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Thing you need for legal assistance as expat in CN (Shanghai)

In fact, you may need a lawyer more than you think. Let me give you an example:
You signed a labor contract with a company, but the contract was written in Chinese. The employer kindly provided you with an English translation for your reference, but it clearly stated that if there is a difference between the two languages, the Chinese version shall prevail. You may think that you only need a qualified translator, but in fact a qualified Chinese lawyer is the right choice because:
1. Translator does not know whether the terms of the labor contract are legal. For example, for a labor contract with a three-year term, the probation period must not exceed two months, and the wages must be paid in these two months. The salary amout must not be lower than 80% of the payment of the same work in the company or local minimum wage.
2. Translator does not understand sufficient vocabulary and phrase at the legal level, such as competition restrictions, parachute clauses or the difference between labor compensation and reimbursement, letting along explaining the meaning of them to you.
3. The most troublesome thing is that many statements on labor contracts, such as job descriptions, compensatory rest and relocation, statutory dissolution and dismissal, labor arbitration, etc., are directly related to your work environment, income, loss and preparations before a dispute, such as obtaining evidence or resigning complying with a legal process, which often leads to a situation that many foreign workers start with getting a satisfactory job in China, but leaving with regrets. In order to protect your legitimate right of workers, a Chinese lawyer is required to provide you with contract review, consultation and legal advice. There are many other similar things. For example, if you bought fake and shoddy goods in China, if you are injured or have been illegally violated, if you have encountered divorce, property dividing or a child custody dispute with a Chinese citizen or a marriage concluded in China, or if because of certain behaviors, you have been investigated by the state's public authority or restricted freedom, or if you have to do house sales or financial planning, sign a service or purchase and sales contract, etc., a qualified China lawyer can provide advice or representation service from a Chinese legal perspective in a way that you can understand.

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