Port Neches Chamber of Commerce - Business of the Month

The Monk Law Firm is featured as the business of the month for the Port Neches Chamber of Commerce for December.  We have an open door policy so feel free to drop by and visit!

Social Media

Attorney-client privilege issues prevent attorneys from giving the case specific information that might draw new clients to your particular brand of legal service. Maintaining confidentiality is one of an attorney's highest priorities. Our firm recently created a presence on Google+ so that we can easily share the articles and other web snippets that may be of interest to our clients and colleagues. You can find us here. Rest assured, any presence in social media will not compromise our desire to maintain the duty of confidentiality we owe to our clients.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veteran's Day from The Monk Law Firm! We will be volunteering at The Veteran's Clinic in February, but for those that need assistance sooner than that there is a clinic tomorrow. The details are as follows:

. November 12 (Saturday after Veteran's Day) from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at

Lamar University Montagne Center Cardinal Club Room in Beaumont, TX.

. February 11, 2012 (Saturday) from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in Orange, Texas

(location TBD).

For those of you that may not be familiar with the veterans initiative, it

is a State Bar of Texas program developed to assist pro bono legal clinics

throughout the state for military veterans who otherwise cannot afford or do

not have access to the legal services they need.  The JCBA, as a group of

lawyers, must ensure that the protectors of our justice system have full

access to it.  

The volunteer attorneys will answer basic legal questions on topics ranging

from consumer law, bankruptcy, landlord tenant, criminal matters, family law

matters, disability and VA claims.  For those that actually need legal

representation, we will qualify them for pro bono legal services or refer

them to lawyers who have agreed to represent them at a reduced rate.

What Happens if I Die Without a Will?

In Texas, if you pass away without a will there are laws that specify how your property will pass. These laws may not be consistent with what you want to have happen to your property. The only way to make sure your wishes are carried out is to plan ahead.

Having a will does not eliminate the need for probate in most cases, but it does make the probate process much less expensive for your heirs.

Wills also eliminate disputes among family members if properly drafted. They take the decision out of the hands of the heirs and spell your wishes out in black and white. The goal is to leave no room for debate.

Reader's Choice Best Attorney Goes to Bob K. Monk

Congratulations to Bob K. Monk for receiving the 2011 Beaumont Enterprise Readers' Choice Award for Best Attorney in Mid-South County!

He appreciates your support and looks forward to upholding that reputation in the coming year.

Hurricane Watch

I believe it is safe to say that, for our area, hurricane watch begins in earnest when the first storm has a projected path that may take it through us. Hurricane watch, therefore, has begun in earnest for 2011.

I encourage you all to check your policies, call your insurance agents, and/or otherwise conduct a thorough review of your hurricane plan as we brace for this hurricane season. Please purchase flood insurance and wind insurance if you have not already.

What is a Tort?

There are probably as many ways to explain what a tort is as there are lawyers. I think a simple way of thinking about the word "tort" is this: when someone does something to harm you we need a way to hold them responsible that does not involve a gun fight in the streets.

A tort is the way to straighten something out without having to resort to violence. It is a creation of industrialization and with increases in manufacturing and industrial injury, either by the product to the consumer or to the worker in the production process we need, we needed peaceful ways to resolve problems that may arise. It was in that environment that the "tort" was born.

So, when an 18 wheeler bears down on you keep in mind that you should not drag the driver out into the middle of the street and hang him upside down by his jeans and shake the money out of his pockets. Even though that may seem like a logical reaction at the time, you will likely be prosecuted criminally for your behavior. You should, instead, use the legal creation known as a "tort" to resolve your claim with the help of a local lawyer.