusiasm or gratitude.
3. Feel and behave as if the object of one's desire is on its way.
4. Be open to receiving it.
The Law of Attraction is now known universally and becomes obsession of the large group of people. Yet not so many people understand the real concept of the law. This article talks about the essence of the Law of Attraction.
Jim Somchai
Read more of his articles from his site Visualization to Success [http://visualizationmeditation.com]
[http://visualizationmeditation.com]
Read more of his articles from his site Visualization to Success [http://visualizationmeditation.com]
[http://visualizationmeditation.com]
Rhode Island RI Common Law Marriage - Fact Or Fiction
Fiction- If I live together with my boyfriend for over seven years then we are automatically common law married.
This is a huge urban myth that is completely and totally false! In fact, a couple could live together for 35 years in Rhode Island and still not be common law married! However, another couple could live together for 7 days and be married.
How can this be true??
This article only applies to Rhode Island. Also, a vast majority of states do not recognize common law marriages. Please contact Rhode Island divorce and family law lawyer, David Slepkow, to help evaluate whether you can successfully establish a common law marriage in Rhode Island.
In order to establish a common law marriage in Rhode Island, a couple must have "seriously intended to enter into the husband-wife relationship." Demelo v. Zompa, 844 A.2d 174 "The parties conduct also must be of such a character as to lead to a belief in the community that they were married." Demelo v. Zompa 844 A.2d 174 "The prerequisite serious intent and belief is demonstrable by inference from cohabitation, declarations, reputation among kindred and friends, and other circumstancial evidence." Demelo v. Zompa, 844 A.2d 174
A crucial element to common law marriage is whether a couple holds themselves out to the community as husband and wife.
I believe that Courts look to several factors in determining if there is a common law marriage. The Court looks at a totality of the circumstances rather than focusing on any one particular factor exclusively. In other words, if one of the following factors doesn't apply there could still be a common law marriage!
Establishing a common law marriage in Rhode island is analogous to building a brick wall. A single brick alone will not build the wall! Pulling out any particular brick will not cause the wall to fall. Similarly, No one factor usually creates a common law marriage. (perhaps, and I emphasize perhaps, the only exception to this is filing married for your federal income taxes) The absence of a single factor usually does not defeat a common law marriage! (The exception to this may be lack of cohabitation but that is not set in stone. I emphasize may be an exception depending on the facts)
The court may look at whether the alleged wife took the husband's last name. The woman's use of husband's last name indicates that the parties were holding themselves out to the community as married and exhibiting a serious intent to enter into a marriage. If a woman takes a man's last name and uses the name in public then that will go a long way in establishing a common law marriage. A woman not taking her significant other's last name will not be fatal to establishing the marriage. Judges are keenly aware that in this day and age, it is common for a woman to use her maiden name after a valid marriage.
The Court will look to see if the parties introduce each other as "my husband" or "my wife" in social settings or when appropriate. The Courts are well aware that married couples usually do not introduce their spouse by his / her first name.
Medical treatment forms, financing applications and other forms may be important to see whether the parties listed the other person as their spouse or even admitted that there was a marriage.
The length of time that the parties lived together may be very relevant . An economic partnership between the parties is also very significant. Joint bank accounts, joint ownership of property, joint accounts, beneficiary designations on retirement plans, insurance applications could all be bricks in a wall of establishing a common law marriage. Please note that these types of factors (such as having a joint bank account together) alone will NOT establish a common law marriage! In this day and age it is not unusual for boyfriends and girlfriends to live together with joint bank accounts or even, perhaps, owning property together without intending to enter into a marriage. However, the above mentioned factors take on importance in conjunction with other significant factors set forth in this article.
There are a myriad of other factors that could be very important in determining whether or not there is a common law marriage. This includes whether a diamond ring or other ring was given and what hand the ring was worn on.
This article in no way establishes all the factors that could be important.
If the parties cannot agree that there was a marriage then witnesses will need to testify in Court to establish a belief and reputation in the community that the parties were married. In other words does your social circle (friends, family, acquaintances ) believe that you and your significant other are married?
One of the most crucial elements of common law marriage is the tax status that the parties claim on their federal and state income tax forms. If the parties filed married filing jointly or married filing separately then some judges would say that the common law marriage is established. A federal tax document is a very significant document and most people know the importance of being truthful when filling it out. I would tend to agree that if the parties filed their taxes as married then they are probably in fact married! If the parties filed as married filing jointly and then one of them denies the common law marriage then they are in a perjury trap. Either they lied to the IRS or they are lying to the Court. Filling single will not be helpful to establish a common law marriage however it is not fatal.
How could a party be common law married after 7 days? Hypothetically, boyfriend and girlfriend invite all their friends to a party which is not officially a wedding. No marriage certificate is sought or obtained by the couple. However, at the party the couple announces to all their friends and family in attendance that they are married, they move in together the next day. The girlfriend puts him on her health insurance. They are probably married by common law after just a week!
If you believe that you are common law married and want to terminate the relationship then you need to file for divorce in Rhode Island family Court seeking to establish the appropriate elements.
This is a huge urban myth that is completely and totally false! In fact, a couple could live together for 35 years in Rhode Island and still not be common law married! However, another couple could live together for 7 days and be married.
How can this be true??
This article only applies to Rhode Island. Also, a vast majority of states do not recognize common law marriages. Please contact Rhode Island divorce and family law lawyer, David Slepkow, to help evaluate whether you can successfully establish a common law marriage in Rhode Island.
In order to establish a common law marriage in Rhode Island, a couple must have "seriously intended to enter into the husband-wife relationship." Demelo v. Zompa, 844 A.2d 174 "The parties conduct also must be of such a character as to lead to a belief in the community that they were married." Demelo v. Zompa 844 A.2d 174 "The prerequisite serious intent and belief is demonstrable by inference from cohabitation, declarations, reputation among kindred and friends, and other circumstancial evidence." Demelo v. Zompa, 844 A.2d 174
A crucial element to common law marriage is whether a couple holds themselves out to the community as husband and wife.
I believe that Courts look to several factors in determining if there is a common law marriage. The Court looks at a totality of the circumstances rather than focusing on any one particular factor exclusively. In other words, if one of the following factors doesn't apply there could still be a common law marriage!
Establishing a common law marriage in Rhode island is analogous to building a brick wall. A single brick alone will not build the wall! Pulling out any particular brick will not cause the wall to fall. Similarly, No one factor usually creates a common law marriage. (perhaps, and I emphasize perhaps, the only exception to this is filing married for your federal income taxes) The absence of a single factor usually does not defeat a common law marriage! (The exception to this may be lack of cohabitation but that is not set in stone. I emphasize may be an exception depending on the facts)
The court may look at whether the alleged wife took the husband's last name. The woman's use of husband's last name indicates that the parties were holding themselves out to the community as married and exhibiting a serious intent to enter into a marriage. If a woman takes a man's last name and uses the name in public then that will go a long way in establishing a common law marriage. A woman not taking her significant other's last name will not be fatal to establishing the marriage. Judges are keenly aware that in this day and age, it is common for a woman to use her maiden name after a valid marriage.
