Adoptions are ever increasing in their complexity. This firm offers representation for adoption through private placement organizations or through individuals. We work with adoptive or relinquishing parent(s) on the completion of formalities, medical forms necessary for the health department, and genetic information. Representation includes appearance before the Chancery Court on the client’s behalf to conclude the adoption process. The lawyers of the firm who customarily handle adoption work are David Ringer, Laura Courtney and Bobby Lingold.
When title to real property is required to be merchantable title and insurable title, but the property owner died a resident of another state or country, in which probate of the estate of the decedent may have been performed, that probate must be recognized in a court in the county in Mississippi in which the land is situated. Ancillary probate is primarily handled by David Ringer and Sam Simmons.
Annexation is a process by which a municipality, whether a village, town, or city, expands its municipal limits. The procedure by which a municipality annexes land involves the passing of an ordinance by the municipality in which land is annexed. This is followed by the municipality petitioning a court to approve as reasonable the annexation. The court can approve, partially approve, or disapprove the annexation. Jurisprudence from the Mississippi appellate courts has established a criteria by which the reasonableness of an annexation is judged by the court. Annexation litigation is usually expensive and time consuming, as it necessarily involves a legal battle against the sovereign. Frequently, experts are necessary as material witnesses for addressing the merits of the claim. This firm represents municipalities or parties and entities that wish to object to annexation. David Ringer typically handles this type of work.
Commerce between merchants or consumers often requires negotiation of contracts. Enforcement of contracts is also frequently needed. This law firm handles a full gambit of representations in the business world. Leases are negotiated and enforced. Contracts, pursuant to which parties do business, are negotiated and enforced. Lobbying for changes in law or regulation are undertaken. Businesses are defended with regard to contract breaches or warranty breaches.
Businesses are structured, re-structured, and/or merged, as business or tax needs require. David Ringer primarily handles these issues.
When parties are sued in civil lawsuits for money damages or specific performance, a failure to defend will result in the claimant obtaining a judgment by default for the money sought, or the performance sought. The defense of such suits, whether funded by insurance or not, is routinely done by David Ringer, Robert F. Lingold and Laura Courtney.
With the ever increasing problem of bad debt, both business, and personal, our offices offer collection services in the recovery of those debts. This firm’s services range from a simple collection letter to the filing of lawsuits, court representation and filing for a levy of the debtor’s assets. Sometimes, a person has a problem and attempts to collect debts, to which attempts the debtor needs defense. David Ringer, Robert F. Lingold and Laura Courtney typically handle this type of work.
Older adults often get to a point in life where that they either have difficulty tending to their business, cease to want to tend to their business, or are unable to tend to their business. Sometimes a Guardianship is established for such a person. At other times a Conservatorship is established for such a person. The Conservator who is appointed by the Court becomes responsible to the Court for seeing that the business of the Ward is appropriately handled. Unless the Conservator is an attorney, Mississippi law requires that the Conservator have legal counsel to assist with meeting the formalities of the law. David Ringer typically handles this type of work. Fees are charged for representation of a Conservatorship or a Guardianship on an hourly basis. However, no fee is generally paid until approved by the court.
David Ringer serves as the City Prosecutor for the City of Florence, Mississippi. Therefore, no attorney in this firm handles criminal defense work in Florence. Robert F. Lingold does criminal defense work in Hinds, Rankin and Simpson counties.
Transactions involving enforcement of debtor rights and creditor rights are routinely handled aspects of commercial law. David Ringer handles these types of matters.
A person who is under the age of twenty-one is deemed, under Mississippi law, to be a minor for most purposes. People under twenty-one who are no longer living subject to rules of a parent often need to buy real property, or qualify for some types of loans. Removal of the disability of status as a minor, or “emancipation” is the remedy.
Public agencies often require buildings or vacant lands on which to locate roads or pipelines. People sometimes own landlocked land. Eminent domain procedures are used to obtain such rights. Value of the land taken is often at issue. David Ringer is usually lead counsel in prosecution or defense of eminent domain proceedings.
