I Use Google Earth

I am not a scientist.  And, I am not traveling salesman.  I am a simple attorney who works out of my home.  You might not think that I have any reason to use Google Earth or Google Maps in the work that I do, but you would be wrong.

I like Google because the company offer services that are functional, useful and FREE.  I like the power of FREE.

If you have ever visited my practice blog (StayViolation.Com), you know that I defend the rights of debtors gained in filing bankruptcy.  What I primarily do is prosecute automatic stay and discharge injunction violations.

Google Earth and Google Maps might not be the most important app that I use.  Admittedly, it did not replicate what the apps provide before they were available.  But, they do come in handy.

Many of the cases that I prosecute involve a debtor's home.  They involve value issues in determining how badly the automatic stay might have been violated in a case, for example.  Even though I rarely meet a client other than over the telephone, I want to know -- I need to know -- things about them.  I want to see where they live, and the neighborhood in which they live.  If I do need to meet with them, I want to see what location might be convenient for my client.  Visual images provide a better understanding of what and whom I must deal.

Also, a big part of my job is serving lawsuits (adversary proceedings) my law firm has drafted.  We do this by certified mail.  This task of serving the correct party at a correct address is not always as easy as it sounds.  This is especially so in serving smaller creditors that forget to update their registered agent information.  When there is confusion it helps to get online and take a look at the location suggested.  You need more than a map to make these judgments.  Google Maps might actually give you a street level picture of the building, can tell you if the address is a private home, is it a car lot, is it an empty field?  If it is a multi-tenant commercial building it matters in making these decisions?  It helps you understand often whether or not you need to look deeper.

Comments

[Carolyn Elefant]

Someday, it would be interesting to catalogue all of the legally related uses to Google Earth. For example, I frequently represent clients or conservation groups who intervene in permit proceedings either to oppose or modify developments such as pipelines, etc...Often, the applications filed by the company are not accurate and with Google Earth, the discrepancies are easy to see. It's really a great tool.