Rhode Island Divorce Appeal Standards - Lawyers Should Follow and Clients Should Know!

There are two important standards that laypeople should know, especially if they hire an attorney to protect their interests.

1. You are not protected so that you can appeal if your attorney does not place your issues "on the record". In a divorce or family court proceeding issues are "on the record" if they are taken down by the stenographer. What does this mean? It means that chambers conferences where the court stenographer is not present and taking down the information discussed in the judge's chambers are not "on the record". It means that discussions with the judge at the bench in court are not "on the record" unless the judge specifically tells the court stenographer to take down the information.

2. When you are protected with items that are "on the record", if you have to appeal any particular issue, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has consistently ruled that they will not address an issue that is raised for the first time on appeal. In other words it wasn't "on the record" . . . and . . . the Rhode Island Supreme Court has also consistently ruled that it will give great deference to the trial judge as the trier of fact (since he or she was the person in the best position to evaluate the demeanor, character and testimony of the witnesses) and the factual findings of the trial judge will not be disturbed absent some gross inaccuracy. The trial judge's determinations of law will be upheld unless it is shown on appeal that the trial judge clearly abused his or her discretion when applying the law or the facts to the law.

Every litigant before the Rhode Island Family Court should keep in mind whether they are financially able to appeal issues if the trial judge does not rule their way. If so, those same litigants should be vigilant that major issues are placed "on the record" and aren't discussed at the bench or behind closed doors in a chamber's conference. If your attorney doesn't preserve your issues for appeal on the record if you lose, what was the point of beginning the battle to begin with? Just the chance of winning the very first time?

How A Free Annual Credit Report Can Be Used

Every person is eligible to get a free annual credit report, which is very much useful. You should understand its importance and utilize it to derive maximum benefits. You should remember that the credit rating you get on your report will have an impact on your applications for new loans, refinance credits, etc. Lenders will use this credit rating not only for deciding whether to approve your loan or not but for fixing the rate of interest on your loans, if they are approved. The main point is that your credit rating depends upon how you have made your past bill payments, your debt to income ratio and many other factors. Even when you apply for a new cell phone, alarm system, auto insurance, etc., your credit rating will be considered. If you apply for a new phone or a cable, electrical or gas line, there are chances that your credit rating may be considered for approving them.

If you have a poor credit rating, it is but natural that you may have your own doubts if your applications for new credit cards or loans will be approved or not. This is because a poor credit score is not viewed favorably by credit card companies and lending institutions. So, it is necessary that you should take all possible steps to fix your credit score. For this, this annual report is quite useful.

Not only delayed payments of your bills, but even a loss of job may affect your credit rating. Some people may be addicted to credit card shopping and this may also impact their credit status. But, when your credit score gets affected, you can definitely bring it back to normalcy and the foremost step for achieving this is to study your credit report meticulously and understand it completely. As said earlier, you are eligible for getting a free report every year and this is issued by the credit reporting bureaus. You can view the reports online also. There are three major credit reporting bureaus and therefore, you can get three free reports every year. But, there may be variations in the reports issued by these agencies. All the lenders do not choose the same bureau or agency for intimating the details of the loans borrowed from them. But, by studying each one of these reports, you can have a fair idea about your credit status so that you can take further action, if necessary.

Once you are able to view the report, you should first check if any entry that does not pertain to you is there on it. There may be entries of debts that have not been availed by you. There may be other errors, wrong recordings, etc. and you should dispute such entries immediately. You can send your complaints online also. By removing such entries, you can gradually improve your credit score. If you have small loans, you should pay them off first so that the number of loan entries will come down. If there are loans on which there are large balances, you should start paying the maximum possible amounts and wipe them out as quickly as possible. If you adopt patience and make the payments consistently, you can get rid of them very soon and your credit rating is sure to improve.

Cashflow Quadrant - The 4 Different Ways to Make Money

The "Cashflow Quadrant" by Robert Kiyosaki explains the 4 basic ways to make legal income.

