Legal Documents

Published Sept 6, 2021

As you grow older and get to know yourself, you might end up not finding your name suitable for you. Maybe you come out changing your sexual preferences and want to change your name officially. Whatever legal or personal reason you might have for wanting to change your name, it’s valid.

Lucky for you, the state of Nevada allows a change of name. This article will show you how to change your name in Nevada, even in different circumstances.

Filing Petition To Change Your Name

Nevada law 41.270 states that it’s legal to change your name in Nevada by filing a petition. The person who wants to change their name has to file a petition addressed to the court, and the pay filing fee is $270. This cost can be paid in cash, credit card, or money order. You can request the court to waive the fee for you if you don’t have the money.

The petition you will file must have the following:

• Applicant’s present name
• Applicant’s desired new name
• Reason for wanting to change your name

It’s required to publish and announce the name change in a county newspaper once every week for the upcoming three weeks. When no one has filed an objection to your publication ten days after your third publication, you can now request for the judge to grant your petition. If that’s not the case, you have to appeal for a hearing. If the reason of the person who filed the objection doesn’t convince the judge, your petition may be granted.

Where can I file a petition?

Applicants can file their petitions in person, via mail, or online. However, if your petition involves both adults and minors, you must file directly in the District Court.

If you’re going to file a petition in person, you can bring your paperwork to the District Court Clerk’s Office – Family Courts and Services Center. Make sure to arrive in their office before or by 3:40 p.m. so you can meet their deadline.

If you’re going to file a petition via mail, simply mail your forms and the payment to the District Court Clerk’s Office – Family Courts and Services Center.

If you can’t find the time to mail or go to the district court directly, you can also file a petition online. Nevada Judiciary has an e-filing website where you can file a petition easily online. Uploading documents in their e-filing system costs $3.50.

Filing A Petition To Change The Name Of A Child

The child’s parent can file a petition to change the child’s name only if the other parent doesn’t object. Changing the name of a child aged 14 or older means you need to get their consent before proceeding with the petition. Legal parents of the child both need to agree to have the petition granted.

Filing A Petition Because Of Gender Identity

The process of having your name changed because of gender identity is easier than other reasons. If you’re changing your name because of your gender identity, you won’t have to publish it in a county newspaper, unlike a formal petition. This reason is typically granted quicker, depending on the situation.

Possible Reasons Why The Court Would Deny A Petition For A Name Change

Your petition can be denied if your publication gets an objection and the reason of the person who filed the objection convinces the judges.

The court/judge may deny your petition for a name change if they think that you will use it for a different reason. For example, changing names can be beneficial for people who are frauds or have criminal records. That’s why the court denies the grant when your reason is suspicious.

What should petitioners with felony convictions do?

Having a felony conviction means you’ve been to jail and had prison sentences. People with felony convictions have to submit their fingerprints with their application for a name change. Even if they got their name changed, the criminal record would still apply to the new name. The court denies the petition of name change right away when you say that you don’t have a criminal record when you actually do.

How to change name because of marriage or divorce?

Changing names after marriage or divorce doesn’t require you to file a petition. The process for both situations is easier.

For changing your name after marriage, all you have to do is note the change on your marriage license. Then, you can use your new name by simply presenting your marriage certificate to government agencies.

To change your name because of divorce, you can account for the change in your judgment of divorce. This only applies when you want to have your old last name back. If you happened not to note the change in your divorce judgment, you have to file for a petition.

Published Aug 23, 2021

Occasionally, the word “legal translation” confuses people. When you say something is legal, the first thought that comes to mind is that it has something to do with law. While legal translation primarily deals with legal documents such as court decisions, litigation files, and wills, it also works with transcripts, patents, and financial reports.

It is described as the translation of papers governing legal relationships, particularly international relations, and the distribution of information among law practitioners in diverse nations.

Legal translation is one of the most challenging branches of translation services, requiring a high level of linguistic proficiency and an in-depth understanding of local and international legislation, laws, norms, and cultural differences.

Legal translation

Legal translation is a highly specialized translation service with numerous facets. It encompasses a variety of documents that the criminal justice and civil systems require.

