I specifically wanted information about the two books that dealt with pets, advertised in the May issue of your magazine.

I've enclosed a letter from Ms. White authorizing release of the documents to me.

Please send me the product pamphlet pictured on page 22 of your general catalog dated September 19–.

Our investment club in my local subdivision is compiling research on companies within your industry to guide us in future stock purchases.

This information will in no way jeopardize our current orders with your company. We simply want to know what new items you plan to offer next quarter.

This information is strictly for our own internal use.

Could you have the updated summary to us by May 6?

Would you let us have your reply as soon as possible?

Thank you for any information you can forward to us immediately.

We'll appreciate your helping us meet our July 7 deadline if at all possible.

We plan to make our decision the first week of October. We hope to have your information by that date.

If it's more convenient for you, please feel free to call me collect at 713-955-9525.

We've provided all the necessary forms to make your response more convenient.

If you have questions about the information we need, call 123-3455 and ask for Jack Smith, who has a list of our project requirements.

I've included all the necessary release papers and permission forms ready for your signature.

February 23, 2007

Contact Name

Address

Address2

City, State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Dear [Contact name],

We will need this basic information before we can submit your bond request to Universal General:

Thank you for allowing us to serve you.

Sincerely,

Your name

Your title

(800) 123-4567

youremail@yourcompany.com

February 22, 2007

Contact Name

Address

Address2

City, State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Dear [Contact name],

I wish to file a bankruptcy claim against Robert Morton. Enclosed is my Proof of Claim form and two invoices which support my claim.

Sincerely,

Your name

Your title

(800) 123-4567

youremail@yourcompany.com

February 22, 2007

Contact Name

Address

Address2

City, State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Dear [Contact name],

Freeway Auto Parts has stringent rules for extending credit. Dave's Tires has maintained an outstanding credit record with us for the past two years. However, because of several late payments within the last six months and a bill which is currently outstanding, Dave's no longer fits our profile of companies eligible for credit. Therefore, we are terminating your credit account effective December 31. The account balance will be due in full at that time.

All future orders will be on a C.O.D. basis.

Sincerely,

Your name

Your title

(800) 123-4567

youremail@yourcompany.com

..> ..>

--> Header --> --> Blog Posts --> E-Signatures save trees E-Signatures are secure and save time and money (and trees :-). By now, many of us have clicked through online legal contracts. We may have also "signed" our initials to online legal documents from our bank or insurance company. In fact, big companies like Microsoft, Cisco, USAA and Schwab have been using E-Sign tools for millions of legal forms for several years. But, most individuals and small business managers currently do not use electronic signatures as part of their daily routine. That's probably because, until now, using electronic signatures has been hard to figure out and make work, given all the other hectic demands on everyone's time. Well, now everyone can save some trees, kill the fax machine and start going paperless by electronically signing most legal documents as easily as using email. RocketLawyer.com now offers a simple E-Signature tool called "RocketSign." It takes only minutes and unlimited use is free for members, so anyone should have no problem getting the hang of E-signing legal documents online in record time. Are E-Signatures legal? The answer is yes, and there are federal guidelines that legal document services can follow, especially since President Clinton signed into law the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (the "E-Signature Act"), which became effective in the US on October 1, 2000. Ever since, online E-Signatures have gained growing acceptance because, according to experts, the E-Signature Act renders online electronic signatures on most contracts as legally equivalent to written signatures. For more information, see Electronic Signatures In Global And National Commerce Act. RocketSign-- E-Signatures You can now electronically sign hundreds of business and personal legal documents, from non-disclosure agreements to employment, sales, consulting, and licensing contracts to pre-nuptial agreements and real estate leases. You can also upload and sign any other personal or business contract, regardless of where the document was created, so long as you have a PDF or word processor compatible version on your computer and an Internet connection! How does the RocketSign-- E-Signature process work? Easy! Just go to your RocketLawyer.com Account Manager (if you don't have one yet, you can create one for free here). From there you can E-Sign any eligible legal document, either created with one of the easy Rocket Lawyer interviews, or a new legal document that you upload into the system from your computer. Follow a few simple instructions and – zap – your legal document is sent via email for E-Signature by the other party to your agreement. It takes only minutes for the other party to then electronically sign and it is automatically sent back to you to be a final, legal contract! You are updated every step of the way, according to your preferences. Your final legal document is then kept safe and secure online and you can also download it for local safekeeping. That's it – no more paper, and lot's more time and trees:-) Try RocketSign electronic signatures today. posted by Charley Moore : 5:53 PM Links to this post    Use a Non-disclosure Agreement to Protect Your Intellectual Property Do you have an idea for a new product or service? Need to discuss it with potential customers, investors or perhaps even competitors? If so, think about protecting your idea with a simple confidentiality agreement (also known as a "Non-disclosure Agreement, or "NDA" for short). A Nondisclosure Agreement is contract under which the person (or organization) receiving information from anther person (or organization) agrees not to disclose proprietary and confidential information that it receives in this context. This type of agreement may be useful in a variety of circumstances. For example, a company might choose to share information with a sales consultant for the purpose improving its sales performance. In such a situation, the company would probably be sharing product and customer information with the consultant and would want to protect this information from disclosure by the consultant to third parties. Some typical provisions that are included for the protection of the Owner include the following: No Warranty. There is a possibility that the Confidential Information could contain mistakes or errors, or be based on assumptions that later prove to be incorrect. Therefore, it is common for Owners to include a "no warranty" provision that specifies that the Owner will not be responsible for any damages that the Recipient might incur from using the Confidential Information. Risk of Disclosure. In addition to the "No Warranty" provision, the Owner may also want to provide that any disclosure made by the Recipient of any information is at the Recipient's risk. Because the Owner has already stated that it will not warrant the accuracy of the information, the Owner can further provide that the Recipient will bear the risk of using the information in violation of the agreement. For example, if the Recipient acts on some of the information and the information was inaccurate, the Recipient cannot hold the Owner responsible for the harm caused by the inaccurate information. Limited License. Generally, the Owner and the Recipient intend that the Confidential Information will only be used by the Recipient for the limited purpose of reviewing the information and becoming familiar with the Owner's business to determine whether the parties might have interest in future transactions (based on some additional agreement). A "limited license" provision makes it clear that the Recipient is not acquiring the right to use the Confidential Information on a general basis. General Provisions. A Nondisclosure Agreement should include provisions that (i) require amendments (changes) to the agreement to be in writing and signed by both parties, (ii) specify the state whose laws will govern and interpret disputes between the parties regarding the matters covered by the agreement, and (iii) prohibit the parties from assigning their obligations under the agreement to third parties. Generally, the state whose laws should govern the