PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS OF USE FOR THIS WEBSITE (Please Note: These terms are not written in small print, not hidden in tiny text boxes, and do not use endless “legalese.” We think they are clearly written – but, if you have any suggestions to make our policies clearer, please email us and we will consider your thoughts):
DIGITAL COOKIES: We use digital cookies on this site to help us improve our site and to reduce digital vandalism to our site. If your computer is set to disallow cookies, you may be disappointed in the visual quality and speed of this website, and certain features of the site may not be available.
INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL WEBSITE ONLY: This website is provided solely for general information and education purposes. NOTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS INTENDED AS LEGAL OR FINANCIAL ADVICE. IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC LEGAL OR FINANCIAL QUESTIONS, OR NEED SPECIFIC LEGAL OR FINANCIAL ADVICE, YOU SHOULD SEEK THE SERVICES OF ANOTHER LEGAL OR FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL.
NO PROFESSIONAL OR CONFIDENTIAL RELATIONSHIP: VISITING THIS WEBSITE, OR TELEPHONING OR SENDING AN EMAIL (PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL CONFIDENTIAL, SENSITIVE OR PRIVILEGED INFORMATION) OR LETTER TO JUDGE SMITH, WILL NOT CREATE A PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JUDGE SMITH, NOR WILL SUCH COMMUNICATION BECOME A PROTECTED CONFIDENCE. ONLY A WRITTEN AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, SIGNED BY JUDGE SMITH, WILL CREATE A PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP.
PRIVACY POLICY: We respect your privacy and will not knowingly share your personally identifying information (PII), except as follows: (a) with our support staff (employees or independent contractors) or our information technology and website service providers (collectively, “IT”), as may be necessary or convenient to the security and maintenance of this website; (b) the American Arbitration Association (AAA) as may be necessary or convenient to allow them to carry out any request you may have made to us – for example, if you have sent us an email asking us to arrange AAA administered ADR, we may, but are not required to, forward that email to AAA to accommodate your request by giving AAA your contact information and particulars; (c) in the event that we open our blog to comments, any information you provide in making/posting your comment may become public, and by making/posting any comment, you will have agreed that it may be made public (we reserve our right to remove any comments from anyone based solely on our determination that the comments are not suitable for this website; for example, and not limitation, we will not knowingly tolerate any hate speech, profanity, personal attacks or bullying, discrimination against protected classes, personal threats, or other inappropriate remarks); (d) if we provide downloadable, or subscription, or syndication services for blogs, special reports, white papers and the like, we may require your email address, and may ask for your name (name provision will be optional) in order to fulfill your request for such digital reports and papers, to alert you to new digital materials that may become available, and to any outside, independent contractors we may engage to maintain our email list and to send information to you on our behalf; we will not give such independent contractors permission to otherwise use your email information); (e) if required or allowed by law to protect this website, our organization, any person or property from possible or threatened harm, or if required by any court of apparent competent jurisdiction.
RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES: To the greatest extent allowed by law, all disputes between visitors to this website and its principals, staff, and agents, arising from, or related to the use of, this website, shall be resolved in the following manner: 1. a) first, by good-faith attempted negotiation; b) second, by good-faith mediation; and c) third, by binding arbitration through the American Arbitration Association according to their Consumer Rules if a consumer matter, Commercial Rules if a commercial matter; 2. a) the parties waive class action claims and jury proceedings; b) each party to bear that party’s own attorney fees, and not to bear the attorney fees of any other party; c) despite any laws to the contrary, including the laws relating to conflict of laws, prevailing law shall be that of Washington, USA, and jurisdiction and venue shall be Tacoma, Washington, USA.
POLICY CHANGES: We reserve our right to, and may, change any, or all, of our policies, at any time, without notice, except that we will post such changes on this website whenever they may occur. We encourage you to review all of our policies whenever you visit this website.
BY REMAINING ON THIS SITE, YOU AGREE TO ACCEPT ALL OF THE FOREGOING POLICIES. You are very welcome to be here and we would like you to remain on our website; but, if you disagree with, and do not want to accept, all of the foregoing policies, we understand, but we respectfully encourage you not to remain on this website.
JUDGE (RET.) STEVEN C. SMITH, PROVIDING COMMERCIAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION SERVICES WORLDWIDE