The Court will look to see if the parties introduce each other as "my husband" or "my wife" in social settings or when appropriate. The Courts are well aware that married couples usually do not introduce their spouse by his / her first name.
Medical treatment forms, financing applications and other forms may be important to see whether the parties listed the other person as their spouse or even admitted that there was a marriage.
The length of time that the parties lived together may be very relevant . An economic partnership between the parties is also very significant. Joint bank accounts, joint ownership of property, joint accounts, beneficiary designations on retirement plans, insurance applications could all be bricks in a wall of establishing a common law marriage. Please note that these types of factors (such as having a joint bank account together) alone will NOT establish a common law marriage! In this day and age it is not unusual for boyfriends and girlfriends to live together with joint bank accounts or even, perhaps, owning property together without intending to enter into a marriage. However, the above mentioned factors take on importance in conjunction with other significant factors set forth in this article.
There are a myriad of other factors that could be very important in determining whether or not there is a common law marriage. This includes whether a diamond ring or other ring was given and what hand the ring was worn on.
This article in no way establishes all the factors that could be important.
If the parties cannot agree that there was a marriage then witnesses will need to testify in Court to establish a belief and reputation in the community that the parties were married. In other words does your social circle (friends, family, acquaintances ) believe that you and your significant other are married?
One of the most crucial elements of common law marriage is the tax status that the parties claim on their federal and state income tax forms. If the parties filed married filing jointly or married filing separately then some judges would say that the common law marriage is established. A federal tax document is a very significant document and most people know the importance of being truthful when filling it out. I would tend to agree that if the parties filed their taxes as married then they are probably in fact married! If the parties filed as married filing jointly and then one of them denies the common law marriage then they are in a perjury trap. Either they lied to the IRS or they are lying to the Court. Filling single will not be helpful to establish a common law marriage however it is not fatal.
How could a party be common law married after 7 days? Hypothetically, boyfriend and girlfriend invite all their friends to a party which is not officially a wedding. No marriage certificate is sought or obtained by the couple. However, at the party the couple announces to all their friends and family in attendance that they are married, they move in together the next day. The girlfriend puts him on her health insurance. They are probably married by common law after just a week!
If you believe that you are common law married and want to terminate the relationship then you need to file for divorce in Rhode Island family Court seeking to establish the appropriate elements.
The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success
One of the most interesting discoveries of my life has been the
fact that there are, indeed, laws of success which operate in much the
same way as scientific laws such as the law of gravity.
It may be difficult at first to really accept that the principles of success are really 'laws' and that if we can reproduce the causes of success, then we can also reproduce the effects. But, if we can take the time to understand and make use of these laws, the results we are seeking are certain to follow. Just as night will most certainly follow day, the results (effects) will flow from the methods (causes) we choose to employ.
There have been some excellent exponents of these principles including Deepak Chopra who wrote the excellent book The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success. In this article, we take a brief look at each of these laws:
Here are the 7 Spiritual Laws of Success ...
Law of Pure Potentiality
"The source of all creation is pure consciousness...pure potentiality seeking expression from the unmanifest to the manifest."
What this law means is that all the success you enjoy will come to you as a result of your connection with the infinite. All your best ideas come from within; and you will be amazed - at first - to discover that the answers will come to you; regularly and reliably, when you learn to ask yourself the right questions.
You need to open your mind to receive what the universe has to offer; and this, of course, is achieved through disciplines such as meditation, prayer and introspection.
Law of Karma (or Cause and Effect)
"Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like mind...what we sow is what we reap."
Your future is made by the actions you take in the present. You are continually creating that future: good or bad; consciously or unconsciously.
This law concerns the reality that, literally, everything you have in your life right now is a product of certain actions you took in the past. So if you want a better, more enriched future, you need to take the necessary actions in the present in order to produce the life you want. Everything you do produces fruit, so commit yourself to continually taking action.
Law of least effort
"Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease...with carefreeness, harmony, and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease."
Does this sound like it's all too easy? The law sounds a bit like: do nothing and accomplish everything doesn't it? But what is meant by this law is that you don't have to struggle with life; and in fact, the more you struggle, the less efficient you will become.
If you stay connected (meditation, prayer etc) and committed to action (cause and effect) you can simply perform your allotted tasks with joy; and everything you seek will flow effortlessly towards you.
Law of Giving and Receiving
"The universe operates through dynamic exchange...giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe."
Personally, although the law is correctly stated, I think this law is the least-well understood of the laws of success. Perhaps the best articulation of this law can be found in Wallace D Wattles classic, The Science of Getting Rich.
The principle recognizes the fact that things flow toward you as a result of exchange. So if you want to generate wealth, for example, you need to decide what you can give. But in order for that exchange to take place, in the words of Wattles, you must give 'more in use-value than you take in cash-value'.
What a principle - let it sink-in - give more than you receive & the dynamics of the universe will naturally reward you for it.
Law of Intention and desire
"Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment...intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality have infinite organizing power."
This is what everybody involved in Personal Development actually teaches i.e. goal-setting!. All successful people make use of goals, so you too should model this behaviour.
The business of how to correctly set and achieve a goal is the subject of my article: How to Set and Achieve a Goal. In this article, space does not permit a thorough treatment of the subject, however, here we will recognize that, quite simply, you must have goals because goal-setting works!
Law of Detachment
"In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty...in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning."
What this law means is that whereas you must be committed to your goals, you need not be committed to the methods you will employ to reach them. As Zig Ziglar used to say, you don't change the destination, but you may decide to change the route.
There are, of course, many ways for you to reach your goals; and when you are in alignment with the 7 spiritual laws, you will discover ways you didn't even know existed, ways you didn't understand and therefore could not consider.
It may sound odd, but you (yourself) will change along the road. So don't be rigidly attached to the route. Instead be prepared to change at any moment as the right opportunity presents itself.
Law of Dharma
"Everyone has a purpose in life...a unique or special talent to give to others."
This principle is what Abraham Maslow called 'Self Actualization'; and he also said that very few people achieve it. But 'Self Actualization' - becoming the person you were meant to be - is the very purpose of studying Personal Development, so I do hope you will become interested in finding out more about living the life you were born to live.
Do you think that life holds a purpose for you? I truly hope so! If you do, then you must go and find that purpose and then you must be bold enough to live it - because that's how you will find true success!
Quotations above are taken from The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra.
It may be difficult at first to really accept that the principles of success are really 'laws' and that if we can reproduce the causes of success, then we can also reproduce the effects. But, if we can take the time to understand and make use of these laws, the results we are seeking are certain to follow. Just as night will most certainly follow day, the results (effects) will flow from the methods (causes) we choose to employ.
There have been some excellent exponents of these principles including Deepak Chopra who wrote the excellent book The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success. In this article, we take a brief look at each of these laws:
Here are the 7 Spiritual Laws of Success ...
Law of Pure Potentiality
"The source of all creation is pure consciousness...pure potentiality seeking expression from the unmanifest to the manifest."
What this law means is that all the success you enjoy will come to you as a result of your connection with the infinite. All your best ideas come from within; and you will be amazed - at first - to discover that the answers will come to you; regularly and reliably, when you learn to ask yourself the right questions.
