Legal Forms for Everyone » (REV)

Carl W. Battle is the senior director of patents for Schering-Plough, a large pharmaceutical company. He began his legal career in Akron, Ohio as a corporate attorney for B.F. Goodrich Company and an adjunct professor at the University of Akron School of Law. He has also served as a corporate patent counsel for Rohm and Haas Company in Philadelphia and for Warner-Lambert Company in Morris Plains, New Jersey.

Although Carl Battle enjoys the blend of technology, business, and law he gets from his corporate career, he has diverse interests in the areas of publishing, real estate, consumer protection, entrepreneurship, and community affairs. His writings and self-help publishing activities are part of an overall goal to be creative with law and teach everyone about their basic legal rights. He serves as business manager for National Legal Information Services, a community-oriented legal services firm in Philadelphia that he founded with two law school classmates in 1983. The firm provides a variety of self-help legal information, seminars, and educational law games to teach law to the general public and to children. He is also a cofounder and vice president-general counsel of Fleshtones Products Company, a Black-owned health products company in Hackensack, New Jersey which sells MATCH-PATCH adhesive bandages in five different skin tones for Blacks, Hispanics, and other people of color.

Despite a busy professional schedule Carl is involved in a number of community actaivities, including serving as a "Big Brother" and working with the United Negro College Fund and the National Urban League Black Executive Exchange Program. He serves as vice president of the New Jersey Intellectual Property Law Association and is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. He enjoys writing, teaching, arts and crafts, and outdoor activities.

Carl spent his childhood in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He attended Dartmouth College and graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemistry/economics in 1976. He received a Juris Doctorate degree (with honors) in 1982 from the Delaware Law School of Widener University in Wilmington, Delaware. He currently lives in Maplewood, New Jersey. He attributes his success to ambition, working hard, good values, and being a participant.

Save hours of research and thousands of dollars in legal fees with the ready-to-use legal forms and concise, practical advice found in Legal Forms for Everyone. This indispensable do-it-yourself guide provides jargon-free explanations of the most common legal problems facing readers today, complete with handy checklists and nearly 40 model forms, contracts, and agreements. Readers will find sample forms for wills, living trust, power of attorney, real estate agreements, lease, bill of sale, property settlement for separation or divorce, and much more, ready to be put to immediate use. All of the forms are completely up to date and contained on a CD-ROM in the most popular word-processing formats for both the Mac and PC. Plus, special chapters provide expert tips for handling an IRS audit, protecting your privacy, and being a smart consumer.

American Libraries

"Reproducible, ready-to-use forms are accompanied by step-by-step descriptions of the process involved in over twenty common legal issues. . . . Well-designed and easy-to-use . . . for do-it-yourselfers as well as people who have retained an attorney but want to understand what they're paying them to do."

Chapter 1 Managing Your Legal Affairs
Your Participation in the American Legal System
Your Right to Represent Yourself
Using This Book as a Legal Resource

Chapter 2 Finding The Best Lawyer for You
Which Lawyer Is Right for You? ? Using the Sample Attorney's Retainer Agreement
Form: Attorney's Retainer Agreement

Chapter 3 Preparing Your Will
What Is a Will? ? Requirements of a Valid Will ? Intent to Make a Will
Capacity to Make a Will ? Signing Your Will ? The Witnesses to Your Will
Using the Sample Will Form ? Other Clauses for Your Will
Revoking Your Will ?Reviewing Your Will? Checklist for Preparing Your Will
Form: Last Will And Testament ? Sample Clauses for Wills
Form: Codicil

Chapter 4 Easy Steps to Probate a Will
Definition of Probate ? Opening the Estate
Estate Inventory and Appraisal
Using the Sample Petition/Application to Probate a Will
Checklist for Probating a Will
Form: Petition/Application to Probate Will

Chapter 5 Using a Living Trust to Avoid Probate
Making Use of a Living Trust ? Understanding the Trust Agreement
Checklist for Establishing a Living Trust ? Form: Trust Agreement

Chapter 6 Making a Living Will
The Functions of a Living Will ? Checklist for Making a Living Will
Form: Living Will

Chapter 7 How to Make an Organ Donor Pledge
Making a Gift of Your Body or Organ
Form: Pledge of Human Body, Organ, or Part

Chapter 8 Transferring Your Personal Rights by an Assignment
What Is an Assignment? ? What Rights Are Assignable? ? Requirements for
Making a Valid Assignment ? Using the Sample Assignment Form
Form: Assignment

Chapter 9 Operating Through Someone Else by Power of Attorney
Understanding the Power of Attorney ? Requirements for Making a Power of Attorney ? Form: Power of Attorney

