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    Steven Zachary

    Steven Zachary Inducted Into National Association of Distinguished Counsel

    Local Attorney to be Included in Organization for the Top One Percent of Legal Counsel in United States

    Gilbert, AZ – Steven William Zachary, of Zachary Law Group, has been selected to the 2015 list as a member of the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. NADC is an organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of legal excellence. Its mission is to objectively recognize the attorneys who elevate the standards of the bar and provide a benchmark for other lawyers to emulate.

    Members are thoroughly vetted by a research team, selected by a blue ribbon panel of attorneys with podium status from independently neutral organizations, and approved by a judicial review board as exhibiting virtue in the practice of law. Due to the incredible selectivity of the appointment process, only the top one percent of attorneys in the United States are awarded membership in NADC. This elite class of advocates consists of the finest leaders of the legal profession from across the nation.

    Zachary Law Group offers a full suite of legal services to meet all of your legal and litigation needs. Steven Zachary has over 25 years of legal experience serving the community and is considered among the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers. His team of experienced lawyers can help you if you are facing criminal defense charges (drug, domestic violence, DUI), need divorce or child custody litigation, or have family law questions. The firm also handles matters relating to bankruptcy, as well as offering services for quality estate planning.

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    If you would like more information about Zachary Law Group or to schedule an interview with Steven Zachary, please call 817-845-1596 or email Melissa Perkins at melissa@910west.com.

    How divorce can impact your life–and beyond

    How divorce can impact your estate planIt is generally acknowledged, and a lot of people learn from experience, that during a divorce, people may focus mainly on their children and their financial assets. What divorcing couples may not be thinking about, but perhaps should be, is how divorce will impact the futures of your loved ones–even after you’ve died. That’s why I believe that the time to consider making legal changes to a will, or trust, or other testamentary document, should follow your careful consideration to file for a divorce. Because these vital documents also affect people’s lives going forward – just like a divorce does.

    It isn’t a “given” that every married person has named his/her spouse in every aspect of a will. Also, it isn’t necessarily  true that divorcing spouses will want to remove their ex-spouse from a will or trust. Somewhere in between, however, exists the possibility that you may want to change some important legal designations of the people you want to undertake certain responsibilities during your lifetime, or after your death. Here are just a few examples of things that, following a divorce, you may want to consider changing.

    • Designated Guardians: temporary, permanent, for your children, of the person, of the estate
    • Designated Trustees for bypass trusts, living trusts, etc.
    • Power(s) of Attorney
    • Designated Executors of the Estate
    • Beneficiaries named in wills and/or trusts (taking into account that Arizona is a community property state)

    At Zachary Law Group, we offer estate planning services from experienced attorneys. We also handle family law issues such as divorce. So if you are dealing with either, or both, of these landmark life events, please turn to us for help and guidance. Change can be difficult enough without adding uncertainty to the mix, and we are here to answer your questions and represent your interests to the best of our abilities. We offer a FREE 30-minute case evaluation, and together we’ll map out solutions to your legal issues. We take each challenge and “Zach-It!”  So when you are ready to move forward, just give us a call at 1-855-Zach-law.

    How’s my driving? Ask my car!

    How’s my driving? How’s my driving? Ask my car! Thanks to the ever-amazing world of technology available to us now, keeping tabs on a driver’s behavior behind the wheel is taking on a whole new significance.

    As of this writing, two major vehicle insurance providers are utilizing data from auto industry telematics – that is, portable devices that can monitor driving habits. These devices plug into a car and provide information that can be collected remotely, about the vehicle (and driver’s) performance on the road.

    These devices are, right now, completely voluntary, but drivers who elect to use them can earn discounts on their vehicle insurance. In addition to these plug-in devices, cell phone apps are also in use that can provide the same kind of information to insurers. So good drivers get discounts. No news there.

    But let’s look at it from a different angle. Can these devices detect DUI or impaired driving? An ignition interlock device can. Right now,  telematic devices can detect things such as speeding. And if they don’t already, perhaps someday they will be like flight recorders-the “black boxes” on airplanes, and record information about accidents as well,  This information could be pertinent to DUI charges and convictions as well as to insurance companies, if they provide evidence of unsafe/impaired driving. Law enforcement already has many sophisticated tools at its disposal to help detect and prevent unsafe and impaired driving. These plug-in monitoring devices are some of the newest that could be added to the “arsenal,” so to speak.

    My final point: Technology can now both help detect – and hopefully, help to prevent – impaired driving. But ultimately, it is the driver’s decision whether to climb behind the wheel after becoming intoxicated on drugs or alcohol. After that single decision is made, the next series of decisions may be made by others, and may not go so well for that driver, if s/he is stopped and charged with DUI.

    As an experienced Arizona DUI attorney, I’m here to provide answers and legal guidance. If you, or someone you know, find you need help regarding a DUI situation, I encourage you to get in touch with Zachary Law Group. You may want to take advantage of our FREE 30-minute case evaluation. First thing we’ll do is look at your legal issue from every possible vantage point, and work toward the best possible solution. Bring your questions and concerns, and we’ll do our best to evaluate your situation and “Zach-It”! Simply give us a call at 1-855-Zach-law.

     

    A new definition of drug charges

    A new definition of drug chargesHere is a new definition of drug charges:  can you imagine buying marijuana on your credit card?  Regular readers of this blog know by now that medical marijuana is legal is 21 U.S. states, and that two states, Colorado and Washington, allow recreational use of marijuana. We have also discussed topics relating to the commercial, marketing, and economy-impacting aspects of the marijuana industry, so to speak.