You need to open your mind to receive what the universe has to offer; and this, of course, is achieved through disciplines such as meditation, prayer and introspection.
Law of Karma (or Cause and Effect)
"Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like mind...what we sow is what we reap."
Your future is made by the actions you take in the present. You are continually creating that future: good or bad; consciously or unconsciously.
This law concerns the reality that, literally, everything you have in your life right now is a product of certain actions you took in the past. So if you want a better, more enriched future, you need to take the necessary actions in the present in order to produce the life you want. Everything you do produces fruit, so commit yourself to continually taking action.
Law of least effort
"Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease...with carefreeness, harmony, and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease."
Does this sound like it's all too easy? The law sounds a bit like: do nothing and accomplish everything doesn't it? But what is meant by this law is that you don't have to struggle with life; and in fact, the more you struggle, the less efficient you will become.
If you stay connected (meditation, prayer etc) and committed to action (cause and effect) you can simply perform your allotted tasks with joy; and everything you seek will flow effortlessly towards you.
Law of Giving and Receiving
"The universe operates through dynamic exchange...giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe."
Personally, although the law is correctly stated, I think this law is the least-well understood of the laws of success. Perhaps the best articulation of this law can be found in Wallace D Wattles classic, The Science of Getting Rich.
The principle recognizes the fact that things flow toward you as a result of exchange. So if you want to generate wealth, for example, you need to decide what you can give. But in order for that exchange to take place, in the words of Wattles, you must give 'more in use-value than you take in cash-value'.
What a principle - let it sink-in - give more than you receive & the dynamics of the universe will naturally reward you for it.
Law of Intention and desire
"Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment...intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality have infinite organizing power."
This is what everybody involved in Personal Development actually teaches i.e. goal-setting!. All successful people make use of goals, so you too should model this behaviour.
The business of how to correctly set and achieve a goal is the subject of my article: How to Set and Achieve a Goal. In this article, space does not permit a thorough treatment of the subject, however, here we will recognize that, quite simply, you must have goals because goal-setting works!
Law of Detachment
"In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty...in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning."
What this law means is that whereas you must be committed to your goals, you need not be committed to the methods you will employ to reach them. As Zig Ziglar used to say, you don't change the destination, but you may decide to change the route.
There are, of course, many ways for you to reach your goals; and when you are in alignment with the 7 spiritual laws, you will discover ways you didn't even know existed, ways you didn't understand and therefore could not consider.
It may sound odd, but you (yourself) will change along the road. So don't be rigidly attached to the route. Instead be prepared to change at any moment as the right opportunity presents itself.
Law of Dharma
"Everyone has a purpose in life...a unique or special talent to give to others."
This principle is what Abraham Maslow called 'Self Actualization'; and he also said that very few people achieve it. But 'Self Actualization' - becoming the person you were meant to be - is the very purpose of studying Personal Development, so I do hope you will become interested in finding out more about living the life you were born to live.
Do you think that life holds a purpose for you? I truly hope so! If you do, then you must go and find that purpose and then you must be bold enough to live it - because that's how you will find true success!
Quotations above are taken from The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra.
Will Edwards is a published author and Founder of White Dove Books.
Web Hosting and Emerging Internet Law
Recently, a Canadian firm has claimed infringement upon a patent it
owns, with regard to Resource Description Framework (RDF), a software
based upon Extensible Markup Language (XML). Using this technology,
programmers can write software to access web resources, such as web page
content, music files and digital photos. Vancouver-based UFIL
Unified Data Technologies, holds U.S. patent 5,684,985, a '''method
and apparatus utilizing bond identifiers executed upon accessing of an
endo-dynamic information node,'' awarded in November 1997. According to
the Patent Enforcement and Royalties Ltd. (PEARL)'s web site, as
many as 45 companies may be infringing upon the patents. It is believed
that the patent may also infringe on the RDF Site Summary standard (web
content that's written in something other than HTML). For example, RSS
(originally developed by Netscape Communications, now owned by AOL
Time Warner), allows web sites to exchange information and content.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which evaluates and recommends standards for web technologies, has endorsed the RDF standard. PEARL has been engaged to work with UFIL, to enforce the claims, since 1999. According to information released by the W3C, Daniel Weitzner, Technology and Society Domain Leader, indicated that the Consortium had not been approached directly regarding the patent issue. Mr. Weitzner stated, ''We consider it to be quite important that fundamental technology specifications such as RDF should be able to be implemented on a royalty-free basis. If anything comes to our attention that suggests that's not possible, we'll pay attention to legitimate property rights out there, but at the same time, RDF was developed in the open by a very broad range of the web community.''Freedom of Speech Issues
An amicus brief was recently filed by Yahoo!, Inc., in its lawsuit against LaLigue contre le Racisme et l' Antisemitisme, Case No. 01-17424 (9th Cir.). Later this year, a federal appellate court will decide whether or not French anti-discrimination law can restrict freedom of speech on U.S.-based web sites that are accessible in France.
In 2000, a Paris court ruled that the Yahoo! web site violated French law, due to the fact that its users offered certain Nazi artifacts for sale. In order to force compliance with the order, French plaintiffs must seek enforcement from a U.S. court. In response, Yahoo! sought a declaratory ruling and a federal district court held that enforcing the French order would violate the First Amendment. The matter is now on appeal. The Yahoo! case presents the question of whether the Internet should be governed by myriad local censorship laws from around the world. U.S. courts have held uniformly that the Internet should receive the highest degree of First Amendment protection. Web.com's Patent and Intellectual Property with Web Hosting Company, Hostopia
In July, 2006, Atlanta-based web hosting, managed email, ecommerce, and online business applications giant, Web.com,
entered into a non-exclusive license agreement with web hosting firm, Hostopia.com Inc., granting Hostopia the rights to two of Web.com's patents over five years, on a non-transferable basis. Web.com's portfolio of 19 registered, and numerous pending, U.S. patents relates to several core technologies that are vital to the web hosting industry.
The licensed patents broadly cover methods for website building and web hosting control panels. According to the agreement, Hostopia will pay Web.com a royalty equal to 10% of their gross U.S. retail revenues for five years. In addition, the companies have entered a cross-license agreement in which Web.com was granted rights to thousands of HTML and FLASH website templates and a license to additional intellectual property in the future at no additional cost. The companies have also agreed to a mutual covenant not to sue for patent infringement.
Spokespersons for Web.com had this to say, concerning the licensing agreement with Hostopia:
''Web.com has a portfolio of 19 registered patents with several additional pending patents. Web.com's patents touch on a number of key technologies that are vital to the web hosting and Software-as-a-Services industries. Web.com's first patent license transaction was a milestone for the Company as it validated Web.com's belief in the value of its patents. Hostopia paid Web.com an amount that was roughly equal to 10% of Hostopia's U.S. retail revenues over five years. Web.com intends to use its patent rights as a means of extending its brand and its technology so as to create value for its shareholders and to protect its innovations.''
