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October 2023
I’d Be Lost Without Their Hard Work TIME TO APPRECIATE MY TEAM!
Not a single lawyer or firm can function without hardworking paralegals and staff. Imagine if an attorney had to do everything. Between organizing paperwork, scheduling appointments, and handling finances, there wouldn’t be any time for actual legal work. Oct. 23 is National Paralegal Day for lawyers, which we use to show appreciation for all staff members, and I want to share just how vital every staff member is here at our firm. A good team needs a variety of perspectives to reach a shared goal. At Double Aught Injury Lawyers, our staff consists of an investigator, receptionist, finance manager, two paralegals, and two attorneys: Samuel and me. Each of us holds an important role that allows us to handle clients’ cases effectively. Our investigator, Craig Moore, meets with potential clients initially to gather and input their information into our case management system, FileVine, to allow Samuel and me to analyze the case to determine if we can help the potential client. If we accept their case, Craig will find all the information we need to present it successfully. Craig acquires different types of evidence, contacts potential witnesses, law enforcement, and more. Of course, our firm would be up in flames without our receptionist, Pam Kelley. Pam handles all incoming calls and texts. She’s the bridge between
the client and the firm. When I started practicing law over 30 years ago, I thought I needed to talk to every client who called. This left me overworked, constantly busy, and frustrated beyond belief. I remember my partner Samuel asking me, “Have you ever called your doctor, and the doctor actually picked up the phone?” My answer was clearly, “No!” I needed to find a more efficient system to be a better attorney and handle more cases. Pam uses FileVine to receive and respond to all clients’ phone calls and text messages. Now, instead of Samuel or me taking 30 to 45 minutes for each call, Pam inputs the client’s needs into FileVine. If she cannot handle the client’s needs herself, she schedules a phone call for another staff member or Samuel or me with the client, usually by the next day. So, when I have scheduled calls, I am prepared for the client’s needs and can usually help them in less than 15 minutes. It’s a win/win for both the firm and the client. In addition to phone calls, FileVine assigns a phone number to each case. This allows our clients to call and text us with their questions and requests, and it goes right into their FileVine. Pam can then respond to the client and schedule a phone call with another team member. Most folks would rather text than call nowadays; no more phone tag!
Our firm’s finance manager, Debbie Murphy, controls all the accounting for Double Aught Injury Lawyers. She is not only in charge of depositing all settlement checks from the insurance company into the firm trust account and writing the corresponding checks to our clients for their settlement proceeds. She’s the one with all the knowledge of when settlement funds have cleared the bank; payment will be ready for our client to receive, and much more. Last but not least, our paralegals, Lindsay Taylor and Lyndsey Abbott (and soon-to-be Craig)! Our paralegal staff can practically do everything an attorney can except go to court. They are knowledgeable and experienced about our processes and organize documents, collect information, perform research, and everything in between to support the attorneys. Our paralegals can usually answer any questions our clients need answered ASAP by call or text.
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In the 1800s, wealthy English families clamored to get their hands on the latest garden decoration trend, one that would showcase their affluence to other families while maintaining their image as intellectuals. No, this garden trend wasn’t a bench, wind chime, or statue. It was alive . They were called “Ornamental Hermits” and were living men hired to inhabit the gardens of the elite. Aristocrats across England between 1727 and 1830 outfitted their landscape gardens with “hermitages,” or tiny structures for the hermits to live in, and would pay the men to dress like Celtic priests, refrain from bathing, grow their hair and nails, and sit in the gardens looking contemplative while reading and writing. The idea was that these men would add an air of mystique to the property, as the hermit life symbolized philosophical and scientific curiosity, which of course, reflected the values of the property owners. And at the The Hidden History of Ornamental Hermits
time, hermits were a great curiosity of many due to their alleged “mystic powers.” By the end of the 19th century, the ornamental hermit craze fad ended, largely due to complaints that hiring a human to be a garden decoration and forcing them into a silent, unclean life was exploitative. However, many wealthy garden landscapes throughout England still feature tiny overgrown hermitages where these living “decorations” once resided.
