A Legal Blog Sponsored By The Maitland Law Firm - www.Maitlandlaw.com



Wednesday, June 26, 2013


Prepare for the Hot Summer

How Heat Affects the Body Human
Human bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through the skin and sweat glands, and-as the last extremity is reached-by panting, when blood is heated above 98.6 degrees. The heart begins to pump more blood, blood vessels dilate to accommodate the increased flow, and the bundles of tiny capillaries threading through the upper layers of skin are put into operation. The body’s blood is circulated closer to the skin’s surface, and excess heat drains off into the cooler atmosphere. At the same time, water diffuses through the skin as perspiration. The skin handles about 90 percent of the body’s heat dissipating function.

Sweating, by itself, does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation, and high relative humidity retards evaporation. The evaporation process itself works this way: the heat energy required to evaporate the sweat is extracted from the body, thereby cooling it. Under conditions of high temperature (above 90 degrees) and high relative humidity, the body is doing everything it can to maintain 98.6 degrees inside. The heart is pumping a torrent of blood through dilated circulatory vessels; the sweat glands are pouring liquid-including essential dissolved chemicals, like sodium and chloride onto the surface of the skin.

Heat Wave Safety Tips
Slow Down. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day. Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.

Dress for summer. Lightweight light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.

Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods (like proteins) that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.

Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty.

Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.

Spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, spending some time each day (during hot weather) in an air conditioned environment affords some protection.
Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult

Know These Heat Disorder Symptoms
SUNBURN: Redness and pain. In severe cases swelling of skin, blisters, fever, headaches. First Aid: Ointments for mild cases if blisters appear and do not break. If breaking occurs, apply dry sterile dressing. Serious, extensive cases should be seen by physician.

HEAT CRAMPS: Painful spasms usually in muscles of legs and abdomen possible. Heavy sweating. First Aid: Firm pressure on cramping muscles, or gentle massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue use.

HEAT EXHAUSTION: Heavy sweating, weakness, skin cold, pale and clammy. Pulse thready. Normal temperature possible. Fainting and vomiting. First Aid: Get victim out of sun. Lay down and loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths. Fan or move victim to air conditioned room. Sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue use. If vomiting continues, seek immediate medical attention.

HEAT STROKE (or sunstroke): High body temperature (106° F. or higher). Hot dry skin. Rapid and strong pulse. Possible unconsciousness. First Aid. Heat Stroke is a severe medical emergency and therefore emergency medical assistance is critical. Call an ambulance or get the victim to a hospital immediately. While waiting for medical assistance, Move the victim to a cooler environment Reduce body temperature with cold bath or sponging. Use extreme caution. Remove clothing, use fans and air conditioners. If temperature rises again, repeat process. Do not give fluids. Persons on salt restrictive diets should consult a physician before increasing their salt intake.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Stutts Receives Award

Congratulations to our good friend Ron Stutts for this well deserved award, the first ever!
http://chapelboro.com/news/news-around-time/ron-stutts-is-the-ncab-personality-of-the-year/ 

Friday, June 21, 2013

College World Series

 Check out this article on the Heels' win over the Wolfpack last night! Congratulations to our home team!


http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=208474560

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Our Practice Areas

  • Residential Real Estate law — Handling residential purchases, sales, and refinances
  • Commercial Real Estate law — Durham real estate law attorney representing buyers or sellers with commercial purchases, leases, refinances as well as litigation and collection matters
  • Divorce and Family Law — Representing husbands or wives with divorce, child custody, child support, visitation and division of marital property
  • DWI/DUI — Representing those charged with drunk driving, underage drinking and driving and multiple offenders
  • Traffic Violations — Defense for speeding and other moving violations, as well as driving without a license
  • Student Offenses — Representing students charged with misdemeanors or felonies, as well as underage crimes
  • Criminal Defense — Defending those charged with felonies or misdemeanors in North Carolina
  • Business Law and Formations — Handling a range of services including formation of S corporations, C corporations, LLCs and other governance issues
  • Foreclosure Defense and Investment — Representing homeowners facing foreclosure and home buyers or investors purchasing foreclosure homes
  • North Carolina Dental Law — Representing dentists and dental clinics with business formations, licensing, legal forms/waivers and retirement plans
  • Elder Law — Protecting assets and ensuring smooth end of life transition
  • Personal Injury and Civil Litigation — Handling issues ranging from personal injury and automobile accidents to collections, property disputes, contract disputes, commission disputes and property damage
  • Wills and Estate Planning — Helping you plan for your future and creating ways to honor your inheritance wishes
  • Probate and Estate Administration — Handling asset distribution as well as contested wills and inheritance disputes
  • Immigration Law — Obtaining green cards, family-based visas, work visas and student visas and more — se habla espaƱol