With regard to the legalities of Internet content, Web.com's representative stated: ''Copyright Website owners and other authors (like bloggers, for example) own the content they create under general principles of copyright law. Copyright law grants the author of any "work" the exclusive right to copy and reproduce that work. Copyright law extends not only to the written word, but also to music, dramatic works (like plays and moves), art, sculpture any other forms of creative expression that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Conflicts easily arise on the web because web technology makes it so easy for web users to copy and download content, including music, video, pictures and text. While the author of an article may not object to a web user who links to a copy written article, the author will object if someone copies his article and re-publishes it as if it were a new article. Generally, web hosts are not responsible if one of their clients violates a copyright holder's rights by illegally copying content onto the client's website. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act creates a "safe harbor" from liability for web hosts that follow a specific process in responding to notices from copyright holders alleging copyright infringement from content on a client's website. Among other requirements, the web host must suspend a client's website after the host receives a formal notice that meets the statutory requirement. The host may resurrect the client's site, however, if the client responds with a sworn statement denying any infringement so long as the client's denial also satisfies the statute. So long as the host follows the specific requirements of the statute, the host is not liable even if a court ultimately determines that its client was violating another party's copyright.''
As to content - trademark conflicts, Web.com's spokesperson went on to reiterate: ''Involvement trademark disputes are more difficult for hosts to manage, however. Unlike copyright law -- which protects the author of an original work -- trademark law protects the brand name of a seller of goods or services. A potential copyright infringement is often easy to see if the infringing site blatantly copies words or images that are protected by copyright. Trademark infringement is trickier to spot, however, as a trademark right in most cases will only extend to the "scope of use" covered by the holder's goods or services. For example if Company A sells "BrandName" widgets, it may have trademark rights to "BrandName". But, Company A's rights, in most cases, will not prevent Company B from using BrandName to sell goods or services that are different from those sold by Company A. The challenge for web hosts arises when a client website advertises BrandName goods or services but a third party claims trademark rights to "BrandName". How can the host know if the third party's rights are superior? How can the host tell if the client's products are within the third party's "scope of use."
To avoid liability for participating in a client's possible trademark infringement, savvy web hosts will develop processes to follow to respond to allegations of trademark infringement and to ensure that clients resolve those claims. Among other things, a savvy web host will make sure that its client agreement obligates the client to resolve those claims and indemnify the web host for any liability it might have for the client's failure to do so.''
Web.com's representative concluded, commenting on the issue of publication liability, stating that ''Another type of potential content problem for web hosts involves liability for defamation. Defamation is a cause of action (or potential lawsuit) that arises when a party publishes a false statement, knowing that it is false, and that publication injures another person. For example, if a client posted on its website the statement: "Company X's products cause cancer" and if the client knew that statement were false, the client could be liable for defamation to Company X. If the client honestly believed the statement to be true, however, the client would generally not be liable. Defamation liability would make the web hosting industry impossible if it weren't for the Communications Decency Act passed by Congress in the late 1990s. Under the Communications Decency Act (or "CDA"), web hosts and other "Internet service providers" are not liable for the publications (or statements) of their clients so long as they are not contributors to those statements.''
IBM v. Amazon.com
Amazon.com is involved in patent litigation with IBM, in two separate lawsuits. Five patents are alleged to have been violated, as far as the 1980s, all regarding cataloging and data referencing, including alteration of online content. It has been reported in press releases issued by IBM, that ongoing negotiations since 2002 have failed, that hundreds of other companies have licensed the same patents, and that IBM has attempted to negotiate licensing deals with Amazon. Since Amazon.com is largely based upon web technologies and the ability to quickly process transactions over the Internet, it would seem that if it were a mere matter of licensing, they wouldn't have any problem. It may be that they feel IBM's patents are too broad, and cover technologies they developed themselves in-house.
Net Neutrality
One of the most important freedom of speech aspect of the Internet, is that no one party owns or controls it. However, as telephone and digital companies continue to grow through mergers and acquisitions, Internet and related laws, and the concepts and issues that govern it, have come to the forefront, as a new and legitimate concern for all netizens.
Issues such as network (''net'') neutrality, have become contested areas of law in the United States. Internet giants, such as Google, eBay, and Amazon, fear that network owners will create a biased, two-tier Internet system, unfairly placing telco services first, in addition to the concern that network owners may seek to entirely censor or block content at their own discretion, creating partiality. The terms of the debate place neutralists (such as the Internet's largest content providers), against free-marketeers (including Telcos) who argue against such regulation, deeming it to be counter-productive and even unconstitutional.
The fact remains, that exercising the rights associated with free speech and the Internet, places a high premium on the judgment and responsibility of those who use the it, both in the information they acquire and in the information they disseminate. In order for web hosting companies to survive, it is essential that consumers realize and understand, that when they obtain information through the Internet, web hosting companies cannot monitor, verify, warrant, or vouch for the accuracy and quality of the information that is available.
Therefore, some material posted to the Internet may be subject to patent and/or copyright infringement, deemed inappropriate for certain ages, or otherwise offensive. Because web hosting companies are not in a position to monitor or censor the Internet, they cannot accept any responsibility for the consequences that may result from potentially infringing, inaccurate, offensive, inappropriate, or otherwise illegal Internet communications.
While each user is expected to exercise common sense and good judgment in connection with the services it utilizes on the Internet, web hosting companies do have terms of service rules in place, to govern such things as spamming, and maintaining open SMTP relays. It is ultimately up to the users to exercise the best judgment possible, in relying on information obtained from the Internet. When users and/or consumers disseminate information through the Internet, they also must keep in mind that web hosting companies do not review, edit, censor, or take responsibility for any information its users, clients or subscribers may create. The very same liability as other authors for copyright infringement, defamation, and other harmful speech, apply to users on the Internet.
The outcome of recent Internet patent litigation will most certainly begin to set precedents
In many of the cases, the judge and/or jury is asked to make determinations as to deep issues of technological equivalence as to fast-advancing technology at a particular point in time, which can greatly affect how we continue to do business on the Internet, and the future laws that may result of such litigation.
Many patents, have implications far beyond the alleged infringement specified. A patent found valid by a jury acquires more than the normal status of ''presumption of validity,'' in that it may be used against other parties. All future parties, whether or not they are a party to the lawsuit, are affected. Therefore, patent validity lawsuits have the power to impact much more than just the two parties involved, unlike other business litigation.