EMPLOYEE: Has a job. The income is based upon the position of the employee, not the person itself. Suppose you compare two teachers. One may be an excellent teacher who comes in early, has his or her lesson plans prepared before-hand, gets involved with the development of each student and does more than is asked by hie or her supervisor. The other teacher comes in late, requires a substitute to fill in for him or her frequently, has no lesson plan prepared, and can care less about the students. Who would get paid more? Typically they both would get paid pretty much the same. This category is compensated by the position they are in, not by the quality of they work.

SELF EMPLOYED: OWNS a job. This category may include occupations such as Lawyers, private doctors, private hair dresser, etc. Their job controls them rather than them having total control over it. If these people do not work or decide to take a day off, they wouldn't make income for that period. This category runs the risk of these individuals to either max out their time or burn out from over working.

BUSINESS OWNER: OWNS a system. Leverages his or her time but having others work for them. Just like a real estate broker hires agents under him or her. Each time and agent makes a sale, the broker gets paid a percentage of the profits. Or even a major corporation may have a CEO or founder, president, managers, supervisors, and a wide array of other sub-level positions involving labor or administrative work. Each person below help create a product, distribute, maintain, or otherwise aide in profiting for the corporation they work for. The owner or whoever is on top gets a percentage and remainder if paid to everyone else that works for the owner. Basically the owner has gotten paid from the efforts of others without doing the actual work.

INVESTOR: Has his or her money working for them. Either through stocks, commodities, or finding a way where the value of their investments appreciate to make profit.

Due to social conditioning through school, upbringing by parents, the media, etc, the majority of people in the country has been taught that going to school to get a degree to get a good job with benefits was the goal they should have; even though the people teaching this may not be in the best financial or income position either. The majority of the wealthiest people in the world are business owners or investors. While the majority of the country is being taught that working for someone and relying on benefits is the path to success (the red side of the quadrant), the wealthy have learned that leveraging their time by having others work for them is one of the best paths to financial freedom and success (the green side of the quadrant).

Freelancing For a Freer Life - 10 Tips to Get You Started in the Freelance Life

At some point in your life you wake up to the dream shattering sound of the alarm clock and wonder what it would be like to be able to switch it off, go back to sleep, and get up at a time when it suits you to work. Ah, nice dream isn't it? Or is it just a dream? Have you woken up to the potential of freelancing yet?

Everyday people all over the world are getting up when they want, start work when they are good and ready and there's nobody there to tell them otherwise. These aren't massively rich people with high level executive jobs that have a multitude of people to delegate things to; they're just normal human beings who have found a way to do something they enjoy and set their own schedules. These people have taken skills that they already have and started putting them to use as a freelancer.

You may have sat at work before and thought to yourself that you're undervalued for the type of work you do, in fact, it would be quite rare if you hadn't. However, most people don't do anything about those thoughts. Most just keep on getting annoyed with the way their lives have turned out and wonder about what might have been, little realizing that it's still a case of what might be.

If you have a skill that's in demand then the chances are you can become a freelancer and make more money than in your normal 9-5 job. Here are 10 ideas to consider as you think about making a move from employment to freelancing. You will see some differences between working for someone else and working for yourself.

1. If you want to start freelancing you will still have to put in the effort to get the required work done. In fact, you might have to work even harder at first than if you were still in 'regular' employment. That's because you will be on your own to find jobs, get contracts and get the job done. You no longer will have someone giving you work to do.

2. Still, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing work for yourself and that people now employ you specifically because you have a specific talent. That should feel wonderful.

3. You will need to learn about freelance contracts so you can set them up with people who want your freelance services. A freelance contract let's both sides know what's expected and when it's expected by. Then it's up to you to do what you do within that framework.

4. A freelance contract is essential because it also covers you for things that may go wrong during a project. For instance, if a project takes longer than first negotiated, you might need to go back to your client to renegotiate the contract. That means you want to have a well written contract that covers various contingencies in doing projects. This provides a safety net for both you and the person using your freelancing skills - and should make everything more secure for you.

