Cory:
You need to understand the load being put on the beams. And that when you cut a lap you are cutting away half the beam where you need it to be the strongest. This is not good.
Read Jack's book again and make a scarf off to the side of the post not directly over it.
The scarf can be/maybe a simple half lap, if there is no tension in the beams.
As mentioned have an engineer or someone else look over the entire design to make sure you doing something safe.
Jim Rogers
