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Litigation holds, what you need to know

A litigation hold is a directive from a body of law or authority to preserve certain documents matching a certain criterion, due to a pending investigation. Lawyers will get letters which state a “Litigation Hold Letter” or “Litigation Hold Notice,” both of which mean the same thing. However, you should also make your IT personnel aware that they must preserve certain documents

Triggers

Sometimes some events should trigger an instinct to preserve documents. Even before the lawyer sends a request to hold certain documents, if there is the word of a lawsuit or pending litigation, advise your technical department to immediately put litigation holds on the people you suspect are involved.

Time

You, the lawyer, and anyone else associated with the pending legal proceedings are all liable for sanctions if there are any delays on the part of preserving evidence. If due to a delay, key evidence is no longer available, everyone concerned is liable to sanctions and even charges like contempt of court. An important point to note is that the technology that powers email, document storage, and communications should allow indefinite holds.

Collect everything

Do not just put holds on emails. Consider the scope of the request to include all data within the time frame in the letter. This could mean everything from data storage, travel data, and even printed documents that the person in question submits to other departments.

Five tips to help you run a successful dental practice

Blog submitted by Dane Levy Attorney of www.Dentalmal.com, a provider of legal services for those injured by dental malpractice in California

Most dental practices get caught up in the day to day activities of running a practice and forget that they are neglecting their business. It is important that dental practice owners are aware of the way they are running their business and how it affects their patients revisiting the clinic and offering referrals. Here are some tips on how to run a successful dental practice.

What makes your practice unique? – It is important that you promote the services you offer and personalize them to each client’s needs. Start off with relevant social media content plus brochures that provide detailed information about your services.

Create an office culture – Identify your office culture by looking at your personality, your leadership style, values, and behaviors that shape your staff, then analyze how your culture reaches your customers. Consider including your staff in daily or weekly meetings to ensure that all employees are on the same page regarding dental standards and customer service.

Expand your services – Avoid overextending your practice but look at methods to increase your offerings by improving your technology, quality, and reputation. Avoid overextending to the extent that it affects your practice. The last thing you need is to deal with dental or anesthesia injuries.

Flexible financial options – Some patients have to undergo expensive treatments. Therefore they may want special financing options to help them manage their finances. Look at debit, credit, personal check, and cash.

Remember to engage – Look at offering your patients good quality services and ensure that you are contactable at all times in case of an emergency.