6 Legal Resources for Process Servers from a Lawyer
- June 10, 2014
- by Laura J. Hazen
- Business Tips
- Business Tools
Author's Note: We have developed this outline to provide general information; however, some of the information outlined may need to be tailored to the specific circumstances of each position. Thus, this should not be used as a substitute for advice of competent counsel.
Down with legal fees!
I am a lawyer. Many of my close friends are lawyers. I like lawyers.
That said, I hate paying legal fees. It is one of my goals, with my work in my community and in this industry, to help smart business folk be smart and efficient consumers of legal services. That is why I spend so much time writing articles and speaking and generally talking about geeky law topics.
It’s not that I have an anti-income business death wish, it is that I want my clients to feel as good as they can about my invoices.
With this in mind, I will share my favorite, client-helping legal resources. While these resources are not a substitute for good legal counsel, they provide a solid understanding of basic concepts and can help answer day-to-day questions, and can help make those conversations with YOUR lawyer more painless. Even legal concepts drenched in Latin terms do not need to be...Latin.
1. General Business Smarts
Sometimes companies have questions about the nature of their industry. Sometimes, they have smart questions about running their business. When you have questions, go to the experts – the Small Business Administration. http://www.sba.gov/tools/sba-learning-center
2. Posters
Employers need to post certain information under certain Federal and State statures.
3. Minimum Wage
Calculating minimum wage can be more complicated than it seems. Here is a summary of Colorado’s interpretation. http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDLE-LaborLaws/CDLE/1248095305416
4. Overtime
Paying employees overtime requires calculating the rate of pay. It also requires weekly calculations as well as daily calculations. Here is one summary of that process. http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDLE-LaborLaws/CDLE/1248095305395
5. Employment Laws
Look up the employment laws in your state by visiting the Judicial branch website and look for the state constitution.
6. The Fair Labor Standards Act
The FLSA is the Federal Statute that governs the payments of minimum wage and overtime. This sounds simple but is complicated. Here is the Federal Department of Labor’s compliance guide. http://www.dol.gov/compliance/guide/
I could go on. The Internet can provide countless pieces of useless information and misinformation. It can also provide great, basic information that will help you ask smarter, more efficient questions. To disregard this amazing tool is to miss a great learning opportunity.
About the Author:
Laura J. Hazen is a co-founder of the law firm of H&K Law, LLC. In her employment practice, Hazen provides day-to-day advice and coaching to public and private companies on various employment matters. She also has an active litigation practice where she concentrates on representing business in all aspects of complex business and employment disputes. You can contact her by email at [email protected] or by phone at 303-749-0649.
Author's Note
This article is intended as a general discussion and information on the topic covered and is not to be construed as rendering legal advice. If legal advice is needed, you should consult an attorney. This article may not be reprinted or reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the author.
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