Frequently Asked Questions
“Thomas FullerZeal without knowledge is fire without light.
A: The mission of many insurance companies is to give the least amount of money possible. Any incongruences that you may state to them will be used against you, where they will place some of the blame on you even if there was no reason for you to be culpable for an accident. Speaking to an attorney first is the best solution because they know what to say to insurance companies, especially if a court of law is involved.
A: A child should not consume alcohol for any reason. If he or she is under 21, there are consequences if your child was found consuming alcohol or driving under the influence. For a first offense, your child may face license suspension for about a year, a $500 fine, an alcohol education program that is at least 12 hours long, and 90 license suspension if a judge orders your child to perform community service activities. If your child has been charged with a DWI, please contact us in order so your child can have proper representation against the charges presented to him or her.
A: If a child over the age of 17 and committed a criminal act, and depending on the severity, he or she can be tried as an adult. A prosecutor has the potential to request a transfer hearing in order for the child to be tried as an adult if certain requirements are met. Some of the requirements include: If a child is over 14 years of age and committed a criminal act such as a capital felony or first-degree felony. If a child is over the age of 15 years and the criminal act committed was a second or third state jail felony. We will do what it takes for your child to not go through such process. Please contact the Law Office of Yates and Associates to speak more in detail about your child’s criminal case.
A: Although we can’t control our children’s negative behavior as we would like, there are ways to reduce the probability of a child heading towards a life of crime. If you have the resources, seeing a family therapist, child psychologist, or another mental health professional would be ideal. If you do have limited resources, there are many programs that are provided by the Texas Department of Family and Protective services such as Community Youth Development and Services to At-Risk Youth. Both of these programs contact other organizations that are dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk juvenile youth who may go towards a life of crime. Some of the services include individual and family counseling, youth employment programs, and career preparation programs.
A: There prominent business entities if a person would like to start their own business include a sole proprietorship, limited liability company, and corporations among others. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. We must carefully consider the components of every type of business entities in order to establish the correct entity. It is important to do so because the success of the organization may depend on whether or not the correct business entity was chosen. If you would like to start your own organization, but don’t know which entity is right for you, please contact our offices for a consultation.
A: Creating a legally binding agreement is not a task that should be performed independently, in our opinion. You should always consult an attorney to provide you the protection needed when writing such documents. There are certain terms and phrases that only an attorney has the capability of understanding. We do not want for you to sign or create a contract that does not have your best interests. You may face legal issues if certain aspects of a contract are not executed properly. If you would like to create a contract, please contact the Law Office of Yates and Associates to provide you with the guidance and knowledge necessary to write a fair and that can be executed properly.
A: The cases can be mediated include most civil related matters. These include landlord/tenant disputes, child custody, and neighbor disputes. Almost all criminal related cases are not eligible for mediation. Many benefits of mediation include direct contact with parties, reduced costs, and less time to get an outcome. If you believe your case qualifies for mediation, please contact us in order to speak in detail regarding your case.
A: Individuals who are 50 years of age and older, and have been permanent residents for 20 years, and individuals who are 55 years of age and older, and have been permanent residents for 15 years are able to be exempt from the English language requirement in order to obtain U.S citizenship. There are other exemptions that are able to be provided if you are trying to obtain U.S. citizenship. If you believe are ready to obtain such status, please contact our offices in order to begin your journey to obtain citizenship and gain all the benefits that are provided.
A: The reason why it takes so long to obtain a permanent resident card is that the processing time for certain applications takes a significant amount of time. There is a limited amount of immigrant visas that are being provided each year, therefore it is most likely that your case has been placed on a waiting list. Our immigrations system has its flaws, and some flaws include documents being lost. It is very difficult for many individuals to wait for their immigration legal applications to be processed. We understand this. Our offices will do their the best to help you provide and submit immigration-related applications in order to reduce risks.
A: One of the most common requests that are submitted to get an award is a Writ of Execution. This allows to levy non-exempt property of the defendant, sell the property, and provide the sales from such property to the plaintiff to cover judgment awards. If you believe you won't receive a settlement even if you did obtain a judgment in your case's favor, please contact our offices to discuss this option and other options that are available to receive your awards.
Contact our law office today to speak with an attorney about the representation and guidance you need.
