OFFICE AND MAILING ADDRESS
- Ryan-Cruz Law, APC
- 3111 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 400
- San Diego, CA 92108
- Phone: (619) 528-2202
- Email: ruth@ryancruzlaw.com
SERVICING THE SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY
San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, Mission Valley, North Park, Hillcrest, La Mesa, La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Mira Mesa, Poway, Lemon Grove, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido
North County and South County
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Latest Entries: Updates & Announcements
- ¡Hablo Espanol! I Speak Spanish!September 7, 2022 - 4:08 pm
- November 25, 2020: $20 Million For Businesses Impacted by Purple Tier in San Diego CountyNovember 25, 2020 - 4:12 pm
- Dreaming of Starting a New Business?August 31, 2020 - 11:34 am
- Bankruptcy As a Result of COVID-19; Upcoming FREE WebinarAugust 18, 2020 - 3:32 pm
- San Diego County Residents & Business Owners: Weekly COVID-19 TelebriefsAugust 5, 2020 - 1:28 pm
- Hair Salons and Barbershop Services CAN be Provided Outdoors (As of 7-29-2020)August 5, 2020 - 1:06 pm
- Residents: What you MUST Do if You Have Been Diagnosed with COVID-19 (Quarantine Order)August 5, 2020 - 11:33 am
Frequently Asked Questions
- November 25, 2020: $20 Million For Businesses Impacted by Purple Tier in San Diego CountyNovember 25, 2020 - 4:12 pm
- Bankruptcy As a Result of COVID-19; Upcoming FREE WebinarAugust 18, 2020 - 3:32 pm
- San Diego County Residents & Business Owners: Weekly COVID-19 TelebriefsAugust 5, 2020 - 1:28 pm
- Hair Salons and Barbershop Services CAN be Provided Outdoors (As of 7-29-2020)August 5, 2020 - 1:06 pm
- Residents: What you MUST Do if You Have Been Diagnosed with COVID-19 (Quarantine Order)August 5, 2020 - 11:33 am
- San Diego County Employers: What to Do When 1 or 3 or More COVID-19 Cases Are Identified At WorkAugust 5, 2020 - 11:01 am
- San Diego County Employers: Report Employees With Covid-19August 5, 2020 - 10:41 am
Business Hours
- Monday-Friday: 9am to 5pm
Reach out: (619) 528-2202
Same day consultations are often available
Use our contact form
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- Terms: Legal disclosures
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- Sitemap: Available pages
Overview
- Ruth Ryan-Cruz, Esq.: Get to know me
- About Us: Learn more
- Client Reviews: Testimonials
- Practice Areas: How we can help
New year, new you. Here is an attainable resolution for you to add to your list and crush within 3 months.
/in Estate Planning/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCHappy New Year, 2016! Every new years, San Diegans create exciting resolutions to improve their lives. This tradition of creating resolutions has been known to exist during Babylonian time as we all want to live quality lives and improve our lives with a new calendar year. Some resolutions are very attainable while others are short-lived and last only a calendar month or so; trust me, we’ve all made those short-lived ones meant to improve our lives radically. Resolutions usually include:
However, there is one resolution that often gets overlooked and that is to take care of your loved ones through planning. This is a resolution that should be handled in the next three calendar months to avoid having it become a short-lived resolution. Taking care of your loved ones can be handled through creating a Last Will and Testament and/or a Revocable Living Trust. Most consider these documents are something the elderly group should concern themselves with, but this belief is entirely incorrect. These documents are beneficial to anyone over the age of 18. Essentially, these documents describe what happens to your cars(s), money, belongings, and possibly children, if you become incapacitated or die. These documents are created to have just in case anything were to happen to you. Of course, even though documents are created, we hope you live a great 2016 and many more years to come. The documents described above are created in case of the unexpected and persons of all ages, especially after 18, should have one.
As life moves forward quickly in 2016 and you earn a pay raise, grow your family with new children or nieces and nephews, buy a new home, experience changes in your network of friends and family, it is a good time now (at the beginning of a new calendar year) to consider what Will or Trust you have in place. If you do not have anything in place, you should consider establishing one. If you have a Will or Trust in place but have not revisited the documents in years, it is a great time to reconsider the contents of the documents you have established.