5. Strive to complete all of your contracted work to the highest standard possible and in the time frame negotiated. This means working in a fairly short space of time. When you can do this, there will be no reason why you shouldn't be able to start at anytime of the day you want to work on your projects. It may take you a bit of time to get into the rhythm of things at first but once you have you can work at a pace that suits you.

6. To get started, you will need to know where to find your first assignments. You may decide that you want to try picking up some work in your local area. In that case, try contacting local businesses directly to see if they have any freelance work they can offer you.

7. Contact the company and find out who the head of personnel or human resources is and get that person's direct telephone number. But don't contact her by phone to start with. Instead, write a proposal in a letter format and send it to her with your details and your freelancing proposal. After the letter has had time to arrive follow up with a phone call to make sure she received it and ask if she has any questions. Also ask if you can come in to further discuss doing freelance work for the company.

8. Start with the smaller companies first. The chances are that these companies will be looking to have some work done but don't have the resources to take on an employee fulltime. This is particularly true with the current economic downturn when companies are laying people off and still have to get the work done. Your freelancing option may be something the company hadn't considered in the past. Your contact may just show enough initiative to get you the freelance contract and a new freelance job.

9. There is another option if you want to get setup quite quickly. There are a number of freelancing sites online that you can join. On one site alone, Elance.com, there are freelancers who have made well over $100,000 from their freelancing efforts. You can set up a profile on these sties and start bidding on projects almost instantly. People are already looking for freelancers and the freelance job sites have business contracts for you to use. The freelance job site works as a go between you and the client to handle payments that are due to be made.

10. Freelance job sites will usually work by having the freelancer and the employer work together to agree on milestones. If the project is expected to be long you can agree to split it up into several milestones and you as the freelancer will be paid after each milestone is completed. As you complete sections of the project the freelance job site release the payment as agreed through the freelance contract. Once you get yourself established, know how everything works and get some feedback on your completed projects you can start making some serious money.

So, stop dreaming, stop letting the alarm clock become a rude awakening to a day that will just go down hill from that point. Start assessing your skills and talents that others can use and start looking at freelance job sites or local business to see what people need. Then get out there and make those skills and talents do what they do best and make yourself quite a good living while you're at it.

The Gift of the Dyslexic Child

Dyslexia is mistaken by many people as another word for "learning difficulties", where in fact it is only one of many different learning difficulties.

Dyslexia is a brain defect in the ability to process or decode graphic symbols that are not caused by eye problems or low intelligence. A dyslexic person usually has difficulty with reading and spelling, but it is important to remember that not everyone with reading and writing difficulties is dyslexic.

I have worked with many kids, who have had symptoms similar to dyslexia that were actually caused by other problems. Deafness, visual problems, temporary challenges with a second language, gaps in their education or emotional problems may appear like dyslexia but cannot be treated like dyslexia.

When I work with a dyslexic child, I spend most of the time not on the actual difficulty or brain processing problem but on the child's self image and self esteem. You see, many dyslexic children think they are stupid, which is very far from the truth. Most of them do not understand that with their disadvantage, they also have a certain advantage. Their "thinking machine" just works differently and they have a unique way of looking at the world. Most of them have special gifts in other areas, as if their brain compensates for their missing abilities. Many dyslexic kids (and people) show great talents like:

Artistic abilities Athletic skills Music Mechanics Social skills Visual skills Vivid imagination Intuition Curiosity

To understand that dyslexia is not a real obstacle, think of famous dyslexic people. Albert Einstein was a famous person. He was very bright and his mother never thought that her son, thinking differently was a problem. Other special dyslexic people: Winston Churchill, Walt Disney, Jamie Oliver, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo Da Vinci and Richard Branson, all of whom could only reach their highest potential because of their ability to think differently.

Just like Einstein reached his greatest glory thanks to his mother, the attitude parents of dyslexic children have towards their children determines their learning experience. The best approach is embrace the uniqueness of their kids and by that help them tap into their great talents.

Rim Financing Requirements

Are you in need of new rims? Do you want the best quality rims? Do you want it cheap? When your answer to these questions is in the affirmative, then you might want to try financing your cars. There are a number of financing companies who are willing to finance your car wheels with the easiest and lowest payments. It is about time you turn to these companies and get the rims you need and want!

