DIVORCE COURT TIPS TO HELP YOU GO THROUGH A DIVORCE OR CUSTODY PROCEEDING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE CIRCUIT COURTS

1. Be prepared. Bring as many documents, background information, financial information ahead of time to your lawyer so that you can have the materials you need to rely on to prove your case.

2. Dress appropriately. Dress for business and make sure you do not show any expression or act too emotional. The Court wants to observe a professional civil demeanor of all the parties and the attorneys.

3. Don’t speak directly to the parties. Do not engage in any discussion with the parties or the counsel outside of being addressed by the Court. When asked, respond directly to the Court or your lawyer.

4. Take notes. Bring your own yellow pad and pen and be prepared to take notes. Typically, your attorney will check with you prior to the end of the hearing and you may want to give him some notes to assist with the matter.

5. Expect the unexpected. There are many issues that can occur and sometimes the Court may ask unexpected questions, you may not be able to answer them, and your attorney might simply respond by leaving the room to check into that and respond. Otherwise, expect to be asked questions such as details of health insurance, details of life insurance, mortgage interest deduction, mortgages, financial issues, etc. because the parties, counsel and the Court are trying to find out the details to assist you.

6. Try to settle early. The classic problem people have with Court is that the Decision can be largely unexpected, inaccurate, and out of your control. Settlement is always preferred to going to a hearing. Even if you can’t settle all the issues, try to settle some things ahead of time.

7. Hurry up and wait. Be prepared to get their early and prepare with your attorney and wait. Sometimes the Court will make you wait for hours. Be patient. We tell clients to sometimes bring a newspaper or bring a book. We also tell clients to bring a friend that you trust because there is strength in numbers and it is emotionally helpful to have someone supportive there with you.

8. Leave your cell phone in the car or certainly make sure it is off. Courts will fine people if the cell phone goes off in the Courtroom. If you bring it in, make sure you turn it off, double check it before you go into the Courtroom.

McGrath Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and has affiliations with law firms nationwide.

Are you or someone you know going through a divorce or custody situation? Do you want to know your legal rights? Call Attorney Peter G. McGrath at (800) 283 1380 or (603) 224-7111 or visit www.mcgrathlawfirm.com to learn about your legal rights!! We get results!!

click here for prior blog

DIVORCE COURT TIPS TO HELP YOU GO THROUGH A DIVORCE OR CUSTODY PROCEEDING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE CIRCUIT COURTS

1. Be prepared. Bring as many documents, background information, financial information ahead of time to your lawyer so that you can have the materials you need to rely on to prove your case.

2. Dress appropriately. Dress for business and make sure you do not show any expression or act too emotional. The Court wants to observe a professional civil demeanor of all the parties and the attorneys.

3. Don’t speak directly to the parties. Do not engage in any discussion with the parties or the counsel outside of being addressed by the Court. When asked, respond directly to the Court or your lawyer.

4. Take notes. Bring your own yellow pad and pen and be prepared to take notes. Typically, your attorney will check with you prior to the end of the hearing and you may want to give him some notes to assist with the matter.

5. Expect the unexpected. There are many issues that can occur and sometimes the Court may ask unexpected questions, you may not be able to answer them, and your attorney might simply respond by leaving the room to check into that and respond. Otherwise, expect to be asked questions such as details of health insurance, details of life insurance, mortgage interest deduction, mortgages, financial issues, etc. because the parties, counsel and the Court are trying to find out the details to assist you.

6. Try to settle early. The classic problem people have with Court is that the Decision can be largely unexpected, inaccurate, and out of your control. Settlement is always preferred to going to a hearing. Even if you can’t settle all the issues, try to settle some things ahead of time.

7. Hurry up and wait. Be prepared to get their early and prepare with your attorney and wait. Sometimes the Court will make you wait for hours. Be patient. We tell clients to sometimes bring a newspaper or bring a book. We also tell clients to bring a friend that you trust because there is strength in numbers and it is emotionally helpful to have someone supportive there with you.

8. Leave your cell phone in the car or certainly make sure it is off. Courts will fine people if the cell phone goes off in the Courtroom. If you bring it in, make sure you turn it off, double check it before you go into the Courtroom.