As a courtesy reminder, do not mark your current Will or Trust with pen or pencil to note any changes. Doing so may invalidate your documents and really complicate your probate administration or trust administration. If you are considering making changes to your Will or Trust, speak with an attorney to learn about the process. Depending upon the amount of changes you desire, different steps will be necessary to make those changes legally effective.
Crush this resolution by giving yourself a deadline. Over the next 3 months, consider establishing or revisiting your Will or Trust. Now that we’re already in the new year and you are soon going to be in the mind frame of handling your finances and taxes this upcoming tax season, it would also be a great time to add “estate planning review” to your list of goals to accomplish this year. In doing so, you’d crush your new years resolution of taking care of your loved ones in case of your absence. Leaving your loved ones without such planning could cost them plenty of time and more importantly, money.
Call to schedule an appointment to discuss any of the following points involved in the process of estate planning. These are a list of commonly asked questions covered during an initial consultation about estate planning:
Knock out an estate planning review in the next three months and rest easily for the rest of 2016 knowing that you have then cared for your loved ones with proper planning. Ryan-Cruz Law, APC offers free 1-hour consultations concerning estate planning. Let us help you accomplish this task.
Making a Charitable Donation This End of Year? Brush Up on this Matter to Make it Deductible
/in Uncategorized/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCTowards the end of every calendar year the IRS publishes its tips for year-end gifts to charity. If you made a charitable contribution this year or will be making one this end of year, brush up on these rules and tips.
WASHINGTON ― The Internal Revenue Service today reminded individuals and businesses making year-end gifts to charity that several important tax law provisions have taken effect in recent years. Some of the changes taxpayers should keep in mind include:
Rules for Charitable Contributions of Clothing and Household Items
Household items include furniture, furnishings, electronics, appliances and linens. Clothing and household items donated to charity generally must be in good used condition or better to be tax-deductible. A clothing or household item for which a taxpayer claims a deduction of over $500 does not have to meet this standard if the taxpayer includes a qualified appraisal of the item with the return.
Donors must get a written acknowledgement from the charity for all gifts worth $250 or more. It must include, among other things, a description of the items contributed.
Guidelines for Monetary Donations
A taxpayer must have a bank record or a written statement from the charity in order to deduct any donation of money, regardless of amount. The record must show the name of the charity and the date and amount of the contribution. Bank records include canceled checks, and bank, credit union and credit card statements. Bank or credit union statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the amount paid. Credit card statements should show the name of the charity, the date, and the transaction posting date.
Donations of money include those made in cash or by check, electronic funds transfer, credit card and payroll deduction. For payroll deductions, the taxpayer should retain a pay stub, a Form W-2 wage statement or other document furnished by the employer showing the total amount withheld for charity, along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity.
These requirements for the deduction of monetary donations do not change the long-standing requirement that a taxpayer obtain an acknowledgment from a charity for each deductible donation (either money or property) of $250 or more. However, one statement containing all of the required information may meet both requirements.
Reminders
The IRS offers the following additional reminders to help taxpayers plan their holiday and year-end gifts to charity:
If the amount of a taxpayer’s deduction for all noncash contributions is over $500, a properly-completed Form 8283 must be submitted with the tax return.
IRS.gov has additional information on charitable giving, including:
Source: IRS.gov
See you at “Business Law Day” hosted by the San Diego Public Library
/in Business Law, Community Engagement/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCThe San Diego Public Library is offering a “Business Law Day” on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 from 2:30pm-6:30pm. At this special event, attorneys will be present to offer advice to prospective and current business owners in the areas of business law such as patents and intellectual property.
Speak one-on-one with an attorney in a 15-20 minute free consultation session. Attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz has volunteered her time for this event and plans to offer advice at this event.
If you’re thinking about opening up a business in San Diego County or perhaps you are in the process of doing so, we welcome you to attend this free event. This invitation is also extended to current business owners regardless of which stage your business is in. This event is open to the general public.
