What’s Law and why master it?
The very common definition of law suggests that law is legislation that is created and enforced through social or governmental institutions or communities to regulate the behavior of its members and keep them accountable for whatever they do wrong or in opposition to the law.
But what do I mean by “mastering the law” is quite different. At the top, each country and then each state/province of the country and then even small communities have their own sets of rules and regulations. These rules have to be followed to be considered an acceptable member of the community and be immune to the issues you may face and defend your rights as a member.
How to Master Law?
Study the Basic Laws
Where ever you live, you can find small pocket-sized booklets of basic laws and rules, you can find it for different chapters and articles of law. Or now that we have everything on the internet you can simply find anything online with a simple google search.
While studying rules and regulations of the country or the community you live in, you must be looking for;
- What the law is
- Where it comes from
- What is it for
- How it operates
Read the Terms and Conditions
Reading the terms and conditions is like knowing the rules and regulations of the community you live in. In order to be considered an acceptable member of the community, you must know and obey these rules, and understanding these rules will also help you to defend your rights as a member. That’s the reason I suggest reading the terms and conditions before applying for any services offered.
Most of the time we ignore the terms and conditions of the software we subscribe to. It takes only two minutes to eliminate huge problems beforehand and save ourselves time and other resources.
Our laziness is not only a barrier to our productivity but it can create potential problems. we most of the time unknowingly, give up our data and personal information to these websites or companies due to our laziness, which in the long run turns to be more frustrating when they sell our data to the marketing firms and they start bombarding us with promotional emails, messages, and calls. These companies often collect data about our behavior and interests too. That data is then used to target us with personalized ads while we are surfing the internet. This list of problems we can face due to our laziness to read the terms and conditions for two minutes goes on and on.
Ask People about the Local Law
Back in 2014, when I newly moved to India as a student, we were all supposed to be registered with the government. The government would give us permits to live in a specific city and continue our studies. Once I received the permit, I got curious to know what else do we need. So, I visited the government website and found an interesting piece of information. One had to receive this permit within 14 days from the day of arrival. Failing to do so was followed by 1400 Indian Rupees ($20) fine. If you still do not get the permit in the next 3 months you had to pay 7000 INR ($100). This fine could reach up to 200,000 INR and eventually resulting in a ban from entering the country again.
It took only 10 minutes of my time to find this information. It helped me and my companions a lot. We then helped many other students who came after us.
The next day, I asked fellow students about basic etiquette and how to find better and cheap housing. I found out that in the area where I lived, electricity prices were as cheap as 2 INR/kWh, but the landlords will ask the tenants to pay 10 INR/kWh. So I talked to my landlord to pass me the government bill. I compensated him by paying a very small percentage increase in rent. Therefore, I saved a huge amount of money each month.
Never be like “oh, I didn’t know”
Prevent awkward situations and gain yourself some respect by simply knowing the law and not making stupid mistakes. Even if you make a mistake, you can find a way to solve it by not playing dumb and stupid. Human nature doesn’t entertain stupidity.
On the contrary, there is another argument as well.
Don’t be a victim of unnecessary rules. They are made by stupid people and if you still want to be ruled by stupidity then go ahead. — Hamid
Throughout your life, you may have faced or may face many stupid and unnecessary rules made by stupid rulers. These rules are made as a result of biased thoughts or not well-thought decisions.
You can identify these unnecessary rules by applying the four principles on it; what the law is, where it comes from, what is it for and how it operates. You can avoid such stupid laws immediately. Introducing your own terms to do solve the issue will give you the privilege to be considered as a good leader in the community. Who hates a helping hand?
Learn about Tax Laws and Safeguard Your Money
Tax law is the most important. As we will be exploring more about money and finances on this blog, talking about taxes will help the cause get richer.
Understanding tax law is not only important for business owners but for individuals as well. Learning anything you can about it is highly valuable.
Tax law is different in all the countries but the basics are the same. To start, you should first study the relevant law of the country where you or your business is stationed. You will be directly paying your government. Second, you need to study the taxes system of the country with which you do business or export to and import from.
To better understand how tax works, why is it important and how to save on it I will suggest you read Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes by Tom Wheelwright which is a very comprehensive read with many practical strategies on lowering your taxes permanently.
Tips on Filing your Taxes
- Keep track of your income by neat bookkeeping.
- Keep the relevant paperwork.
- Be well prepared to file your taxes.
Benefits of Knowing the Law
Better Decision Making
Life is a moving car, you can’t predict what will happen the next day you wake up. So, to be well prepared and always ready for different events and accidents you better know the law. As I said before, suppose life is a car and you are the driver. You had an accident and you don’t know anything about the law. The other driver has the upper hand to prove you guilty. But if you understand the law you would better judge the accident and find who is the guilty one. And while in the court you can better describe the situation to the judge and defend yourself. Because you know your rights according to the law and know how to defend them.
Your knowledge of the law and the etiquette of the courtroom will again give you an upper hand as people with the same profession tend to respect and help each other. The judges and others who handle your case or court proceedings will naturally be thankful for your understanding of when to talk and when not to. Nobody likes interrupters or problematic people, knowing the etiquettes of the court will gain you some respect and your knowledge will already create your image as an innocent person.
Managing your Business & Life Effectively
Unknowingly breaking the law has its consequences not only from the government side but the people you do business with. Suppose you are a property owner and your tenants sue you for breaking the law unknowingly. In this case, you not only have to pay the fine to the government but compensate the tenants for the damage you caused to them. This compensation amount in some cases can cost you your whole property.
Recently I had to relocate one of the outlets of the clothing business I own. I gave the property owner a verbal notice (which was acceptable in the agreement). He thought that as long as I didn’t give him a written notice, he won’t consider my verbal notice. I am about to leave his property at the end of this month and he still hasn’t found anyone to come to his property after I leave.
If this guy was reading the agreement once again for only a few minutes he wouldn’t lose the opportunity to find another tenant for his property and earn some extra cash for the month to come.
Protection Against Unfair Treatments
Avoiding all the biased decisions, gaps in the law, and dishonest decisions of the court or going to the court as a whole is what can avoid stress on many occasions. Many people spent years behind bars just because they were ignorant of their country’s law. Not knowing that something you do is illegal won’t exempt you from its consequences.
To better understand this point I will suggest you watch the movie Inferno. In this movie, the computer simulation was against Tom Hanks’s decision to land the plane in the water instead of the nearest airport after a bird strike. The way he defeated all the court by bringing a few arguments and the reasons behind his decision, was such a huge lesson I learned that day. I won’t write how he defended himself here, I would suggest watching the movie for that.
Know & Defend Your Rights
Be aware of who you are as a person, how do you add up the country, what’s your worth, and what rights do you have.
The right to public services by the government is the most relevant example here. You pay taxes to your government, thus you have the right to receive all the public benefits like healthcare privileges, free schools, leisurely public parks, and many more.
It’s your right to be compensated fairly. So, if you don’t know the law, you will miss out on all these benefits as a citizen.
Thank you so much for reading so far. If you have liked this article, please share it with your friends and leave a comment.
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