DUI after Halloween Party

If you or someone you know received a DUI after a Halloween Party in Las Vegas, Henderson, or anywhere in Clark County, Nevada, they should hire a Las Vegas DUI attorney to assist them with their criminal case.  It is important to have a skilled attorney review the evidence, even if the person thinks he or she is guilty.  Sometimes it is good to be exonerated on a technicality, especially when many other areas of your life can be affected by a DUI, including employment and family.

Call our firm as soon as you have a DUI charge and speak to no one but a licensed Nevada attorney about it.

Remember, for misdemeanor crimes, you will not get a court appointed public defender.  If you want a criminal defense attorney to represent your interests, you will have to hire one in private practice. 

DUI season is upon us, have a lawyer ready.

It is very easy to get in trouble for Driving Under the Influence, especially in Las Vegas and Henderson in winter when all the partying takes place.  DUIs occur after Halloween parties, Thanksgiving parties, Christmas parties, and New Years parties.  You may think you are sober enough to drive, and then, a police officer pulls you over and arrests you for DUI.

You should memorize the phone number of a good criminal defense attorney who handles DUIs. Even if you are not going to get a DUI, someone close to you may and you will be ready to assist.  Give them our phone number.

Remember, for misdemeanor crimes, you will not get a court appointed public defender.  If you want a criminal defense attorney to represent your interests, you will have to hire one in private practice. 

Visitation with the children over the holidays.

If your ex is already talking about denying you visitation of your children over the holidays, you need to hire a Las Vegas family lawyer as soon as possible to get before a judge.  The holiday season sometimes brings out the worst in people, and the worst in parents is usually their treatment of their children and the other parent.

Let us assist you in dealing with your ex, the other parent, in a Las Vegas family court.  You should not procrastinate, especially if your rights to see your child are pretty limited already.

Las Vegas Criminal Defense Lawyer will not Judge You.

If the criminal defense lawyer you consult with looks at you with disgust and it is obvious that he or she has determined in his or her mind that you are guilty, you ought to reconsider hiring that lawyer.  You have plenty of time to research and meet with great lawyers to find the best one for you and your case.

It is the judge's or the jury's job to judge guilt or innocence.  It is the job of the criminal defense attorney to analyze the evidence from a procedural and substantive view and then give you your options.  Your criminal defense lawyer should be able to give you an objective view of your case while, at the same time, not act rude towards you.

It is vital that you be honest with your criminal defense attorney.  Sometimes, your criminal defense attorney will not want your whole story, but, what you to tell, should be true.

At Louis C. Schneider and Associates, we do not stand in judgment of you. Come meet with us.

Remember, for misdemeanor crimes, you will not get a court appointed public defender.  If you want a criminal defense attorney to represent your interests, you will have to hire one in private practice. 

Las Vegas drug charge requires legal attention.

As a former prosecutor and defense counsel, Louis Schneider has handled hundreds of drug crimes over the years, from simple misdemeanor possession cases to complex federal drug charges. Louis Schneider knows what will work, what to try, and what to expect.

Our primary objective at Louis C. Schneider and Associates in every Las Vegas drug case is to get you acquitted.   We shall examine the evidence against you and review all issues regarding search and seizure, violation of your individual rights, entrapment, alibi, forensic issues.  If we determine, after  investigating and evaluating your criminal case, that a total acquittal is not possible, we will work hard to reduce your charges and your sentence, and to keep you out of jail if an alternative sentencing program is available to you.

REQUIRED DISCLAIMER

The information about criminal law contained on this page is not intended to be legal advice about family law.  Your criminal law matter should always be evaluated by a criminal law firm.  You should treat criminal law with the seriousness it requires.  Just as you would not likely conduct surgery on yourself, you should not represent yourself in court regarding your criminal law matter.  At the very least, consult with a local criminal law firm.

Remember, for misdemeanor crimes, you will not get a court appointed public defender.  If you want a criminal defense attorney to represent your interests, you will have to hire one in private practice. 

In Las Vegas how much does a DUI or criminal charge cost?