agreement should be the state of the Owner or the Recipient. The easiest way to complete and save a Non-disclosure Agreement for your records is the Easy Non-disclosure Agreement interview at RocketLawyer.com. Labels: confidentiality, confidentiality agreement, intellectual property, legal, legal forms, nda, non-disclosure agreement posted by Charley Moore : 10:56 AM Links to this post    Loans & Promissory Notes "Neither a borrower nor a lender be…" Well, Shakespeare wrote that a long time ago. At various times, most people today are both borrowers and lenders, for personal and business purposes. A Promissory Note is a basic agreement between a lender and a borrower that can protect your assets and future returns when you borrow and lend money, if you're smart about it...:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /> There are two basic types of Promissory Notes: Due on a Specific Date notes and Due on Demand notes. A loan under a Due on a Specific Date Promissory Note must be repaid by the Borrower to the Lender on a specified due date. A Due on Demand Promissory Note is payable "on demand," meaning it must be paid immediately by the Borrower upon request by the Lender. The Promissory Note itself is a document that specifies the terms, rights, and obligations that apply to a loan. The party making the loan is the "Lender" and the party borrowing the loan funds is the "Borrower." The Note includes provisions regarding the amount of the loan, the interest rate, the date by which the loan must be repaid, and general provisions for enforcing the repayment of the loan. Interest. Of course, in addition to the payment date, the key term in most promissory notes is how much interest will be paid by the borrow to the lender. Most states have usury laws that limit the amount of interest that can be charged. Therefore, if an interest rate will be charged that is unusually high, it is advisable to check with a lawyer or local bank to make sure that state usury laws will not be violated. The Internal Revenue Service has special "imputed interest" rules that apply if no interest is charged or if the interest rate charged is lower than the statutory federal rate of interest. The IRS treats such loans as having a higher interest rate than the rate stated in the Note. Exceptions may apply to most small loans, however. Consult a tax advisor or lawyer if no interest or low interest will be charged. The statutory federal rate of interest changes each month. This information may be obtained directly from the IRS. If the Borrower fails to repay the loan upon demand, it is common to assess a higher rate of interest that becomes effective as of the date of demand. This higher "default rate" provides an incentive for the Borrower to pay the Note promptly. You can create a Promissory Note anytime using this Easy Promissory Note wizard. -->[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> -->[endif]--> Labels: business loan, loan document, loan form, personal loan, promissory note posted by Charley Moore : 9:16 PM Links to this post    How to do Service Contracts From time to time, everyone needs or provides services for pay. Services are the fastest growing part of our economy and it is important that you properly document services to be provided or purchased to avoid headaches down the road. Keep reading and we'll discuss some easy and affordable documents that you can use to put service relationships in writing. All of the documents discussed in this article can be easily created, saved and edited at RocketLawyer.com. Service contracts document the terms of the sale of services. Everyday services from childcare to business consulting, special services like wedding photography and countless other situations can be documented with standard contracts. This article describes some of the common service contracts that you might need for both personal and business purposes. In general, the basic elements of a contract to purchase services are: Identification of the parties. A description of the services to be performed. The dates or scheduled dates for performance of the services. Any conditions or limitations placed on either of the parties or warranties related to the performance of services. Payment terms. Work for Hire Agreements Hiring a nanny for childcare or a contractor to do some work on a house? In that case, you probably can use a Work for Hire Agreement. A Work for Hire Agreement is a document under which a "Service Provider" contracts to provide services for an individual or organization (the "Hiring Party"). Under this agreement, the Service Provider is an independent contractor, and not an employee, of the Hiring Party. This Agreement should not be used if the Service Provider is really an employee of the Hiring Party. In many respects, the Work for Hire Agreement is simply a short-form version of a Consulting Agreement. Consulting Agreements Hiring a consultant to work in your business, or department? Consider documenting this independent contractor relationship with a Consulting Agreement. A Consulting Agreement is a document under which a consultant (someone who gives expert or professional advice or services) agrees to provide professional or consulting services. Under this agreement, the "consultant" is an independent contractor with respect to the "Hiring Party and not an employee of the Hiring Party. At RocketLawyer.com, this document allows the user to substitute any term for the term "consultant," and thus, this document can be adapted to many other situations that might involve an independent contractor. General Service Contracts A General Contract for Services documents the terms of the sale of services by one company (the "Service Provider") to another company or an individual (the "Service Recipient"). This document should not be used if the Service Provider is an individual. The Work for Hire, Consulting Agreement, or Subcontractor Agreement documents, available at RocketLawyer.com, can be used for that purpose. This document only deals with services purchased from a business, and therefore, does not address issues related to independent contractor status. All of these easy services contracts can be created using the simple wizards at