Given the fact that Internet law, as a whole, is still largely in unchartered territory, the question of what positive role government can play in a regulatory regime, remains to be seen. Coupled with the fear that new technology laws may allow governments or big business to oppress society, giving them the wherewithal to block freedom of speech rights, such as viewing published materials and other forms of censorship, the spectrum of views on Internet regulation can appear to be endless. The only thing we know for certain, is that the Internet is here to stay. As such, the core issues surrounding the essence and vastness of the Internet, such as of freedom of speech, net neutrality, patent and content infringement, will continue to be at the forefront. How Congress rules on the bills addressing net neutrality, the Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act in the Senate, and the Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act in the House, will affect the way the public continues to utilize the Internet and ultimately, may determine the success or failure of online businesses and web hosting companies.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which evaluates and recommends standards for web technologies, has endorsed the RDF standard. PEARL has been engaged to work with UFIL, to enforce the claims, since 1999. According to information released by the W3C, Daniel Weitzner, Technology and Society Domain Leader, indicated that the Consortium had not been approached directly regarding the patent issue. Mr. Weitzner stated, ''We consider it to be quite important that fundamental technology specifications such as RDF should be able to be implemented on a royalty-free basis. If anything comes to our attention that suggests that's not possible, we'll pay attention to legitimate property rights out there, but at the same time, RDF was developed in the open by a very broad range of the web community.''Freedom of Speech Issues
An amicus brief was recently filed by Yahoo!, Inc., in its lawsuit against LaLigue contre le Racisme et l' Antisemitisme, Case No. 01-17424 (9th Cir.). Later this year, a federal appellate court will decide whether or not French anti-discrimination law can restrict freedom of speech on U.S.-based web sites that are accessible in France.
In 2000, a Paris court ruled that the Yahoo! web site violated French law, due to the fact that its users offered certain Nazi artifacts for sale. In order to force compliance with the order, French plaintiffs must seek enforcement from a U.S. court. In response, Yahoo! sought a declaratory ruling and a federal district court held that enforcing the French order would violate the First Amendment. The matter is now on appeal. The Yahoo! case presents the question of whether the Internet should be governed by myriad local censorship laws from around the world. U.S. courts have held uniformly that the Internet should receive the highest degree of First Amendment protection. Web.com's Patent and Intellectual Property with Web Hosting Company, Hostopia
In July, 2006, Atlanta-based web hosting, managed email, ecommerce, and online business applications giant, Web.com,
entered into a non-exclusive license agreement with web hosting firm, Hostopia.com Inc., granting Hostopia the rights to two of Web.com's patents over five years, on a non-transferable basis. Web.com's portfolio of 19 registered, and numerous pending, U.S. patents relates to several core technologies that are vital to the web hosting industry.
The licensed patents broadly cover methods for website building and web hosting control panels. According to the agreement, Hostopia will pay Web.com a royalty equal to 10% of their gross U.S. retail revenues for five years. In addition, the companies have entered a cross-license agreement in which Web.com was granted rights to thousands of HTML and FLASH website templates and a license to additional intellectual property in the future at no additional cost. The companies have also agreed to a mutual covenant not to sue for patent infringement.
Spokespersons for Web.com had this to say, concerning the licensing agreement with Hostopia:
''Web.com has a portfolio of 19 registered patents with several additional pending patents. Web.com's patents touch on a number of key technologies that are vital to the web hosting and Software-as-a-Services industries. Web.com's first patent license transaction was a milestone for the Company as it validated Web.com's belief in the value of its patents. Hostopia paid Web.com an amount that was roughly equal to 10% of Hostopia's U.S. retail revenues over five years. Web.com intends to use its patent rights as a means of extending its brand and its technology so as to create value for its shareholders and to protect its innovations.''
With regard to the legalities of Internet content, Web.com's representative stated: ''Copyright Website owners and other authors (like bloggers, for example) own the content they create under general principles of copyright law. Copyright law grants the author of any "work" the exclusive right to copy and reproduce that work. Copyright law extends not only to the written word, but also to music, dramatic works (like plays and moves), art, sculpture any other forms of creative expression that are fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Conflicts easily arise on the web because web technology makes it so easy for web users to copy and download content, including music, video, pictures and text. While the author of an article may not object to a web user who links to a copy written article, the author will object if someone copies his article and re-publishes it as if it were a new article. Generally, web hosts are not responsible if one of their clients violates a copyright holder's rights by illegally copying content onto the client's website. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act creates a "safe harbor" from liability for web hosts that follow a specific process in responding to notices from copyright holders alleging copyright infringement from content on a client's website. Among other requirements, the web host must suspend a client's website after the host receives a formal notice that meets the statutory requirement. The host may resurrect the client's site, however, if the client responds with a sworn statement denying any infringement so long as the client's denial also satisfies the statute. So long as the host follows the specific requirements of the statute, the host is not liable even if a court ultimately determines that its client was violating another party's copyright.''
As to content - trademark conflicts, Web.com's spokesperson went on to reiterate: ''Involvement trademark disputes are more difficult for hosts to manage, however. Unlike copyright law -- which protects the author of an original work -- trademark law protects the brand name of a seller of goods or services. A potential copyright infringement is often easy to see if the infringing site blatantly copies words or images that are protected by copyright. Trademark infringement is trickier to spot, however, as a trademark right in most cases will only extend to the "scope of use" covered by the holder's goods or services. For example if Company A sells "BrandName" widgets, it may have trademark rights to "BrandName". But, Company A's rights, in most cases, will not prevent Company B from using BrandName to sell goods or services that are different from those sold by Company A. The challenge for web hosts arises when a client website advertises BrandName goods or services but a third party claims trademark rights to "BrandName". How can the host know if the third party's rights are superior? How can the host tell if the client's products are within the third party's "scope of use."
To avoid liability for participating in a client's possible trademark infringement, savvy web hosts will develop processes to follow to respond to allegations of trademark infringement and to ensure that clients resolve those claims. Among other things, a savvy web host will make sure that its client agreement obligates the client to resolve those claims and indemnify the web host for any liability it might have for the client's failure to do so.''
Web.com's representative concluded, commenting on the issue of publication liability, stating that ''Another type of potential content problem for web hosts involves liability for defamation. Defamation is a cause of action (or potential lawsuit) that arises when a party publishes a false statement, knowing that it is false, and that publication injures another person. For example, if a client posted on its website the statement: "Company X's products cause cancer" and if the client knew that statement were false, the client could be liable for defamation to Company X. If the client honestly believed the statement to be true, however, the client would generally not be liable. Defamation liability would make the web hosting industry impossible if it weren't for the Communications Decency Act passed by Congress in the late 1990s. Under the Communications Decency Act (or "CDA"), web hosts and other "Internet service providers" are not liable for the publications (or statements) of their clients so long as they are not contributors to those statements.''
IBM v. Amazon.com
Amazon.com is involved in patent litigation with IBM, in two separate lawsuits. Five patents are alleged to have been violated, as far as the 1980s, all regarding cataloging and data referencing, including alteration of online content. It has been reported in press releases issued by IBM, that ongoing negotiations since 2002 have failed, that hundreds of other companies have licensed the same patents, and that IBM has attempted to negotiate licensing deals with Amazon. Since Amazon.com is largely based upon web technologies and the ability to quickly process transactions over the Internet, it would seem that if it were a mere matter of licensing, they wouldn't have any problem. It may be that they feel IBM's patents are too broad, and cover technologies they developed themselves in-house.
Net Neutrality
One of the most important freedom of speech aspect of the Internet, is that no one party owns or controls it. However, as telephone and digital companies continue to grow through mergers and acquisitions, Internet and related laws, and the concepts and issues that govern it, have come to the forefront, as a new and legitimate concern for all netizens.