McGrath Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and has affiliations with law firms nationwide.

Are you or someone you know going through a divorce or custody situation? Do you want to know your legal rights? Call Attorney Peter G. McGrath at (800) 283 1380 or (603) 224-7111 or visit www.mcgrathlawfirm.com to learn about your legal rights!! We get results!!

click here for prior blog

McGrath Law  Firm has begun an investigation and plans to launch legal action against Hays Hospital in regard to the hepatitis outbreak.  The firm currently represents two local people who have tested positive and a third  person who is waiting for results.Described as a “serial infector”, David Kwiatkowski, 33, worked as a medical technician at Hays Hospital from May 2010 to Sept. 2010.

Kwiatkowski is accused of working as a technician where he injected himself with pain medicine and then let the contaminated syringes be reused on unsuspecting patients.  Federal prosecutors have expanded their investigation to six additional states.

Initially, in New Hampshire Exeter Hospital believed that the outbreak was confined to their cardiac catheterization lab.  However, according to Peter McGrath, a former federal prosecutor who is spearheading the legal action lawsuit against Exeter Hospital, “several of my clients had contacted Exeter Hospital weeks ago to notify them that they contracted hepatitis C from a different department within the hospital”.

We will also request independent testing and independent medical treatment for any of our clients who want it.  It is good news that the hospital is testing, but some people may feel uncomfortable returning to the same location where they got contaminated for testing.
My clients who tested positive obviously have a case and their compensation will be allotted based on their individual case within the class action.  But there are a lot of people who minimize the impact and severity of the issues surrounding the people who test negative after they were told they may have been exposed to the virus.  There is a 6-month waiting period to confirm a negative diagnosis, so I can’t emphasize enough that all of these people have a case for emotional distress, whether or not they test positive.  During that 6-month waiting period, these victims have to essentially live their lives as if they are infected with Hepatitis C.  And to make matters worse, many of my clients are now being told they should be tested for AIDS because apparently people with Hepatitis C are at a higher risk of also having AIDS.

Peter G. McGrath is a former federal prosecutor and McGrath Law Firm has affiliate counsel in Kansas and nationwide.

Hepatitis C is an infection caused by a virus that attacks and inflames the liver. People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have differing symptoms. Hepatitis C is generally considered to be one of the most serious of the hepatitis viruses.  It is contracted through contact with contaminated blood.  A hepatitis C infection that continues over many years can cause significant complications, such as scarring of the liver tissue (cirrhosis), liver cancer and liver failure.

McGrath Law Firm has unique medical malpractice experience.  Attorney Peter McGrath is a former federal prosecutor.  McGrath Law Firm has offices in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and has affiliations with law firms in Kansas and nationwide.

All claims have not been adjudicated and any allegations made are unproven at this time.

McGrath Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and has affiliations with law firms nationwide.

Have you or someone you know been affected by the Hepatitis C outbreak? Do you want to know your legal rights? Call Attorney Peter G. McGrath at (800) 283 1380 or (603) 224-7111 or visit www.mcgrathlawfirm.com to learn about your legal rights!! We get results!!

click here for prior blog

Attorney Daniel J. Corley and Attorney Peter G. McGrath providing statement to the Press in NH

McGrath Law Firm announces that it has 2 people who tested positive for hep c in Kansas lawsuit it plans on bringing against Hays Medical Center in Hays, KS.  There is an additional client who is waiting for the test results but showing signs of symptoms for Hep C in Kansas.

David Kwiatkowski, a technician, who was previously employed by Hays Medical Center,  has been charged by authorities in the State of New Hampshire of stealing anesthetic drugs from the cardiac catheterization lab where he worked, injecting himself and contaminating syringes that were later used on patients, 31 of whom have been diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C that Kwiatkowski carries. Evidence suggests Kwiatkowski has had Hep C since 2010, although he was only diagnosed this past May.

All claims have not been adjudicated and any allegations made are unproven at this time.

McGrath Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and has affiliations with law firms nationwide.