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

How to Hire a Good General Contractor

It is very important to choose a good contractor when embarking home-improvement projects. A good contractor helps make the process smooth, while an inadequate one can involve unnecessary financial and emotional hardships. Here are some tips to help you find the good contractor you deserve:

1. Get recommendations and references.
Do research on the contractors in your area and listen to the advice of family, friends, and other people in your community who have hired a contractor for similar projects.

2. Get more than one estimate.
Call at least 3 different contractors and insist that they each visit your home to evaluate what needs to be done. These evaluations will allow you to make meaningful comparisons.

3. Be conscious of contractor complaint records.
Check your state or local consumer protection agency or Better Bureau for this important information.

4. Make sure the contractor meets licensing and registration requirements.
It is important that contractors meet the expectations defined by these requirements. Your state or local consumer protection agency can help you find out what these are.

5. Ask suppliers if the contractor makes timely payments.
This will help you determine if the contractor is reliable.

6. Contact your local building inspection department to check for permit and inspection requirements.
If the contractor asks you to get the permit, it could mean that their firm is not licensed.

7. Make sure that your contractor has insurance.
It is important that a contractor has personal liability, property damage and workers’ compensation insurance for workers and subcontractors. It is also a good idea to contact your own insurance company to find out if you have coverage for any possible damage or any injury that could occur.

8. Insist that the contractor give you a written contract.
The contract should include all terms and conditions of what work will be done, what materials will be used, names of any subcontractors, and the total price of the job. If your contractor allows scheduled payments, this should be included in the contract as well.

9. Review and know your payment options.
Compare the pros and cons of your own loan versus contractor financing and choose the option that fits your needs best.

10. Make sure that the work is completed as stated by the written contract before you make a final payment or sign a final release.
If subcontractors were hired, you need to make sure that they were paid prior to your final payment and/or final release. If not, you could face serious problems. Some state laws allow unpaid subcontractors and suppliers to place a lien of your home for the bills that the contractor failed to pay.

11. If possible, pay by credit card.
If you use a credit card, you have the option of withholding payment to the credit card company until any problems are corrected.

There are many good contractors that fit all the guidelines listed above; however, there are also contractors to avoid. To stay clear of this mediocre group it is important that you be cautious if the contractor:
• Calls the job a “demonstration.”
• Offers you a reduced rate for finding other customers.
• Quotes a price that is extremely different from other estimates you received.
• Pressures you to make hasty decisions.

We hope that these tips help!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Is Your IRA Safe?


Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are something of importance to everyone, especially those set to retire in the next few years. Americans are living longer than ever, and the cost of living is and continues to increase. This means that in order to have a comfortable future, we all need to start planning ahead for our retirement. While on the topic, some good news is that the North Carolina Supreme Court has confirmed that IRAs are protected from creditor claims. It is important to keep in mind though that there are some state law restrictions on these accounts. In a recent case, Kinlaw v. Harris, this exact issue came into play. In court, the Defendant claimed that his 2 IRAs were exempt from the Plaintiff's claims. The Plaintiff subsequently claimed that the Defendant could not use that argument as he used it to knowingly make himself judgement proof. After many litigation and appeals, the final Supreme Court ruling decided that IRAs are exempt from the account owner's creditors; however, there may be circumstances that involve an escrow agreement in which IRA owners have to agree to give a creditor notice of any withdrawals from his IRA in exchange for a court order that all of the assets inside the IRA itself are protected from attachment. IRAs are not covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, so for a more complete understanding about the rules and regulations regarding IRAs be sure to look up the specific exemptions in federal or state laws. It's worth it to be in the know on such an important aspect of your life and future!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Local Real Estate Closing Pictures

 Some of our Recent Real Estate Closings!