Issues such as network (''net'') neutrality, have become contested areas of law in the United States. Internet giants, such as Google, eBay, and Amazon, fear that network owners will create a biased, two-tier Internet system, unfairly placing telco services first, in addition to the concern that network owners may seek to entirely censor or block content at their own discretion, creating partiality. The terms of the debate place neutralists (such as the Internet's largest content providers), against free-marketeers (including Telcos) who argue against such regulation, deeming it to be counter-productive and even unconstitutional.
The fact remains, that exercising the rights associated with free speech and the Internet, places a high premium on the judgment and responsibility of those who use the it, both in the information they acquire and in the information they disseminate. In order for web hosting companies to survive, it is essential that consumers realize and understand, that when they obtain information through the Internet, web hosting companies cannot monitor, verify, warrant, or vouch for the accuracy and quality of the information that is available.
Therefore, some material posted to the Internet may be subject to patent and/or copyright infringement, deemed inappropriate for certain ages, or otherwise offensive. Because web hosting companies are not in a position to monitor or censor the Internet, they cannot accept any responsibility for the consequences that may result from potentially infringing, inaccurate, offensive, inappropriate, or otherwise illegal Internet communications.
While each user is expected to exercise common sense and good judgment in connection with the services it utilizes on the Internet, web hosting companies do have terms of service rules in place, to govern such things as spamming, and maintaining open SMTP relays. It is ultimately up to the users to exercise the best judgment possible, in relying on information obtained from the Internet. When users and/or consumers disseminate information through the Internet, they also must keep in mind that web hosting companies do not review, edit, censor, or take responsibility for any information its users, clients or subscribers may create. The very same liability as other authors for copyright infringement, defamation, and other harmful speech, apply to users on the Internet.
The outcome of recent Internet patent litigation will most certainly begin to set precedents
In many of the cases, the judge and/or jury is asked to make determinations as to deep issues of technological equivalence as to fast-advancing technology at a particular point in time, which can greatly affect how we continue to do business on the Internet, and the future laws that may result of such litigation.
Many patents, have implications far beyond the alleged infringement specified. A patent found valid by a jury acquires more than the normal status of ''presumption of validity,'' in that it may be used against other parties. All future parties, whether or not they are a party to the lawsuit, are affected. Therefore, patent validity lawsuits have the power to impact much more than just the two parties involved, unlike other business litigation.
Given the fact that Internet law, as a whole, is still largely in unchartered territory, the question of what positive role government can play in a regulatory regime, remains to be seen. Coupled with the fear that new technology laws may allow governments or big business to oppress society, giving them the wherewithal to block freedom of speech rights, such as viewing published materials and other forms of censorship, the spectrum of views on Internet regulation can appear to be endless. The only thing we know for certain, is that the Internet is here to stay. As such, the core issues surrounding the essence and vastness of the Internet, such as of freedom of speech, net neutrality, patent and content infringement, will continue to be at the forefront. How Congress rules on the bills addressing net neutrality, the Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act in the Senate, and the Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act in the House, will affect the way the public continues to utilize the Internet and ultimately, may determine the success or failure of online businesses and web hosting companies.
Marketing For Law Firms Via Attorney-Client Matching Services - An in-Depth Report
What I will not be talking about here is attorney-listing services. Please don't get confused between attorney-listing services and attorney-client matching services. The two majors in the attorney-listing services arena are Lawyers.com or FindLaw.com that are used by many in marketing for law firms. With attorney marketing one might want to get a minimal listing on one or both of these two major sites. Both do drive a large amount of traffic to their sites for sure (in the millions of visitors per year). If you do get a listing then track your results carefully and see if being in the middle of a pack of listed attorneys actually does produce clients for you. Please don't spend more on them than the basic listing that will run about $150 or so per month, at least until you can document results with the basic listing. Also, don't buy your website through either of them, even if after testing you find good results, for many reasons that can be found under the Internet marketing tab on my website. One last note here, you probably don't want to test most of the lesser attorney-listing competitors like lawinfo.com, lawcore.com or attorneyfind.com is my take, however if you do be sure to track your results. The rest of this article is about attorney-client matching services.
Attorney Marketing Via Five Attorney-Client Matching Players
In the attorney-client matching field there are five competitors for the attorney marketing dollar offering online attorney-client matching services. The first and originator is LegalMatch.com and its newer competitor being CasePost.com as well as a third competitor LegalFish.com. The two big players that offer almost everything in attorney marketing, Lawyers.com and FindLaw.com; have also recently begun to offer a version of attorney-client matching services.
Lets begin with LegalMatch that was established in 1999 and is based in San Francisco. LegalMatch uses a double blind matching system. By double blind they mean the consumer does not see identifying information about who the lawyers are and the lawyer does not see identifying information about who the consumers are although all the cards are put on the table for both to see before any contact is made between them. Through an allocation model LegalMatch makes the decision about which lawyers get the consumer's information. Consumers can opt into "priority service" for a fee to talk with a LegalMatch staff attorney about their case and work with that attorney in selecting the attorney for their case. LegalMatch does have partnerships with the Utah State Bar Association, ATLA and NACDL. Membership fees for this marketing for law firms vehicle run from $2,500 to $25,000 per year (they will finance the membership fee if desired) depending on practice area and geographic location of the attorney. For example, a PI attorney in Los Angeles would likely be charged more than a family law attorney in Los Angeles, while the family lawyer in Peoria is likely to pay less than the family law attorney in Los Angeles. Their guarantee consists of extending your membership at no fee until your revenues have exceeded the fee you paid them.
Are There Legal Marketing Ethics Issues with Attorney-Client Matching?
A relevant digression here, since this model is not a lawyer referral program, a pre-paid legal service plan, a joint or cooperative advertising or a directory listing service it is not subject to ethics rules around much of marketing for law firms it has been asserted. Recently the Professional Ethics Committee of the Texas State Bar was looking into these practices and that committee received a seven-page letter (May 26, 2006) from the FTC that was agreed to by a unanimous vote of the FTC commission members that this attorney marketing practice is indeed ethical.
Already the states of North Carolina and South Carolina found the practice ethical. The Rhode Island Supreme Court specifically named in an ethics opinion that online matching services are ethical. Finally, the Utah State Bar (a mandatory bar) has retained LegalMatch as their lawyer referral service clearly indicating their thinking about LegalMatch's ethical nature it seems to me. Naturally you do need to check with your state bar to be sure this is an ethical practice in your state. Now back to the options in the marketplace.
CasePost.com, based in Southern California, was established in 2002 is a second player in this area of marketing for law firms. They operate in a similar fashion as LegalMatch in matching clients with lawyers; however, the directory of attorneys is shown to the consumer immediately. The consumer can decide whether they want to remain anonymous or give their contact information to the attorneys. The consumer is limited to four attorney responses. Thus the consumer determines what attorneys will get their information. In May of 2006 CasePost has made a major expansion as a result of their partnership with HandelOnTheLaw.com that is powered by a successful nationally syndicated radio show on over 120 stations with attorney Bill Handel. This show has been running since 1985. They also have a strategic relationship with LegalZoom.com that began in 2006 that has increased their reach. Like LegalMatch the membership fees for this attorney marketing vehicle are from $2,500 to $25,000 per year (financing is available if desired) depending on practice area and location. Their guarantee to a member is based on a minimum amount of referrals over the year.
