Seeking legal help?
Don’t wait, get legal help immediately at the first sign of a conflict. Better yet, establish a relationship with an attorney before you have a pressing legal issue. The longer you wait to resolve a conflict, the greater the risk. Most lawyers cannot respond immediately to a legal emergency unless you already have a retainer agreement with them. A good attorney will often need at least a few business days to work on a new legal issue for a new client.
Plan ahead. If you are threatened with a legal issue, take action now, don’t wait. For example, if your landlord is threatening you with eviction, get legal help now. Do not wait until you receive an eviction notice. Then, it is often to late. If you are a landlord with a tenant from hell, don't wait until the little devil burns the place down. Whether you are a landlord or a tenant or if you are a consumer or a business, learn about your legal rights and the possible legal actions you can take by contacting us for a professional consultation and referral to a qualified lawyer now.
Don’t expect pro bono legal services. Most attorneys don’t offer their service pro bono or free. Those that do reserve their pro bono services for the poverty-stricken that have certain types of legal situations. If you believe you qualify for a free legal aid program, contact your local legal aid office and read the companion article, How to find free legal advice. You will often find that the response is slow, the waiting list is long, you don’t qualify, or legal aid lawyers do not handle your type of legal issue, so plan ahead.
Need an attorney right now?
If you need an attorney immediately, you are probably out of luck, especially when you try to seek legal advice after normal business hours and on weekends.
We receive numerous inquiries by email and telephone for legal help after business hours and on weekends. However, there is no one available after business hours.
One person in need of legal advice called our office on the hour, every hour, throughout the night from midnight to 5 AM. leaving messages begging an attorney to return the call immediately. The legal issue wasn’t urgent. Few lawyers are on call 24/7, and if they are, they are available for pressing legal issues, not for situations that can wait until the next business day.
Although we can usually have you talking to a qualified attorney in your area on the business day that you contact us, attorneys cannot be expected to resolve a complex legal situation that same day.
Most of the urgent legal issues we encounter are pressing because the consumer procrastinated, often for weeks, before seeking legal advice. Many hope an attorney is standing by to provide free legal advice for complex and messy legal situations over the phone. But that's not the way it works.
Hiring an attorney
Unless you have a routine legal issue that only requires incidental advice, review or correspondence from an attorney you may need to hire a lawyer under a retainer agreement. Generally lawyers and some state laws require a written retainer agreement and a down payment or retainer fee in for an attorney to begin work on more complex legal issues including family law issues such as divorce, child custody; bankruptcy; and civil and criminal procedures.
Many consumers of legal services tell similar sad stories about their experiences with lawyers. They chose an attorney that someone recommended or one they used themselves for a different legal issue. They did not ask the lawyer for an estimate of what it would cost to resolve their legal issue before they engaged the attorney. Others felt lured into signing a retainer agreement by a lawyer’s low hourly rate or a small retainer fee or offer to provide a free consultation. These are all mistakes to be avoided.
Legal Specialty. Like medicine, the practice of law is specialized. If you or your child had a brain tumor, would go to your proctologist (Remember the Assman) for brain surgery? Or would you seek out renowned brain surgeon Ben Carson? The answer is obvious. Consumers of legal services must do the same; seek out a specialist that is experienced in handling a legal issue.
Is bankruptcy the best solution?
Many people find themselves in challenging financial circumstances because of todays down economy and the collapse of the real estate bubble. Many consider filing for bankruptcy, but is it the best solution? Bankruptcy may or may not be the right legal solution depending on your particular situation and set of circumstances. Filing bankruptcy is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, so it is important that you consult with a qualified attorney before making that decision.
While bankruptcy may eliminate the obligation to pay certain debts, stop foreclosure on a home, prevent the repossession of a vehicle, and stop wage garnishment and harassment by creditors, bankruptcy cannot eliminate the rights of a mortgagor or lien holders against property, discharge obligation to pay child support, student loans, taxes and alimony, nor can it protect cosigners on your debts.
How to find free legal advice
Whether you have a legal question, you were served with a lawsuit or you want to file for bankruptcy, divorce or child custody, the facts are about the same. The following short independent video sums up the facts concerning free legal advice from lawyers. Complete the no obligation form and an intermediary will show you how to get trusted legal services from an attorney in your area that you can afford.
How lawyers are rated
Attorneys are rated by their clients and by other lawyers. Martindale-Hubbell is the best known firm that rates lawyers. Martindale's roots began more than 140 years ago when James Martindale first began recommending the most reliable attorneys in each city.
The current rating system requires lawyers to achieve a "Very High" criterion for general ethical standards meaning that he or she adheres to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities. Unless an attorney meets this standard they cannot be considered for the next step in the attorney rating process.
Top 10 consumer complaints
According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft was the top consumer complaint in 2010 followed by debt collection, and internet services. If you’ve been victimized by identity theft, are being harassed by debt collectors or have been swindled in various schemes, an attorney and legal services can help you resolve the issue by providing legal advice and by being your consumer advocate.
The top 10 consumer complaints for 2010 were:
|
Rank |
Category |
Complaints |
% |
|
1 |
Identity Theft |
250,854 |
19% |
|
2 |
Debt Collection |
144,159 |
11% |
|
3 |
Internet Services |
65,565 |
5% |
|
4 |
Prizes, Sweepstakes and Lotteries |
64,085 |
5% |
|
5 |
Shop-at-Home and Catalog Sales |
60,205 |
4% |
|
6 |
Imposter Scams |
60,158 |
4% |
|
7 |
Internet Auctions |
56,107 |
4% |
|
8 |
Foreign Money/Counter- feit Check Scams |
43,866 |
3% |
|
9 |
Telephone and Mobile Services |
37,388 |
3% |
|
10 |
Credit Cards |
33,258 |
2% |
Chart taken from: Federal Trade Commission Press Release.