Those charged with DUI may want to just get it all behind them and plead guilty of the crime as charged.  It is best, however to meet to discuss your case with a DUI attorney in Las Vegas. The true cost of a DUI (or any criminal charge) is not just what it takes to hire the attorney.   The true cost of a DUI is much higher than the cost of legal representation.

First, there are the costs associated with fines, court costs, and bail. In Clark County, the court costs for a simple charge of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol are not cheap. The fines for a first time DUI are also significant. An alcohol evaluation adds more to the cost and so do DUI impact classes. There is the loss of your driver's license and the costs of reinstating your license.

The major cost of that DUI includes the impact that plea of guilty can have on future employment.  Also, there is the cost of increased SR-22 insurance, payments for  probation, the cost of finding a ride or public transportation to work, and the inconvenience of having to go to a court ordered treatment.  This is all the result of pleading guilty immediately to a Las Vegas DUI.

Therefore, it is in your interest to allow us to take review your case and determine whether there is a defense or room for negotiation (a plea deal). The consultation is free. Let us take the time to explain the system and process the courts use to deal with criminal charges. Then you can make a reasoned decision about how to proceed.

Take an hour and get a professional opinion from a Las Vegas criminal defense attorney before you spend thousands of dollars on all the costs and fines.

Remember, for misdemeanor crimes, you will not get a court appointed public defender.  If you want a criminal defense attorney to represent your interests, you will have to hire one in private practice. 

Boxer pays up in Las Vegas Federal Court

According to reporter Ken Ritter of the Associated Press,  a federal judge in Las Vegas has ordered professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. to pay approximately $114,000 for avoiding questioning from rival fighter Manny Pacquiao's lawyers in a defamation case.

Ritter reports that Mayweather pleaded guilty in December 2011 to reduced misdemeanor charges stemming from a hair-pulling, arm-twisting attack on another former girlfriend, Josie Harris, while two of their three children watched. 

The full story is at: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/ap/ap/crime/mayweather-ordered-to-pay-114k-in-pacquiao-case/nSFmT/

What are high asset divorces?

Now that the stock market is recovering, investment accounts are rising in value, and deferred compensation is returning, high-income individuals facing divorce are again dividing assets instead of only debts.

The courts call divorces involving retirements and high-income individuals, “high asset divorce cases,” and it is crucial to retain a qualified divorce attorney who is experienced with both family law and high-income individuals due to the complexity of the assets involved. Married couples with accumulated property and wealth are considered “high asset” when there are pensions, cars, boats, real estate, securities portfolios, business partnerships, stocks, investments and bonuses to be considered in a divorce.

After you have hired your family law attorney, it is time to consider hiring a tax accountant and financial/tax specialists.

In high asset divorce cases, issues to consider include:

·      Actual legal ownership of all property prior to divorce
·      The actual legal ownership in the event of a settlement
·      The actual legal ownership following a trial and judgment
·      The tax considerations of dividing assets
·      Worth or value of all assets
·      Security clearance for certain jobs and the consequences of divorce, debts, bankruptcies, and foreclosures
·      Community Property
·      Separate Property
·      Gifts
·      Prenuptial agreements and ante-nuptial agreements
·      Post-nuptial agreements and marital settlement agreements
·      Which of the three would be most productive: trial, mediation, or settlement negotiations

When you want equal custody of your child or children in Las Vegas...

When you are facing a Las Vegas family law matter involving dividing your child or children, you must consider your parenting plan schedule that will work with your work or school schedule and that of the other parent. You may want to equalize the time-share, creating a fifty-fifty arrangement. We include below some examples of fifty-fifty time-share arrangements. 

Please realize, however, that you can have as low as forty-sixty time-share and still be consider a joint physical custodian of your child or children.   Also, the forty percent calculation is determined by looking at an entire year, not a week-to-week basis.  This law comes from the Nevada decision in Rivero v. Rivero.

Below we use “Parent F” and “Parent M” to refer to the two parents in a child division negotiation.