LegalFish is a third player in this arena. It entered the marketplace in 2003 and is based in Chicago. It is a bit different than the other two in a few ways. Like the other players the consumer can input their information and post their cases to the site as well give their identifying information or not. In a number of cases LegalFish will contact the posting consumer themselves by telephone or email to delve deeper into the needs of the consumer so they are not totally automated. There is an allocation model used by LegalFish in referring the cases to their members. Another difference is LegalFish charges a monthly fee for this marketing for law firms vehicle ranging from $180 to $750 to members that are non-contingency based practices. For contingency based practices the fee ranges from $1600 to $5000+ monthly only if the client retains the attorney. If LegalFish does not deliver a referral to a member that retains that attorney they don't charge a fee to that attorney for the month (a form of a guarantee). Creating something of a "shared risk" system. Naturally, with this type of shared risk system, long-term success for both parties is based on LegalFish's ability to generate new client opportunities and create demand for legal services, and their member attorneys' ability to convert those referrals to paying clients. Both parties have to "pull their weight". Finally, LegalFish reports they are particularly committed to serving the solo and small firm market with ten employees or less.
The next player in this marketing for law firms arena is Lawyers.com (mentioned earlier in this article about their directory listing or attorney-listing service) with their new Attorney Match Service. If you go to their homepage what stands out on that homepage is their "Find A Lawyer Quick Search". This is their free to the consumer attorney-listing service (this is why you might want to test a listing with them and track results). To get to the Attorney Match Service you have to know to click on "Contact Lawyers" navigation tab or notice it up there at the very top of the Lawyers.com home page. Clicking on that takes you to a page where you input your zip code and the practice area you are seeking, however, it also tells you how many lawyers there are listed that "are interested in receiving your request". You are required to fill in the identifying information with other case information. Once you do that you see the attorneys listed and pick the ones you want to send your request to and wait for their replies. The fee for the attorney member is $495 per year, however, you must have a biographical level listing on lawyers.com to be on the Attorney Match Service and that is $150 and up per month depending on the size of your firm. There is no guarantee for this service.
The final player in this marketing for law firms arena is Thompson's Findlaw.com (mentioned earlier as an attorney-listing service) with their new attorney-matching website http://www.LegalConnection.com. The FindLaw system is similar to the Lawyers.com system with three steps of #1 Select your legal need; #2 Tell us about your case; and #3 Choose the attorney that's right for you. It is different from Lawyers.com's system since they have broken it out of their attorney-listing services completely with its own dedicated website. Their fees generally run from $500 to $1000 per month depending on your practice area and geographic location. They do not have a guarantee. They do report that they do set targets for each geographic area as well as practice combination and then will manage their marketing to get positive results for attorneys.
Well, now we have all the players in this particular niche of marketing for law firms with a lot of information. I think it would be imperative for me to mention one more item. Both Legal Match and CasePost have negative information on the Internet and it needs to be considered. If you go to Google and search just the term LegalMatch and then do the same with CasePost you will be able to find details about the negative information. One location that covers the negative information on LegalMatch with relevant links is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LegalMatch although that is disputed as not being sufficiently neutral in tone, which is one of Wikipedia's requirements..
Conclusions and Recommendations on Attorney-Client Matching
Let me list my current thoughts/conclusions in this marketing for law firms niche of attorney-client matching services and from there it is up to you to make your decision:
1. This marketing for law firms vehicle clearly has some merit. This approach can deliver business to you that you would not get otherwise and get it to you now. Yes, you can do better and at least arguably cheaper for yourself through the right Internet attorney marketing strategies (see my website). However, it is not going to happen tomorrow and attorney-client matching can happen tomorrow. You can build your own systems while using these systems and then decide if you want to continue their systems or not. They will always probably get some business you would not have gotten otherwise even if you had your own online systems.
2. Unfortunately you are only "renting" the methods used to get the business you are being sent and don't "own" the business methods used. If you had the correct Internet marketing for law firms system up you would have a salable asset in those systems and be driving traffic exclusively to you, which is better than this option almost certainly in the long run for most if not all attorneys. Additionally, as a general principle it is not good to be dependent on any one source of referrals as I am sure you know. That said I still think attorney-client matching services are a good option before you have your own Internet marketing systems and/or other marketing systems up. You may even want to continue these services after you have your own systems up. Having your own systems up makes you more secure and now you are at choice about staying with the service or not.
3. Who is this marketing for law firms vehicle for really?
a. Someone who needs more business right now. These systems have a stream of business coming right now and they can send it your way right now. Other attorney marketing systems will take some time to make happen and yield results.
b. Someone who is very, very clear they don't want to be involved in the marketing process and are willing to pay someone else to do it for them even if it costs them more and they are "renting". If that is you, then this is probably a good move for you. That said, you still are going to have to "close" the client they send you via email or on the phone so you are going to be involved in marketing at that level, just less marketing. You are never going to get away from that aspect unless you are an associate who does nothing but technical work in someone else's practice (not that there is anything wrong with that).
c. Someone who is doing some attorney marketing that is not working for them or not working very effectively for them since if you stop what is not working and do this type that is working you may be able to reduce your marketing costs while increasing your revenue stream.
d. Finally, a partner level attorney who has a senior associate that has good people skills that could work this marketing for law firms vehicle and close the referred clients.
4. Who is this type of attorney marketing not for?
a. Someone who won't attend to the referrals from the matching service most if not nearly every working day.
b. Someone who does not have fair to good "closing skills" or "bedside manner" (Note: you can get some coaching from these firms to improve this aspect if needed and/or see my website for more information on this skill set). You are not the only attorney getting the referral from the match firm so you need to "shine" well enough to get hired. There is still an element of competition involved with maybe 3 to 5 other attorneys who got the same referral.
c. Someone in a geographic area that does not generate a lot of referrals in your practice area. Like a rural area or small town or maybe an estate planner in a low-income area. So you see this marketing for law firms vehicle is not for everyone.
5. The negative information on LegalMatch and CasePost is somewhat troubling to me even though much of it is from the past and has been positively addressed. The negative information of the past on LegalMatch appears to have not troubled the Utah Bar, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. This is reassuring to me.
6. If you were reasonably sure this type of vehicle is for you I would go with LegalMatch first. I am presuming you are willing to work their system diligently and have at least low average "closing" skills (they will work with you to get your closing ratio up if you need some support in that area). Why LegalMatch? They have over 1500 members currently (a good sign I think), over 90 employees and have been in business longer. I figure that gives them an edge in knowledge, results and staying in business over time. Additionally, their "footprint" of bringing business to their members is almost certainly larger since they have more resources to drive business to their site than the others. If for some reason you are uncertain if this type of marketing for law firms is for you then I would go with LegalFish first. Why LegalFish? The LegalFish option would allow you to get into this marketing for law firms arena now with less expense and less risk than LegalMatch or CasePost. Do realize the LegalFish attorney marketing "footprint" is going to be much smaller than either of the other two services so they won't be sending as large a volume of business your way almost certainly. Do be sure you have in your agreement with LegalFish that they will not charge you for the months they do not send you business. If you had a good experience working the referrals from LegalFish, diligently worked the system almost daily, realized a good return on your investment and you wanted to do more then I would look into LegalMatch next. Either starting with LegalMatch or LegalFish, if you find that you really liked this approach to marketing for law firms there is nothing wrong with belonging to two or even three of the services.