Moreover, legal translations necessitate the expertise of skilled subject matter experts. Translators must have a thorough awareness of the source and target languages’ laws. Legal translations require a high degree of precision. Legal documents can take on a variety of interpretations based on the word choice. Thus, legal translators must be familiar with both the source and target languages’ legal vocabulary, as well as regional and cultural variances.

Are you aware of how difficult legal translation is? The service necessitates far more than linguistic proficiency from the legal translation. They should be able to translate concepts accurately. Each phrase should be chosen carefully, as ambiguity can render a legal document null and void, and even a minor error can have costly consequences.

Legal English is frequently lengthy and convoluted. The statutory text is frequently written in the passive form, but many target languages employ the active voice. Legal translators are licensed differently in each country. They should have a legal translation degree and a business degree in some nations, while in others, they must be certified by their state or federal court. In the United States, for example, the American Translators Association offers certification programs.

Do you need a lawyer to get a legal translation service done?

Technically, legal translation services do not require the presence of a lawyer. However, you will require the assistance of a lawyer to prepare your legal documents. If you intend to submit legal documents to entities that need all documents to be in their native language, a legal translator is necessary.

A legal translator is a linguist who is knowledgeable about legal issues. The translator could be someone with experience in the legal industry who is familiar with legal jargon. Several of them may specialize in particular areas of law, including commercial law, banking and finance, corporate law, criminal law, public law, family law, and media law.

Each discipline has its collection of terminologies. As a result, many legal translators specialize in their chosen subject based on their knowledge and experience. In addition, numerous legal translators receive specific training to obtain certification or continue their studies to earn additional degrees.

Published Aug 08, 2021

So what is a vital record? As the name implies, vital records pertain to significant events; particularly, they are records of life events maintained under governmental authority. Birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses all fall under this category.

When it comes to records management, the term ‘vital record’ refers to records required for an organization to continue operating during and after a disaster. To elaborate, they would hinder the organization from carrying out its daily operations if they were unavailable.

Less than 5% of records are classified as vital, and while losing the majority of records is inconvenient, you can frequently work around it or rebuild records. Vital records are those that are required to operate or to keep something from ceasing to exist.

Four categories of ‘disaster’ count: fire, security, flood, and environmental pollution. Vital records enable firms to continue operating even if all other records are destroyed in a disaster.

Use our automated portal to order your birth certificate online from the comfort of your home.

Types of Vital Records

Vital records are classified into five categories:

1. Emergency

This information is required immediately following a disaster to aid with recovery efforts, such as staff contact information.

2. Legal

Legal contracts and leases are used to establish ownership or interests.

3. Financial

Demonstrates a business’s revenue and expenditures; this could be a monthly report or bank statements.

4. Operational

These records are essential for mission-critical services such as security procedures and information about an organization’s IT configuration.

5. Organization/Stakeholder Right

This safeguards the interests of all parties; annual financial statements and shareholder registers, for example, could be included.

How to Identify a Vital Record

Identification of vital records is required to ensure that they stay secure, accessible, and easily locatable after a crisis. Vital records are critical components of disaster recovery and business continuity plans.

Businesses must protect the appropriate records rather than devoting significant resources to securely storing non-essential records while leaving crucial records vulnerable.

Here are ways to identify your vital records:

• Determine your department’s critical functions, business processes, and stakeholders.
• Determine the potential consequences of not performing these functions.
• Determine the records that will be required to support these functions and procedures.
• Determine which of these records are crucial — if their functions can be restored in the event of their loss, they are not vital.

Published July 19, 2021

As a homeowner, you should be concerned about more than just burglars infiltrating your property –– a more serious form of theft is home title fraud.

This occurs when a bad actor affixes their name to your property title or deed, which can cost you a lot of money, time, and damage to your credit. Moreover, never assume that you are immune to home title fraud.

Recognize the facts. Be aware of warning signs. Consider taking action if you believe you are a victim. Learn how to protect your credit, property, and savings from title fraud. Additionally, consider title monitoring protection for your home.