Alternating Weeks Parenting Schedule

This fifty-fifty parenting schedule is where the child is in the care of Parent F in Week 1 and in the care of Parent M in Week 2. This results in the child living with Parent M for 7 days in Week 1 and with Parent M for 7 days in Week 2.

5-2-2-5 Child Custody Schedule

This fifty-fifty parenting schedule is where the child is in the care of Parent F every Monday and Tuesday (2 days) and Parent M every Wednesday and Thursday (2 days) each week. The weekend time Friday through Sunday would be alternated (3 days) between the parents. This results in the child being in the care of Parent F for 5 days and Parent B for 2 days in Week 1 and in the care of Parent M for 2 days and Parent M for 5 days in Week 2.

3-4-4-3 Child Custody Schedule

This fifty-fifty parenting schedule occurs when the child or children is/are in the care of Parent F from Wednesday through Friday in Week 1 and Wednesday through Saturday in Week 2. The child would be in the care of Parent M from Saturday through Tuesday in Week 1 and Sunday through Tuesday in Week 2.

Sharing Holidays and Summer

It is common for the summer vacation time and holidays to be split between the parents. Many different manners of division of time-share for the summer time such as alternating weeks, alternating every two weeks, adding a larger block of time for vacation for each parent onto the regular schedule, etc. There are also many different ways holidays can be shared such as splitting the holiday time or alternating each year between parents. For example, the child can spend an agreed upon holiday with Parent F in even years and Parent M in odd years or visa versa.

The above are just examples of some common parenting plans for fifty-fitfy joint physical custody which can be altered and adjusted in many different ways to accommodate what’s best for the children, family situation and arrangements that are not an exact fifty percent timeshare.

Before you go to court or to mediation, you should consult with a Las Vegas family law attorney.  After your mediation and before you sign the agreement, you should consult with a Las Vegas family law attorney.  Failure to do so could result in legal consequences you may not have anticipated.

DUI Experience, your advocate in court.

Not every lawyer who handles DUIs are equal in skill and experience. Surprisingly, the differences in pricing and services are not that dramatic, so you can literally get a half-assed lawyer for the same amount as an experienced DUI attorney.  For the person seeking legal representation in a standard DUI case, attorneys’ fees may be fairly competitive.

Judges are not lenient with DUI cases, even if it is your first offense.  As a result, it’s important to realize that hiring a lawyer is in your best interests despite the costs.  In general, you will already be paying hefty fines for the DUI charge and risk the suspension of your driver’s license, depending on which stage of the legal process you are in.  Some judges may waive part of the fines, but there is nothing that can be done to waive the conviction.  That is something that could stay with you for the rest of your life.

Louis Schneider has represented many DUI clients both in negotiating acceptable settlements and at trials when negotiations fail.  Call us for help with your Las Vegas DUI.

Remember, for misdemeanor crimes, you will not get a court appointed public defender.  If you want a criminal defense attorney to represent your interests, you will have to hire one in private practice. 

High asset divorce law firm

Couples facing divorce who have assets valued over $100,000, low debts, and no children, will likely fight over the division of these assets.  When love morphs to anger, an experienced divorce law attorney is important to provide objectivity and to fight for your rights.  If you do not get a divorce lawyer with years of experience, you risk losing your rights and could end up worse off than you were during the marriage.  Do not let this happen to you.

Call the Law Offices of Louis C. Schneider for assistance with your Las Vegas divorce.  Call as soon as possible and speak to no one else about your case except your Las Vegas divorce lawyer.  The more you talk about your divorce or child custody to people, the more potential witnesses there may be against you.  Do not post on Facebook, do not text, do not e-mail, and do not talk until you talk to us.

Call:  (702) 435-2121
Thank you for visiting our family law blog.