Behind the Plate: Unveiling Food’s Mysteries
You probably think you know the foods you eat pretty well. Otherwise, you wouldn’t put them in your body, right? But you might be surprised to learn that common dietary staples like eggs, pineapples, and even chocolate cake are hiding some shocking secrets! The stickers on fruit are edible. According to the Food and Drug Administration, they have to be! Since these stickers come in contact with something we do eat, manufacturers must make them from safe materials in case any substance from the sticker transfers over. So yes, the stickers are indeed edible but have no flavor or nutritional value. Pineapples are not a single fruit but many berries grown together. Have you ever noticed the pentagon-shaped pattern on the outside of a pineapple? Each of
those pentagons is its own berry, called “syncarp,” and they all grow together onto the pineapple’s main “core,” which is that hard column in the middle most people cut around. German chocolate cake isn’t German. It was simply named after baker Samuel German who created a sweet baking chocolate used in the original recipe. Eggs sold in the U.S. would be illegal in the U.K. It’s all thanks to the fact that eggs in the U.S. must go through a washing and sanitizing process before they hit the shelves. While in the U.K., it’s illegal to wash or clean eggs in any way before selling them.
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In the U.S., 21 million people report having at least one major depressive episode, while 17.3 million adults live with major depressive disorders. When someone feels depressed, there isn’t much anyone can do to help them. However, someone suffering from depression can do a few things to help ease their symptoms. No. 1: Be gentle with yourself. When you feel depressed, you’re not going to accomplish the same number of tasks or be as productive as you usually would — and that’s okay! Be open and accepting of your current state, and take pride in your progress that day, no matter how small. No. 2: Take a walk — literally ! SMALL JOYS, BIG DIFFERENCE: Overcoming Depression
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All of the above is performed under the direct supervision of Samuel and me. Through FileVine, we can monitor the work of all team members and direct them as needed. In short, Samuel and I could do legal work without staff, but then life wouldn’t be worth living! We wouldn’t have time to help the number of clients we have now, and we sure wouldn’t have the mental energy to do it. With our hardworking team, we can provide the best service possible to our clients. I’ll always be grateful for my team and how much they support our firm. Wall-to-wall law all the time isn’t good for anybody, and certainly not me. Thank you, team, for always giving all you have for this firm and our clients!
–Bryan Ramey
THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Research shows that for some people, even a little bit of exercise
(like a short walk) not only reduces their current symptoms but can also prevent future depressive
Ingredients
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp salt • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 large eggs • 2 cups (12-oz package)
episodes. Even if you can only walk around the block, it will still help your mind and body. No. 3: Do things YOU enjoy.
semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. 3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy. 4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended. 5. Gradually beat in flour mixture. 6. Stir in chocolate chips. 7. Arrange dough in rounded teaspoonfuls on ungreased baking sheets. 8. Bake 8–10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; move to wire racks to cool completely.
The fatigue that depression brings can feel more powerful than your desire to enjoy your hobbies. Push back against this as much as possible and do something enjoyable, even if it seems minor. This will boost your mood and motivate you to continue engaging in activities.
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33 Market Point Drive Greenville, SC 29607 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Our Double Aught Team Keeps the Firm Thriving The Bizarre Trend of Living Garden Decorations From Stickers to Cakes: Food Revelations! The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Walking Toward Happiness: Depression’s Antidote Revamp Your Space on a Budget With Furniture Flipping
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Furniture Flipping: Your Wallet-Friendly Ticket to a Stylish Home Makeover!
One of the easiest ways to refresh your home is to change your furniture, but that isn’t always cheap. According to Furnishr, a turnkey home-furnishing platform, refurnishing a living room can cost you nearly $2,500 on the low end , and that’s just one room. But if you don’t have thousands to spend on an interior facelift, don’t give up hope! Furniture flipping is a great way to revitalize a living space without breaking the bank. What is furniture flipping?
You’ll likely reupholster any chair or couch you buy, so don’t worry about the fabrics; instead, focus on the frames. Consider the structure of the furniture and let your creativity imagine what color or material would look perfect in your home. What are some ways to upgrade old furniture? Change the color! Give that furniture a good cleaning, strip off the old finishes, sand down the surface, and apply a fresh coat of paint so it looks new!
You “flip” furniture when you purchase old or outdated furniture from a local thrift store or online resale marketplace and then update it to a new, trendy condition!
Change existing hardware. Many handles on furniture pieces require only a screwdriver to change out. Visit your local hardware store and pick out some in your style! Reupholster couches or chairs. While it may require some work, reupholstering fabric furniture can save you a TON of money. If you want to learn how to do it, search “DIY reupholster” on YouTube. Hundreds of flippers are there waiting to give you advice!
We know what you’re thinking: “Ew! I don’t want to sit on someone’s used couch,” or “Why would I buy used furniture for my home?”
Remember, flipping means work . The whole point is to give old and cheap furniture a complete makeover to make it uniquely yours.
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