Defining Home Title Fraud

Home title fraud occurs when someone gets a hold of your property title — typically through identity theft — in order to transfer ownership from your name to theirs. The fraudster can then use your equity as collateral to secure as many loans as possible. Often, the true owner is entirely unaware of what’s happening until the lender begins sending letters indicating their intention to foreclose on the property. For criminals skilled in identity theft, home title fraud can be a lucrative payoff.

Contrary to popular belief, home title fraud is different from mortgage fraud, which occurs when a prospective homebuyer, seller, or lender falsifies or omits critical information in order to obtain a mortgage loan approval or terms that the applicant would not usually qualify for.

How Often Does It Happen?

Once seen as uncommon, home title fraud is now considered one of the fastest-growing cybercrime schemes in the country by some. According to newly released data, the Federal Trade Commission received more than 2.1 million fraud reports from consumers in 2020, with imposter scams continuing to be the most frequently reported type of fraud.

sumers reported a loss of over $3.3 billion to fraud, up from $1.8 billion in 2019. Nearly $1.2 billion in losses were reported last year as a result of imposter scams, while consumers reported approximately $246 million in losses because of online shopping.

How Is Home Title Theft Committed?

Most of the time, home title fraud occurs as a result of identity theft. In addition, numerous transactions and document requests are made online, which increases the likelihood of information being stolen by criminals. Seniors are the most frequent targets because they typically have more equity in their homes and may be less experienced using the Internet or unfamiliar with the signs of fraud.

Additionally, individuals who own second homes, vacation homes, and real estate investment properties are targets of home title fraud. This group of homeowners may pay less attention to these properties than they do to their primary residences and may overlook notices or bills such as property tax bills, past-due notices, or foreclosure notices. This provides scammers a chance to commit fraud, and homeowners may not become aware of the problem until after the crime has been committed.

Published June 21, 2021

A living will vs will serves different purposes. The will, often known as a last will and testament, is a legal estate documentation that outlines the assets you want to be distributed after your death. A living will ensure that life-ending decisions are made for you if you are unable to make them yourself. For instance, if you are on life support and in an irreversible coma or vegetative state, the declaration states what you want to be done with your own body.

While both wills and living wills are binding legal documents, they differ in the level of privacy. Wills become public records when the person has died, and they will then be performed. On the other hand, living wills aren’t meant to be shown to anyone but the medical team responsible for the person’s well-being.

The Difference Between a Will vs Living Trust

After someone’s death, the last will and testament outline how that person’s estate plans should be handled. Another factor to consider is who will get to keep their property and assets, if everyone shares them equally, if they are allotted to specific children or relatives, or if they are to be donated to charity. Execution of a will only occurs after the person has died.

On the other hand, a living will aim to decide on health care measures to be done or avoided when the person is alive but unable to make healthcare directive for themselves nor communicate them, such as if they are in a coma.

Ways to Make a Will and Living Will

How to Make a Will

In different states, the requirements for a will varies, and hence, the power of attorneys will be needed for estate planning basics. The will detail the treatments an individual prefers to be applied if they are terminally sick or are in a persistent vegetative state. Before they take effect, they must be accompanied by two certifications from their physician and another physician that they are indeed experiencing a terminal illness or are permanently unconscious.

How to Make a Living Will

In order to create a living trust, individuals must be over the age of 18 and regarded as having a sound mind. Your signature or your proxy’s signature must be on the documents, and a witness or notary public may be needed. A copy should be delivered to your doctor so that he/she can include it in your medical file.

It is not always essential to hire a lawyer to draft a will. A valid will must be written in sound judgment, be signed in front of two witnesses, and explicitly say it is the individual’s will.

Privacy Difference Between Living Will and Will

Living wills are private medical documents, while wills are made public records through probate.

Published June 17th, 2021

Everyone gets a name when they are born. You go through life with it. Over time, it comes to define you and people identify you with it.

So, why would you want to change your name in Tennessee?

There are many reasons why many people get their name changed.

Some do it because of a clerical error in their birth certificates. Some do it for branding purposes. And then there are those who do it for legal reasons. Contrary to popular belief, this is a pretty common practice and not unlikely in any state.

