Almost everything we do is affected by laws. There are so many laws that it would take a person with an average reading skill over a thousand years just to read the law book. As if we have nothing else to do with our lives but read laws. So what do we do when a legal situation arises? Do we handle it ourselves or do we call a lawyer who's been trained in the legal field? For many people, the thought of calling a lawyer may be frightening. Sometimes they might not even know if they need a lawyer or how to even choose one, so they might avoid contacting a lawyer even when it is in their best interests to do so. However, do your homework before you hire a lawyer for yourself and/or your business. At the time when you are faced with serious legal or medical problems, you still need to make a good, informed decision about who will represent you. And it doesn't have to be as hard or as costly as you may think to find a good lawyer. Provided below are some quick tips that can take the stress out of finding a lawyer.
Can I represent myself?
You have the right to represent yourself. However, the law is extremely complex and changes frequently. Unless you dedicate 100% of your time into educating yourself with all of the laws and legal procedures relevant to your case, you stand a good chance of losing. You may very easily overlook a legal aspect affecting your case that may sometimes bring unanticipated legal consequences that can be difficult and expensive to undo. So, you need to weigh the risks and benefits of representing yourself vs. hiring a lawyer to represent your case.
When do I contact a lawyer?
When faced with a problem that you think it needs legal attention, you may wish to consult with a lawyer about your legal rights and responsibilities as soon as possible. Many states have deadlines for filing lawsuits especially for personal injuries. These so called "statute of limitations" laws are designed to encourage people to promptly come forward and present their case. But this doesn't mean that you have to simply pick the first lawyer you bump into because you're in a hurry, as you will learn from these tips.
How do I choose the "right" lawyer for me?
From a personal aspect, selecting a lawyer is always a personal matter. But, as with any service providers, the lawyer is just providing his/her service to his/her client. So, the lawyer-client relationship needs be based on trust and open and honest communication so the lawyer could provide the best of his/her service. It requires a mutual commitment from both the client and the lawyer. If the client is not cooperating fully, the lawyer could not provide the best of his/her service. At the same time, if the lawyer is not easily accessible and prompt in responding to your phone calls, emails, and requests, you're going to get nothing but frustration. Hence, when choosing the "right" lawyer for your case you need to feel 100% comfortable when talking to that lawyer and feel confident in his or her abilities. If there's even a single doubt, you need to keep looking. Your case is too important to entrust to someone who does not inspire your confidence.
From a professional aspect, people often believe that simply any lawyer could handle any case. This misleading confidence frequently works to the client's disadvantage. No lawyer is skilled in every area of the law. So, to find the "right" lawyer for your case you need not to be shy about asking your prospective lawyer questions until you gain full confidence in his or her ability. Only then would you select that lawyer. Actually, while asking the questions, you'll be able to observe the lawyer's responsiveness and readiness to cooperate with you. Some of the most important questions you need to ask your prospective lawyer when going through the selection process are:
- What amount of experience do you have in this area of the law (the area of your legal need)?
- Will you or one of your associates handle my case? – if an associate handles your case, that's the person you need to interview.
- How many cases like mine have you handled? – ask for specifics for each of the cases.
- Could you provide me with references from some or each of the cases? – make sure you call each of the clients to learn about their experience.
A responsible and a caring lawyer would have no problems providing you with answers. If the lawyer is giving you runarounds for each of the questions and not providing you with specific answers, you need to keep looking. Also, always check with your State Bar Association if that lawyer has been the subject of an ethical complaint or inquiry.
Where do I find a lawyer?
No matter where you look for a lawyer, always keep in mind the above tip for choosing the right lawyer for you. Nevertheless, here are a few places to look for a lawyer:
- Yellow Pages and Advertisements – When you open your local yellow pages doesn't it seem like the doctors and the lawyers cover the half of the book with advertisements? It almost looks as if they're the only ones having the money for full blown ad pages. Speaking of ads, unless you have a marketing/sales knowledge and experience, you would never know how advertisements work. The advertisements are developed to psychologically trigger your emotional senses and make you respond to the call of action of the ad. It's a science of its own. So, you as an average consumer would have no idea which advertisement is telling the truth and which has the truth blown out of proportion. But, this is a very good place to at least get some names and phone numbers from local lawyers and start your selection process.
- Your Society Circle – Your family, friends, people you work with, people you talk to, people you know of ... start asking around. This is one of your most reliable sources. You will have a chance to get the first hand experience. Someone who has been in a same or a similar situation could tell you about their experience (good or bad) with their lawyer. If their experience has been nothing but good, you have a half of your work done. And even if no one in your society circle could refer you to a lawyer, they might know of someone else from their society circle who might have been in a similar situation. Some of the most reliable referrals come from people you trust - fellow business owners, friends and family - who have used lawyers recently. Word of mouth from a satisfied customer generally is very reliable.
- Bar Associations – This is another reliable source. Your local attorney bar association may maintain an attorney referral service, which is a list of their members by specialty who will consult with you for free or at a special rate set by the bar association for the first conference. The Bar Association could also tell you if a lawyer has been a subject of an ethical complaint or inquiry from past clients.
- The Internet – Indeed the Internet. But, this is your least reliable source because everything could be put on the 'net. However, just like with advertisements, you could use the Internet to at least get you a list of local lawyers practicing in your problem area so you could start the selection process. On the Internet, search for lawyer directories, such as Martindale.com; lawyer referral services, such as LegalMatch.com; people/business finding services, such as Anywho.com; and simply your favorite search engine.
Disclaimer: The author and publisher of this article have done their best to give you useful, informative and accurate information. This article does not represent nor replace the legal advice you need to get from a lawyer, or other professional if the content of the article involves an issue you are facing. Laws vary from state-to-state and change from time-to-time. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions about the issues described in this article. Thank you.
