Wm. Bruce McKinley has been practicing law for 34 years. Below are are just a few examples of legal services provided by this office. In all cases, there is no fee to initially discuss your legal question(s).
Public Utility Law: This office advises clients regarding determination of public utility rates, service issues, obtaining new or expanding existing Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity as well as other electric, gas, water, sewer, telecommunication, and other regulatory issues at the state and federal level.
Personal Injury/Product Liability: Determining legal responsibility for an injury can be complicated whether or not the injury arose from an automobile accident, truck accident, professional malpractice, premises liability, product liability, or exposure to chemicals in the air, water, food,or materials, just to name a few. I will discuss your case with you and give you an honest opinion regarding the merits of your claim and recommend how to proceed. In most cases, should you hire this office to handle your claim, you pay nothing until your case is concluded.
Credit Reporting Problems: Your credit score is the key to everything from securing a home mortgage or an automobile loan to getting a credit card. Potential employers may check your credit score.You have the right to dispute false information in your credit report. Credit reporting agencies and creditors are required to conduct an investigation in response to such a dispute. If you do not know what to do and feel you have been a victim of false credit reported items or if a credit reporting agency has failed to conduct a reasonable investigation and/or failed to take action to repair your credit, I will discuss you legal options with you.
Small Business/Corporations: When starting a business, preparation is just as important as execution to ensure that the business you start can prosper and thrive for years to come. There are four primary legal forms of business from which to choose: sole proprietorship, partnership, Limited Liability Company, and other corporate entities such as a C or S Corporation. Tax treatment varies with these legal forms of business. You may also need to determine, among other things, if you need a business license, a sales tax number, how will the responsibilities and liabilities of company will be spread among the principal owners and the investors in the business and who will be the officers.
Probate: This is a court proceedings during which a deceased person's assets are transferred to the people who inherit them. Probate may required if a deceased person died with Mississippi assets in his or her name and those assets do not pass automatically at the person’s death. There may be alternatives to probate available in order to avoid the cost and time to probate an estate which we can discuss.
Wills/Estate Planning and Avoiding Probate Costs: Having a Last Will and Testament is the easiest way to ensure your property goes to whom you wish after you die. Like all other states, Mississippi has specific laws establishing how a person can make a will and what it must contain. In Mississippi, if you die without a will, your property will be distributed according to state "intestacy" laws. If there is no will and you have no heirs at law, the state will take your property. We will also talk about ways to avoid the cost of probating your estate , if possible, with tools such as living trusts, joint ownership, and payable-on-death accounts. Maybe more importantly, no parents want to imagine that they might die while their child or children are still young. Should this happen, there is no standard formula for determining who becomes guardian to their children. A judge is responsible for deciding who would make the best guardian. Parents should think carefully before selecting a guardian for their children. This isn't a popularity contest. Nor should you pick someone simply because they might be angry, hurt or mad if they weren't selected.
Advance Health Care Directive: The Uniform Health Care Decisions Act of Mississippi allows you to name an agent to make health care decisions for you should you become unable to do so. It determines the type and extent of medical care you desire, including directions regarding the use of life-prolonging equipment and procedures, in the event that you become incapacitated. Executing an Advanced Health Care Directive will ensure that, in the event you become incapacitated and need health care or medical treatment, the person most trusted to make such decisions for you will have been named and given any written guidance or instructions based on your personal values.
Power of Attorney: A Power of Attorney is a document that allows you to appoint a person or organization to handle your affairs while you're unavailable or unable to do so. For example, when you are traveling out of the state or country or when you are physically or mentally unable to handle your affairs. A Power of Attorney is frequently included as part of an estate plan to make sure that you have addressed the possibility that you might need someone to handle your financial affairs if you are unable to do so. In many cases the power of attorney is very broad and provides extensive powers to the person or organization you appoint as your agent. These powers commonly include handling banking and security transactions, buying and selling property, settling claims, entering into contracts, handling matters related to government benefits, making various financial decisions, and making gifts, just to name a few.
Landlord/Tenant: Landlords and tenants have rights and responsibilities granted to them under Mississippi's Residential Landlord Tenant Act. These include notice of tenancy termination, return of security deposits and the responsibility of both parties to properly maintain the rental unit. For example, landlords are required to maintain their properties according to code and ensure that heating, cooling and plumbing systems are operational. Tenants are required to pay their rent on time and to keep their homes clean, sanitary, and not cause damage to the home or its appliances. It’s important to understand your rights and responsibilities before you draft or sign a rental contract or leasing agreement.
Real Estate Transactions: Buying and selling real estate is generally more complicated than buying or selling other expensive goods, such as cars or boats. With real estate, many different people can have an interest in the same property, tax consequences are more complicated, and possession is not necessarily indicative of ownership. For most people, real estate consists of their home and the lot surrounding it. Commercial real estate may include factories, equipment, and other facilities. Resources existing on (or under) the land, including minerals and gas, are part of real estate. Deeds indicate, and are generally required to transfer, ownership of real estate. The different kinds of deeds, such as the warranty deed or quit claim deed, transfer different interests in property.
Family Law: This includes a variety of family issues which are some of the most central and personal aspects of society such as divorce, property division, child custody, child and spousal support, guardianship, prenuptial agreements, adoption, name changes, paternity, and annulment, to name a few.
Basic Document Review: Understand documents before you sign. This office will review and help you understand legal documents such as mortgages, insurance policies, lease agreements and other papers where you believe you need assistance understanding the legal terms and your rights and protections as they are presented in that document.
Legal Research: This office will provide legal research for attorneys and clients. Completed legal research will be compiled into a legal memorandum.
