Terms of Use.

Effective date: January 1, 2026

1. Acceptance of these terms

Welcome to sterlinghayeslegal.com (the "Site"), which is operated by Sterling & Hayes Legal PLLC ("Sterling & Hayes," "the firm," "we," "us," or "our"), a Texas professional limited liability company with offices at 401 Congress Avenue, Suite 1540, Austin, Texas 78701. By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use (the "Terms") and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Site.

2. Permitted use

You may use the Site only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to:

• Use the Site in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair it or interfere with any other party's use of the Site.
• Use any robot, spider, or automated means to access the Site for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any material on the Site, without our prior written consent.
• Use the Site to transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, spam, chain letters, or similar solicitation.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, or disrupt the Site, any server on which it is hosted, or any system or network connected to the Site.
• Use the Site or its contents to train or fine-tune any artificial intelligence model without our express written permission.

3. No attorney-client relationship

Your use of the Site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Sterling & Hayes Legal PLLC or any of its attorneys. An attorney-client relationship is formed only after we have (a) checked for conflicts of interest, (b) discussed the proposed engagement with you, and (c) entered into a written engagement letter signed by both parties. Submitting an inquiry through the contact form, sending us an email, or calling our office does not, by itself, create an attorney-client relationship. Until that relationship is established in writing, please do not send us any information that you consider confidential or privileged.

4. Intellectual property

The Site and its entire contents — including text, graphics, images, logos, articles, photographs, design, layout, and software — are owned by Sterling & Hayes Legal PLLC, its licensors, or other content providers, and are protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may view, download, and print pages from the Site for your own personal, non-commercial reference, provided that you keep all copyright and other proprietary notices intact. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any material on the Site, in whole or in part, except as permitted by these Terms or with our prior written consent. The Sterling & Hayes Legal name, logo, and related marks are trademarks of Sterling & Hayes Legal PLLC.

5. Third-party links

The Site may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Sterling & Hayes. We provide these links for your convenience only and do not endorse, sponsor, or assume responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or services of any third-party site. Your use of any third-party site is at your own risk and subject to the terms and policies of that site.

6. Disclaimers

The information on the Site is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal information is not the same as legal advice, which is the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we strive to keep the information on the Site accurate and current, the law changes and the Site may not reflect the most recent legal developments. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of information found on the Site without seeking advice from a licensed attorney in the appropriate jurisdiction.

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR THAT THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

7. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL STERLING & HAYES LEGAL PLLC, ITS ATTORNEYS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM (A) YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE, THE SITE; (B) ANY CONTENT OBTAINED FROM THE SITE; OR (C) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE, OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR CONTENT. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN DAMAGES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

8. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Sterling & Hayes Legal PLLC and its attorneys, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, and fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these Terms or your use of the Site in violation of applicable law.

9. Governing law

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to them or to your use of the Site are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. The Site is operated from Austin, Travis County, Texas. We make no representation that the Site is appropriate or available for use in any particular jurisdiction outside the United States.

10. Dispute resolution

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Site shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Travis County, Texas, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts. Each party waives any objection based on inconvenient forum. Disputes related to professional services rendered by the firm are governed by the engagement letter that established the attorney-client relationship and are not subject to this section.

11. Changes to these terms

We may revise these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Effective date" above. Your continued use of the Site after revised Terms take effect constitutes your acceptance of them. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, please stop using the Site.

12. Contact

Questions about these Terms should be sent to:

Sterling & Hayes Legal PLLC
401 Congress Avenue, Suite 1540
Austin, Texas 78701
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (512) 555-0188