Event Information:
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Time: 2:30pm-6:30pm
Address: Central Library / Special Events – 9th Floor 330 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101
More information: SDPL & Other events
Share this information with your friends and family. They may need a free 15-20 minute consultation about their business plans.
Attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz receives 2015 Avvo’s Clients’ Choice Award!
/in Firm Updates/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCLast week, attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz received notice from Avvo.com presenting her with the 2015 Clients’ Choice Award. Avvo.com, a legal directory website, presents these awards to eligible attorneys with five or more client reviews of 4 stars or above in the past twelve months.
“I am very excited to receive such an honor because it comes directly from my clients,” Ruth Ryan-Cruz said. “It is very encouraging to receive such an award and only motivates me continue providing great service in my legal practice.”
Ruth Ryan-Cruz maintains an “Excellent” Avvo rating. Check out Ruth Ryan-Cruz’s Avvo reviews and profile online.
Do I Need a Business Lawyer? Review how business attorneys act as legal counselors
/in Business Law/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCI recently spoke with a gentlemen who is thinking about working for himself by opening up a local shop in the Hillcrest or North Park community. He was excited to share that he had just started formulating a plan on how and when to launch a discount shop and the resources required to do so. Little did he know he was talking to a business attorney until we got to talking more about his plan in depth and I mentioned, “I can help you with that.” As we continued the conversation, his face lit up with excitement in learning that he could turn to a business attorney to ask general counseling questions concerning his business. Now he had a potential resources to turn to when it came time to move forward with his business. At the end of the conversation, he mentioned, “I had no idea a lawyer can help me with that. I usually think of lawyers when lawsuits are involved.”
With that in mind, I thought I’d share how a business attorney often acts as business legal counselor. As a business attorney, I can help a new business in the following areas:
As a business legal counselor I have had the pleasure and honor to work with several local businesses in the San Diego area and its neighboring communities including Downtown, Mission Valley including locations in Oceanside and San Marcos. Businesses include product-based and service-based startups, small business and medium-sized organizations. If you’re in need of assistance with resolving problems concerning your business, contact me. Together we can analyze how to resolve your matters. Telephone and in-office consultations are available.
Washington Redskins Appeal the Trademark Office’s Decision to Cancel Their Trademark
/in Intellectual Property/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCOn June 18, 2014 the U.S. trademark office (specifically, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB)) found the term “Redskins” was disparaging of Native Americans, when used in relation to professional football services. Consequently, the trademark name would be cancelled unless an appeal was presented. On August 5, 2015, the Redskins filed an appeal to fight for its name. See the official publication about its finding below. Find a good article exploring reasons why the Washington Redskins continue to fight for its trademark registration, below.
Original United States Patent and Trademark Office Publication: (June 18, 2014)
Article About Appeals (September 9, 2015):
Can I Protect My Fashion Designs?
/in Intellectual Property/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCIf you’re in the clothing industry, read about the latest court decisions in the popular topic of protecting a fashion design. View the following article for a glimpse into the area of law involving fashion and copyright:
“In the world of copyright, the challenge in determining whether an article of clothing deserves legal protection against infringement lies in the distinction between the particular design of the garment, and the purpose of the garment itself, if one can be found” … Read more
Matters to Explore Before Signing A Shareholder Buy-Out Agreement
/in Business Law, Corporate Law/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCIf you find yourself in the position where you can no longer work with other shareholders in your organization, reach out to an attorney for a consultation as early as possible. Before signing a shareholder buy-out or shareholder withdrawal agreement or similar document, learn about your options that are particular to your circumstances. Published online recommendations are general in nature, therefore, know that your situation and the factors surrounding your situation.
Before signing a Shareholder Buy-Out Agreement
It is important to meet with an attorney to explore your matters. The difference between meeting with an attorney and not could mean hundreds of thousand of dollars in liabilities in the future.
News Release: Law firm Ryan-Cruz Law, APC opens in San Diego, CA. Ryan-Cruz Law, APC practices in the areas of business law, real estate, estate planning and IP.
