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Need a lawyer
Can you handle
it yourself or do you need help?
For most people, legal
conflicts, questions, and issues arise regularly. Whether you
are getting married, fighting a parking ticket, starting a new
job or business, buying a house, planning for your retirement
or just minding your own affairs, the law is in your
face.
When do you need a lawyer's help?
Sometimes it's a no-brainer. If you're filing for divorce, hit
with a lawsuit, or charged with a crime, you probably need a
lawyer — and fast. Other times it's not so obvious. But be
advised: You don't have to be involved in a civil or criminal
conflict or controversy to benefit from legal counsel. People
hire lawyers for advice and expertise all of the time, in all
kinds of situations.
Here's the first thing to ask
yourself in deciding if you should consult an attorney:
"What's at stake?" When your finances or liberties are in
serious jeopardy, get legal help. What is serious? An
ordinary parking summons is a brush with the law, but you need
not consult with an attorney to pay the fine or even to fight
it. However, if you've accumulated a hundred unpaid parking
tickets and a warrant has been issued for your arrest, you may
want to hire a lawyer who can help you best resolve the
situation, and perhaps save you money or even keep you out of
jail.
You don't have to be in trouble to call a lawyer,
and you don't have to be mad at someone or at the end of your
financial rope either. In non-adversarial situations, use
common sense and a little bit of business savvy in deciding if
you might benefit from good advice of counsel.
In good
times as well as bad, with a lawyer's help, individuals and
businesses understand and secure their legal rights and
financial interests. Lawyers help clients with estate
planning, business negotiations, strategies and transactions.
With good legal advice, clients comply with and swiftly
navigate through, the complex mazes of federal and state
regulations. And everybody can rest easily after consulting
experienced lawyers for important undertakings such as tax and
estate planning, drafting wills and trusts, creating business
partnerships and adopting children.
It's easy to call a
lawyer when you're injured, angry, or threatened. But a lawyer
is not just a rainy day advisor. Your counselor at law will
help you keep the sun shining on your business and finances.
So don't hesitate — proactive! Practice preventive legal
planning to improve your quality of life and get a lawyer's
advice to avoid conflicts and legal hardship
later.
What should you
consider before you look for a lawyer?
You have a problem and
think you want a lawyer to represent you. First, think about
if you can resolve the situation to your satisfaction without
hiring an attorney. The answer is yes, you can. Many companies
and public utilities offer customer service departments that
effectively address consumer problems and complaints. If you
think you've been ripped off in the marketplace, make a phone
call or send a letter or email to the offending party or
business before you contact a lawyer. Many state
attorney general offices provide consumer protection
departments.
If you have a problem with a regulated
industry such as banking or insurance, contact the agency in
your state responsible for overseeing that industry. Also,
many community groups such as elder associations, civil rights
groups and other organizations offer free legal help and
information.
Some disputes may be resolved by using
increasingly popular litigation alternatives such as mediation
or arbitration. Businesses and individuals might agree to use
alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
rather than court action to resolve legal
conflicts.
How quickly
should you consult a lawyer?
Sometimes you have lots of
time to consider your alternatives. In other situations, you
need to act fast. If prosecutors have accused you of a crime,
or law enforcement authorities are questioning you about your
involvement in a serious criminal matter, consult a lawyer
immediately. Similarly, if you receive a summons and complaint
naming you as a defendant in a lawsuit, don't
delay.
Keep in mind that if you've been injured in an
accident, there are time limits on your right to file a
lawsuit. These "statutes of limitation" vary greatly from
state to state and depend upon the fact and type of each case.
In some instances the law requires a claimant to notify
potential defendants about any injury within an extremely
short period of time — as little as a few weeks or
months.
In certain cases if you sit on your rights, you
could lose them. You might have been angry for years over your
neighbor's fence encroaching on part of your property. But if
you wait too long without objecting or taking some legal
action, the law might give your neighbor the right to leave
the fence there permanently.
What are you
trying to achieve?
This is an easy question to
answer if you find yourself a defendant in a civil suit or
charged with a crime. In these cases, your goal is to keep
your money out of your adversary's pocket, or avoid criminal
sanctions. In other situations, your objective may be less
clear. If you feel your employer unlawfully fired you, you
might want to get your job back. If you suffered an injury
from a defective product, you might wish to recover money
damages. Before you hire a lawyer, think about what you want
to achieve.
Many people decide to sue, expecting to win
huge verdicts. But any lawyer will tell you that in
litigation, there are few guarantees. Unlike on television or
in the news, multi-million dollar verdicts are the
exceptions. Be realistic about your chances of winning
and what your case is worth.
If you aren't sure what
your legal rights are, it might be worth your time and expense
to retain a lawyer to evaluate your situation and advise you
on alternative courses of action. Paying a few hundred dollars
for a two-hour consultation with an attorney could be a very
wise investment that ultimately can save you time and
money.
What type of
lawyer do you need?
Many attorneys specialize
in one type of law. Other lawyers handle a wide range of
matters. You want to hire an attorney with expertise in your
type of case or matter. If your company is going belly-up,
consult a bankruptcy lawyer. For advice on estate planning,
hire an attorney experienced in estate law.
Knowing a
bit about the law will help you become a smarter legal
consumer. Isn't it.
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