    Here comes another revelation: In states where marijuana sales are legal one can purchase the drug and put it on your credit card.  Two major credit card providers, however, do not permit their cards to be used for the purchase of marijuana. And a third major card company allows their card to be used for marijuana purchases only in states in which the drug is legal. These credit card companies’ positions on marijuana sales, however, continue to evolve, as do the laws regarding marijuana itself. And as news stories and blogs continue to point out, debit cards are another story entirely.

    This topic is merely a jumping-off point: we all know that marijuana is legal in some places and some cases. Some people buy it illegally. Some people use it to excess. Some financial product providers make it more difficult to buy marijuana with their cards; others do not.

    Drug DUI is a very real offense, with very real penalties and consequences. Whether the drug itself is legal or not, the officer who stops your vehicle on suspicion of drug-impaired driving isn’t going to check your credit card receipts. He will, however, check for other physical signs of impairment. And if you are charged and convicted of drug DUI, you could very well end up with a lot more trouble than just a case of buyer’s remorse.

    Call this a cautionary tale, or blog, or anecdote. But if you would like more information about how Arizona DUI laws may affect you, or you are seeking legal advice regarding a DUI situation, please contact Zachary Law Group. We offer a FREE 30-minute case evaluation, to get started on the way to resolving your legal issues. We can provide answers to your questions, find solutions that can help you, and represent you in court, if need be. Worried about your legal problem? Let us “Zach-It”! Just get in touch with us by calling 1-855-Zach-law.

     

    Arizona DUI and the other kind of bars

    Arizona DUI and the other kind of barsStephen King set his “Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile” stories in prison environments. Elvis swiveled his hips in striped pants and sang in “Jailhouse Rock.” “Orange Is The New Black” is one of the hottest TV shows around. “OZ” paved the way for other iconic HBO series.  What is it about jails and prisons that inspires so much drama?

    I believe that jails, penitentiaries and prisons fascinate people who are “watching” from the outside. Why? Horror, compassion, curiosity, and relief that it’s somebody else, just to name a few. But whatever feelings this subject elicits, I am not here to make generalizations, point fingers, or render any kind of judgment, personal or legal. My intent is to inform, educate and maybe even promote discussion about the subject of DUI.

    DUI and jail. DUI and prison. They go together like law and order. My extensive experience as a DUI attorney necessarily includes knowledge of Arizona DUI sentences. Even a first conviction can require jail time. Aggravated DUI convictions carry prison terms. Repeat offenders receive harsher penalties. It only gets worse from there, so let’s hope you never find out firsthand.

    And while you may enjoy reading about prisons, or have a favorite jail-centered TV show or movie, let’s agree on one point: it isn’t glamorous. It isn’t romantic. It isn’t fun. And the rest of the adjectives I would use in describing the experience of incarceration are all negative ones.

    Is being locked up once enough to put off an offender from committing another DUI? Again, I would say, let’s hope so. Unfortunately, the fact that the penalties get tougher for repeat offenders would seem to indicate that not everyone learns from experience.

    If you or someone you know is dealing with a DUI-related issue, please do not hesitate to give us a call at Zachary Law Group. Speak to an experienced attorney, FREE 30-minute case evaluation. We are here to help you, whether it’s to answer questions, establish your legal rights, and represent you in court. We have the knowledge and the experience to take on your legal problem and “Zach-It”! Do the smart thing and contact us soon, at 1-855-Zach-law.

    Palcohol and underage DUI

    Palcohol and underage DUIA new alcohol product on the market has many organizations and lawmakers concerned, notably Mothers Against Drunk Driving, particularly in relation to a new perceived threat to underage drinkers. The product, known as Palcohol, is a powdered form of ingestible alcohol. There are already many kinds of alcohol-“spiked” products on the market, such as alcohol/caffeinated beverages and even alcohol-infused whipped cream. Powdered Palcohol presents some new potential problems and/or advantages, depending on your point of view.

    Powered alcohol, obviously, is more easily portable in its one-ounce packets, and more easily hidden. This might make it very tempting for underage drinkers. It can be formulated in different flavors, but though it doesn’t create an instant beverage, it can also be abused like other drugs in powdered form, such as cocaine. And as readers of this blog know, even legal products can, and usually will be, abused by someone, somewhere. Unfortunately, when it comes to impairment, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Especially among teens experimenting with risky behavior in every possible form.

    As of this posting, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has not formally approved the Palcohol products. Initial “label approval” was rescinded this past April, but only time will tell whether the products will gain approval for sale in the U.S. And if Palcohol becomes legal, no doubt Arizona law enforcement officers will be trained regarding its formulations and effects, pertaining to DUI situations.

    Knowledge of new products and new laws is part of my responsibility as an Arizona DUI attorney. The more we know, we better we can help those in need of legal advice. If you, or someone you know, has any questions relating to DUI laws, or are facing a drug or alcohol DUI situation, please contact Zachary Law Group. We offer a FREE 30-minute case evaluation, to get started on resolving your legal issues. We will identify, establish and assert your legal rights, and work toward the best possible outcome. So don’t waste time worrying. Pick up your phone and talk to an experienced attorney, at 1-855-Zach-law.

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    Divorce Lawyers and Criminal Attorneys in Gilbert, AZ