/in Firm Updates/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCSan Diego, California (PRWEB) July 23, 2015
San Diego native and attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz, Esq. established and launched Ryan-Cruz Law, APC with its principal office in Mission Valley, California (3111 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 400). Ruth Ryan-Cruz attended San Diego State University and CSU San Marcos for undergraduate education. She attended California Western School of Law for graduate education and now serves on the CWSL Alumni Board of Directors executive board.
Ryan-Cruz Law, APC’s mission: To provide quality legal services and make a measurable difference in the lives of the community members served. The firm was founded in June, 2015 by Ruth Ryan-Cruz, Esq., formerly an associate attorney at a boutique law firm in downtown San Diego with deep experience in various transactional and litigation matters. With experience in legal transactions, negotiations and successful dispute resolution, Ryan-Cruz Law aims to vigorously represent, prosecute on behalf of, and defend its clients. A favorite firm quote reads, “All people are equal before the law. A good attorney is what makes a difference.” With this in mind, the firm aims to practice this concept by providing legal services as a true attorney and counselor at law. In representing a client’s interests, Ryan-Cruz Law, APC intends to keep the client’s priorities and needs at the forefront. With ongoing communication, well-researched points, creative legal strategies, custom-tailored solutions and touches of human element, representation at Ryan-Cruz Law, APC focuses first and foremost on clients as people.
Client review excerpt: “Excellent, friendly, and helpful!! Ruth was fantastic to work with, very knowledgeable about my inquiries, and was on the ball with keeping me in the loop. Couldn’t have asked for more, she’s really the best!!” By Barrie K. (Business and Intellectual Property).
“This multi-service law firm is committed to meeting the needs of its clients by providing a tailored approach for each individual. With basic principles such as empathy, attention and respect, the firm carries on practical, efficient and solutions-oriented representation tailored to the client,” remarks Ruth Ryan-Cruz, Esq., founder of Ryan-Cruz Law, APC.
Ryan-Cruz Law also acts as outside general counsel to several businesses and corporations in the San Diego community with local, national and international business dealings. Ryan-Cruz Law is sought out by clients because of its legal acumen and strong business sense. As a result, they have become trusted members of their clients’ business teams and families.
Attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz has been nominated and honored by various organizations including an “Excellent” rating from Avvo, San Diego Magazine and KBNT Univision San Diego’s “Latino’s Making a Difference” and San Diego Daily Transcript’s “Young Attorneys.” Her articles have been published in publications including WealthCounsel, the San Diego County Bar Association’s San Diego Lawyer magazine, and San Diego Attorney Journal.
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Ryan-Cruz Law, APC is a law firm in San Diego, California. Ryan-Cruz Law practices in the areas of business law, real estate, estate planning and intellectual property. For more information visit Ryan-Cruz Law’s website at https://www.ryancruzlaw.com. To learn more about attorney Ruth Ryan-Cruz, visit her profile at https://www.ryancruzlaw.com/attorney-ruth-ryan-cruz/
Request a free consultation:
Ruth Ryan-Cruz, Esq.
RYAN-CRUZ LAW, APC
3111 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 400
San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 528-2202
ruth@ryancruzlaw.com
https://www.ryancruzlaw.com
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RyanCruzLaw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuthRyanCruz/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ryan-cruz-law-apc
Justia: https://lawyers.justia.com/lawyer/ruth-ryan-cruz-1494032
Avvo: http://www.avvo.com/attorneys/92108-ca-ruth-ryancruz-4139699.html
Source: PRWeb
Do you use email in your business? The CAN-SPAM Act establishes requirements for commercial messages. Applicable penalties of $16K
/in Business Law/by Ryan-Cruz Law, APCDo you use email in your business? The CAN-SPAM Act, a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have you stop emailing them, and spells out tough penalties for violations. Read up about complying with the CAN-SPAM Act. The policies may appear simple, but violations happen frequently.
See more information about online advertising and marketing via the Federal Trade Commission site.
Download information about this topic via PDF.