Website Terms of Use

1. No Legal Advice

The Site is provided for general informational and marketing purposes only. Information on the Site, including articles, FAQs, descriptions of our services, and any commentary on artificial intelligence, technology, or the law, is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney addressing your specific facts and circumstances.

Laws change and vary by jurisdiction, and information on the Site may not be current, complete, or applicable to your situation. You should not act or refrain from acting based on Site content without first consulting a qualified attorney licensed in the relevant jurisdiction. Your use of, or reliance on, any Site content is solely at your own risk.

2. No Attorney-Client Relationship

Accessing the Site, reading its content, or sending us an email does NOT create an attorney-client relationship between you and the Firm. An attorney-client relationship with the Firm is formed only when (a) the Firm has completed its conflict-of-interest review, (b) the Firm has agreed in writing to represent you, and (c) you have signed a written engagement agreement with the Firm.

Do not send confidential or time-sensitive information through the Site or by email until an attorney-client relationship has been established in writing. Information you submit before that point is not confidential, is not protected by the attorney-client privilege, and will not, by itself, prevent the Firm from representing another party in the same or a related matter. If you have a pressing legal deadline, consult an attorney promptly; do not rely on the Site or on an email to the Firm to preserve your rights.

3. Licensing; Responsible Attorney

The Firm's attorneys are licensed to practice law in the State of North Carolina. The Firm does not seek to represent anyone in any jurisdiction where the Site or these Terms would not comply with that jurisdiction's laws or rules of professional conduct.

The attorney responsible for the content of this Site is Alexandra Villarreal O'Rourke, who can be reached at 101 S Tryon Street, Suite 2700, Charlotte, NC 28280. This Site may constitute attorney advertising or a communication concerning a lawyer's services under applicable rules of professional conduct. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter.

4. Eligibility

The Site is intended for users who are at least 18 years old and capable of forming a binding contract. The Site is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect information from children. By using the Site, you represent that you meet these requirements.

5. Permitted Use

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Site for your own personal, non-commercial, informational purposes. You may view and, where a print or download function is provided, print or download individual pages for your personal, non-commercial reference, provided you keep all copyright and other proprietary notices intact.

6. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to, and not to assist or permit any person to:

• Use the Site for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms or any applicable law or regulation;
• Copy, reproduce, republish, distribute, sell, license, frame, or create derivative works from the Site or its content except as expressly permitted in Section 5;
• Use any robot, spider, scraper, crawler, or other automated means to access, monitor, or copy the Site or its content, or to harvest email addresses or other information from the Site;
• Use Site content (including any email address shown on the Site) to send unsolicited bulk communications, advertisements, or other solicitations;
• Use the Site or its content to train, fine-tune, or develop any machine-learning or artificial-intelligence model, except with our prior written consent;
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Site, its servers, or any related systems or networks, or to probe, scan, or test their vulnerability;
• Introduce viruses, malware, or other harmful code, or interfere with or disrupt the integrity, security, or performance of the Site;
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any portion of the Site, except to the extent that restriction is prohibited by applicable law;
• Remove, obscure, or alter any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notice; or
• Use the Site in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair it, or interfere with any other party's use of the Site.

7. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise indicated, all content on the Site, including text, graphics, logos, images, page layouts, and the compilation and arrangement of content, is owned by or licensed to the Firm and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. "Alumbra Legal," "Villarreal PLLC," the Firm's logos, and related marks are trademarks or service marks of the Firm. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right to use any Firm mark without our prior written permission. All rights not expressly granted are reserved.

8. Third-Party Links and Content

The Site may contain links to third-party websites, resources, or content that we do not own or control. We provide these links for convenience only. We do not endorse and are not responsible for the content, accuracy, privacy practices, or availability of any third-party website or resource, and you access them at your own risk. Your dealings with any third party are solely between you and that third party.

9. Submissions and Feedback

Other than information governed by our Privacy Policy or by a written engagement agreement, any comments, suggestions, ideas, or other feedback you send to us about the Site (collectively, "Feedback") are non-confidential. You grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and incorporate Feedback for any purpose without obligation or compensation to you. Do not send us Feedback you consider confidential or proprietary.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Firm disclaims all warranties, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement, and any warranties arising from course of dealing or usage of trade.

We do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, secure, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components, or that any content on the Site is accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of the above exclusions may not apply to you.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE FIRM AND ITS MEMBERS, ATTORNEYS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE, THE SITE OR ITS CONTENT, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT, STATUTE, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE FIRM HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Firm's total aggregate liability for all claims arising out of or relating to the Site or these Terms will not exceed one hundred U.S. dollars (USD $100). This Section does not limit liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law, and nothing in these Terms limits the Firm's professional responsibilities to a client under an executed written engagement agreement or under applicable rules of professional conduct.

12. Dispute Resolution; Arbitration; Class-Action Waiver

Please read this Section carefully. It affects your legal rights. Except as stated below, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to the Site or these Terms (a "Dispute") will be resolved by binding individual arbitration rather than in court.

Arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association under its then-current rules, and will take place in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina or another mutually agreed location. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class-action and jury-trial waiver. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Disputes will be brought only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, or representative proceeding. You and the Firm each waive any right to a jury trial.

Exceptions. Either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court, and either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in court to protect intellectual property or confidential information. This Section does not govern, limit, or replace any dispute-resolution, fee-dispute, or grievance procedure that applies to an attorney-client relationship under a written engagement agreement or under applicable rules of professional conduct. If applicable law does not permit a particular Dispute to be arbitrated, that Dispute is subject to Section 13.

Opt-out. You may opt out of this arbitration provision by sending written notice to info@alumbralegal.com within 30 days after you first accept these Terms, stating your name and your intent to opt out.

13. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Subject to Section 12, any Dispute not resolved by arbitration will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

14. Changes to the Site and These Terms

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Site or any part of it at any time without notice. We may also revise these Terms from time to time. Revised Terms are effective when posted, and the "Effective Date" above will be updated. Your continued use of the Site after revised Terms are posted constitutes your acceptance of them. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

15. General

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement between you and the Firm regarding the Site and supersede any prior agreements on that subject. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force, and the unenforceable provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms; we may assign them without restriction. Section headings are for convenience only.

16. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms may be directed to: