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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Modern technology changes the law profession
Dear Readers, I have
often maintained
that modern tech
nology has changed the law
more than just about any
profession, except maybe
engineers. Want proof?
A recent news story
describes a remarkable legal
development in Australia. It
seems that a couple default
ed on their mortgage and
kept evading personal ser
vice.
That means that the law
yers could not have them
personally handed the com
plaint, which is the first step
in a lawsuit after it is filed.
The attorneys knew where
these scallywags were... they
had a Facebook account.
There on the website
were their friends, their e
mail addresses, and dates of
birth. Everything needed to
find them.
New Year’s: Take time to reflect back before moving forward
I don’t know about
you, but now that I’ve
achieved senior status
myself, life seems to hurry
by ever faster.
Usually, we think of
New Year’s as a time of
Resolutions ... but this year
let’s take time to feflect back
before we look forward so
we can make our resolutions
count for the “super seniors”
in our lives.
The first thing I reflect
back on is the great times
of growing up and raising
family. My first resolution
is to help the seniors in my
life reflect back on the good
times in their lives.
Take the time to relive
and relish some of those spe-
MONCRIEF
From page 4A
for me. Let me say that
again. They die for you and
me. And yet a person who
stands on an assembly line
with a rivet gun makes
more than double - that’s
probably an understate
ment - what they do. (ES.
Watch what happens if they
really start talking about
getting the federal deficit
under control. Note who/
what will be at the top of
the list: The military.)
There is at least one out
there who will counter that
the auto industry laid the
foundation for making our
nation great.
I really have nothing
against the auto industry
and I’ll concede there is a
certain amount of truth to
that.
But, it’s not what made
our nation great.
Grit and determination
made our nation great. Not
giving up made our nation
great. Those who founded
the auto industry would not
have taken a bailout - not
without a fight. They
have said: “No, we’re going
to roll up our sleeves and
get dirty. See if we can do
this on our own first.”
That’s the mindset that
made our nation great.
(They also knew that to rise
to greatness meant to hum
ble yourself before God.)
In fact, I’ll give you a
perfect example of it today.
It comes from my father-in
law (who I plan on writing
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The'Law'Man
So, these enterprising
attorneys went to the judge.
They told the judge that
their pictures and lives were
laid out for all to see, yet just
out reach of legal service.
This particular judge,
evidently one with a more
modern view of the nexus
between the law and technol
ogy, signed an order autho
rizing service by e-mail (pri
vately, not publicly) on the
Facebook site, and the deed
was done in short order.
"All About Seniors"
*' ' '
Jlfir:
rial memories with them ...
while there is still time.
But all was not rosy. I have
to be honest when I reflect
back; there were bad times
as well. Some of those were
caused by my own stubborn
ness or selfishness.
So my next resolution is
to ask forgiveness of the
about in great length one
day God willing); from a
generation that believed in,
and lived by, the principles
previously mentioned.
On the night I became an
ordained deacon, all of us
who were being ordained -
along with their wives - sat
in chairs at the front of the
sanctuary. Then, all of the
deacons already ordained
lined up and then one by
one stood over and prayed
for us.
Only because of my
father-in-law’s health - he
has been battling degenera
tive heart disease for some
years - the pastor agreed I
could get up and go to him.
Well, who do you think
was the first in line when
the call went out? You bet
ter know it. He stood there
in his weakened state, oxy
gen bottle in tow, and not
only prayed for me but con
tinued on down the line to
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Could this happen in
Georgia? No. There are two
ways to serve a defendant
with a complaint, either per
sonal service (handing the
litigant or an adult resident
relative a copy of the com
plaint) or, in instances where
personal service cannot be
completed, by publication in
a newspaper. No Facebook
service in Georgia!
Social networking web
sites are changing the way
trial attorneys practice law
everywhere. On my client
intake forms, I ask my client
whether or not they have
one of these websites.
They are a handy place
to look for dirt on the other
party, particularly in a
divorce or personal injury
lawsuit.
The information available
on them is often (stupidly)
open to the public and the
Jim
Rockefeller
Attorney,
Rockefeller
Law Center
America’s Choice in ffomemre» /''’“""'X
■l/«H%Antrels )■
/j I MHO ASSIS TANCE SERVICES
Bill Milby
Visiting
Angels
seniors in my life that I
have wronged or mistreated
in any way ... while there is
still time.
There is nothing like a
clear conscience for a good
night’s sleep!