You can also change your entire name, change only part of your name (first, last, or middle), change the positions of your given name, or take on an entirely new name.

Whatever your reason may be, this is the best place to find out how to change your name in Tennessee.

First, you’ll have to be familiar with Tennessee’s statutes, codes, and limitations regarding name change procedures. You’ll find that here.

So How Do You Get Started?

Changing your name in Tennessee starts with filling up and submitting a name change application form. This process can take anywhere from a day to six months to complete. Some, if there are complications can take longer.

This process can also vary from one county to another, one state to another, and so on. The number of applications currently being processed in your locale’s courthouse can also affect the completion date.

You should also expect to pay legal fees, filing fees, publication fees and service of process charge fees. This does not include the fees you will need to pay for postage and getting signatures and seals of a Notary public. To get a complete list of fees involved, contact your local court clerk for an estimate.

To set your expectations, you will need to appear in court for the entire process to complete.

Think you’re still up for it?

Note: you will also need to meet the residency requirements of the state you wish to change your name in. you will need to provide proof that you have been a resident for at least six months to a year in Tennessee.

Published May 17th, 2021

Normally, parents apply for their child’s social security card at birth. But most of the time, the child only gets to use it on their first job or when they’re applying for a driver’s license. In the intervening years, a lot of things can happen - migration, calamities, etcetera. As such, it’s very common for parents to lose their child’s social security card even before they get to use it.

If you’re having this dilemma, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll discuss how you can get a replacement social security card for your child.

What You Need to Get a Replacement Social Security Card For Your Child

If you’re a parent or guardian, you can never underestimate the importance of a social security card for your child.

For one, a social security number is the first identification document for your child. You’ll need it in many transactions such as:

• claiming benefits for your child
• adding your child to your health insurance plan
• claiming child-related tax breaks
• opening a bank account under your child’s name
• buying savings bonds for your child

If you lose your card and don’t get a replacement sooner, you’ll have a hard time doing the above.

Published April 14th, 2021

Owning a trailer is great, especially if you love traveling on the road with friends, family, or even just by yourself. There are many ways you can own a trailer, and there are many places you can find one. Say you find the perfect trailer with little to no flaws, but it does not have a title. Or you might already own a trailer without documents proving ownership, and you wanted to get one. How would you do it? Getting a title for your trailer may seem complicated. It could be for some, but others find it a simple task. This article will explain how to get a title for a trailer without title for those unfamiliar with the process.

What is a Certificate of Title?

Why does a trailer need a certificate of title anyway? To answer, let’s first discuss what a certificate of title is. A certificate of title is a legal form of document that people use as evidence that they are the actual owners of a specific vehicle or object. Many things can have certificates of titles, from pieces of jewelry to houses. This certificate shows your trailer’s essential details, making it crucial to process the paperwork accurately to avoid any legal issues.

A certificate of title is one of the most vital documents you need when owning a vehicle. This document will allow you to register for your trailer’s license plate and get it insured. Failing to present a certificate of title to authorities will make it illegal for you to use the trailer at any time. In some cases, officers may even take your vehicle away as they will think you stole it if you fail to show proof of ownership. Worst case scenario is that officials arrest you.

Why Does a Trailer Have No Title?

There are many possible reasons why a trailer does not have a title. One reason is that the vehicle is so old that the paperwork and other legal documents got lost or destroyed. The risk of ruining your documents is one of the many reasons why you should be extra careful with the papers of your vehicle/s. Some states will allow trailers not to have a certificate of title only if they are over 30 years old. These are the old trailers that people already consider to be collector’s items. Another possible reason why a trailer does not have a title is that the owner bought it from a private seller.

Buying trailers from dealership companies is ideal. However, some people prefer to buy theirs from private sellers. In this case, the trailer buyers will have to process all the legal documents themselves, unlike when you buy them from dealerships. The last possible reason why a trailer does not have a title is that the owner is not aware of its relevance. Most people would already know to have a certificate of title ready for whenever they need to prove their vehicle’s ownership. In rare cases, some people fail to acknowledge its importance and neglect getting one. These are the most common reasons for a trailer not having a title, but many more instances may make this possible.