Ringer & Lingold handles the probating of estates of people with no wills, hand-written wills, and more formal wills, with or without trusts. Sometimes a death is followed by a need to deliver clear title to real or personal property of the decedent, to bring or defend a lawsuit for the decedent, or any number of matters. David Ringer does this type work.
When an Installment Promissory Note that is secured by a Deed of Trust (Mortgage) is in default, remedies include foreclosure. This allows the creditor to obtain real property that was placed as collateral for the note. Non-judicial foreclosures constitute the bulk of foreclosures. Such foreclosures do not require court appearances, only the rendering of updated title certification and filing of appropriate legal notices in newspapers, and may include other notices to the debtors. Sometimes there are reasons that a non-judicial foreclosure cannot be successfully effected. In that event, a judicial foreclosure, requiring a lawsuit to be filed, is undertaken. David Ringer performs most of the judicial foreclosures. Laura Courtney performs most non-judicial foreclosures.
Generally, parents of a child will serve as the natural guardian of the child. There are sometimes occasions when a parent is not the appropriate person to serve as the person legally responsible for a child. A Guardianship is established for the child, such that a Guardian can be appointed for the child. At other times, the child needs to deal with business. When a child has assets that exceed ten thousand dollars, the child will have those assets managed under court supervision. The person managing the assets will be the Guardian of the child. In that instance, the Guardian appointed by the court is usually a parent of the child. If a parent of a child dies, as a result of the negligence of another, a Guardianship is often established for the child of the decedent. The court has the Guardian file a lawsuit on behalf of the child as against the responsible party. A settlement of the claim can only be done after the court approves of the settlement. David Ringer typically handles this type of work. Fees are charged for representation of a Guardianship on an hourly basis, but no fee is paid until approved by the Court.
Heirship adjudication is usually done for one of two reasons: (1) To obtain merchantable title and insurable title, the identity of all heirs must be determined as between children or grandchildren or great-grandchildren, especially when their identities are not otherwise set out in title records; (2) To formally and finally establish wrongful death beneficiaries. David Ringer handles heirship adjudication.
Hunting club leases are formalized into a written and recordable instrument as the best protection to all parties involved. David Ringer primarily deals with these issues.
Many businesses incorporate for tax reasons. Some businesses incorporate in order to insulate other assets of business principals from liability for business risks. Some small businesses set up so that the interest of a shareholder is taxed as a part of the individual income of that person. These businesses are sometimes called Section 1244 businesses or sub-chapter S businesses. Some corporations need to be taxed as to gains and losses in their own right. These are often called C corporations or conventional corporations. Limited Liability Corporations are discussed under that topic. David Ringer generally handles these corporate issues.
This firm offers representation to an individual who has had a lawsuit filed against him/her and his/her insurance company expresses a reservation as to whether or not the person has coverage. The firm will work to resolve the issues so as to allow its client to receive the broadest amount of coverage from the insurance company. David Ringer, Robert F. Lingold and Laura Courtney primarily handle this type of dispute and the litigation that frequently results.
This firm has represented many insureds of many insurance carriers over the years. This work is primarily done by David Ringer, Robert F. Lingold and Laura Courtney.
Land law representation can include ownership determination, lease negotiation, title defense work, suits to quiet title, title confirmation suits, tax deed confirmation, heirship adjudication or determination, and probate of estates. David Ringer primarily handles these matters.
Lease negotiations, perfection of leasehold interest, and lease enforcement are handled from either the side of the landlord lessor or of the tenant lessee. David Ringer routinely handles these matters.
Limited Liability Companies sometimes have more flexibility in providing a qualified retirement and benefit program for management than other corporate forms. Limited Liability Companies can be used to limit liabilities as between professionals who are working together in the same business structure. An example would be two civil engineers who practice civil engineering together, yet neither wants to face the prospect of bearing responsibility for the malpractice of the other. David Ringer primarily handles these corporate issues.