Rims are really expensive. They can cost up to a thousand dollars depending on the brand, style, make and model of your car. Because of its expensiveness, people choose to finance their wheels. Rims financing give people the opportunity to own new and affordable wheels. It allows people to purchase quality wheels at the lowest price. To avail this service, you need to meet some requirements. Here are some of the common requirements financing companies provide:

1. You must be at least 18 years of age. There are companies, however, which require their consumers to be at least 21 years old. You need to ask the age requirement before proceeding with the transaction.

2. You must have a valid driver's license. The driver's license is usually for proof of identification so it is important that you have one.

3. You own the car. You need to prove your ownership of the car as well.

4. You must at least have the capability to repay your wheels. Some rims financing companies require their customers to present proof of payment or statement of account.

5. You need to have good credit history. This requirement is not common to all financing companies. There are rims financing companies who do not require their customers to have good credit history. Some of them even specialize with bad credit score. You need to find these rims financing companies which do not require good credit history. There are out there.

Having known the basic requirements, it is equally important to know other important features of these financing companies. To get you the best rims and tires, a wide collection of wheels styles are provided for you to choose from. There are at least two thousand different rims styles available in the market. If you are particular with your car's style, you can choose the most trendy and good looking rims for you car. You should not be restricted by your car's make and model. There are various rims to choose from which can readily fit your car. It is just really a matter getting the perfect fitment. You can ask the help from the experts provided by these companies too.

To further your savings, rim and tire packages are offered by these financing companies. Package deals cost less than individual packages. You can get these wheels cheaper than the usual cost. Even though it is a package deal, wheels styles and brands are not limited to one style or one brand. You can freely choose from the same wheel collections provided by the company. Set your car in motion with new rims and tires!

Learning About the Early Signs of Gout and How to Manage the Pain Associated With It

Did you know that gout is one of the most painful forms of arthritis? Once you get afflicted with this condition, you might wake up in the middle of the night disturbed by an intense pain in your big toe or other joints. It's usually the first 24 hours of attack that is worse and if you do not do anything to manage the pain, then you're in for a very long night.

What are the Signs of Gout?

Similar to other medical conditions, it definitely pays to learn what causes gout in the first place. Basically, this is a complex form of arthritis which occurs when urate crystals form around the joints. The crystallization is caused by the body having high levels of uric acid.

If you haven't been to the doctor yet, you might not have any idea of whether you have high uric acid levels or not. However, there are a few physical manifestations that will appear as signs of gout, which includes the following:

Redness, inflammation or intense pain around the joints. Swelling of the big toe which is the most commonly affected area - but it can also extend to your feet, hands, knees, wrists, ankles or elbows. Lingering pain and discomfort in the affected area.

Managing the Pain Associated with Gout

Once you experience any of the aforementioned signs of gout, how are you supposed to manage the pain? As mentioned earlier, gout is caused by the formation of urate crystals around the joints and this is in turn caused by high levels of uric acid in the body.

So what causes the uric acid level in your body to increase in the first place? Just as it is with any other medical condition, the signs of gout will appear if you will not pay close attention to your diet. Consuming foods which have high purine levels is one of the main causes of gout.

Once a doctor diagnoses that you are indeed suffering from gout, you will be given prescription medication to reduce the swelling and manage the pain. It's also a good idea to steer clear of consuming foods which have high purine levels like red meat, game, poultry and seafood. You should also increase your water intake to flush out the toxins and decrease the levels of uric acid in your body.

By learning what the signs of gout are, you can recognize the symptoms early and address the issue accordingly so that you wouldn't have to suffer from the pain associated with this complex form of arthritis.

Cross Docking

In common parlance the term cross docking means shifting a particular product from the place it is manufactured and sending it to the customers directly. It is a very widely used technique now a days by the companies providing logistic solutions. During the time the product is delivered to the customer, you will not find any kind of material handling. There are various kinds of cross docking developments that are effectively utilized by warehouse administration. Here are a few of the cross docking operations that are beneficial for warehousing firms.