Have you or someone you know been affected by the Hepatitis C outbreak? Do you want to know your legal rights? Call Attorney Peter G. McGrath at (800) 283 1380 or (603) 224-7111 or visit www.mcgrathlawfirm.com to learn about your legal rights!! We get results!!

click here for prior blog

McGrath Law Firm announces that it has 2 people who tested positive for hep c in Kansas lawsuit it plans on bringing against Hays Medical Center in Hays, KS.  There is an additional client who is waiting for the test results but showing signs of symptoms for Hep C in Kansas.
David Kwiatkowski, a technician, who was previously employed by Hays Medical Center,  has been charged by authorities in the State of New Hampshire of stealing anesthetic drugs from the cardiac catheterization lab where he worked, injecting himself and contaminating syringes that were later used on patients, 31 of whom have been diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C that Kwiatkowski carries. Evidence suggests Kwiatkowski has had Hep C since 2010, although he was only diagnosed this past May.

All claims have not been adjudicated and any allegations made are unproven at this time.

McGrath Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and has affiliations with law firms nationwide.

Have you or someone you know been affected by the Hepatitis C outbreak? Do you want to know your legal rights? Call Attorney Peter G. McGrath at (800) 283 1380 or (603) 224-7111 or visit www.mcgrathlawfirm.com to learn about your legal rights!! We get results!!

click here for prior blog

About 75% of people have no symptoms when they first acquire Hepatitis C virus infection. The remaining 25% may complain of fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches or fever. Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice) is rare at this early stage of infection.

Over time, people with chronic infection may begin to experience the effects of the persistent inflammation of the liver caused by the immune reaction to the virus. Blood tests may show elevated levels of liver enzymes, a sign of liver damage, which is often the first suggestion that the infection may be present. Patients may become easily fatigued or complain of nonspecific symptoms.

As cirrhosis develops, symptoms increase and may include:

• weakness,
• loss of appetite,
• weight loss,
• breast enlargement in men,
• a rash on the palms,
• difficulty with the clotting of blood, and
• spider-like blood vessels on the skin.

In patients with advanced cirrhosis, the liver begins to fail. This is a life-threatening problem. Confusion and even coma (encephalopathy) may result from the inability of the liver to process certain toxic substances.

Increased pressure in the blood vessels of the liver (portal hypertension) may cause fluid to build up in the abdominal cavity (ascites) and result in engorged veins in the swallowing tube (esophageal varices) that tear easily and can bleed suddenly and massively. Portal hypertension also can cause kidney failure or an enlarged spleen resulting in a decrease of blood cells and the development of (anemia), or the development of low platelets (thrombocytopenia), which can promote bleeding.

In advanced cirrhosis, liver failure causes decreased production of clotting factors. Patients with advanced cirrhosis often develop jaundice because the damaged liver is unable to eliminate a yellow compound, called bilirubin that is formed from the hemoglobin of old red blood cells.

McGrath Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and has affiliations with law firms nationwide.

Have you or someone you know been affected by the Hepatitis C outbreak? Do you want to know your legal rights? Call Attorney Peter G. McGrath at (800) 283 1380 or (603) 224-7111 or visit www.mcgrathlawfirm.com to learn about your legal rights!! We get results!!!

click here for prior blog

About 75% of people have no symptoms when they first acquire Hepatitis C virus infection. The remaining 25% may complain of fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle aches or fever. Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice) is rare at this early stage of infection.

Over time, people with chronic infection may begin to experience the effects of the persistent inflammation of the liver caused by the immune reaction to the virus. Blood tests may show elevated levels of liver enzymes, a sign of liver damage, which is often the first suggestion that the infection may be present. Patients may become easily fatigued or complain of nonspecific symptoms.

As cirrhosis develops, symptoms increase and may include:

• weakness,
• loss of appetite,
• weight loss,
• breast enlargement in men,
• a rash on the palms,
• difficulty with the clotting of blood, and
• spider-like blood vessels on the skin.

In patients with advanced cirrhosis, the liver begins to fail. This is a life-threatening problem. Confusion and even coma (encephalopathy) may result from the inability of the liver to process certain toxic substances.

