I just finished Malcolm Gladwell’s new book Outliers. In short, it is excellent. Gladwell’s insight into some of the most successful people of the last 40 years, and what made them successful, is compelling. It turns out that their success is just as much about luck and timing as it is anything else. Its definitely worth the read.

Here’s a link to Gladwell’s site…
http://www.gladwell.com/index.html

Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving! God Bless you and your family.

Here are some fun Thanksgiving sites…

Great children’s site…Thanksgiving games, crafts, table decorations, etc.
http://childfun.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=4

Thanksgiving on the Net…great site for everything Thanksgiving…from the Pilgrim story to how to cook a turkey.
http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/

A listing of over 50 Thanksgiving sites…
http://www.virtualquincy.com/quincy/holiday/thanks.html

Here’s a link to the article…

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt082.shtm

Most people don’t like to file for divorce during the holidays. The reasons are obvious. So what do you do if you and your spouse know divorce is imminent but you are waiting to file until the holidays have passed? Christina Rowe has some advice…

Here’s the link…
http://secrets-to-a-successful-divorce.blogspot.com/2008/11/getting-through-holidays-when-you-cant.html#links

Collaborative law is a dispute resolution technique that differs substantially from mediation or arbitration.

In collaborative law, the parties to the dispute and their lawyers work toward a solution together. If the parties are unable to resolve their issues and go to court, the lawyers for the collaboration disengage. If the parties abandon the attempt at collaboration, they must find new counsel.

The following article provides an excellent discussion of collaborative law and whether it will be beneficial for your case…
http://www.abanet.org/media/youraba/200806/article05.html

Are you mediating your legal dispute? Here are some things that will keep your mediator happy:

• Remember - you are trying to settle your case – not start the legal equivalent of World War III. This is not the time for personal attacks, derogatory comments, etc.

• Neither side will get everything that he/she wants. This includes you! Compromise is the tone of the day.

• Prior to the mediation, list which issues/items are most important to you. If your list includes everything, then see #2 above.

This case gives some guidance on what type of factors a trial court will consider when determining whether to award attorney fees to a party.

(The beginning portion of the opinion concerns a jurisdiction issue - the attorney fee portion starts on page 8.)

Here’s the link…
http://courts.arkansas.gov/court_opinions/coa/2008b/20081029/unpublished/ca08-168.pdf

The appellant in this case was not happy with the way her attorney handled her personal injury case. So she decided to sue him. She also made the decision to represent herself instead of hiring an attorney. She lost her case and ultimately was ordered to pay over $2,000.00 in costs to the attorney she was suing. In my opinion, she could have avoided those costs had she listened to an attorney’s advice at the outset. That advice would have cost her much less than $2,000.00 I assure you.

Many people elect to handle their own cases in a court of law (this is called “pro se”). And you know what, not all of them end up with bad results. Some even prevail. However, if you are committed to going to court over an issue, isn’t that issue important enough to hire an attorney to represent you? It seems that this is a rhetorical question, but time and time again I see people in court handling their own cases - most of the time with disastrous results.

When you need help with your car take it to someone that you trust that works on cars. When you need help with a legal issue, take it to an attorney you trust. It will be money well spent.

Here’s the link…
http://courts.arkansas.gov/court_opinions/coa/2008b/20081029/published/ca08-384.pdf