RocketLawyer.com. Once complete, services contracts can be stored online for safety and future reference. Finally, you can also find a host of complimentary forms and agreements to further document your personal services relationship, like confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements and more. Labels: consulting, consulting agreement, legal forms, service contracts, services, services agreement, work for hire posted by Charley Moore : 12:33 PM Links to this post    Prenuptial Agreements Help Smart Couples Stay Together More marriages in the U.S. are standing the test of time, due in part to more mature couples electing to document their pre marriage financial situations in prenuptial agreements. According to the Associated Press and several major news outlets, a recent report by US health officials announced on May 4, 2007 that the U.S. divorce rate has fallen to the lowest level since 1970. With Americans getting married later in life and more two professional households than ever before, perhaps this should not come as a surprise. Prenuptial Agreement Basics A Prenuptial (or Premarital) Agreement is an agreement between prospective spouses, made in contemplation of marriage. The Prenuptial Agreement becomes effective upon marriage. The Prenuptial Agreement should be discussed by the couple well in advance of the marriage. Sufficient time should be permitted to allow both spouses to consult their separate legal counsel and to sufficiently consider the Premarital Agreement. Otherwise, one party may later claim that the Premarital Agreement is unenforceable because it was misleading or signed under pressure. The Prenuptial Agreement is generally unenforceable if it was signed after the marriage ceremony. Why do smart couples make Prenups together? Increasingly, women and men are marrying later in life, after each prospective spouse has started a career. So, it stands to reason that professional women and men have each accumulated assets and debts of their own, prior to the relationship and marriage. Smart couples talk to each other candidly about their finances and these are the types of people who may rationally commit to care for the financial health of their marriage as they care for each other and their other family members during the marriage. What does a Prenuptial Agreement do? From a legal perspective, marriage can be compared to a business arrangement. Business transactions should not be entered into without documenting the terms of the arrangement in writing. Likewise, a couple considering marriage should carefully think about how financial issues will be handled during and/or after a marriage. Without a Prenuptial Agreement, the probate court (upon death) or the divorce court will impose an agreement on the parties in those circumstances. A number of issues can be clarified in a Premarital Agreement pertaining to property rights. For example, the Prenuptial Agreement can specify how property -- previously owned or acquired during the marriage -- will be distributed upon divorce or death. Other items which may be addressed include: The handling of debts and expenses; Rights to inherit from each other; Rights to be named as the beneficiary of life insurance or retirement plans; and Any other matter regarding the spouses' rights and obligations, as long as the agreement does not violate public policy concepts or criminal laws. Interested in making a Premarital Agreement? You can take a free Prenuptial Agreement interview online at RocketLawyer.com. Note – certain types of agreements may be invalid Certain Premarital Agreement provisions may not be enforceable, such as provisions relieving one spouse from paying child support or alimony. State law or public policy may prevent a court from enforcing such provisions. Because of differences between the states, the drafting of such provisions should be done in consultation with a lawyer. posted by Charley Moore : 2:21 PM Links to this post    Real Estate Lease ABCs Do you own real estate that can be rented to tenants? Whether you are an apartment landlord, leasing commercial property or renting a room in your home, you should know some basic facts about real estate leases. This article explains the ABCs of real estate leases so that you can make informed decisions about your property and the rights and rules that will govern your relationship with your tenants. In the future, we will explore in detail various types of real estate leases, such as commercial leases, apartment leases and residential leases. This article focuses on the basic real estate lease. What's a Real Estate Lease? A real estate lease is a written agreement between a Landlord and a Tenant establishing the rights and responsibilities of each party. The Landlord is the owner of the real estate (also known as the "premises") who rents that property to a Tenant for the Tenant's use. A "residential" lease applies to real estate used as a residence, while a "commercial" lease applies to business property. What are the Responsibilities Landlords and Tenants? Although the Landlord's exact responsibilities may vary from state to state, the Tenant can expect the Landlord to perform certain responsibilities that are imposed by state or local law. These responsibilities may be voluntarily increased or clarified by the terms of the lease agreement, but cannot be escaped. For example, the Landlord generally must provide the Tenant with "quiet enjoyment" of the property, and maintain safe and healthy living conditions (in the areas under the Landlord's control). The Landlord must also ensure that the property complies with all health and safety building codes, must keep the premises in good repair, must maintain all electrical, plumbing, and heating facilities (if such services are supplied by the Landlord), must keep all common areas safe and clean, and usually must provide certain types of services such as adequate heat, running water, and trash collection services. Virtually every state prohibits the Landlord from escaping these basic responsibilities, despite the Landlord's attempts to do so by inserting escape language in the lease agreement. Any such lease provisions are usually unenforceable. Furthermore, the Tenant may have the right to withhold rent and/or to "repair-and-deduct" as necessary to remedy a problem. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for the Landlord to delegate minor repair responsibilities to the Tenant, especially in a single-family dwelling lease. Although a tenant's responsibilities may vary by state, tenants generally must: keep their portion of the property in reasonably clean and healthy condition (including the deposit of garbage in the appropriate receptacles); not abuse or damage the building, furnishings, or appliances; not interfere with others' quiet enjoyment (including offensive noise, odors or activities); and not allow or participate in illegal activities on the property. When is a Real Estate Lease Agreement Necessary? A written real estate lease contract should be prepared and signed whenever property is rented to reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings between the Tenant and the Landlord regarding the rental arrangement. RocketLawyer.com provides standard leases that contain a comprehensive set of provisions and options. For basic real estate leasing situations, the Quick Form Lease automatically includes many of the common lease provisions that most users would select if given the choice, and therefore is designed for easy use. Labels: apartment, commercial lease, lease agreement, lease contract, real estate, real estate lease, real property, rental contract, rental property, residential lease posted by Charley Moore : 6:55 AM Links to this post    Easy Estate Planning - 4 Reasons to make a Trust Want to implement a simple estate plan that will protect your loved ones as much as possible? For many people, the idea of going to an attorney and spending thousands of dollars just doesn't work. However, with a little bit of effort, you can do it yourself and save. The first question usually is: "do I need a Will, a Trust or both?" The answer usually is "both." Here are the basic differences between a legal will and a trust. As you can see, trusts, which have often been misunderstood, are not just for the rich. For many ordinary conscientious people, a trust is the best way to protect your loved ones and assets. Here's why: The Living Trust or Joint Living Trust, combined with a Pour Over Will, are often viewed as preferable alternatives to the stand alone Will. Some of the perceived advantages of the Living Trust are as follows: 1. Privacy. A Living Trust is more private. Under state law, a will is admitted to probate after the Willmaker dies, so that the terms of the Will can be administered. (Under certain circumstances, families with very small estates may be able to use abbreviated probate procedures, or avoid probate entirely, in which case it is not necessary to admit the Will to probate.) "Probate" refers to the court procedures that: a. determine the validity of the Will b. deal with potential Will challenges, c. resolve the claims of creditors of the decedent, and d. ultimately distribute the decedent's assets to the beneficiaries. As a result, the Will becomes part of the court records that can be inspected by the public upon request. In contrast, a Living Trust is administered by the Successor Trustee usually without court involvement, and normally does not become a public record. Thus, the terms of the Living Trust, including the identities of the beneficiaries and the manner in which the Grantor's assets will be distributed, remain private. 2. Reduced probate costs. A Living Trust may avoid at least some of the perceived "evils" of the probate process. A Will is subject to a court administered process known as "probate." This process takes time (generally, six months to three years), and involves court costs, executor fees, and lawyer fees. The cost of probate can vary greatly, depending on state law; the cost may range from 2% of the amount of the decedent's gross assets to 10% or more in some states. However, the costs associated with administering the trust assets after a Grantor's death, including the obligation to prepare various tax returns, account for trust assets, pay the Grantor's debts, and make required distributions, may be similar in amount to the costs of probate. Therefore, it is difficult to predict whether the amount of savings that might result from the use of a Living Trust will be more than a minimal amount. 3. Management of property. A Living Trust offers a mechanism for allowing another person or organization to manage all or some of your assets if you become unable to do so, or if you simply prefer to "have someone else do it." Thus, a Living Trust may serve as an alternative to a conservatorship or guardianship. 4. Affordability. Traditionally, the costs may have been to high for most people to create an estate plan, including a Living Trust. Today, however, you can put together your own estate planning documents for as little as $34.95 using the Easy Estate Planning kit at RocketLawyer.com. Just start here and you're on your way to a sensible and Easy Estate Plan. Labels: estate plan, estate planning, law, legal, legal will, living trust, living will, trust posted by Charley Moore : 6:54 PM Links to this post    5 Tips for a Complete Will You've decided to write a will yourself to protect your loved ones. So, what are five tips to help you do it right? Follow these maxims and you will be on your way to creating a legal will that can help take care of your loved ones when you are not able to do so yourself anymore. Select a Guardian for your children and someone to manage their property until they reach adulthood. Make a list of the property you want to cover in your Will. Decide who you will entrust to administer your estate. Sign your will with witnesses and/or a notary. Keep your will in a safe place. If you use RocketLawyer.com to create your Legal Will, all of the above tips will be covered in an easy, step by step interview. You will also have the chance to "Make it Legal" by following simple instructions – and, you'll see a handy "Notary Finder" link in your account. When you're finished, you can store your Will in the FileSafekeeper, to protect this essential document from fire, flood or theft, forever. Want more information, watch our Video Help on this subject, by Arthur Miller.