Hi! My name is Jennifer Hernandez, I am an attorney in Salt Lake City, Utah. I will soon restart my own full-time practice of law in Utah, after having taken a break to raise a family, something I have been looking forward to for some time. I have always wanted to help the average person become better informed and proactive about their life and especially their rights. I believe that the more we know the better will be our decision-making process.
For example, if we have a health issue we can, and often do, access the loads of information on the internet to avoid having to make decisions based on the opinion of one or two people, i.e. doctors. The more information you have before you go into the doctor to be seen for the first time or to get a second opinion the better prepared you are. We no longer have to depend solely on these professionals to get basic and even more specific information. By having access to the needed medical information you can better understand your condition and communicate with your doctor regarding all of your complaints and how they relate to a certain illness or medical condition as opposed to another. You can also make better choices as to what medical procedures are necessary and what may simply result in increased costs with no real or substantial benefit. You become a partner with your medical professionals in deciding a course of action while managing your resources. Sometimes you can even prevent misdiagnosis, thus preventing a waste of time and financial resources.
The need to be well informed spans all areas of our lives. It is my intention with this blog to begin a discussion on a variety of reader driven or suggested subjects. Most specifically I would like to focus this blog on a person's individual rights as a member of society. I am mostly interested in informing the reader regarding their rights when confronted with situations that have legal implications, such as a traffic stop, a request to search you or your property, how to respond to law enforcement questions and even what things a police officer can or cannot ask you and when-depending on the circumstances.
Wouldn't you like to go into an attorney's office having a basic understanding of your legal problem and prepared to maximize your time in that, hopefully free, initial consultation or subsequent conversations? Having access to the right information helps you know what questions to ask, what are some of the consequences you face, and prepares you by having a realistic idea of your options. In this way, much like the medical situation I explained, you can prevent pursuing a dead end by making pointless motions or arguments and minimize the time spent and maximize your financial resources- you save money!!! In addition to helping your case and saving money, being informed balances the powers in our community and protects innocent, law abiding citizen's rights.
You must keep in mind that all details in a specific situation are important to properly decide what law or legal concept applies and what are the available options in a given case. I will not be able to give specific legal advice at this time but merely address legal concepts in general or concerns and perhaps some general hypotheticals.
I hope that this blog can develop into a useful resource and link you to more information and services where you can find affordable and quality services and solutions to any problem, but more specifically serve society's legal needs. I am also building a business website (Utah Legal Solutions) where I will be able to more directly address potential client's specific legal questions and other legal needs.
Jen
