Welcome to the PJI Law website, and to our brand new blog. For one of our first blog posts, we would like to briefly introduce ourselves and explain the specific ways in which we can help you. Yes, our website has our attorneys’ bios and a list of our practice areas, but here on the blog we will explain things a little less formally and a bit more practically.
First of all, our firm has two full-time attorneys who work on most matters together. Although one of them is likely to be the primary attorney on your specific case, the other attorney will be well positioned to proceed with your case without any hiccups should the need arise – in case of sickness, vacation, or emergencies, for example. For this reason, and in order to ensure the reasonable availability of at least one attorney for your case on every business day of the year, our attorneys adhere to a strict policy of not taking time off simultaneously.
We also believe that the quality of our staff is as important as the quality of our attorneys. Our receptionist, for example, knows every single retained client by name. She knows what their case is about, which attorney they are primarily working with, and understands the nature or urgency of their calls.
That is who we are. Now, this is how we can help you:
Family Law
If you’re about to get married and need a prenup, we can draft one that honors your specific wishes. If you’re already married and are contemplating divorce, we can serve you. We have seen it all – heartbreaking divorces involving children, the end of marriages that had lasted for decades, and even legal separation that began on the first day of marriage – literally. By definition, none have been happy stories, and we cannot change that fact. But in such a time of emotion and uncertainty, we can navigate the law on your behalf, ensure that your rights are protected, and pursue the results you deserve. And whether or not you’re married, we can assist you with the very important issues of child custody, child support, and spousal support. If you’ve already obtained a court order and it is not being honored by the other party, we can help you to get it enforced.
Personal Injury
If you were injured in a car accident, you do not want to talk to the other party’s insurance company on your own. There is simply too much about the process that you don’t know. We have the education and experience to guide you through the loopholes and maximize your recovery. The same goes if you slip and fall, get bitten by a dog, or are otherwise injured in various or unusual ways due to the negligence of others. For example, we recently represented a client who suffered severe burns from sizzling soup spilled by a careless restaurant employee. We can also assist if an incident was even more tragic and resulted in the wrongful death of a family member.
Business Law
What’s the difference between an LLC and a C-Corp, and why is one better than the other for your particular situation? What’s a Registered Agent, and is every single business entity in Virginia required to have one even if it’s a one-person company that made eighty bucks last year? (Yes). Does this two-page commercial lease look good? (No). Business law is not just for Google and Exxon. It is extremely relevant for even the smallest business with the smallest budget. And in fact, we like to focus on both establishing small to medium businesses and completing small to medium business transactions – no business is too small for us. We also help both businesses and individuals collect money they’re owed, whether or not they already have a judgment from the court. We represent both commercial tenants and commercial landlords and offer them “a la carte” options – some want us only to review their lease, others ask us to negotiate the whole deal. Of course, we handle a wide variety of business and contract disputes, whether out of court or by litigating it all the way to trial. This includes representing you in whichever side of a mechanic’s lien you might be on. And since all Virginia businesses are required to have a Registered Agent, we are pleased to serve as your Registered Agent so that you can have the peace of mind you need.
Estate Planning
Everyone knows what a Will is, and we can certainly draft one for you. But fewer people know what Advance Medical Directive / Living Will is, which is why we are proactive about explaining it to our clients. Such a document allows you to make decisions about your medical care in some situations where you wouldn’t be able to express your wishes (i.e., if you are in coma). It also allows you to designate an agent to speak to the doctors on your behalf in certain situations, such as the middle of a surgery. And even fewer people know about the need for a General Financial Power of Attorney, which allows a trusted or loved one to make financial/legal/property decisions on your behalf if you are mentally incapacitated or otherwise unable to make such decisions. Falling into such a state without leaving your family with the means to manage your assets on your behalf could significantly complicate their lives in what would already be a difficult time. In short, this is the one area of our practice that it is applicable to 100% of the population – everyone should have these documents.
Other Areas of Practice
In addition to representing both commercial landlords and commercial tenants as discussed above, we represent residential landlords in various ways. However the most urgent need residential landlords tend to have arises when tenants fail to pay their rent or vacate, in which case we swiftly step in to proceed with an eviction process that minimizes the landlord’s losses.
We also take on Lemon Law cases, which arise from repeated problems with new cars. In such cases we reach out to the car manufacturers directly to resolve the matter, and if that fails, we invite them to meet us in court.
Our firm also engages in civil litigation regarding a variety of topics, including property damage, conversion, detinue, fraud, and other areas too numerous to include in this post.
There are many more unique cases that often don’t fall into a specific practice area, and we handle many of them. If you are not sure, please ask us – we are always happy to hear from you even if it turns out that we cannot accept your case. And if we don’t, we will likely be able refer you to a specific attorney who is more appropriate for your case.
So, this is who we are and how we can help you. And when you find yourself in need of the services above, we will be ready for your call.