When a particular route is chosen for transporting goods from one location to the other, it is referred to as transportation cross docking. The operation where in a product is transferred directly from the dock where goods are received to another dock, it is known as opportunistic cross docking. The process in which purchased inbound products needed for produce are received is known as manufacturing cross docking. Retail cross docking is a procedure where in numerous products are received from multiple vendors. The receipt of products are sorted out on outbound trucks and sent to various retail stores.

Benefits of Cross Docking

It is beneficial as it minimizes material handling to a great extent. It also reduces our reliability on warehouses, as we do not have to depend on a warehouse for storing products. Docking operations are beneficial to several companies. Logistics firms utilizing this docking operations have found considerable reduction in labor costs. The reason is because the products do not need to be stored in warehouses any more. Customer satisfaction is the foremost goal of every organization and the same goes with logistics firms, who mainly focus on customer satisfaction. This docking operations minimize the time of production and this enables to largely focus on customers. This in turn improves the way of dealing with customers. One of its greatest benefits is that no storage facility is needed for storing any inbound material. Opting for storage services becomes inevitable during certain situations. These situations where there is a necessity to opt for storage include change in the mode of transportation and distribution services. Another benefit is that it helps reduce transportation costs to a great extent by managing it efficiently, combines shipments and improves business on the whole. Most logistics firms these days are gradually recognizing its value with rise in competition. Logistics firms are turning towards outsourcing this service in the near future.

Going Green by Going Virtual - Top 10 Tips For Creating a Virtual Work Environment

Many companies are supporting a virtual work environment, which means that their employees have the freedom to work from wherever they wish. These companies don't believe in long drawn out meetings, endless phone calls, and wasteful "office chatter". However, they do support work/life balance and team building. Because of this, these companies are often far more efficient than most, i.e., work that a normal 40 hour a week employee can do, their employees typically get it done in about 15-20. Also, companies that choose to go virtual have an overhead that is extremely low, are reducing their carbon footprint by reducing waste.

Here are the top 10 tips for taking your office virtual.

1. Be comfortable with the technology - Instant Messaging Programs, Skype or another web based phone system (for international calls) and e-mail are all necessities when going virtual.

2. Phone service - Thinkbright.net is a good, reliable internet phone service provider. You buy the phones, give them to your employees, and can have anywhere from 1-4 extensions. As long as your employees have internet connections at home, they plug them in, and calls can be transferred to them just like you're in an office. It doesn't affect their internet connection. This is an inexpensive alternative to the larger phone companies.

3. File sharing - A great file sharing program like Yousendit.com or Google Docs, helps to eliminate the need to print out large documents

4. Virtual faxing: The online fax service, myfax.com, is ideal for sending and receiving faxes. Your documents can be scanned, uploaded and sent, just like a real fax machine. You also get your own fax number with whatever area code you'd like.

5. Be flexible - Find other places to work, rather than the home office, at least twice per week. This change of environment will help to keep your mind sharp, and eliminate the onset of boredom. Remember, you're doing this to stay away from cube life, not to enhance it. If you don't need to be by the phone all day, or don't mind making calling back from your cell phone, find a local library, coffee shop, or outdoor venue that you can work from. This will keep things interesting.

6. Regular meetings - Have regular weekly meetings with your staff - with a pre-set agenda for each meeting. Keep these meetings to no more than 1.5 hours. Encourage everyone to become prepared with a brief summary of their reports, and any un-resolved issues that weren't able to be solved during the week. This also encourages team building.

7. No matter who you are meeting with, always have an agenda and stick to it

8. Be-communicative - Encourage lots of communication between your co-workers and employees.

9. Independent contractors - Look into hiring independent contractors. Websites such as sologig.com, guru.com and elance.com are good places to find qualified people to do projects that you just don't have the time for.

10. Tracking - Track the results of your virtual program and record how much you are spending, vs. how much you are saving by going virtual.

Although working virtually may not be for everyone (surgeons, heavy equipment operators, actors, etc.), there are many opportunities for those that would like to ditch their office and have more flexibility in their work life.