Omni Law Group Blog | Law blog of Omni Law Group

Asset Protection: The Basics

By Trevor Zink | Published July 25, 2013

Whether you want to protect your assets so that you can easily hand them to the next generation or you simply want to keep them safe from litigation, asset protection is an important matter to put quite a bit of thought into. Everyone wants to keep their property safe and secure. Here are some solutions you can use to keep your assets protected:

  • Use an LLC. An LLC is a Limited Liability Company which can be made legitimate with only an owner and a member and can be used to include assets under, as long as the LLC does not directly pay for personal expenses. Property is protected under an LLC in that creditors cannot seize it and it cannot be taken for the payment of personal judgements. Be careful with this one, however, as property can be seized if lawsuit is brought against the LLC itself. Continue reading »
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Mergers and Acquisitions: Preparing Your Business

By Trevor Zink | Published July 3, 2013

A merger or acquisition can be beneficial to the mutual growth of a company or simply a necessary step. However, as it is challenging for some companies to make a successful transition, it is important to carefully prepare for such a large step in your business’ future.

  • Start Early. Avoid a time-crunch in the merger or acquisition process by giving your business plenty of time to prepare. Continue reading »
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Employment Litigation 101: What Do You Need To Know?

By Trevor Zink | Published June 17, 2013

Employment litigation is a phrase employers and employees both tend to avoid. That being said, it’s very important for anyone that owns or works at a business to understand his or her basic rights.

Litigation is simply the legal process of taking someone through court, so it follows that employment litigation is when an employer or employee takes the other party before a judge. Therefore, employment law (or labor law) lays out regulations for business owners and workers to follow. Continue reading »

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Written vs. Oral Contracts: Why You Should Get It In Writing

By Trevor Zink | Published May 30, 2013

Although oral contracts are legally binding, Omni Law Group recommends written contracts rather than a verbal agreement. The main reason: Oral contracts are hard to enforce. How do you prove what both parties agreed on without anything in writing?

There are additional problems with oral contracts as well:

  • They can be hard to remember. Most people have trouble remembering what they ate for breakfast two weeks ago, so it’s no surprise that details of a verbal agreement can be forgotten or remembered incorrectly. Continue reading »
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Estate Division: Dos and Don’ts

By Trevor Zink | Published May 14, 2013

Losing a loved one is never easy. Unfortunately saying goodbye isn’t the only difficult part of the process; estate division can become a costly and lengthy process, especially if it’s dragged into court. How can you avoid this?

Here are a few dos and don’ts to keep in mind:

  • Do find and read the will. Determining what the benefactor’s wishes are should be the first priority in the estate division process. Continue reading »
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Estate Planning No-Nos: 5 Mistakes Not to Make

By Trevor Zink | Published May 6, 2013

Have you started estate planning yet? If you’ve already got a plan in place, you’re well on your way to being in good shape, but effective planning takes more than just getting things on paper. Here are 5 common mistakes to avoid during the process:

  1. Forgetting to keep your will or trust up-to-date. Situations in your life change. The person you named as your child’s guardian may move overseas, or you may get divorced. When changes like this occur, it’s important to review your estate plan and make sure it’s updated with new, correct information. Continue reading »
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Legal Interview Questions: Dos and Don’ts for Employers

By Trevor Zink | Published April 11, 2013

Whether you’re an employer or potential employee, it’s important to know what interview questions are legal to ask. A good rule of thumb is to stick to questions that have to do with the job’s functions. For example, a employer cannot ask if you’re married or have kids, but he or she can ask if your schedule will allow for travel or working overtime if needed.

Here are a few basic dos and don’ts for employers to keep in mind as they put together a list of legal interview questions to ask:

  • Do ask questions that will determine if a client is qualified, such as skills, certifications or related work history that would be relevant to the position. Continue reading »
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Rights Employers & Employees Need to Know

By Trevor Zink | Published March 15, 2013

Thanks to employment law, employees and employers are both protected in different ways in the workplace. Whether you own a business or simply work for one, it’s your responsibility to know and understand your rights.

Employer Rights

What do you need to know before you hire, fire, set leave policy, offer wages and more? Make sure you don’t discriminate based on race, religion or disability. According to ehow, you can choose not to hire someone based on their behavior during an interview, the way they’re dressed, lack of experience or even a gut feeling that they don’t have the right personality for the position. But employers do not have the right to deny employment based on a person’s ethnicity, beliefs or disabilities. Continue reading »

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How the Mechanics Lien Now Applies to Design Professionals

By Trevor Zink | Published March 7, 2013

There was recently a big change for designers: The design professional lien law was repealed effective July 1, 2012 and replaced by new payment remedy laws to create updated and favorable lien laws for design professionals. If you’re interested in looking it up, you’ll find it in Civil Code sections 8000, et seq., (more specifically, Civil Code sections 8300, et seq). Here’s a summary of the basic changes:

  • There is no longer a “design professional lien.”
  • As under the previous law, design professionals can record a mechanic’s lien. The change is that now the designer can record the lien before actual construction begins. Continue reading »
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California Labor Code & Worker’s Compensation Basics

By Trevor Zink | Published March 1, 2013

Whether you’re an employer or an employee, it’s important to understand the California Labor Code and how it applies to worker’s compensation. Unfortunately, no matter what industry you’re in, it’s inevitable that someone will get hurt. Whether through heavy lifting or slipping and falling, injuries happen on the job. What do you need to know?

Basics For Employers
California Labor Code requires employers to have insurance for worker’s compensation, even if they only have one employee. The California Department of Industrial Relations provides a lot of helpful information about this, including:

  • “You can purchase worker’s compensation coverage through an agent or a broker from any of the privately licensed insurers authorized to write policies in California. You can find a list of authorized insurers on the California Department of Insurance Web site at www.insurance.ca.gov.” Continue reading »
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