About the author: This article was produced by Attorney Resources and Information website. Please visit http://lawyer.bestinfo4you.com if you need to find a lawyer or if you need more information to help you with your attorney.
How to Find The Right Divorce Lawyer For You
Finding the right divorce lawyer for your divorce is more than just blindly pointing your finger at the first family law advertisement you see in the yellow pages. If you have a lot to lose, common sense tells that it is necessary to pick a divorce lawyer who has experience and reputation of settling intricate cases that involve assets, property, custody, etc.
Selecting a divorce lawyer to handle your case can be one of the most important decisions when considering a divorce. The stress that divorce battles bring to parents can be truly remarkable. Your divorce lawyer will either add to your frustration or ease the pain. Here are a few tips to consider when looking for a divorce lawyer.
Fees - Lawyers charge a lot, don't they? Yes, they go to a very lengthy and a difficult schooling, which at the end is worth a lot. Many people try to hire divorce lawyers that charge less for their services. On the total opposite, some people with a sizeable income would hire expensive or renowned lawyers. The assumption here is that high-priced lawyers can do a better job representing your case. This claim has never been verified. For example, a costly lawyer may have few wins in court, whereas a somewhat new divorce lawyer may have an excellent winning track record. So, during your initial consultation with your prospective divorce lawyer it is vital that you have an open and an honest discussion about the fees and what you can expect. But, the fees need not to be the determining factor in the final decision of who would represent your case.
Experience and expertise - Experience is one very important factor in choosing your divorce lawyer. Additionally, it's necessary for that lawyer to practice primarily in the field of divorce law. In some cases, people will hire a lawyer who practices outside this field, thinking that any lawyer will do. An experienced divorce lawyer will know the tendencies of the various judges in your jurisdiction and will be able to use this knowledge to your advantage.
Testimonials - One of the best ways to determine which divorce lawyer would be good for your divorce is to learn what former clients have to say about a particular lawyer. Don't be afraid to ask around. If you do not know of anyone who has been a client of that particular divorce lawyer, at your initial appointment don't be shy to ask your prospective lawyer for a list of past clients. While client confidentiality is very important, any "good" and experienced divorce lawyer would not be hiding anything and would have at least a few satisfied former clients who would be willing to vouch for him or her.
Accessibility and the "Likeable" element - It is extremely important that your divorce lawyer is easily accessible and prompt in responding to your phone calls, emails, and requests. Or, you're going to get nothing but frustration. While you would care to ask for the lawyer's office policy, don't forget to ask the lawyer's past clients if that particular lawyer was responsible enough to maintain an easy system of communication. And last but not least, do YOU personally like that particular divorce attorney? Do you feel comfortable talking to that lawyer, and are you confident in his or her abilities? If the answer is anything other than a definite "yes," you need to keep looking. Your case is too important to entrust to someone who does not inspire your confidence. If you don't like that particular lawyer for some reason and don't feel comfortable talking to him or her, there might be other people (like the judges) that may not like that person for the same reason that you do, which may cause you to lose the case.
Disclaimer: The author and publisher of this article have done their best to give you useful, informative and accurate information. This article does not represent nor replace the legal advice you need to get from a lawyer, or other professional if the content of the article involves an issue you are facing. Laws vary from state-to-state and change from time-to-time. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions about the issues described in this article. Thank you.
About the author: This article was produced by Attorney Resources and Information website. Please visit http://lawyer.bestinfo4you.com/divorce-attorney.html if you need to find a divorce lawyer or if you need more information to help you with your attorney.
The Legalities of Web Sites
The integrity, accuracy, and representation of a web site is a direct responsibility of the owners of the site.
In short, whatever you tell your web team or web designer to build, they will build. Separately, it is your responsibility to address any copyright, trademark, intellectual property and/or other legal matters BEFOREHAND.
Do's:
* DO make sure that you have permission or licensing to use photos, graphic elements, and logos on your web site.
* DO keep copies of emails or letters giving explicit permission to use materials on your web site.
* DO make sure that you have not copied or plagiarized any content from another web site.
* DO make sure that your web site represents your business and/or services as accurately as possible.
* DO check with a lawyer about your legal concerns. Most lawyers will provide a low-cost consultation.
* DO make sure that your web site complies with all of the state and federal laws as they apply to your industry.
* DO as much research as you can about the legal concerns you have so that you can provide the information to your lawyer.
The more information your provide, the happier the lawyer will be to do the work for you.
* DO make sure that you have made every effort to secure your customers' information on your site where personal information may be transmitted over the internet.
Don'ts:
* Don't assume that certain laws may not apply to you. Always check with a lawyer.
* Don't "borrow" things from other web sites. Always email the contact address or the webmaster so that you receive a written response.
* Don't copy other people's content without their permission.
* Don't try to guess at the legal elements of your web site. If you don't know what they are, check with a lawyer.
* Don't hesitate to ask questions. A good designer should know a little bit about some of the common legalities, or be able to refer you to legal help.
* Don't think that if you choose not to address the legal issues they will go away.
* Don't put the responsibility on your web developer - It's your site, not theirs.
Where can you go for help with legal concerns?
Internet Business Legal Guidance:
Gigalaw.com - (http://www.gigalaw.com) legal guidance website for internet business
Nolo.com - (http://www.nolo.com) online research site for most legal topics
Lawyer Referrals:
Pennsylvania Bar Association - http://www.pabar.org
Delaware Bar Association - http://www.dsba.org
New Jersey Bar Association - http://www.njsba.com
Free Legal Advice - http://law.freeadvice.com/resources/linkbar.htm
Copyright and Trademark Infringement:
United States Copyright website - www.copyright.gov
The Copyright Site - www.benedict.com
And of course, I'm always around to help you as well. Email me at curtis@idylhands.com