P.O. Box 1108 Ridgeland, MS 39158-1108 Phone: (601)506-5159 Fax: (888) 501-1027 email: [email protected]
Public Utility Law: This office advises clients regarding determination of public utility rates, service issues, obtaining new or expanding existing Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity as well as other electric, gas, water, sewer, telecommunication, and other regulatory issues at the state and federal level.
Personal Injury/Product Liability: Determining legal responsibility for an injury can be complicated whether or not the injury arose from an automobile accident, truck accident, professional malpractice, premises liability, product liability, or exposure to chemicals in the air, water, food,or materials, just to name a few. I will discuss your case with you and give you an honest opinion regarding the merits of your claim and recommend how to proceed. In most cases, should you hire this office to handle your claim, you pay nothing until your case is concluded.
Credit Reporting Problems: Your credit score is the key to everything from securing a home mortgage or an automobile loan to getting a credit card. Potential employers may check your credit score.You have the right to dispute false information in your credit report. Credit reporting agencies and creditors are required to conduct an investigation in response to such a dispute. If you do not know what to do and feel you have been a victim of false credit reported items or if a credit reporting agency has failed to conduct a reasonable investigation and/or failed to take action to repair your credit, I will discuss you legal options with you.
Small Business/Corporations: When starting a business, preparation is just as important as execution to ensure that the business you start can prosper and thrive for years to come. There are four primary legal forms of business from which to choose: sole proprietorship, partnership, Limited Liability Company, and other corporate entities such as a C or S Corporation. Tax treatment varies with these legal forms of business. You may also need to determine, among other things, if you need a business license, a sales tax number, how will the responsibilities and liabilities of company will be spread among the principal owners and the investors in the business and who will be the officers.
Probate: This is a court proceedings during which a deceased person's assets are transferred to the people who inherit them. Probate may required if a deceased person died with Mississippi assets in his or her name and those assets do not pass automatically at the person’s death. There may be alternatives to probate available in order to avoid the cost and time to probate an estate which we can discuss.
Wills/Estate Planning and Avoiding Probate Costs: Having a Last Will and Testament is the easiest way to ensure your property goes to whom you wish after you die. Like all other states, Mississippi has specific laws establishing how a person can make a will and what it must contain. In Mississippi, if you die without a will, your property will be distributed according to state "intestacy" laws. If there is no will and you have no heirs at law, the state will take your property. We will also talk about ways to avoid the cost of probating your estate , if possible, with tools such as living trusts, joint ownership, and payable-on-death accounts. Maybe more importantly, no parents want to imagine that they might die while their child or children are still young. Should this happen, there is no standard formula for determining who becomes guardian to their children. A judge is responsible for deciding who would make the best guardian. Parents should think carefully before selecting a guardian for their children. This isn't a popularity contest. Nor should you pick someone simply because they might be angry, hurt or mad if they weren't selected.
Advance Health Care Directive: The Uniform Health Care Decisions Act of Mississippi allows you to name an agent to make health care decisions for you should you become unable to do so. It determines the type and extent of medical care you desire, including directions regarding the use of life-prolonging equipment and procedures, in the event that you become incapacitated. Executing an Advanced Health Care Directive will ensure that, in the event you become incapacitated and need health care or medical treatment, the person most trusted to make such decisions for you will have been named and given any written guidance or instructions based on your personal values.
Power of Attorney: A Power of Attorney is a document that allows you to appoint a person or organization to handle your affairs while you're unavailable or unable to do so. For example, when you are traveling out of the state or country or when you are physically or mentally unable to handle your affairs. A Power of Attorney is frequently included as part of an estate plan to make sure that you have addressed the possibility that you might need someone to handle your financial affairs if you are unable to do so. In many cases the power of attorney is very broad and provides extensive powers to the person or organization you appoint as your agent. These powers commonly include handling banking and security transactions, buying and selling property, settling claims, entering into contracts, handling matters related to government benefits, making various financial decisions, and making gifts, just to name a few.
Landlord/Tenant: Landlords and tenants have rights and responsibilities granted to them under Mississippi's Residential Landlord Tenant Act. These include notice of tenancy termination, return of security deposits and the responsibility of both parties to properly maintain the rental unit. For example, landlords are required to maintain their properties according to code and ensure that heating, cooling and plumbing systems are operational. Tenants are required to pay their rent on time and to keep their homes clean, sanitary, and not cause damage to the home or its appliances. It’s important to understand your rights and responsibilities before you draft or sign a rental contract or leasing agreement.
Real Estate Transactions: Buying and selling real estate is generally more complicated than buying or selling other expensive goods, such as cars or boats. With real estate, many different people can have an interest in the same property, tax consequences are more complicated, and possession is not necessarily indicative of ownership. For most people, real estate consists of their home and the lot surrounding it. Commercial real estate may include factories, equipment, and other facilities. Resources existing on (or under) the land, including minerals and gas, are part of real estate. Deeds indicate, and are generally required to transfer, ownership of real estate. The different kinds of deeds, such as the warranty deed or quit claim deed, transfer different interests in property.
Family Law: This includes a variety of family issues which are some of the most central and personal aspects of society such as divorce, property division, child custody, child and spousal support, guardianship, prenuptial agreements, adoption, name changes, paternity, and annulment, to name a few.
Basic Document Review: Understand documents before you sign. This office will review and help you understand legal documents such as mortgages, insurance policies, lease agreements and other papers where you believe you need assistance understanding the legal terms and your rights and protections as they are presented in that document.
Legal Research: This office will provide legal research for attorneys and clients. Completed legal research will be compiled into a legal memorandum.
P.O. Box 1108 Ridgeland, MS 39158-1108 Phone: (601)506-5159 Fax: (888) 501-1027 email: [email protected]
