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Finding a Lawyer
Since 1976, lawyers have been allowed to advertise
their services on television, on radio, in newspapers, etc.
Often the lawyers you see on TV, though, are soliciting a large
number of clients and the lawyer himself rarely is the one who
works on your case. Instead, it's most likely that a
paralegal will do the bulk of the work. This isn't
necessarily a bad thing, but the more complicated your case, the
more you probably need an actual lawyer working on it. And
if you decide to hire a law firm to work on your case, ask who you are paying
to do most of the work, a lawyer or a paralegal (paralegals charge considerably less than lawyers).
If
You Need a Reputable Local Lawyer, Click Here for Help
You can always ask a friend or relative if they know of a
lawyer, but if they do and recommend one, make sure the lawyer has
expertise in the area in which your problem lies. In other
words, you do not want a real estate lawyer if your legal problem
has to do with child custody. You can look in the
yellow pages for an attorney and call to find out their rates and
if they offer free consultations. If so, you can use this
meeting to determine if you
are comfortable with the lawyer, his experience, his fees, his
track record, etc. There are also attorney
referral services (you can find these in the yellow pages, too),
but the lawyers here are subscribers to the service and usually
just starting out. Their fees may be lower, but they may not
have a lot of experience. Generally, the longer a lawyer has
been practicing law, the higher his fees will be (his reputation
and the type of law he practices will also come into play
here). There are also legal insurance companies that you can
join so that you always have an attorney "on
retainer." These companies are similar to other kinds
of insurance in that you pay a monthly premium and receive legal
help when needed. Keep in mind that the extent of help you
receive may be limited under these plans. You can also use
the internet to search for attorneys in your local area.
If you have been charged with a crime and need an attorney but
can't afford one, then the county will provide a lawyer to you at
no cost (usually the crime you are accused of committing must carry a
punishment of 6 months or longer in jail to receive this free
legal counsel). This attorney
will come from the public defender's office and may be overworked,
but he will be better than having no attorney at all.
If you have a civil case (need a will drawn up, need to break a
lease, etc.), then you might qualify for Legal Aid (found in the
phone book) if your income is low enough. Otherwise, you
will have to hire a lawyer on your own.
If
You Need a Reputable Local Lawyer, Click Here for Help
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