The firm represents both oil and gas companies that need title determined, and leases negotiated and it represents mineral owners desiring assistance in negotiation of terms of Oil, Gas and Mineral Leases, Royalty Division Orders, and Rental Division Orders. David Ringer primarily handles these duties.
Mortgage brokers and mortgage bankers are represented in order to qualify to do business in Mississippi. Failure to do so results in violation of the law. Mortgage broker and mortgage banker qualification and compliance are handled by David Ringer.
This firm drafts petitions to the Court to effect name changes, which involve obtaining and preparation of various documents to be attached to the petition. A lawyer will also make the courtroom appearance with the client.
Landowners and oil companies sometimes have a need to not only know the ownership of the surface estate of land, but also need to know the ownership of mineral interest and royalty interest. The mineral estate is often severed from the surface estate, such that the ownership of minerals and royalty is different than the ownership of the surface. Sometimes the ownership of the royalty interest is different from the mineral interest from which a royalty estate has been severed. Title opinions and title examinations for oil and gas title is a specialty within the field of title law. David Ringer typically handles this type of work.
In Mississippi, when a person dies without a will (intestate), land passes in undivided shares to the heirs at law. When an owner heir wishes to have divided out his/her share into a specific parcel upon which a merchantable title can be secured, partition of land accomplishes that result. David Ringer handles partition of land.
Partnerships are often divided into the categories of general partnerships and limited partnerships. Many general partnerships are formed without formal structure. Many general partnerships require dissolution agreements at best, and litigation at worst, when the partners disagree. Limited partnerships involve some partners who run the partnership and have unlimited liability for that which the partnership does; and limited partners whose liability is limited and whose management responsibilities are insignificant, if there are any at all. David Ringer primarily deals with limited partnerships.
When a person or business is damaged by the negligence of another person or business, the person who is damaged can file a lawsuit for those damages. The general damages may include property damage, loss of income, temporary or permanent, partial or total disability, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of companionship, loss of consortium (a legal term for the inability to engage in intimate marital relations), paralysis, mental impairment, psychological problems, dismemberment, scarring, or death. This law firm prosecutes personal injury lawsuits and defends personal injury lawsuits. In the immediate wake of a traumatic event in which the negligence of one causes injury to another, there is an understandable lack of a desire to deal with legal issues. However, whether defending a case or prosecuting a case, a prompt investigation done by legal counsel is usually vital. When a defense is funded by an insurance company, large negligence cases are promptly investigated. When personal injury victims promptly retain counsel, a prompt investigation is usually undertaken. Defense of personal injury cases is done on an hourly basis. Prosecution for personal injury lawsuits is done on an hourly basis or a contingency basis. Most personal injury lawsuits are handled on a contingency basis. There are occasions where bereavement or recovery period from a wreck will delay the time before the injured person consults with an attorney. During the interval, some offer of settlement may be made. The initial focus of this law firm will then include an analysis of whether the injured party would be better off accepting the settlement, thereby averting the burden of a percentage of the settlement being paid to counsel, or whether additional representation would be likely to merit the retaining of counsel. A hybrid contingency contract that does not provide for counsel to receive a percentage of the funds already offered can be considered. This is especially true of small claims. When a prompt investigation is not needed, clients will sometimes opt to consult with counsel without retaining counsel upon a contingency basis. The settlement that can be netted without retaining counsel on a contingency basis is then assessed.
When a business person does not desire to sell a volume of stock to investors, but does wish to solicit investors within Mississippi, a private placement memorandum can sometimes be structured, such that Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) approval is not required. David Ringer handles private placements.
When a product fails to perform in accordance with proper design and/or in the manner in which it was intended, a products liability claim results. David Ringer primarily handles products liability issues.