I also pine as I reflect on
lost opportunities with my
parents and in-law; yes, guys,
you can have great times
with your mother-in-law!).
So I am resolving to make
the most of every opportuni
ty that comes my way in ’O9
with the seniors in my life ...
pray for the others.
My mother-in-law said
it “wore him slap out. He
was exhausted when he got
home,” she said. But you
would have never known it.
In church he held his head
high and proud.
I’ll take that spirit over a
bailout any day.
‘• • •
On a lighter side.
Have you noticed those
cars around town with the
big candy decals on the
side? Three Musketeers.
Snickers. M&Ms. I’m pretty
sure they’re not candy sales
men/ladies unless it’s chic
these days for candy sales
men/ladies to drive around
in what looks to be an early
80s Chevy Impala and with
40 inch rims.
Hey, don’t get me wrong.
I am a fan of the candy ...
man. In fact I collect M&Ms
products (got a nice one for
Christmas). And I’m think-
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damning evidence just has
to be printed from a com
puter.
Which brings me to a
broader point ... the way we
now engage in casual, print
ed, durable conversations in
e-mails and text messages.
Today, most of us shoot off
hundreds, if not thousands,
of e-mails from work and
home each week.
What do those little nug
gets do for us? Well, if you
are Bill Gates, they cost you
billions of dollars, expos
ing Microsoft’s campaign to
“game” the computer mar
ket to create a Microsoft
world monopoly. If you are
going through a divorce,
they can shine a light on the
dark secret of a torrid love
affair.
And, these messages
bounce around out there,
easy to be handed out to
while there is still time.
In fact, tonight we’re going
to see a stage production
of “South Pacific” with my
mother-in-law!
As I reflect back I recall a
very hurried past of 50+ hour
work weeks and travel that
left little time for some of the
really important things in
life like a quiet cup of coffee
and chat about “what hap
pened in your world today,
mom”? I’m resolving to try
not to cram so much into
each day in ’O9 so I can have
ing of joining - but “daring
to be different”.
I can see my truck with a
big old Gorton’s fish prod
ucts decal on the door.
That’s right. I’m going to
“shrimp” my ride.
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other side’s merciless trial
attorney.
When I watch something
like Ken Burns’ great docu
mentary “Civil War,” I am
enthralled with the beauti
ful, poetic letters lovingly
composed by soldiers and
their families, as opposed to
our banal “IM-speak” mod
ern world. Yet, electronic
messaging is an integral
part of our lives today.
In the family law context,
e-mail is actually a useful
tool. E-mails create defini
tive documentation of sim
ple everyday agreements on
exchanges, visitation, and,
as well, a potentially non
confrontational way for par
ents to communicate.
Yes, the written word can
be thoughtless and come
across much more aggressive
than might be called for by
a particular situation. Still,
those chats this year ... while
there is still time.
Finally, as I reflect back I
recall times of spiritual emp
tiness because I was too busy
trying to cram too much other
less important stuff into my
hurried life; you know, the
tyranny of the urgent vs. the
important.
Well, this is the most
important one of all. Spend
whatever time it takes in
’O9 to help your seniors get
ready for all eternity ... while
there is still time!
Bill Milby is a retired 30
Assessing Your
Leadership Skills
-SBS/person
the knowledge that the e
mail is “historical,” and the
time-delay caused by typing
- in contrast to blurting
out intemperate comments
- serves as a very beneficial
brake on the usual sniping
between divorced parents.
This is where the law is
headed. Be careful what you
post on your Facebook or
MySpace page, be careful
what you e-mail; remem
ber, some lawyer may use it
against you!
Local attorney Jim
Rockefeller owns the
Rockefeller Law Center and
is a former Houston County
Chief Assistant District
Attorney, and a former Miami
Prosecutor. Visit www.rock.e
fellerlawcenter.com to submit
confidential legal questions,
and to review former arti
cles and Frequently Asked
Questions.
year veteran executive with
Blue Bird Corporation and
current Director of Visiting
Angels of Macon, a non-med
ical, living assistance service
for seniors. You can reach him
at wmilby@visitingangels.
com if you have questions
or comments about this col
umn.
People Pleasing!
(We will delight you!)
1-75 ExR 136 * 987 8877
F. Dennis Hooper
Certified
Leadership Development Coach
Building leaders and
organizations of excellence
(478) 988-0237 dhooper2 a juno.com
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171050
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