The Solo Advisor

There are many informal discovery techniques you can use to gather information without using the procedures described in California’s Civil Discovery Act (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2016.010-2036.050). Most of these techniques can be easily adapted to use as we shelter in place. Read more

Bay Area law firm, Norton Basu LLP, has announced new COVID-19 safety protocols and an initiative offering complimentary services for Santa Clara County healthcare workers and first responders. The firm specializes in estate planning and probate issues, including living trusts, wills, conservatorships, durable power of attorney, and advanced health care directives. Read more

The federal government can rightly be criticized for a “head in the sand” approach to the coronavirus crisis, even after it was officially christened a pandemic. To their credit, it did not take nearly as long for state and local officials, particularly in California, to recognize that renters, both residential and commercial, were going to need government protection to prevent mass evictions following the inevitable economic crash. Read more

This May has been quite amazing. A few days of May grey, but mostly beautiful, sunny, bright cheery days. However, to most, it is the most gloomy, gray May ever. COVID-19 has altered our world forever and as California struggles to reopen, many of us are left to wonder how we will carry on. Read more

California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye issued a statewide order suspending all jury trials in California's superior courts for 60 days and allowing courts to immediately adopt new rules to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Not every attorney is suited to solo practice. If you are, it can be a very fulfilling and profitable way to practice law. Do you have the personal attributes needed to open your own practice? Read more

Many of us have now been forced to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping California. Working from home is a far cry from our normal remote working atmosphere. Read more

Have you ever wondered why attorneys and clientele do not play themselves in reality television shows? Attorneys are taught to present their arguments with precision as a screen actor would when filming, memorizing their lines and improvising as needed. Read more

The clock has sprung forward which means that Spring is just around the corner and with it, COVID-19, now famously known as the Corona Virus pandemic. Phrases like social distancing are now forever part of our vocabulary. Read more

Whether it happens informally on the telephone or in a formal, face-to-face meeting, the beginning of a negotiation can be critical to its success. First words and impressions are lasting; a bad start can erode trust, dampen optimism for settlement, and increase the probability of deadlock. Read more