Continuing Legal Education
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Puryear Law offers Continuing Legal Education (CLE) for attorneys and law firm staff. Our CLE offerings can be found at https://puryearlaw.ce21.com/search?search=CLE
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Inaccurate Sweat Patch Drug Test Results in Iowa DHS/HHS and CINA Cases
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In cases where a parent is accused of drug use – and even in many cases where there is no such credible accusation – Iowa DHS (HHS) often “requests” that a parent take a sweat patch drug test. The word “request” is in quotes, because in reality DHS/HHS often demands the drug test and does … Read more
Time is of the essence for grandparents seeking guardianship of grandchildren taken by Iowa DHS
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear When Iowa DHS removes a child from the care a parent due to allegations of abuse or neglect, grandparents often wish to step up and take care of their grandchildren. For such grandparents, it is important that they act swiftly. A common situation plays out every day in Iowa: The mother, father, or both parents … Read more
Mediation versus Settlement Conferences in Iowa Divorce and Custody Cases
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Courts in Iowa (almost) always require either Mediation or a Settlement Conference take place in custody or divorce cases before there can be a trial. Many courts require this even before there can be a hearing on temporary matters such a visitation, although that varies widely. Settlement conferences and mediation are two different approaches that … Read more
Do I have to take Children in the Middle again? Addressing the co-parenting class requirement
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear In Iowa (and many other states), parents who have a custody or divorce case are required by the court to take a class on co-parenting. That class, often called “children in the middle” or “parenting solutions” is intended to help a parent learn how to work well with the other parent in a way that … Read more
The Importance of the Initial Conversation with Iowa DHS or Illinois DCFS
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Having a DHS, HHS, or DCFS worker appear at your door can be one of the most upsetting and scary things to happen in your entire life. That is true whether you are a parent, a daycare provider, a nurse, or anyone else accused of some sort of child abuse/neglect or dependent adult abuse/neglect. Often, … Read more
Iowa DHS/HHS Appeal Hearings now take place by Video instead of Telephone
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Historically, those appealing a founded or confirmed Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) or Health and Human Services (HHS) report of child abuse/neglect or dependent adult abuse/neglect had two options for their hearing: in-person in Des Moines, Iowa or by telephone. This year, the telephone option was eliminated and future hearings are being set by … Read more
PGP and CodeCrypt Public Keys for Attorney Eric D. Puryear
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Links to the PGP/GPG and CodeCrypt public keys for Attorney Eric D. Puryear are shown below: PGP/GPG CodeCrypt Emails encrypted with PGP/GPG or CodeCrypt may be sent to eric@puryearlaw.com. For maximum security against both classical and quantum computers, encrypting with both PGP/GPG and CodeCrypt is suggested. For the recipient’s convenience, using PGP/GPG for the outer … Read more
Seeking Executive Clemency before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Many people who are serving a prison sentence in Illinois wish to be released early. Executive clemency (a pardon) or a sentence commutation (being released early from prison) are means to accomplish this goal. Seeking executive clemency or a sentence commutation involves submitting a written the Illinois Prisoner Review Board (PRB), and then appearing for … Read more
Puryear Law at the USCCA Expo
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) invited me (Attorney Eric D. Puryear) and several other attorneys from across the country to attend and speak at their Expo in Milwaukee, WI. It was a wonderful experience! For those unfamiliar with USCCA, it is a leading organization that provides law-abiding citizens with firearms training and an … Read more
Electric Vehicle Charging Station at Puryear Law
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Puryear Law hosts a Level 2 Electric Vehicle charging station. In addition to charging the electric vehicles used by our law firm, the public is is also welcome to charge their vehicles at our charging station.
LED lighting at Puryear Law
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Years ago, Puryear Law converted office lighting from florescent to LED. The result is better lighting in the office that both reduces eye strain and saves electricity. We have also converted our parking lot lighting to use LEDs instead of the less efficient lights that are commonly used outdoors, while a light sensor ensure the … Read more
Composters for Puryear Law Employees
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Puryear Law believes in reducing environmental harm, both at the office and at home. For that reason, Puryear Law has purchased home composters for employees, allowing those employees to turn food waste that would have otherwise gone to the landfill into rich soil for gardening at home. As an added bonus, the (securely confetti-cut) paper … Read more
Efficient Computers and office equipment at Puryear Law
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Computers, scanners, printers, and other office equipment are essential these days. But, that same equipment can greatly add to an office’s electrical consumption. At Puryear Law, we make a point of selecting energy-efficient equipment. That includes computers, monitors, postage machines, copiers, scanners, and a whole host of other items. We have found that careful decision … Read more
Smart Thermostats at Puryear Law
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Unnecessarily heating and cooling office space when it is unoccupied leads to tremendous waste of natural resources and pointless pollution. It also wastes money. For that reason, Puryear Law has long used smart programmable thermostats to maintain a comfortable office temperature when the office is occupied, while avoiding wasted electricity and natural gas when the … Read more
Sustainable meals at Puryear Law
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The people at every office have to eat, and Puryear Law is no different. But, we try our best to reduce the environmental impact of our meals. By using sustainable plates made from sugar cane, sustainable paper towels made from bamboo, sustainable cutlery, sustainable cups, and other such items we are able to reduce our … Read more
Plug-in Electric vehicles at Puryear Law
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear All attorneys at Puryear Law are provided with plug-in electric vehicles by the firm. That means that most of our trips to court and commutes to the office can be made without burning gasoline. At Puryear Law, we pride ourselves on getting important legal work done while also protecting the environment.
Recycling at Puryear Law
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear To help protect the environment, Puryear Law has a recycling dumpster that is as large as our trash dumpster. We recycle many products that we use in our office, and make a point of selecting office supplies that are both recyclable and that are made from previously-recycled materials. Employees are encouraged to bring recyclables from … Read more
Bicycling to work at Puryear Law
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Puryear Law employees are known for their love of bicycling. In addition to providing a great form of exercise, commuting to work by bicycle also helps the environment. While cycling to work isn’t an option for every employee every day (due to the need to drive to court), there are some days that attorneys and … Read more
Wind Powers Puryear Law
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear At Puryear Law, most of our electrical power comes from wind turbines. That percentage has been steadily increasing over the years, as Iowa is one of the leading wind power generating states in America. Since our attorneys travel to court in plug-in electric vehicles and can charge those vehicles at our office, the environmental benefit … Read more