This law firm has prosecuted and defended professional negligence claims, sometimes called malpractice. Medical malpractice, engineering malpractice, and accounting malpractice are all examples of professional negligence claims. David Ringer and Laura Courtney primarily handle professional negligence issues.
Municipalities and water/sewer districts annex property, acquire rights of way and purchase in compliance with public bid laws. David Ringer and Sam Simmons engage in this area of practice.
This law firm assists public utilities with proceedings before the Public Service Commission, with issues including provision of service, rates and tariffs, viability assessments and construction and expenses, certificates of option, facilities certificates and sales or transfers David Ringer primarily handles these issues.
Mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers and other financial institutions will normally require that title be merchantable and insurable before being willing to loan money. Real estate is usually placed as collateral. When new homes are built and new financing is required, then permanent financing is required, or when a mortgage or deed of trust is refinanced, this law firm often will handle such a closing. Of course, when parties convey land to others, whether with or without the services of a realtor, this firm often conducts the closing. David Ringer is an agent of Chicago Title Insurance Company. The firm handles closings for clients whose mortgage companies include Regions Bank, BancorpSouth Bank, First Tennessee Bank, N.A.’ Peoples Bank of Mississippi, Realty Mortgage Corporation, Trustmark National Bank, Copiah Bank and many others.
In Mississippi, one of every thirty-six (36) square miles (the sixteenth section of each thirty-six sections) is allotted for schools. Such lands are frequently leased for the benefit of school children. Negotiation of Sixteenth Section Leases and defenses of re-negotiation of such leases is primarily handled by David Ringer.
This firm has handled a volume of subrogation cases for insurance companies. The lawyer who handles subrogation cases is Robert F. Lingold.
Title certification for surface estates of land is simpler than title certification for mineral estates. Each involves a title search in which title deraignment occurs. Tax liens, judgments, and ad valorem tax payments are checked. David Ringer primarily handles this type certification.
Sometimes there are errors in descriptions in deeds. Other times people sign deeds at a time when they are without mental capacity to validly sign. Sometimes people are coerced into signing deeds. Many times people die without the benefit of having a will. When a person dies without a will in Mississippi, the interest of that person in real property will pass in equal shares to a surviving spouse and the children the decedent had during his/her lifetime. If a child pre-deceases a parent, the interest held by that child would pass to the issue of that child (grandchild of the decedent). All the preceding circumstances are representative of some of the reasons that title problems arise, with regard to land.
Generally, when an owner of land has a need to execute a timber deed, an Oil, Gas and Mineral Lease, a deed of trust, a mortgage, or a deed in which merchantable title and/or insurable title is to be granted, all title problems need to be resolved. Title examination, title certification, title insurance, and title curative work are primarily done by David Ringer and William Noble.
In both commercial law and personal law, a need exists for representation in lawful written business documents through which creditors have secured positions. David Ringer handles UCC law.
Article 2 and Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code are central in many commercial law matters. David Ringer and Laura Courtney handle Uniform Commercial Code Law matters.
Defense of breach of warranty claims is undertaken by the law firm. Prosecution of breach of warranty is undertaken by the law firm. David Ringer and Laura Courtney primarily deal with these issues.
It is understood that one of the personal tasks a person must undertake is the drafting of a will and/or a trust to decide how his/her estate is to be divided upon his/her death. The attorney will advise the client of certain advantages and disadvantages in the division of property in a variety of ways. A Trust is an entity that holds and manages the assets for a person or group (e.g. grandchildren, a business, or charity). Often a Trust is the more advantageous planning device. At other times, a will is more advantageous. David Ringer and Sam Simmons primarily draft wills. David Ringer primarily drafts trusts.
One type of damage suit is one in behalf of wrongful death beneficiaries. Wrongful death suits are often vigorously defended, when a contested identity of wrongful death beneficiaries is judicially determined. Under Mississippi law, wrongful death beneficiaries are sometimes different than heirs at law. This firm both prosecutes and defends wrongful death suits.
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