Chapter 10 Buying and Selling Your Home
Understanding Real Estate Sales ? Using a Real Estate Agent ? Making a Real Estate Agreement of Sale ? Obtaining Financing for Your Real Estate Purchase ? What Happens at Closing? ? Checklist for Sale or Purchase of Real Estate ? Form: Real Estate Listing Agreement ? Form: Real Estate Agreement of Sale ? Form: Promissory Note ? Form: General Warranty Deed
Form: Special Warranty Deed ? Form: Quitclaim Deed

Chapter 11 Leasing Your Home or Office
Looking at Renting ? Understanding Landlord-Tenant Law
Types of Landlord-Tenant Relationships ? Warranty of Habitability
Other Landlord-Tenant Obligations ? Security Deposits ? Assignment and Subletting ? Basic Provisions of a Lease Agreement ? Checklist for Making a Lease ? Form: Lease Agreement

Chapter 12 Personal Property for Sale
Buying and Selling Personal Property ? Form: Bill of Sale

Chapter 13 Contracting for Repairs and Services
Entering into a Contract for Services ? Form: Contract for Services

Chapter 14 Handling a Simple Divorce or Separation
What to Do When Relationships Don't Work ? Property Settlement and Other Agreements ? Going Though a Divorce ? Checklist for Filing a Simple Divorce
Form: Property Settlement Agreement ? Form: Complaint for Divorce
Form: Affidavit of Consent

Chapter 15 Getting a New Name
What's in a Name? ? Changing Your Name ? Checklist for Filing Petition to Change Name ? Form: Petition to Change Name ? Form: Petition to Change Name of Minor Child ? Form: Consent to Name Change

Chapter 16 Being Successful in Small Claims Court
Knowing about Small Claims Court ? Should You Go to Court?
Bringing Your Case in Court ? Using Affidavits to Prove Your Case
Winning and Collecting a Judgment ? Checklist for Bringing a Civil Case in Court ? Form: Civil Complaint ? Form: Affidavit

Chapter 17 Using Releases to Settle Legal Claims
? Releasing Someone from a Claim ? Form: Release

Chapter 18 How to be a Smart Consumer
The Consumer Must Be Aware ? Your Rights with "Door-to-Door" Sales
Buying Trough the Mail ? Checklists for Being a Smart Consumer
Home Shopping Checklist
Checklist for Warranties and Guarantees
Credit Card Checklist
Checklist for Selecting a Financial Institution
Home Improvement Checklist
Used Cars/Car Repair Checklist
Sources of Help For Consumers

Chapter 19 Maintaining Good Credit
Why Good Credit is Important ? How Credit Bureaus Work
How to Conduct Your Own Credit Check-up
What a Credit Report Covers ? How to Correct Errors in Your Credit Report
How Time Affects Your Credit Report ? What You Can Do If You Have a Poor Credit History ? How to Deal with Mounting Bills
Where to Find Low-cost Help ? The Cost of Credit
Addresses of Four Major Credit Reporting Agencies
Sample Letter to Correct Errors in Credit Report

Chapter 20 Copyrights to Your Writings and Artistic Works
Introducing You to Copyrights ? Scope of Copyright Protection ? Works Protectable by Copyright ? Copyright Notice ? Registering Your Copyright
Checklist for Registering a Copyright ? Form: Application Form

Chapter 21 Registering Your Trademarks
The Function of Trademarks ? What Trademarks Can be Registered
Filing a Trademark Application ? International Classification of Goods and Services
Form: Trademark/Service Mark Application

Chapter 22 Obtaining Debt Relief Through Bankruptcy
Deciding to File for Bankruptcy ? Filing under Chapter 7 Liquidation
Filing Fee ? The Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Petition ? Exempt Property ? Filing under Chapter 13 Adjustment of Debts ? Filing Requirements under Chapter 13 ? The Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Petition ? Fraudulent Transfers
Receiving a Discharge from Your Debts ? Non-Dischargeable Debts ? Checklist for Filing for Bankruptcy ? Forms: Debtor's Petition ? Debtors' Joint Petition
Application to Pay Filing Fee in Installments ? Statement of Assets and Liabilities
Statement of Financial Affairs for Debtor Not Engaged in Business
Schedule of Current Income and Current Expenditures
Chapter 13 Statement ? Chapter 13 Plan
List of Creditors, with Addresses

Chapter 23 How to Handle an IRS Audit
Dealing with the IRS ? The Audit Process: 1) Selection of Returns; 2) Audit of Your Tax Return; 3) Notification of an Audit; 4) What Happens During an IRS Audit; 5) Repetitive Audits ? Appealing an IRS Audit ? Protest Letter Requirements
The Collection of Unpaid Taxes ? Some Useful IRS

Chapter 24 Protecting Your Privacy
Taking Steps to Safeguard Your Privacy ? Keeping Your Medical and Insurance Records Confidential ? How To Avoid Mail and Telemarketing Frauds ? Protecting Yourself From Telephone Fraud
Safeguarding Your Privacy with Telecommunications

Appendix Sources of Additional Information

Index