Increased pressure in the blood vessels of the liver (portal hypertension) may cause fluid to build up in the abdominal cavity (ascites) and result in engorged veins in the swallowing tube (esophageal varices) that tear easily and can bleed suddenly and massively. Portal hypertension also can cause kidney failure or an enlarged spleen resulting in a decrease of blood cells and the development of (anemia), or the development of low platelets (thrombocytopenia), which can promote bleeding.

In advanced cirrhosis, liver failure causes decreased production of clotting factors. Patients with advanced cirrhosis often develop jaundice because the damaged liver is unable to eliminate a yellow compound, called bilirubin that is formed from the hemoglobin of old red blood cells.

McGrath Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and has affiliations with law firms nationwide.

Have you or someone you know been affected by the Hepatitis C outbreak? Do you want to know your legal rights? Call Attorney Peter G. McGrath at (800) 283 1380 or (603) 224-7111 or visit www.mcgrathlawfirm.com to learn about your legal rights!! We get results!!!

click here for prior blog

The presence of Hepatitis C virus n the liver triggers the human immune system, which leads to inflammation. Over time (usually decades), prolonged inflammation may cause scarring. Extensive scarring in the liver is called cirrhosis. When the liver becomes cirrhotic, it fails to perform its normal functions, (liver failure), and this leads to serious complications and even death. Cirrhotic livers also are more prone to become cancerous.

Hep C is spread (transmitted) most efficiently through exposure to infected blood.

• The most common route of transmission is needles shared among users of illicit drugs.
• Accidental needle-sticks in health care workers also have transmitted the virus. The average risk of getting Hep C infection from a stick with a contaminated needle is 1.8% (range 0% to 10%)
• Prior to 1992, some people acquired the Hepatitis C infection from transfusions of blood or blood products. Since 1992, all blood products have been screened for Hep C and cases of Hep C due to blood transfusion now are extremely rare.
• Hepatitis C infection also can be passed from mother to unborn child. Approximately 4 of every 100 infants born to Hep C-infected mothers become infected with the virus.
• A small number of cases are transmitted through sexual intercourse. The risk of transmission of Hep C from an infected individual to a non-infected spouse or sexual partner without the use of condoms over a lifetime has been estimated to be between 1% and 4%.
• Finally, there have been some outbreaks of Hep C  when instruments or exposed to blood have been re-used without appropriate cleaning between patients.

Transmission of Hep C virus can be prevented in several ways.

• Prevention programs have been aimed at avoiding needle sharing among drug addicts. Needle exchange programs and educational interventions have reduced transmission of Hepatitis C virus infection. However, the population of drug addicts is a difficult population to reach, and rates of HCV remain high among addicts (30% of younger users).
• Among healthcare workers, safe needle-usage techniques have been developed to reduce accidental needle-sticks. Newer syringes have self-capping needle systems that avoid the need to manually replace a cap after drawing blood and reduce the risk of needle-sticks.
• There is no clear way to prevent transmission of the HCV from mother to child.
• Persons with multiple sexual partners should use barrier precautions such as condoms to limit the risk of HCV as well as other sexually-transmitted diseases.
• If one partner is infected, monogamous couples should consider the low risk of transmission of HCV infection when deciding whether to use condoms during intercourse. Some couples may decide to use them and some may not.
• Screening tests for blood products have almost eliminated the risk of transmission of Hepatitis C virus infection through transfusion, estimated by the CDC to be less than one in two million transfused blood products.
• People with Hep C infection should not share razors or toothbrushes with others.
• It is critical that physicians and clinics follow manufacturer’s directions for sterilizing/cleaning instruments and that disposable instruments be discarded properly.

It is important to realize that Hep C is not spread by casual contact. Thus, shaking hands, kissing, and hugging are not behaviors that increase the risk of transmission. There is no need to use special isolation procedures when dealing with infected patients.

McGrath Law Firm is a full-service law firm with offices in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and has affiliations with law firms nationwide.

Have you or someone you know been affected by the Hepatitis C outbreak? Do you want to know your legal rights? Call Attorney Peter G. McGrath at (800) 283 1380 or (603) 224-7111 or visit www.mcgrathlawfirm.com to learn about your legal rights!! We get results!!!

click here for prior blog