7. If you decide to become a member with LegalMatch, Case Post and/or LegalFish do remember your financial arrangement and term of membership are somewhat to greatly negotiable. Do negotiate a win/win agreement for yourself. Naturally, if you can get references of current members to contact from them in your practice area and in a similar type market to yours so much the better before you sign your agreement.
8. I probably would not go with Lawyers.com at this point. Why? First, no guarantee. Next Lawyers.com does not appear to me to be promoting that part of the site enough. Additionally, I am not sure it is worth the cost of the bio and the fee that together will run at least $2,400 for the year. I suspect this money could be better put to use with one of the "big three". Lastly, given the consumer has a list of attorneys that could be large (search on the site for your zip code and practice areas and see how large it is for your area) you are going to be in a crowd I fear. Thus it looks like not much business and it seems no way to impact the consumers' thinking in your direction at the point where they are selecting who to contact. An exception to this thinking is if you already have a bio listing with them (and it is delivering business to you) this add on service might be a useful attorney marketing move given you are only spending $495 more per year. That said keep good records and see if it produces you any business. If not you would stop the service of course.
9. With respect to LegalConnection.com I probably would not go with them at this point. Why? No guarantee. I do see it as an advantage that it is a stand-alone away from the FindLaw.com site. For that reason alone I would favor it over Lawyers.com, however, I don't see LegalConnection.com or Lawyers.com as being in the same class as the "big three" at this point in time.
Legal Analysis: Civil Law is Easier than Common Law
There are two legal traditions that work as foundations to
all-out administration of any country in the world; these legal
traditions are; civil law and common law traditions. This is one of the
reasons why each country's legal education as well as any sort of
administration are not the same and also one of the reasons why we
cannot reach our abstract aspiration: "the world law." This article will
reveal which tradition is easier in term of education and enforcement.
Civil law is easier than common law in both, terms of learning and enforcement, but why?
From the very outset, civil law tradition is a "writing tradition." Writing means every law or any nationwide effective administrative rule are written down and followed by printing in hard copies (books, journals, periodicals or other media publication) and even the fastest facilities: the internet. Writing makes the learners, the fellow citizens as well as the law enforcement officials easy, because they are able to find the law anytime and anywhere (library, bookstore, newsstand home library, etc) with or without the help from the expert in the field; in contrast, I do not think this ease applies to the common law countries. Above all, civil law is not as complicated like the common law where law or decision is flexible in accordance with the case.
One of the instinctive eases of civil law is that even the person whose brain is totally white with law or any social systematic complication can understand and it is much easier for serious law students who make to clarify or deeply understand and surprisingly, for the law enforcement officials.
The fact that civil law is a written tradition does facilitate me as a law student as well as others, because most of the times I do not need the expert in the fields to explain me every encountering difficulties; everything is literally and clearly written down in the books.
Furthermore, civil law also facilitates judge in making the decision, because he or she must follow a very stern system which are already stipulated in the books. Not just the judge, all the three institution (legislative, executive and judiciary) and the fellow citizens can easily follow what stipulated in the books; this would dramatically ease the conflicts of institutional and private interests.
The case that everything is written down in the civil law traditions, reveals me that it is easier from students from common law countries to study or practice laws in civil law countries, but it is extremely hard for civil law learners or lawyers to study or practice laws in the common law traditions, because civil law is easier to learn than the common law.
This article does not intend to underestimate common law tradition or promote the image of civil law tradition, but just, based on the author's opinion, to reveal the truth as well as other reasons why each country in one region, continent or different region and continent are still, in term of social administration, are different or very different.
I have been living in Cambodia, a civil law country, for more than twenty years, this would make me very accustomed to this system (civil law tradition), but I strongly feel that my supporting sentiment is right. What do you think? May be I am wrong, because I am not deeply familiar with the common law tradition, if it is so, let the argument begin!
Civil law is easier than common law in both, terms of learning and enforcement, but why?
From the very outset, civil law tradition is a "writing tradition." Writing means every law or any nationwide effective administrative rule are written down and followed by printing in hard copies (books, journals, periodicals or other media publication) and even the fastest facilities: the internet. Writing makes the learners, the fellow citizens as well as the law enforcement officials easy, because they are able to find the law anytime and anywhere (library, bookstore, newsstand home library, etc) with or without the help from the expert in the field; in contrast, I do not think this ease applies to the common law countries. Above all, civil law is not as complicated like the common law where law or decision is flexible in accordance with the case.
One of the instinctive eases of civil law is that even the person whose brain is totally white with law or any social systematic complication can understand and it is much easier for serious law students who make to clarify or deeply understand and surprisingly, for the law enforcement officials.
The fact that civil law is a written tradition does facilitate me as a law student as well as others, because most of the times I do not need the expert in the fields to explain me every encountering difficulties; everything is literally and clearly written down in the books.
Furthermore, civil law also facilitates judge in making the decision, because he or she must follow a very stern system which are already stipulated in the books. Not just the judge, all the three institution (legislative, executive and judiciary) and the fellow citizens can easily follow what stipulated in the books; this would dramatically ease the conflicts of institutional and private interests.
The case that everything is written down in the civil law traditions, reveals me that it is easier from students from common law countries to study or practice laws in civil law countries, but it is extremely hard for civil law learners or lawyers to study or practice laws in the common law traditions, because civil law is easier to learn than the common law.
This article does not intend to underestimate common law tradition or promote the image of civil law tradition, but just, based on the author's opinion, to reveal the truth as well as other reasons why each country in one region, continent or different region and continent are still, in term of social administration, are different or very different.
I have been living in Cambodia, a civil law country, for more than twenty years, this would make me very accustomed to this system (civil law tradition), but I strongly feel that my supporting sentiment is right. What do you think? May be I am wrong, because I am not deeply familiar with the common law tradition, if it is so, let the argument begin!
Lay Vicheka is a translator for the most celebrated translation
agency in the Kingdom of Cambodia, Pyramid Translation Co.Ltd.. He is
now hoding other two professions: freelance writer for Search Newspaper;
focusing on social issues and students' issues and Media Liaison
Officer for Asia's first free on-line IELTS consultation website. Lay
Vicheka is the expert author for ezine and prolific article contributor
to other websites around the world such as articlecity, 365articles,
spiderden, talesofasia, etc (Just google him). He is also a volunteer
Cambodian-newspapers columnist (Rasmey Kampuchea and Kampuchea Thmey).
Lay Vicheka has great experience in law and politics, as he used to be
legal and English-language assistant to a Cambodian member of
parliament, migration experience (home-based business) and in writing.
He is also member of a New York-based research company. Posting address:
221H Street 93, Tuol Sangke quarter, Russey Keo district, Phnom Penh,
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