Joseph Jaap
Legal services for families, businesses, and entrepreneurs.
Practicing law for over 29 years, Joseph Jaap assists clients with a wide range of legal issues, whether personal, family law, real estate, estate planning, or business, to develop and implement legal strategies that achieve client goals and that avoid or resolve disputes.
Joe advises clients about their family legal matters, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, estate planning, divorce, child custody and support, guardianship, and other family issues.
His real estate practice includes both commercial and residential real estate, representing and counseling clients regarding purchases, sales, leasing, condominium development and conversions, condominium management and homeowner associations, construction contracting and construction project management, construction dispute resolution, and mechanic's liens.
Joe also provides general business representation to entrepreneurs and businesses advising clients about business formation, incorporation and joint ventures, contract negotiations, and asset purchases and sales.
He also helps clients resolve issues related to trademarks, copyrights, and other intellectual property, including clearance and registration of state and federal trademarks, copyright registrations, trademark and copyright infringement claim resolution, intellectual property asset transfers and licensing, trade secret protection, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, and electronic commerce including Internet and domain name issues.
A Cincinnati native, after graduating from Purdue with B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering, Joe served on active duty as a Navy officer and nuclear power plant engineer on Navy nuclear-powered ships, and served aboard a submarine, cruiser, and aircraft carrier, and remains active with local Navy veterans on the board of the Cincinnati Navy League. After the Navy, Joe worked for several years as an engineer and was licensed as a professional engineer before obtaining his law degree.
- Real Estate Law
- Commercial Real Estate, Condominiums, Easements, Eminent Domain, Homeowners Association, Land Use & Zoning, Mortgages, Neighbor Disputes, Residential Real Estate, Water Law
- Divorce
- Collaborative Law, Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce
- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- Landlord Tenant
- Evictions, Housing Discrimination, Landlord Rights, Rent Control, Tenants' Rights
- Trademarks
- Trademark Litigation, Trademark Registration
- Construction Law
- Construction Contracts, Construction Defects, Construction Liens, Construction Litigation
- Family Law
- Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law
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Free Consultation
Call for a free telephone consultation. - Credit Cards Accepted
- Ohio
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- English
- University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
- J.D. (1989) | Law
- Honors: Order of the Coif Academic Honor Society
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- Purdue University - Purdue University
- M.S. (1974) | Engineering
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- Cincinnati Bar Association
- - Current
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- Surface Warfare Officer/Nuclear Power Plant Engineer
- United States Navy
- Professional Engineer 1986-2002
- State of Ohio
- Senior Reactor Operator 1982-1984
- US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- Q. need advice with mechanic's lien
- A: A mechanic's lien must be filed against the party who contracted for the work. If a contract is with a tenant, then the lien must be filed against the tenant's leasehold interest. If the owner was not a party to the contract, then a lien file against the owner would not be effective against either owner or tenant. There are time limits to file a valid lien. Use the Find a Lawyer tab to retain a local construction law attorney.
- Q. Can a contract clause absolutely eliminate or waive a citizen's right to a trial by jury?
- A: Right to a jury applies to criminal matters, not civil cases like business contracts. Rights to a jury in civil cases depend on state law, and can usually be waived as a matter of contract. That's why those waivers appear in so many business contracts.
- Q. Judge placed a no contact order against me and my spouse against my wishes. Is it possible to get the order lifted ?
- A: Maybe. Use the Find a Lawyer tab to retain a local attorney who can review all the facts and advise you of any options and the workings of your local court. But it depends on the judge.