Top Ten Things a Good Criminal Defense Lawyer Needs

Good criminal defense requires an understanding of many components to the criminal case, including these ten items:

1.  Criminal procedural at every stage, from prearrest collection of evidence, post arrest treatment of suspects, to legal maneuvering in court and sentencing guidelines
2.  A thorough understanding of the substance of the crime charged, both as to the letter of the law as well as the spirit behind the law
3.  A thorough understanding of the procedural defences
4.  A thorough understanding of the substantive and affirmative defenses available in Las Vegas
5.  Insight into the Las Vegas judge's views on the type of crime
6.  Insight into the Las Vegas judge's potential sentences upon conviction
7.  Insight into the abilities of the particular Las Vegas prosecutor prosecuting the criminal charge
8.  A thorough understanding of all of the facts in the case
9.  A cooperative and communicative client who has not incriminated himself or herself through statements to others
10. Enough money to mount the case required to improve the chances of a dismissal or acquittal. 

REQUIRED DISCLAIMER

The information about Las Vegas criminal charges contained on this page is not intended to be legal advice about criminal law.  A Las Vegas defense lawyer should always evaluate your criminal law matter as soon as possible.  You should treat your criminal charge with the seriousness it requires.  Moreover, the information contained in this blog is not intended to guarantee any result.  Each case is unique and will require special attention by a criminal defense attorney.

When you say, I need a criminal defense lawyer in Las Vegas, call us.

Token Efforts in Termination of Parental Rights

In Las Vegas, if your parenting skills are being called into question by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), it is best to consult with a family law attorney right away.  You will need to know what the term "token efforts" means because, if you are guilty of token efforts, you can lose your children.  The Nevada Supreme Court has declared that termination of parental rights is akin to a civil death penalty.  This death penalty can be imposed if the parent makes token efforts.  Hiring a family law attorney to describe to you your obligations regarding your children is an important first step to ensuring that you will not lose your children to token efforts.

REQUIRED DISCLAIMER

The information about termination of parental rights contained on this page is not intended to be legal advice about termination of parental rights.  Your termination of parental rights matter should always best be evaluated by a Las Vegas family lawyer.  You should treat termination of parental rights with the seriousness it requires.  Just as you would not likely conduct surgery on yourself, you should not represent yourself in court regarding your termination of parental rights matter.  

At the very least, the best free advice a lawyer can give: consult with a local attorney—multiple times if necessary if you insist upon representing yourself.

Parental rights termination proceedings require a clear judgment

Because even family law judges make mistakes in rendering family law rulings, it is best to have an attentive family law attorney represent you especially when your fundamental parental rights are at risk in a termination of parental rights action.

In April 2012, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled on a case involving termination of parental rights. The Nevada Supreme Court determined that the lower Nevada district family court must make express findings of fact in its written family court order, or on the record, when determining whether to grant or deny a petition to terminate a parent’s parental rights.  In that specific family case, the district court had failed to find facts by the clear and convincing standard required to terminate a parents rights:

The court stated:

A petitioner in termination proceedings has the burden to prove by clear and convincing evidence that termination is in the child’s best interest and that parental fault exists.  When a district court fails to make any findings concerning this standard of proof in its order or on the record, this court is unable to determine on appeal whether substantial evidence supports the district court’s ruling.  In the present case, neither the district court’s order nor the record contains findings of fact to support the district court’s conclusions, and thus, we reverse the order terminating appellant’s parental rights and remand this matter to the district court to enter its findings.  

 In re Parental Rights as to C.C.A., 128 Nev. Adv. Op. No. 15 April 5, 2012 

In this case, the family trial court had a two day evidentiary hearing and then failed to either give an oral ruling or a written ruling that explained the findings of facts and conclusions of law to warrant the court terminating your parental rights.

When you say to yourself, I need an attorney for parental rights, call us.

REQUIRED DISCLAIMER

The information about termination of parental rights contained on this page is not intended to be legal advice about termination of parental rights.  Your termination of parental rights matter should always best be evaluated by a Las Vegas family lawyer.  You should treat termination of parental rights with the seriousness it requires.  Just as you would not likely conduct surgery on yourself, you should not represent yourself in court regarding your termination of parental rights matter.  

At the very least, the best free advice a lawyer can give: consult with a local attorney—multiple times if necessary if you insist upon representing yourself.

When you say, I need a criminal defense lawyer in Las Vegas, call us.